Middle Path (majjhimā paṭipadā)
Skillful qualities / Middle Path
Part of tag cluster Eightfold Path in key topic The Noble Eightfold Path
Alternative translations: Middle Way
26 excerpts, 1:55:09 total duration

Events (1) All excerpts (27) Most relevant (17) Questions about (13) Answers involving (12) Quotes (2) Texts (1)

Right Livelihood, Session 2 – Apr. 21, 2013

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6. “Regarding the lute simile (AN 6.55), I notice that even properly tuned instruments gradually creep out of tune. Is finding the balance a lifelong effort?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Middle Path] [Right Effort] [Similes] [Long-term practice]

Comment about the need to put work into perspective. [Work] [Culture/West]


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 21 – Feb. 3, 2014

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5. “It’s interesting that he equates the extreme of self mortification to aversion, ill-will, and pushing away.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Middle Path] [Aversion] [Ill-will] // [Ajahn Chah] [Desire] [Ajahn Liem] [Relinquishment] [Arahant] [Idealism]


Thai Forest Tradition, Session 3 – Jun. 14, 2014

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6. Comment: I appreciate Ajahn Liem saying, ‘I didn’t make much of it.’ It’s a contradiction between being very active and not being active at the same time. [Ajahn Liem] [Middle Path] [Thai Forest Tradition]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Relinquishment] [Meditation] [Concentration] [Proliferation] [Nature of mind] [Faith]


Mindfulness of Breathing, Session 2 – Oct. 26, 2014

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8. “How can we balance happiness and ease with the desire to accomplish something using meditation techniques?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation/General advice] [Happiness] [Desire] [Middle Path] // [Recollection/Dhamma] [Hearing the true Dhamma]


The Middle Way of Not-Self, Session 1 – May. 27, 2015

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7. “Why go through all the trouble to teach us how to not have a self and then refuse to tell us there is no self?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Teaching Dhamma] [Middle Path] [Not-self] // [Relinquishment] [Suffering] [Questions] [Aggregates] [Sense bases]


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10. “In regard to self and emotions, you acknowledge and embrace it but don’t hold tightly?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Emotion] [Clinging] [Relinquishment] [Middle Path] [Not-self] // [Discernment]


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12. “The Buddha asks us to look at the things we identify with as self and notice they are not who we are. But if there’s nothing else but those things, there is no self, right?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha] [Middle Path] [Not-self] // [Teaching Dhamma] [Learning] [Liberation] [Suffering]

Follow-up: “Isn’t there then an implication that there is something else that could be self?” [Views] [Middle Path]


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 6 – Nov. 26, 2015

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7. “The Middle Way – It is not 50% becoming and 50% annihilation, right? What is it the middle of?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Middle Path ] // [Suffering] [Cessation of Suffering]


Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 6 – Nov. 24, 2016

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4. “Where is the middle way taught in the suttas? and how might that help some of us who consider extensive sitting practice an ascetic practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Middle Path] [Sutta]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 1 – Mar. 12, 2018

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1. “The Buddha described his teaching as Dhamma-vinaya. Can you explain why it wasn’t just Dhamma? What does this term mean?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Middle Path] [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya ] // [Recollection/Buddha]

Reference: Buddhadhamma by P. A. Payutto (available at buddhadhamma.github.io) p. 1659


The Teaching and the Training, Session 5 – Mar. 21, 2018

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5. “Do you have any reflections on the “Do or die” attitude?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life/Motivation] [Ardency] [Middle Path] [Monastic life]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 9 – Mar. 27, 2018

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2. “How do we discern the benefit of dhutaṅga practices and how much is too much?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Discernment] [Middle Path] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Devotion to wakefulness] [Almsround] [History/Early Buddhism] [Gladdening the mind] [Ajahn Chah] [Master Hsuan Hua]

Story: Ajahn Jayasaro determines sitter’s practice until Ajahn Chah dies. [Ajahn Jayasaro] [Respect for elders] [Determination]


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

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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