1. Welcome by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Chah] // [Free distribution] [Hearing the true Dhamma]
5. Context of “Teachings to Marjorie.” [Wat Pah Pong] [Ajahn Chah]
1. Ajahn Amaro introduces Kittisaro and Ajahn Jitindriyā. [Kittisaro] [Ajahn Chah]
1. Ajahn Amaro introduces Ajahn Sumedho. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] // [Amaravati] [Abhayagiri] [Spirit Rock] [Teachers] [Meditation retreats]
1. Ajahn Amaro introduces Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] // [Abhayagiri] [Wat Pah Nanachat]
1. Story: Ajahn Amaro tells his mother that he’s never eaten so well since he became a Buddhist monk. [Ajahn Amaro] [Food] [Monastic life]
2. Favorite verses of Ajahn Chah: “Buddhaṃ me jīvitaṃ yāva-nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.” [Mantra] [Ajahn Chah] [Three Refuges] [Nibbāna] [Chanting] // [Unwholesome Roots] [Ajahn Sundarā]
Quote: “Nibbāna is complete normality.” — Ajahn Chah. [Naturalness]
1. Ajahn Amaro introduces Paul Breiter and Joseph Kappel. [Paul Breiter] [Joseph Kappel] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Amaro] [Aruna Ratanagiri] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Wat Pah Nanachat]
2. Story: Ajahn Chah’s early life. [Ajahn Chah] // [Culture/Thailand] [Truth] [Leadership] [Ajahn Jayasaro]
3. Reading from the draft biography: Young Chah plays at being a monk. [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Jayasaro] [Almsfood] [Five Precepts]
Reference: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 23
4. Reading from the draft biography: Chah decides to enter the village monastery at age nine. [Types of monks] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Ajahn Chah] // [Conditionality] [Conscience and prudence] [Truth] [Generosity] [Kamma] [Work]
Reference: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 25
5. Story: Novice Chah disrobes at age 16. [Novices] [Disrobing] [Ajahn Chah] // [Sensual desire] [Restlessness and worry]
6. Reading from the draft biography: Chah falls in love. [Relationships] [Ajahn Chah] // [Family] [Commerce/economics] [Restlessness and worry]
Reference: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 34
7. Story: Ajahn Chah ordains at age 20. [Ordination] [Ajahn Chah] // [Monastic life/Motivation] [Spiritual urgency] [Forest versus city monks]
8. Reading from the draft biography: Ajahn Chah’s dying father asks him to remain in robes for life. [Sickness] [Recollection/Death] [Parents] [Monastic life] [Ajahn Chah] [Determination] // [Learning] [Culture/Thailand] [Unattractiveness] [Forest versus city monks] [Sutta] [Spiritual urgency]
Quote: “I dedicate my body and mind, my whole life, to the practice of the Lord Buddha’s teachings in their entirety. I will realize the truth in this lifetime … I will let go of everything and follow the teachings. No matter how much suffering and difficulty I have to endure I will persevere, otherwise there will be no end to my doubts. I will make this life as even and continuous as a single day and night. I will abandon attachments to mind and body and follow the Buddha’s teachings until I know their truth for myself.” — Ajahn Chah. [Buddha] [Dhamma] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] [Knowledge and vision] [Truth] [Relinquishment] [Suffering]
Reflection: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 40 [Energy] [Doubt] [Continuity of mindfulness]
1. “What is the daily schedule like?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Joseph Kappel. [Monastic routine] [Ajahn Chah] // [Wat Pah Nanachat ] [Ajahn Amaro] [Joseph Kappel] [Almsround] [Work] [Abhayagiri] [Teaching Dhamma]
Quote: “Ajahn Chah had this most amazing disrespect for time.” — Ajahn Amaro. [Pace of life]
4. Story: “Sleep is delicious.” [Admonishment/feedback] [Goodwill] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Amaro ] [Joseph Kappel] [Upatakh] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Robes] [Mentoring] [Faith]
1. Ajahn Amaro introduces Ṭhānissarā. [Ṭhānissarā] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Sundarā] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Sīladharā] [Gratitude]
2. Ajahn Amaro introduces Paul Breiter. [Paul Breiter] [Ajahn Chah]
Quote: “There will probably be a book of Varapañño stories.”
References: Venearble Father and One Monk, Many Masters by Paul Breiter (commercial)
1. Ajahn Amaro introduces Ajahn Mahaprasert and Ajahn Sundarā. [Ajahn Sundarā] [Ajahn Chah] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Wat Tam Saeng Pet] [Learning] [Abhayagiri] [Spirit Rock]
1. In the Vinaya (monastic discipline) there’s no role of abbot. [Vinaya] [Abbot] [Saṅgha decision making] [Ajahn Chah] // [Respect] [Confession]
2. “How are conflicts between [audio unclear] resolved?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Conflict] [Monastic life] [Ajahn Chah] // [Admonishment/feedback]
1. The vicar Christopher Boxley is still an avid supporter of Chithurst. [Christianity] [Chithurst] // [Ajahn Sucitto]
2. “I noticed a monk cutting a tree [in The Buddha Comes to Sussex]. Isn’t that against the Pāṭimokkha?” [Pāṭimokkha] [Vinaya] [Chithurst]
3. “How is the relationship between Chithurst Monastery and the local community now? What about other branch monasteries?” [Community] [Western Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Chithurst] // [Conflict] [Vinaya] [Almsround] [Goodwill] [Tudong]
4. Stories about the people who criticized Chithurst Monastery in the early days. Told by Joseph Kappel and Ajahn Amaro. [Conflict] [Chithurst] // [Ajahn Sumedho] [Ajahn Anando] [Culture/West] [Communal harmony]
5. “What about the relationship with the evangelical [in The Buddha Comes to Sussex]?” [Christianity] [Chithurst]
7. “Everything that’s placed in your bowl... [audio unclear]?” Answered by Ajahn Sundarā and Ajahn Amaro. [Almsfood] // [Killing] [Eating after noon] [Medicinal requisites]
1. Ajahn Amaro explains the structure of the second day.
1. Introduction to the reading by Ajahn Amaro. [Joseph Kappel] [Ajahn Chah]
1. Ajahn Amaro introduces Jack Kornfield. [Jack Kornfield] [Ajahn Chah]
1. Ajahn Amaro introduces Kittisaro, Ṭhānissarā, and Paul Breiter. [Kittisaro] [Ṭhānissarā] [Paul Breiter] [Ajahn Chah] // [Sutta] [Ajahn Amaro] [Recreation/leisure/sport] [Learning] [Ajahn Sumedho] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Disrobing] [Zen] [Vajrayāna]
Reference: Being Dharma by Ajahn Chah (commercial)
2. “Why did Ajahn Chah found Wat Pah Pong? [Inaudible question removed]” [Wat Pah Pong ] [History/Thai Buddhism] [Ajahn Chah] // [Tudong] [Teaching Dhamma] [Personal presence] [Seclusion] [Compassion] [Family] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
Story: The first Rains Retreat with Ajahn Chah. [Rains retreat] [Devotion to wakefulness]
3. Question related to age and ordination (audio unclear). Answered by Ajahn Sumedho. [Ordination] [Older monks] [Ajahn Chah] // [Culture/Thailand] [Meditation] [Mae Chee] [Relationships] [Liberation] [Culture/West]
Story: A doctor ordains later in life. Told by Ajahn Amaro. [Health care]
4. Story: A hit man hired to kill Ajahn Chah ordains instead. [Crime] [Killing] [Ordination] [Ajahn Chah] // [Older monks]
5. Teachings hanging in the trees at Wat Pay Pong. [Wat Pah Pong] [Culture/Natural environment] [Teaching Dhamma]
4. Story: Ajahn Anando tries to heal Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Anando] [Health care] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Sumedho] [Sickness] [Fierce/direct teaching]
5. Quote: “If I’ve developed any wisdom, it’s because I had such gigantic defilements.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Discernment] [Unwholesome Roots] // [Hindrances ] [Restlessness and worry] [Aversion] [Doubt] [Sensual desire]
6. Story: Ajahn Chah vows not to look at a woman for the duration of the Rains Retreat. [Determination] [Sensual desire ] [Sense restraint] [Rains retreat] [Ajahn Chah] // [Discernment]
7. Story: Ajahn Chah hallucinates female sexual organs for ten days. [Sensual desire] [Mental illness] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Kinaree] [Posture/Walking] [Determination] [Patience] [Rebirth]
8. Story: When asked about the potential for sacred sexuality, Ajahn Chah picks his nose. [Sensual desire] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Ajahn Chah] // [Insight Meditation Society]
Quote: “There’s nothing more to it than that except what your mind adds to it.” — Ajahn Chah. [Proliferation]
1. Ajahn Amaro introduces Jospeh Kappel and Ajahn Pasanno. [Joseph Kappel] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] // [Health care] [Funerals]
1. Ajahn Amaro explains the Sharing of Blessings chant. [Chanting] [Merit] // [Kamma] [Goodwill] [Ajahn Chah]
2. Chanting: Sharing of Blessings. [Chanting] [Merit]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 33.
3. Chanting: Paying respects to the shrine and Ajahn Chah. [Chanting] [Bowing] [Three Refuges] [Ajahn Chah]
[Session] [Nibbāna]
Reading: Introduction to Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha p. 31-32 (quoted in The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 41-42).
Reading: The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 224-226, 33-34.
[Session] Reading: “The Path of Non Contention” by Ajahn Amaro in Beginning Our Day Vol. 1 by Abhayagiri Saṅgha, pp. 215-217. Read by Ajahn Kassapo. [Non-contention]
[Session] Reading: Who Will Feed the Mice? by Ajahn Amaro. Read by Ajahn Jīvako. [Parents]
[Session] Reading: “Recollecting Our Goodness” by Ajahn Amaro in Beginning Our Day Vol. 1 by Abhayagiri Saṅgha, pp. 23-26. Read by Ajahn Kassapo.
1. Gratitude to Joseph Kappel. [Ajahn Amaro] [Joseph Kappel] [Gratitude] // [Wat Pah Nanachat]
2. Reflection: The qualities of the heart are what really matters. [Skillful qualities] // [Memory] [Impermanence]
Quote: “This is a broken glass.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah]
3. Story: Ajahn Amaro hears of Master Hsuan Hua through Ajahn Sumedho. [Ajahn Amaro] [Master Hsuan Hua] [Ajahn Sumedho] // [Chithurst] [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas]
Quote: “I always thought I would never meet anyone else like Luang Por Chah, but I just met another one.” — Ajahn Sumedho. [Ajahn Chah]
4. Story: Ajahn Sumedho asks Ajahn Amaro to go to California. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Ajahn Amaro] // [Master Hsuan Hua] [Elders' Council] [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Ordination] [Jack Kornfield]
5. Recollection: The virtual monastery in San Francisco. [Saṅghapāla] // [Ajahn Amaro]
6. Recollection: Ajahn Sumedho delays the opening of a San Francisco vihara in 1992. [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Sumedho] // [Ajahn Chah] [Disrobing]
7. Story: Master Hua offers land to Ajahn Sumedho the day after the Elders’ Council approves a land search. [Master Hsuan Hua] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Elders' Council] [Abhayagiri ] // [Saṅghapāla] [Gratitude] [Amaravati] [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Viradhammo] [Sickness]
Quote: “It had been the dream of my life to bring the Northern and Southern Traditions together again, and I never thought I was going to be able to do it until I met Sumedho.” — Master Hsuan Hua. [Mahāyāna] [Theravāda] [Communal harmony]
8. Testing times: Saṅghapāla Foundation scrambles to purchase the plot of land adjacent to Master Hsuan Hua’s gift. [Saṅghapāla] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Amaro] [Faith]
9. Story: Moving onto the Abhayagiri land. [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Ajahn Amaro] [Saṅghapāla] [Gratitude]
10. Reflection: Abhayagiri 20 years later. [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Amaravati]
11. Recollection: Origins of the Abhayagiri co-abbotship. [Abbot] [Abhayagiri] // [Master Hsuan Hua] [Three Conditions Monastery] [Jealousy] [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Leadership]
Quote: “You can’t have two tigers living in the same cave.” — Ajahn Mahā Prasert. [Culture/Thailand]
12. Recollection: The connection with Ajahn Mahā Prasert and Casa Serena. [Abhayagiri] // [Gratitude]
13. Reflection: The world of things we leave behind, but the qualities of the heart are the abiding refuge. [Relinquishment] [Skillful qualities] // [Abhayagiri] [Monastic life] [Faith] [Simplicity] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
1. Story: Ajahn Sumedho’s early visits to California. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Abhayagiri] // [Jack Kornfield] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Amaravati]
2. Reflection: Affinities between the communities of Ajahn Sumedho and Master Hsuan Hua. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Master Hsuan Hua ] // [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Mahāyāna] [Vinaya] [Ascetic practices] [Elders' Council] [Abhayagiri]
Story: Master Hua invites Ajahn Sumedho to help conduct an ordination ceremony at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. [Ordination]
Story: Ajahn Sumedho invites Master Hua to the English monasteries.
3. Story: The formation of Saṅghapāla Foundation in December 1988. [Saṅghapāla] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Sumedho]
4. Story: Ajahn Sumedho visits the Bay Area in 1990 and chooses Ajahn Amaro to lead the California project. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Ajahn Amaro] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Sundarā]
5. Story: Ajahn Amaro leads a series of temporary California vihāras. [Ajahn Amaro] [Abhayagiri] // [Saṅghapāla] [Elders' Council] [Disrobing]
6. Story: In May 1994, the English Saṅgha Trust gives Ajahn Amaro permission to start looking for property in California. Master Hua offers 125 acres of forest in Mendocino County the next day. [Elders' Council] [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Master Hsuan Hua] [Abhayagiri] [Generosity] // [Amaravati] [Ajahn Viradhammo]
7. Story: Ajahn Amaro visits the Abhayagiri property for the first time. [Ajahn Amaro] [Lodging] [Culture/Natural environment] [Abhayagiri] // [Master Hsuan Hua] [Funerals] [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Lay supporters] [Simplicity] [Holy Transfiguration Monastery]
8. Story: Buying the property next to the land Master Hua donated. [Saṅghapāla] [Commerce/economics] [Generosity] [Lodging] [Abhayagiri] // [Lay supporters] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Ajahn Amaro]
9. Story: Moving onto the Abhayagiri land. [Lodging] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Postulants] [Ajahn Amaro] [Saṅghapāla] [Lay supporters]
10. Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s involvement in the Abhayagiri project. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Abbot] [Abhayagiri] // [Forest versus city monks] [Humility] [Ajahn Amaro] [Personality] [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Hua tou] [Three Conditions Monastery] [Communal harmony]
11. Serendipitous generosity in the early days of Abhayagiri. [Lay supporters] [Generosity] [Abhayagiri] // [Buddha images] [Building projects] [Lodging]
12. Quote: “Ajahn, maybe if you just taught Theravāda Buddhism, that would be great.” — A Saṅghapāla board member to Ajahn Amaro. [Saṅghapāla] [Ajahn Amaro] [Theravāda ] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/West] [Spiritual traditions] [Monastic life] [Idealism]
Quote: “It wasn’t sensible to try to be all things to all people.”
13. Quote: Abhayagiri ethos: “We all live in the forest. Everyone’s in a kuti.” [Lodging ] [Culture/Natural environment ] [Abhayagiri] // [Amaravati] [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Weather]
Quote: “Mindfulness of the body is an absolute necessity.” [Mindfulness of body]
14. Quote: “We’re not about doing retreats. We’re a community.” — Ajahn Amaro speaking about Abhayagiri. [Community] [Meditation retreats] [Abhayagiri] // [Culture/Natural environment]
15. Shedding, impermanence, and not-self: Reflections on moving to Amaravati by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Amaro] [Impermanence] [Not-self] [Amaravati] [Abhayagiri] [Relinquishment] // [Lodging] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Travel] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Spaciousness]
Quote: “Die before you die.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Death]
Quote: “The tone and flavor of Dhamma is bittersweet.” [Dhamma] [Grief] [Happiness]
16. Reflection: Do you miss Abhayagiri? [Ajahn Amaro] [Grief] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Relinquishment] [Nibbāna] [Ajahn Sumedho]
Sutta: Snp 5.11: The island you cannot go beyond.
3. “How do I know what is the Middle Path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Middle Path] // [Four Noble Truths] [Direct experience]
Quote: “It’s not a concept. It’s like are you on your bike or are you on the ground?” — Ajahn Amaro.
4. “You spoke about the teachings and the training. What is the training for a lay practitioner other than the Five Precepts?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Dhamma] [Vinaya] [Lay life] [Five Precepts] // [Meditation] [Communal harmony] [Right Livelihood] [Family] [Work] [Politics and society] [Spiritual friendship]
5. “Could you speak more about how to prevent feelings from becoming aversion or desire? How does this relate to Dependent Origination?” [Feeling] [Aversion] [Craving] [Dependent origination] // [Arahant] [Buddha] [Pain] [Mindfulness] [Birth] [Impermanence] [Happiness] [Direct experience] [Proliferation] [Master Hsuan Hua]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno breaks his pelvis in Thailand. [Ajahn Pasanno]
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]