Community
Parent topic: Everyday life
Subtopics: Environment, Fourfold Assembly, Meditation groups, Politics and society, Commerce/economics, Health care, Disasters, Science, Technology, Media
36 excerpts, 2:51:50 total duration

All excerpts (36) Questions about (18) Answers involving (13) Stories (4) Quotes (4)

Remembering Ajahn Chah Weekend, Session 19 – Apr. 28, 2001

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4. Story: Half a million people attend Ajahn Chah’s funeral. Told by Ajahn Sundarā. [Funerals] [Ajahn Sundarā] [Ajahn Chah] // [Food] [Free distribution] [Meditation] [Stupas/monuments] [Chanting]

Quote: “The heart of [Ajahn Chah’s] teaching is the ability to bring people together.” [Teaching Dhamma] [Saṅgha] [Community]

Story: The cremation pyre catches fire and number 16 wins the lottery. [Humor]


Remembering Ajahn Chah Weekend, Session 20 – Apr. 28, 2001

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1. “How did Ajahn Chah relate to the lay community around him and tailor the Dharma to their own circumstances?” Answered by Ajahn Sumedho and Ṭhānissarā. [Lay life] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Ajahn Chah] [Teaching Dhamma]

Story: Thai villagers tell Ajahn Sumedho that they never understood Buddhism until they met Luang Por Chah. Told by Ajahn Sumedho. [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Hearing the true Dhamma] [Monastic life] [Generosity] [Meditation] [Community] [Family] [Mindfulness]

Quote: “He didn’t respond to the external cues but went to the heart and grabbed you in that way.” — Ṭhānissarā [Conventions] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Not-self]


Remembering Ajahn Chah Weekend, Session 22 – Apr. 28, 2001

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3. “How is the relationship between Chithurst Monastery and the local community now? What about other branch monasteries?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Community] [Western Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Chithurst] // [Conflict] [Vinaya] [Almsround] [Goodwill] [Tudong]


Metta Retreat, Session 4 – Sep. 12, 2008

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4. “Would you say a bit about the benefits of practicing loving-kindness during the dying process, both for the one who is dying as well as for the caregiver?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] [Death] [Health care] // [Gladdening the mind] [Fear] [Clear comprehension] [Energy] [Community]

Quote: “These bodies are really high maintenance when they don’t work.” [Sickness]

Recollection: Ajahn Chah was unable to look after himself for the last nine years of his life. [Ajahn Chah] [Respect for elders] [Wat Pah Pong] [Gratitude]


Recollections of Ajahn Chah, Session 7 – Sep. 19, 2010

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3. “What characteristics differentiate Thai Buddhism from Tibetan Kadampa or Japanese Zen?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/Thailand] [Vajrayāna] [Zen] [Ajahn Chah] // [Community]


Recollections of Ajahn Chah, Session 11 – Sep. 19, 2010

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1. Question about how Ajahn Chah taught to deal with people externally. Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Community] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Mun] [Virtue] [Doubt] [Monastic life] [Views]

Story: A ghost tries to align the visitors sleeping in his hall. [Culture/Thailand] [Shelter] [Ghost] [Communal harmony]

Quote: “You have to have an anchor in your own practice.” [Similes]


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3. “As an abbot taking care of a community, how do you handle it when a kerfluffle comes up?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abbot] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Community] [Conflict] // [Patience] [Views] [Skillful qualities] [Four Noble Truths]

Follow-up: “What are the antidotes to the next two Noble Truths?”


Right Livelihood, Session 1 – Apr. 21, 2013

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8. Comment about the nuances involved in the activities comprising wrong livelihood. [Intoxicants] [Right Livelihood]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Unskillful qualities] [Community]


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21. Quote: “The Buddha’s function was not to make grand pronouncements that apply universally, everywhere, all the time. He gave guidelines to relfect a variety of circumstances, personal effects, social effects, and then make a decision from there.” — Ajahn Pasanno [Buddha] [Idealism] [Discernment] [Conditionality] [Right Livelihood] [Kamma] [Community] [Politics and society]


Right Livelihood, Session 2 – Apr. 21, 2013

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3. “Everyone in our group is struggling with issues about livelihood. Does anyone here feel their livelihood is in tune?” Answered by Ajahn Yatiko and Ajahn Pasanno. [Work] [Idealism] // [Contentment] [Eightfold Path] [Kamma]

Quote: “Maybe it would be better phrased ‘Right-enough livelihood.’” — Ajahn Karuṇadhammo [Right Livelihood]

Story: An upright career police officer in Thailand transfers in and out of a corrupt assignment. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Community] [Crime] [Corruption] [Family] [Precepts]

Comment by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo: Even monks face moral dillemas. [Monastic life] [Vinaya]


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 18 – Jan. 29, 2014

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3. “In the reading there was a lot of emphasis on solitude. Here we have a lot of time for that especially right now with our Winter Retreat, but we also have a lot of responsibilities and engagement in community. How would you recommend us balancing the two or using them to help each other?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Seclusion] [Abhayagiri] [Community] [Work] [Personality] // [Culture/Thailand] [Culture/India] [Ajahn Chah] [Unwholesome Roots] [Discernment] [Generosity] [Culture/West] [Self-identity view]


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 19 – Feb. 1, 2014

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2. Recollection: Brief biography of Upasika Kee Nanayon. Recounted by Debbie Stamp. [Upasikā Kee Nanayon] [Lay life] [History/Thai Buddhism] // [Seclusion] [Community]


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7. “During her lifetime did she have a lot of followers?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Upasikā Kee Nanayon] [Community] // [Animal]


Death and Dying, Session 1 – May. 9, 2014

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15. “Living in the West, chances are most of us will die in a hospital, which could be quite chaotic. Any advice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/West] [Health care] [Death] // [Spiritual friendship] [Community] [Saṅgha]

Story: The Abhayagiri community attends to a dying lay supporter. [Abhayagiri]

Comments about hospitals contributed by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.


Thai Forest Tradition, Session 2 – Jun. 14, 2014

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6. Ajahn Pasanno describes Upasika Kee Nanayon’s life and teachings. [Upasikā Kee Nanayon] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Women in Buddhism] // [Ajahn Wanchai] [Ajahn Ñāṇiko] [Community] [Virtue] [Simplicity]

Quote: “An inward-staying unentangled knowing, all outward-going knowing cast aside.” — Upasikā Kee Nanayon [Knowing itself]


Practice in a Global Context – Aug. 12, 2017

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7. Comment: One thing I’ve gotten from Trump is the equanimity to listen to his supporters on a one-on-one basis. [Equanimity] [Listening] [Respect] [Politics and society]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear] [Human] [Suffering] [Community]


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14. “I keep mostly to myself, but morality and ethics affects the jist of my involvement in society. What should I be doing further to address social suffering?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Virtue] [Community] [Suffering] [Right Effort] [Politics and society] // [Spiritual friendship] [Goodwill]


Teen Weekend 2017 – Sep. 2, 2017

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1. “What meaningful impact do Buddhist monks have on the community?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Community] [Saṅgha] // [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Abhayagiri]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s first visit to Wat Pah Pong. [Wat Pah Pong]


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7. “I have doubts about the concept of personal property. How does activism following the Five Precepts work in a country whose water supply has been bought out by private interests?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Politics and society] [Environment] [Five Precepts] // [Community] [Virtue] [Discernment]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno investigates a logging operation at Dtao Dtum. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/Thailand] [Dtao Dum]


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13. Story: Ajahn Pasanno teaches communication skills to Thai villagers. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [History/Thai Buddhism] [Media] [Community] // [Environment] [Politics and society]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 6 – Mar. 22, 2018

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4. “Do you think it’s true that how we treat others is in large part how we treat ourselves?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Community] [Discernment]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 8 – Mar. 26, 2018

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3. “Will practice as a group help us in solitude?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Seclusion] [Meditation/General advice] [Community] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]


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4. “How do we balance solitude and communal aspects of practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Seclusion] [Community] [Meditation/General advice] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Pasanno]


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5. Comment: Some deep-seated patterns may be more visible to others than ourselves. [Community] [Outflows] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Aversion] [Self-identity view]


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6. “Is there a place to point out others’ difficulties?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback] [Right Speech] [Community] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Chah] [Teaching Dhamma]


The Path of Practice, Session 2 – Jun. 16, 2019

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6. Comment: I’m concerned about how much time people spend on computers, and I think it’s sad that people use electronic devices rather than talk with each other. [Technology] [Community]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno.

Follow-up: “Should I say anything to my son who is on his device half the time during his brief, infrequent visits?” [Children] [Right Speech]

Story: Abhayagiri’s computer policy for monks. [Abhayagiri] [Social media] [Sense restraint] [Vinaya]


Stanford Community Dhamma Discussion – Apr. 25, 2020

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2. “What advice do you have for students or graduates hoping to progess on the Noble Path towards Nibbāna while a student or in the workplace?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Nibbāna] [Learning] [Work] [Lay life] // [Human] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Generosity] [Perfectionism] [Desire] [Suffering] [Politics and society] [Simplicity] [Environment] [Depression] [Restlessness and worry] [Skillful qualities] [Community]


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3. “The pandemic has given rise to feelings of profound grief and loss in many of us. How can we best work with these emotions to cultivate well-being for ourselves and others?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pandemic] [Grief] [Emotion] [Happiness] [Community] // [Self-identity view] [Clinging] [Commerce/economics] [Perception]


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8. “You mentioned that ruminating on how one would like to change the world or the conditions around oneself can be a source of needless suffering. But there are times when one does want to work to change the world or the way society is organized for the sake of lovingkindness and alleviating suffering. How do we engage with those desire for change in a skillful way?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Politics and society] [Suffering] [Desire] [Goodwill] [Compassion] [Skillful qualities] [Activism] // [Conditionality] [Self-identity view] [Conflict] [Poverty] [Judgementalism] [Aversion] [Culture/Thailand] [Environment] [Idealism]

Quote: “If one is going to commit oneself to change, one has to get used to looking at things from a big perspective, a perspective of ‘How do we include rather than exclude?’” [Community]

Quote: “You want to approach a particular problem with an open a mind as possible and then see who might be willing and able to help.” [Community]


Tea Time Q&A with Ajahn Pasanno – May. 16, 2021

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1. “You have so much community-building experience. Can you talk about what you have found challenging or effective in this? How did Ajahn Chah build community?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Community] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] // [Saṅgha] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] [Virtue] [Trust] [Communal harmony] [Compassion] [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah lineage] [Recollection/Saṅgha] [Sequence of training] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Abhayagiri] [Eightfold Path] [Learning]

Sutta: MN 48: Kosambiya Sutta [Goodwill] [Generosity] [Right View]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno pays respects to Ajahn Chah: “If you want to stay here, you have to stay at least five years.”

Quote: “The whole path of the Buddha is a path of learning, of education.”


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4. “Our community is mostly virtual. Since we’re not together taking care of a shared environment, can you suggest other ways of building community?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Community] [Online community] // [Dhamma discussion]


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7. “Your advice to leaders in the conflicts of 2021 in terms of the leaders themselves and how they can inspire their teams and communities?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Leadership] [Conflict] [Community] // [Trust] [Generosity] [Compassion] [Listening] [Ajahn Chah]

Quote: “Leadership always comes by example.”

Quote: “[Ajahn Chah] never asked us to do something that he himself wasn’t doing.”


Abhayagiri Kaṭhina 2021, Session 1 – Nov. 3, 2021

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1. “The reflection on kamma (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 55) uses language related to family: ‘born,’ ‘heir,’ ‘related’, ‘supported.’ What are the implications of this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Kamma] [Family] [Language] // [Community] [Perception]


Abhayagiri Kaṭhina 2021, Session 2 – Nov. 5, 2021

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1. Comment: I listen to the talks and read the books, and everything is so logical and rational, but I’m still stuck in habitual patterns of living. [Hearing the true Dhamma] [Dhamma books] [Everyday life] [Habits]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Association with people of integrity] [Community] [Monasteries] [Lunar observance days] [Online community] [Chanting] [Spiritual friendship] [Impermanence] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Generosity]

Quote: “When you’re living with a group of people, not everybody is depressed and lazy and fed up at the same time.” [Community] [Unwholesome Roots]

Sutta: SN 55.5 Sāriputta [Factors for stream entry]


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4. Comment: I’m appreciative of Zoom. It’s helpful on many levels, but I’m missing the actual physical presence. [Online community] [Pandemic] [Community]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Human] [Monasteries]


Q&A at Sudhana Center – Jul. 12, 2023

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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]