Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts

For the Theravada Buddhist New Year 13th April, traditional Buddhists visit the monasteries to make merit, and also to receive blessings to increase their 'good luck'. Ajahn Dhammasiha points out that 'good luck', fortune telling, astrology, feng shui, amulets, charms, and so on are not really a suitable foundation to bring us happiness.If our precepts are not pure, and we are stingy and egotistic, even the blessings of the most revered monks, or the most auspicious astrological constellation will not be able to help us. Instead, the Buddha encouraged us to rely on good karma. We have his garantee that whatever good karma ('puñña') we generate will always catch up with us at some stage, and will always result in happiness and good fortune.www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked about desire/craving.We all know that the Buddha has explained in the Four Noble Truths that craving is the cause of suffering. But how do we find the motivation to practise, if we let go of all desire?Ajahn explains that we have to distinguish different form of desire. Only sensual desire, desire for existance, and desire for annihilation is the cause of suffering. But the desire to practise meditation, to learn the Dhamma, to be virtuous and generous - that desire ('chanda' in Pali) is wholesome, it is part of the path, and it should be deliberately cultivated.www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked what has sustained him to stay as a monk for 25 years. He explains that in his twenties he had a profound sense of the ultimately disappointing and meaningless nature of normal lay life. This insight motivated him to search for a better spiritual alternative, even though he was young and 'enjoying himself' (according to average worldly standards) as a student in the very exiting city Berlin around the time of German re-unification.The Bhikkhu's life, on the other hand, provides a clear goal and purpose, i.e. Nibbāna, which is infinitely superior to anything the world has to offer. And even if a monk does not succeed in attaining Nibbāna in this life, one makes heaps of good karma for an excellent rebirth, and lives a beautiful, reflective life in quiet nature.www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

When we carefully investigate the various problems we struggle with, we notice that often the problem is not really the problem, but the real problem is the projection of "I", "Me", "Mine" and "Self". Only once we take up 'ownership' of the issues, only once we identify and cling to them do they become a problem for us.Ajahn Dhammasiha encourages us to instead contemplate the body, feelings, emotions and any external or internal phenomena whatsoever as:"This is not me, this is not mine, this is not my Self"www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

We we try to quieten down in meditation, we're often assailed by all kinds of thoughts, worries and images arising in our mind. Rather than fighting them or trying to suppress them, we regard all disturbing thoughts, emotions, phantasies, and so on as:

Seen as not really belonging to us, they loose their power over us, and we can let go of them. Additionally, 'Anatta-Saññā' can be applied even to our meditation object, the breath itself. If we see the breath as 'not-me', we do not hold it too tightly, and the meditation goes swimmingly.

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Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about the 4 kinds of attachment/clinging/grasping ('upādāna'):Clinging to SensualityClinging to views/opinionsClinging to rites/rituals/conventionsClinging to a delusion of 'Self'Attachment is the cause of our suffering, and only when we let go of all 4 forms of attachment through insight ('vipassana') will we be able to abandon suffering and experience liberation.www.dhammagiri.netwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitage www.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJw www.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive .

Like in a Tesla on autonomous driving mode, we're in danger of meditating and living our whole life on automatic pilot: Stuck in conventions, routines and habits.

Ajahn Dhammasiha encourages us to break out of conventionality, to live and meditate with 'Beginners Mind': Aware, mindful, open and free.

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We've all heard the old adage: "No pain - no gain!" In the Buddha's time, they took that to the extreme and thought that to reach the highest gain, enlightenment, one would have to forgo all pleasure, and endure the most intense pain. Even the Bodhisatta fell into that trap and mortified his body with the most extreme ascetic practices.But when he had fasted himself close to death, he finally had the crucial insight: We only have to abondon sensual and unwholesome happiness. But wholesome happiness of generosity, virtue and samādhi is nothing to be feared.Spiritual happiness should be developed, and is the path to awakening.We can use happiness as a means to attain even more happiness.www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archivewww.vimeo.com/dhammatalks

Mettā, Loving Kindness, is unconditional - every being deserves our Loving Kindness, without having to fulfill any 'conditions' beforehand whatsoever. And that applies equally to ourselves.

We deserve our own loving kindness, no matter what we did or didn't do, no matter what bad qualities we may still have, or what good qualities we may still lack. We fully qualify and unconditionally wish ourselves well, 'warts and all', according to the instructions of the Buddha, simply because we are a living being.

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A good doctor listens carefully, examines the patient thoroughly, and prescribes medicine only after he arrived at a well considered and investigated diagnosis.Is that how we treat the ailments of our own mind?Or are we a bad doctor in treating our own mind, immediately applying a standard solution?And when our treatment doesn't work, are we willing to re-investigate and apply a more suitable medicine, or are we just following a "more of the same" approach?Have we properly diagnosed whether our mind suffers from anger, or anxiety, or depression, or restlessness, or greed, or confusion...?Do we use the most appropriate meditation for each of these conditions to treat them?www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archivewww.vimeo.com/dhammatalks