This episode is a talk given by the Thai forest meditation master Ajahn Maha Boowa and is titled “Kammaṭṭhāna”. It was first publish as part of the book “kammaṭṭhāna - the basis of practice” which was translated by monks at Wat Pah Ban Taad.

The Pali work kammaṭṭhāna literally means “the place of work”. Inside Thailand, what we call in the West the “Thai Forest Tradition” refers to itself as the kammaṭṭhāna tradition, and the monks within it as kammaṭṭhāna bhikkhus. At first this description of “the place of work” or “the basis of work” (as Ajahn Maha Boowa translates it) doesn’t sound very interesting. But on the one hand it is a very down-to-earth and practical approach to Buddhist meditative practice and mental development, and on the other it leads into profound and deep states of mind that are almost completely unknown to Western culture at large.

There is quite a lot of Pali terminology thrown into these talks, and it could be hard going for the beginner. It is after all, a teaching directed towards dedicated monks living in Ajahn Maha Boowa’s monastery. For beginners I recommend other teachers, especially western teachers from the Forest Tradition like Ajahn Brahm who are much more accessible in the way that they teach. However, for those who are on the Eightfold Path of practice and who are a bit more intrepid in their approach and seeking to open up the deeper states of mind, teachings like these can be of incalculable value. I endeavour to translate nearly all Pali terms into English on the first usage, and then lean more towards using the Pali - as Ajahn Maha Boowa does - subsequent to that. The translated text to this Dhamma teaching is available in the show notes below this episode.

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