1. “Do I understand correctly from P. A. Payutto (quoted in The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 69-71) that the impermanence aspect precedes the interdependence aspect of selflessness?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [P. A. Payutto] [Impermanence] [Not-self] // [Characteristics of existence]
5. Three kinds of selfing. Teaching by Ajahn Amaro. [Self-identity view] [Not-self] // [Commentaries] [Insight meditation] [Relinquishment]
Sutta: SN 22.59 Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (Chanting book translation).
1. Comments by Ajahn Amaro, Ajahn Karuṇadhammo, Ajahn Kaccāna and Ajahn Pasanno about the designations for the Five Hindrances and insight in Snp 5.14. [Hindrances] [Insight meditation] // [Doubt] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Proliferation] [Not-self] [Great disciples]
Sutta: AN 3.33, quoted in The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 93.
3. Comment: The Scottish philosopher David Hume expressed his understanding of the nature of self similar to a Buddhist understanding. [Philosophy] [Not-self] // [Sense bases] [Perception]
Reference: David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature.
4. “How does [the preceding discussion of insight meditation] differ from sakkāyādiṭṭhi?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Self-identity view] [Insight meditation] // [Pāli] [Etymology] [Not-self]
5. “Is no-self in the observer? ...I find myself noticing the observer, and then I find myself noticing that I’m noticing, and then I get in a tangle.” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Not-self] [Perception] [Proliferation] // [Humor]
3. “I have never come to the bottom of this self or not self, and I come to the point where I just give up. Should I worry?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Self-identity view ] [Not-self] // [Present moment awareness] [Proliferation] [Insight meditation] [Knowing itself] [Relinquishment]
Reflection by Ajahn Amaro: This which knows the person is not a person. [Personality] [Not-self]
Follow-up: “This goes strongly against what we experience outside of Amaravati; in work life there is very strong identity. To find a balance is very challenging.” [Work]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno: “Identification is the glue that holds suffering together.” [Suffering] [Non-identification]
Quote: “When were you ever made any the less by dying?” — Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro. [Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī] [Death] [Right View]
1. Comment by Sister Ñāṇasirī: In this context that you just created, suddenly Dependent Origination, equanimity, and atammatayā...everything seems to be like it’s the same thing.... [Middle Path] [Not-self] [Dependent origination] [Equanimity] [Non-identification]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Doubt] [Direct experience] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] [Relinquishment]
1. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno: The satipaṭṭhāna insight formula is a pointer to atammayatā. [Right Mindfulness] [Insight meditation] [Non-identification] // [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Translation]
Sutta: MN 10.37: “Or else mindfulness that ‘there are mind objects’ is simply established in him to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and awareness. And he abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world.
Quote: “You don’t have to go and study every tree in the forest.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Similes]
Reference: Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening by Joseph Goldstein (commercial).
Follow-up: “Do you think that the not-self perception is the precursor to the experience of atammayatā?” [Not-self] [Relinquishment]
7. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno: The four bases of clinging are a theme for investigation. [Clinging] [Discernment] [Relinquishment] // [Sensual desire] [Views] [Attachment to precepts and practices] [Doctrine-of-self clinging] [Not-self]
Sutta: Dhp 160: “Attā hi attano nātho” – “The self is the refuge of the self.”
7. “The dissolving of ‘I am’ ends up as not-self. Do we end up with a dissolving of ‘I am’ at an essential level and we still have a worldly convenient ‘I am?’” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Conceit] [Relinquishment] [Not-self] [Conventions]
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]
7. “One of the descriptions of Dhamma is ‘here and now.’ Have you had an equivalent insight into now-ness? (Refers to the previous story about here-ness.)” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Dhamma] [Ajahn Amaro] [Insight meditation] [Time] // [Impermanence] [Not-self] [Conventions]
Reference: The Sixth Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra.
8. “I am’ and ego are very deeply embedded in our consciousness. You mentioned that observing impermanence could help. Are there any other practical steps we can take every day to dismantle ego and ‘I am?’” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Self-identity view] [Impermanence] // [Suffering] [Relinquishment] [Not-self]
Sutta: Ud 3.10: “For however one conceives it, it is always other than that.”
1. “What are the options for practicing with getting older, getting weaker, physically and mentally less resilient?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ageing ] // [Relinquishment] [Death] [Not-self]
Discussion of the natural environment at Chithurst and Amaravati. Led by Ajahn Cittapālā and Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/Natural environment] [Chithurst] [Amaravati] [Weather]
8. “The Buddha had a quality of fearlessness. How can we understand fearlessness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha] [Fear ] // [Non-identification] [Not-self] [Self-identity view] [Suffering]
Quote: “The core of fearlessness is not having a self, an I, a me, a mine that it’s trying to protect.”