29 excerpts, 1:45:25 total duration
1. Ajahn Amaro introduces Jack Kornfield. [Jack Kornfield] [Ajahn Chah]
2. Story: Ajahn Sumedho meets Jack Kornfield. Told by Ajahn Sumedho. [Jack Kornfield] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Ajahn Chah] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Insight Meditation Society] [Judgementalism]
Story: Ajahn Sumedho stays on Pupek Mountain. [Seclusion] [Suffering] [Aversion] [Sickness] [Self-pity] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Robes] [Humor] [Gratitude]
3. Ajahn Sumedho has been so important in my life. Reflection by Jack Kornfield. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Jack Kornfield] [Gratitude] [Ajahn Chah] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Monastic life] [Teaching Dhamma]
Simile: Ajahn Sumedho explains Ajahn Chah’s jazz. [Similes]
6. Quote: “I hope you’re not afraid of suffering.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Jack Kornfield. [Ajahn Chah] [Jack Kornfield] [Suffering] [Fear] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Ghost] [Monastic life] [Liberation]
8. Quote: “This is as cold as it gets.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Jack Kornfield. [Ajahn Chah] [Jack Kornfield] [Wat Tam Saeng Pet] [Culture/Natural environment] // [Almsround] [Mentoring] [Suffering] [Teaching Dhamma] [Sickness] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Humor] [Relinquishment]
12. Story: Ajahn Chah to Jack Kornfield, “Did I heal her?” Told by Jack Kornfield. [Jack Kornfield] [Sickness] [Health] [Protective chants] [Ajahn Chah] [Teaching Dhamma] [Healing] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Truth]
18. Story: Jack Kornfield asks Ajahn Chah for permission to leave Wat Pah Pong. Told by Jack Kornfield. [Jack Kornfield] [Monastic life] [Wat Pah Pong] [Ajahn Chah] // [Culture/Other Theravāda traditions] [Seclusion] [Meditation] [Work] [Teachers] [Liberation]
Quote: “If I look like the Buddha to you, then you’ll still thing the Buddha is out here somewhere.” Ajahn Chah [Buddha] [Conventions]
20. He encouraged people to let go in so many different ways. Recollection by Jack Kornfield. [Relinquishment ] [Teachers] [Views] [Eightfold Path] [Ajahn Chah] // [Idle chatter] [Seclusion] [Aversion] [Ghost] [Fear] [Restlessness and worry] [Sense bases] [Direct experience] [Liberation]
Story: Sit in the middle of your anger. [Jack Kornfield] [Robes] [Lodging]
Story: Walk backwards in the forest in the middle of the night. [Jack Kornfield] [Sloth and torpor] [Posture/Walking] [Culture/Natural environment]
21. Quote: After listening to Jack Kornfield’s adventures, Ajahn Chah responds, “Something else to let go of, isn’t it?” Quoted by Jack Kornfield. [Ajahn Chah] [Jack Kornfield] [Travel] [Culture/Other Theravāda traditions] [Relinquishment] // [Meditation retreats] [Concentration] [Abhidhamma] [Ajahn Jumnien] [Liberation] [Clinging] [Suffering]
23. What does not suffering mean? Reflection by Jack Kornfield. [Suffering] [Cessation of Suffering] [Ajahn Chah] // [Judgementalism] [Politics and society] [Discrimination] [Environment] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Human] [Buddha] [Proliferation] [Relinquishment]
Quote: “We human beings are constantly in combat, at war to escape the fact of being limited by so many circumstances that we can’t control.”” — Ajahn Chah. [Conflict] [Characteristics of existence]
Quote: “Doubts are natural.” — Ajahn Chah. [Doubt] [Naturalness] [Impermanence] [Not-self] [Liberation]
Quote: “The desire mind is like children.” — Ajahn Chah. [Desire] [Similes]
Story: “Scary ride, wasn’t it?” [Jack Kornfield] [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Fear] [Death]
26. Ajahn Chah changed my life. Reflection by Jack Kornfield. [Jack Kornfield] [Gratitude] [Ajahn Chah] // [Human] [Happiness] [Liberation]
12. Quote: “You’re living off the karma of the Buddha.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Jack Kornfield. [Ajahn Chah] [Almsround] [Kamma] [Buddha] [Jack Kornfield] // [Liberation] [Compassion] [Culture/Thailand] [Gratitude] [Monastic life] [Ajahn Chah lineage]
3. “Was Ajahn Ñāṇadhammo’s experience of being pushed unusual for Western monks?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Ñāṇadhammo] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Culture/West] [Ardency] [Ajahn Chah] [Suffering]
Jack Kornfield’s recollections of Ajahn Chah at Insight Meditation Society. Recounted by Ajahn Jotipālo. [Jack Kornfield] [Insight Meditation Society] [Meditation retreats]
1. Recollection: How I came to Buddhism and the beginnings of the Saṅghapāla Foundation. Recounted by Marc Lieberman. [Saṅghapāla] // [Taungpulu Sayadaw] [Temporary ordination] [Vinaya] [Jack Kornfield] [Joseph Goldstein] [Insight Meditation Society] [Ajahn Anando] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Ajahn Amaro]
4. Story: Ajahn Sumedho asks Ajahn Amaro to go to California. Told by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Ajahn Amaro] // [Master Hsuan Hua] [Elders' Council] [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Ordination] [Jack Kornfield]
5. “Can you please give some guidance on recognizing delusion in the mind? Greed and aversion seem easier to spot.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Delusion ] // [Restlessness and worry] [Fear] [Self-identity view]
Quote: “It’s like riding along on a horse and asking, ‘Where’s the horse? Where’s the horse?’” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Jack Kornfield]
6. Recollection: When asked about what qualities allowed him to succeed in practice, Ajahn Chah replied, “I dared to do it.” Recounted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Courage ] [Ajahn Chah] // [Jack Kornfield] [Determination] [Energy]
Reference: Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, p. 572.
Quote: “In the ground there is water. All you need to do is dig a well.” — Ajahn Chah. [Similes]
Reference: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 614.
2. Quote: “If you see someone going off in the ditch on the right-hand side, you say, ‘Go left, go left!’ If you see them wandering off the trail on the left-hand side, you say, ‘Go right, go right!’” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Jack Kornfield] [Middle Path] // [Meditation/Techniques]
1. Story: Ajahn Sumedho’s early visits to California. Told by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Abhayagiri] // [Jack Kornfield] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Amaravati]
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]
8. Ajahn Chah greets Jack Kornfield: “I hope you’re not afraid to suffer.” [Ajahn Chah] [Jack Kornfield] [Suffering] [Fear] // [Isan] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Relinquishment] [Faith]
2. “Something that I’ve noticed is that my wish to translate something differently at one point in my practice changes later when I realize, ‘Hmm … perhaps I’m just trying to get around the point.’ I feel uncomfortable with that translation and then later on realize I have to practice with this one. Does that sometimes happen to you?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Hearing the true Dhamma] [Translation ] // [Truth]
Story: Jack Kornfield translates for Ajahn Chah at Insight Meditation Center and puts his own spin on the precepts. Ajahn Chah figures it out. [Jack Kornfield] [Ajahn Chah] [Joseph Kappel] [Insight Meditation Society] [Precepts]
6. “According to what you read in the book (The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 123-124; MN 18.16-19), first there is contact and then phassa and vedana. So first when we have contact there is no self yet. For example, if I contact something painful, at that time I feel I have no self, and then when I feel painful there is still no self, but then I feel like, ‘Oh, I don’t like this painfulness,’ the desire not to have it. Is feeling more self related with desire? It always comes together or not always?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Contact] [Feeling] [Pain] [Self-identity view] [Craving] // [Clinging] [Mindfulness of feeling] [Ascetic practices] [Heedfulness]
Sutta: Ud 1.10: Bāhiya.
Sutta: AN 10.58: “Rooted in interest are all things. ...”
Reference: Catastrophe/Apostrophe by Ajahn Amaro, p. 139.
Quote: “Just a few more things for you to let go of.” — Ajahn Chah’s response to Jack Kornfield’s description of his travels and meditation experiences. [Ajahn Chah] [Jack Kornfield] [Relinquishment] [Conceit] [Restlessness and worry]
6. Quote: “Scary ride, eh?” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Chah] [Fear] // [Jack Kornfield] [Geography/Thailand]
1. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: When Ajahn Chah went to America, he emphasized the importance of sīla. [Ajahn Chah] [Culture/West] [Virtue] // [Insight Meditation Society]
Story: Jack Kornfield asks Ajahn Chah what he thinks about Buddhist teachings coming to the West. Ajahn Chah replies, “I haven’t seen any Buddhism yet.” Told by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Jack Kornfield]
Story: Ajahn Chah discerns that Jack Kornfield isn’t accurately translating his teachings about sīla. Told by Ajahn Amaro. [Jack Kornfield] [Joseph Kappel] [Translation]
Reflections by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno about SN 20.7 and poetic and literary expressions of Dhamma. [Teaching Dhamma] [Verses] [Great disciples] [Isan]
Sutta: SN 8: Vaṅgīsasaṁyutta.
7. Recollection: He was always willing to push us beyond what we thought we could do. Recounted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fierce/direct teaching] [Ajahn Chah] // [Intuition]
Quote: “I hope you’re not afraid of suffering. ... If you’re afraid of suffering, you’re not going to grow in wisdom here.” — Ajahn Chah to Jack Kornfield. [Jack Kornfield] [Fear] [Suffering] [Discernment]
Quote: “If you want to stay here, you have to stay at least five years.” — Ajahn Chah to Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Sequence of training] [Determination]
Story: Ajahn Chah asks the young Ajahn Pasanno to become abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat. [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Abbot] [Sickness]