The Fourth Messenger Podcast

"The First Free Women: Poems of the Early Buddhist Nuns" is a book of poems inspired by the Therīgāthā, a collection of verses from the Elder Bhikkhunis of the early Sangha. Notable for their power and humanity, Matty's poems gain new immediacy in the readings of Ajahn Pasanno. Text of many of the verses and readings by other monastics may be found at https://www.fourthmessenger.org.

Ajahn Jayasaro, a senior monk in the Thai Forest Tradition and a disciple of Ajahn Chah, speaks with the Buddhist Community at Stanford (BCAS) about his work in Thailand's schools, finding an appropriate teacher, how to approach conflict, and other aspects of the practice. More information and monastic teachings may be found at https://www.fourthmessenger.org.

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi speaks on the three themes the Buddha said should be reflected upon by "one who has gone forth" in Sutta 101 of the Anguttara Nikāya. A relevant teaching for all practitioners, this talk was given at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, California, in 2007.  An accompanying article may be found at https://www.fourthmessenger.org.

Ordained for over forty years, Ajahn Sucitto trained under Ven. Ajahn Sumedho in the lineage of the Thai forest master, Ven. Ajahn Chah. He was part of the group that established Cittaviveka, Chithurst Forest Monastery, in England.

The Kalama Sutta is most famous for its encouragement not to place total trust in traditions and texts, but it also encourages you not to place total trust in your sense of reason and preferences. So where can you place your trust? This talk focuses on the dilemma posed by the sutta's recommendations, and the way in proposes out of the dilemma. More information and monastic teachings may be found at https://www.fourthmessenger.org.

Ven. Canda went forth as a Buddhist nun in Burma in 2006 and subsequently took full ordination with Ajahn Brahm. She founded the Anukampa Bhikkhuni project in England, which aims to create a monastic home for bhikkhunis. To support their vision, visit https://anukampaproject.org/donate/. More information and monastic teachings may be found at https://www.fourthmessenger.org.

Ayya Santussika, in residence at Karuna Buddhist Vihara (Compassion Monastery), spent five years as an anagarika (eight-precept nun), then ordained as a samaneri (ten-precept nun) in 2010 and as a bhikkhuni (311 rules) in 2012 at Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara in Los Angeles. More information and monastic teachings may be found at https://www.fourthmessenger.org.

From ideas of cosmic cycles to descriptions of the solar system, the model of the universe put forward in the suttas corresponds to a surprising degree with modern understanding. In his essay, Ajahn Brahmali investigates the implications of these unlikely parallels. More information and monastic teachings may be found at https://www.fourthmessenger.org.

Ajahn Sona is a first-wave Western Theravada ordained monk and the Abbot of Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery (‘Birken’). More information and monastic teachings may be found at https://www.fourthmessenger.org.

Ven. Thubten Chodron, abbess of Sravasti Abbey in Newport, WA, went forth over forty years ago. Here she reflects on the eight "worldly winds" described by the Buddha and elaborated on by her teacher, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. More information and monastic teachings may be found at https://www.fourthmessenger.org.