2. “Thank you for your talk today. You mentioned giving the opportunity for everyone to practice and train. However, there seem to be no Ajahn Chah monasteries in the US and Canada where women can ordain and train. Would Abhayagiri be open to having a female monastic community at some point in the future?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Women's monastic forms ] [Western Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Abhayagiri] // [Culture/Thailand] [Dhammadharini Monastery] [Karuna Buddhist Vihara] [Sīladharā] [Aloka Vihara] [Bhikkhunī] [Women in Buddhism]
4. “What is the meaning of the inscription on the Buddha statue behind you?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha images] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Jundee]
16. “Could you please explain why the ajahn holds a fan in front of himself during the taking of refuges?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Three Refuges] [Ceremony/ritual] // [Abhayagiri] [Kaṭhina] [Symbolism/metaphor] [Dhamma]
1. “Could you talk about the time of the fires that came so close to the monastery?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Disasters] [Abhayagiri] // [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Lodging]
12. “How did you come to join Ajahn Amaro as co-abbot of the newly established Abhayagiri Monastery in California?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Amaro] [Abbot] [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Pasanno ] // [Saṅghapāla] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Jack Kornfield] [Elders' Council] [Chithurst]
13. “What was it like establishing a forest monastery with the strict Vinaya of the Forest Tradition in California in the 1990s?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Vinaya] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Culture/West] // [Conscience and prudence] [Trust] [Precepts]
14. “Abhayagiri is not near a major city, but there has been plenty of interest from both laypeople and those wishing to ordain. What do you credit for the successful establishment phase of Abhayagiri Monastery?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Monastic life/Motivation] // [Teaching Dhamma] [Trust] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Vinaya]
Quote: “We are what we say we are. That helps.” [Abhayagiri] [Truth]
15. “How many monastics are there at Abhayagiri right now?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Monastic life]
16. “During your time in the United States, how do you think the knowledge and practice of Buddhism has changed?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/West] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Abhayagiri] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
17. “In 2018 you stepped away from the role of abbot of Abhayagiri, passing the role to Ajahn Karunadhammo and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. Both these monks are American and have mostly trained in the United States at Abhayagiri. How do you feel about this milestone?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Abbot] [Retirement] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Ajahn Pasanno ] [Ajahn Ñāṇiko] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Culture/West] // [Monastic life]
1. “In reference to the fragrance of the flower ... There are many roses in the courtyard across the street. ... Why do we cultivate beauty? Where does beauty arise from?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Beauty] // [Clinging] [Happiness] [Master Hsuan Hua] [Empathetic joy] [Unconditioned]
Sutta: MN 37: Sabbe dhamma nalam abhinivesaya. (Nothing whatsoever should be clung to.)
Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s mother sends his old letters to Abhayagiri. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Abhayagiri]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah was unshakeable in the midst of all the things that were happening around him and responded warmly and compassionately to the people around him. [Ajahn Chah] [Equanimity] [Compassion] [Family] [Monastic life/Motivation]
4. “I notice that some of the monks at Abhayagiri use social media. As a youngster, I use a lot of social media. You grew up when there was none. What’s your view on how it’s affecting our mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Social media] [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Pasanno]
5. “I feel that a lot of people are disconnected with the reality world. They don’t have a place of social, and they withdraw themselves and go on the internet. So I think the fundamental problem is people [audio unclear] in this real world. Do you have any comments on how to connect people in the real world so there can be a replacement of social media?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Community] [Social media] [Internet] // [Dhamma online] [Pandemic] [Online community] [Abhayagiri] [Lunar observance days]
Sutta: SN 55.5: Spiritual friendship as a condition for Right View. [Spiritual friendship] [Right View] [Conditionality] [Appropriate attention]
6. “Is there a right speed to silent walking?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Posture/Walking] // [Abhayagiri] [Postures] [Continuity of mindfulness]
Story: Jack Kornfield asks Ajahn Chah, “Whenever you teach walking meditation, you always teach the monks to walk slowly. But whenever you walk meditation, you walk really fast. [Ajahn Chah] [Jack Kornfield] [Teaching Dhamma] [Exercise]
Translations of sampajañña (clear comprehension) and its role in Dhamma practice. [Clear comprehension ] [Translation] [Mindfulness]
1. Ajahn Pasanno mentions the Question and Story Archive. [Questions] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Abhayagiri] [Dhamma online]
3. “Have you ever regretted choosing the monastic life? Has your mother ever thought you made a wrong choice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Doubt] [Parents] // [Gratitude] [Retirement] [Energy] [Mentoring] [Christianity] [Abhayagiri]
Reflections on leadership. [Leadership ] [Ajahn Chah] [Abbot] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Discernment]
Quote: “You can’t lead just by telling people what to do and they are going to obey. Forget it!” [Leadership ]
Quote: “Everybody else is a mirror for oneself if one is willing to learn in teaching or leading others.” [Leadership ] [Learning]
1. Reflections by Ajahn Pasanno on 28 years. [Community] [Monasteries] [Abhayagiri] // [Saṅghapāla] [Lay supporters] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
Reflection: It’s the community and the people that really creates the monastery.
2. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: The early days of Abhayagiri were simple and basic. [Requisites] [Abhayagiri] // [Lay supporters] [Building projects] [Generosity] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
Quote: “It was like a Buddhist trailer park.” [Abhayagiri] [Lodging]
3. Recollection of the deaths of key Abhayagiri contributors. Recounted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Death] [Lay supporters] [Abhayagiri] // [Recollection/Death] [Generosity]
5. How I decided to ordain at Abhayagiri. Recollection by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo ] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Wat Pah Nanachat]
6. Story: The first few years of Abhayagiri. Told by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo ] [Ajahn Visuddhi] [Lodging] [Ajahn Pasanno]
7. Reflection by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo: First and foremost, this is a training monastery. [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri] // [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Truth] [Vinaya]
8. I arrived when Abhayagiri turned five. Recollection by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Ajahn Ñāṇiko ] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Ajahn Sudanto] [Ordination] [Sīladharā]
Recollection: The little house was the beating heart of Abhayagiri. [Abhayagiri] [Lodging] [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Questions] [Gratitude] [Goodwill]
Quote: “I want to ordain. What do I do?” — Ajahn Ñāṇiko’s first email to the Abhayagiri guestmonk. [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Achalo] [Idealism]
Story: “Look, I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to practice.” [Spiritual friendship]
Quote: “Don’t think about it too much.” — Ajahn Pasanno to Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Monastic life/Motivation] [Proliferation]
9. Recollection: When I first arrived at Abhayagiri. Recounted by Ajahn Cunda. [Abhayagiri] // [Lodging] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Wat Metta]
10. Story: Chatting loudly with the windows open. Told by Ajahn Cunda. [Idle chatter] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Admonishment/feedback]
11. Story: Living down the street from Abhayagiri for Winter Retreat 2006. Told by Ajahn Cunda. [Abhayagiri] // [Lodging] [Weather] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo]
12. Story: What “duly noted” means in English. Told by Ajahn Cunda. [Language] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Amaro]
13. Reflection by Ajahn Cunda: Training under the co-abbots. [Abbot] [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri] [Mentoring] // [Craving] [Teaching Dhamma] [Communal harmony] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo]
Quote: “Two tigers in one cave.” — Thai saying. [Leadership] [Culture/Thailand]
14. Reflections by Ajahn Cunda on my early training. [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Ñāṇiko] [Monastic life]
Quote: “Don’t worry. The first 20 years are the hardest.” — Ajahn Amaro. [Sequence of training] [Suffering]
15. Story: From rough beginnings, J contributes to the Abhayagiri community for six years. Told by Ajahn Cunda. [Lay supporters] [Abhayagiri] // [Food] [Personality] [Death]
16. Abhayagiri history: The people and the places. Recollections by Ajahn Ṭhitapañño. [Abhayagiri] // [Community] [Sharing circles] [Devotion to wakefulness] [Lunar observance days]
17. Why do some people stay and some people go? Reflection by Ajahn Ṭhitapañño. [Ajahn Amaro] [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri] // [Worldly Conditions]
18. A long-term sense of extended family. Reflection by Ajahn Ṭhitapañño. [Community] [Abhayagiri]
19. Reflections by Ajahn Sudhīro on his first year at Abhayagiri. [Abhayagiri] // [Emotion] [Suffering] [Monastic life] [Community] [Communal harmony] [Food] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Happiness]
20. What has and hasn’t changed at Abhayagiri. Reflection by Ajahn Sudhīro. [Unwholesome Roots] [Three Refuges] [Abhayagiri]
Simile: An oasis in a desert. [Abhayagiri] [Similes]
1. “What do you do at Abhayagiri? What is the value of being a monk? What’s the value of having a global saṅgha?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Monasteries] [Fear] [Culture/Natural environment] [Culture/West] [Community]
3. Recollection: Abhayagiri’s contact with Gomde California. Recounted by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Gomde California] [Vajrayāna] [Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche]
4. “Is what you’re describing (meditation states like AN 10.6) something that somebody might arrive at in their ordinary waking ...?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Meditation/Results] // [Insight meditation] [Non-identification] [Perception] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Sense bases] [Abhayagiri]
Vinaya: Khandhaka 21.1.5: Ānanda’s awakening. [Great disciples] [Arahant] [Postures]
Reference: The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sachs.
2. Information about the Sixth Patriarch Sutra and the Buddhist Text Translation Society. [Huineng] [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] // [Master Hsuan Hua] [Abhayagiri] [Mahāyāna]
6. Story: Ajahn Amaro realizes that the sense of here-ness is a quality of grasping. Told by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Amaro ] [Clinging] [Nature of mind] // [Abhayagiri] [Insight meditation] [Not-self]
13. “Could you talk about what to do with disenchantment? You may feel that you’re being lazy by not engaging with the world. ...” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Disenchantment] [Seclusion] // [Spiritual friendship] [Amaravati] [Abhayagiri] [Dhamma online]
Sutta: SN 45.2: Half of the Holy Life.
4. “If you had to choose one monastery in Thailand that you can always go back to, where you had the best moments or experiences, what would it be?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] // [Dtao Dum ] [Culture/Natural environment]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno has the intuition that his time in Thailand had come to an end. [Culture/Thailand] [Monastic life]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s decision to help with Abhayagiri. [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Amaro] [Saṅghapāla] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo]