Ajahn Appi started with an in-depth explanation of meditation for beginners. He outlined many of the benefits that can be gained from a regular meditation practice, such as peacefulness and a resistance to stress, anger, anxiety and many of the garden variety feelings that we as humans encounter in our daily lives. Ajahn continued his explanation until meditation time, touching on how each of us will be individually affected by a continued practice, with the main benefits being an improved wisdom and emotional outlook on life.
Ajahn then lead the group in three different techniques of meditation. The first meditation which is five minutes, is to use the darkness we have present in our minds when we close our eyes and begin to meditate. This is done to draw our attention away from thinking.
The second five minute meditation focuses our attention on our breath moving out of our bodies, then in, all the way to our abdomen, and then out again. This method of following a moving object is recommended for less experienced meditators as it is easier to follow a moving object than a stationary one.
The third meditation is twenty minutes and asks us to focus our attention on the very fine feelings, or rather sensations, that arise at the edges of our mouths and/or nostrils when we breath. Ajahn also recommends doing these meditations in a dull or darkened environment. This helps us turn our focus inward rather than be distracted by external events.
After meditation Ajahn opened to Q&A and then gave us a talk on the hindrances for beginners. Ajahn briefly touched on Karma, and how it can accumulate and affect our daily lives.
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A Dhamma talk about bhikkhunis by Ajahn Brahm at the Buddhist Maha Vihara on the 9th of May 2011.
We apologise the audio quality is not crystal clear. Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3dvnRFVlgU&feature=player_embedded (YouTube Channel: Buddhist Maha Vihara).
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Bhante approached subjects that we westerners have trouble with, and he did so with humour, candour and wit. We all have an inner voice that most of us either try to ignore or take too seriously/literally. It can often lead to feelings of shame if we feel we have made a mistake in life. We need to have compassion for ourselves, to forgive ourselves and realise that the inner voice that may be telling us we are stupid or foolish is wrong. We also spend a great deal of time blaming our decisions, our actions and our situations on our parents. We are old enough, surely, to realise that we can decide to stop this cycle and change our own direction by listening to our hearts and not the voice of shame. We can change the direction of our lives by having compassion for, and forgiving, ourselves.
Tonight’s meditation went a little longer than the usual 30 minutes and is well suited to those of us who find our inner voice telling us that we are stupid or foolish, or to those of us who are blaming our parents.
After the meditation, Bhante continued his talk on compassion and forgiveness for ourselves by using his own life experiences as an example.
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From February 15th to 24th 2015, Ajahn Brahm offered a San Francisco Bay Area speaking tour in support of the Dhammadharini's sangha new bhikkhuni monastery. Founded by Ayya Tathaaloka, the Dhammadharini women's monastic community was the first bhikkhuni sangha of the Theravadan forest tradition in North America, and one of the few places in the West that women can become fully ordained Buddhist monastics.
Ajahn Brahm is one of the Venerable’s speaking on Mindfulness. Ajahn Brahm starts by reading from his book "Don't Worry, Be Grumpy" and then engages in a discussion about mindfulness.
Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaTK78FfG7k (YouTube Channel: Ajahn Brahm's Benefit Talks for Dhammadharini)
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It was Venerable Mudu's first of, hopefully, many, visits to the Armadale Meditation Group's Tuesday evening session. Venerable opened the evening by introducing himself to us all and relating a shortened version of his life as a monastic. After his introduction he posed the question of "Why on earth would we want to meditate". Is it because it's cool, hip and popular? Well, yes it is cool, hip and popular, but that isn't enough of a reason to do it. Venerable related a story of a visit Ajahn Chah had from an American scientist. The scientist, wishing to know what, if anything, was going on when we meditate, brought along all manner of instruments to try to measure any results he might find. Before he commenced, he asked Ajahn Chah “Why do you meditate”. To which Ajahn Chah responded "To have a healthy body, you must eat right and exercise". "To have a healthy mind, you must meditate".
With that in mind, Venerable then gave an explanation easily understood by inexperienced and experienced meditators alike on the simplest way to start meditating and gently gaining experience with practice. Venerable then led us through meditation beginning with a body sweep and progressing to breath meditation.
After meditation Venerable opened to Q&A before continuing his talk on monastic life and life in general.
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To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.
Ajahn Appichato teaches us how to increase the quality of our life. One piece of advice Ajahn shares to help us improve our life and achieve what we want is to generate the right intention, put in the effort and then reflect on our efforts.
To find and download more Guided Meditations on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the meditation you want and then type the date into the Podcast search box e.g. 01-09-2018 or try 1 September 2018.
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A talk given on a short day retreat at Thames Buddhist Vihara as part of Ajahn Brahmali's tour in the UK in support of Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project.
Ajahn Brahmali supports Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project, of which Ajahn Brahmavamso is Spiritual Adviser. Donations towards Anukampa's aim to develop a nuns' monastery in England are extremely welcome. Please visit: https://anukampaproject.org/donate/
Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLZZCgUNiws&t=4066s (YouTube Channel: Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project). Video courtesy of Cristo Nobel, LLP Management.
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.
Ajahn Vayama responds to the request to talk about the Nun’s life; where they begin, their purpose or goal and how they live and practise. Ajahn Vayama reminds us that the Nun’s Sangha was created by the Buddha himself and is not a modern invention. Ajahn describes the nun’s monastery Dhammasara, its plans and the importance of having a Nun’s monastery for women to join the monastic life and attain Nirvana. As well as have female role models in the monastic life to inspire others. We apologise for the static in this audio, this Buddha Dhamma talk was given in 2000.
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Ajahn Vayama talks about the contribution of love to our wellbeing and to dealing with pain in our meditation. Ajahn looks at what we mean by ‘love’, as well as why our capacity to give and receive love effects our health and wellbeing. Ajahn explains that in Buddhism we are trying to move away from a narrow exclusive love to having a universal love for all beings because all beings need love.
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The Buddha taught the way out of suffering. Ajahn Vayama offers some reflections on the Buddha’s teaching “Transcendental Dependent Arising”, which Ajahn explains is a teaching on the chain of cause and effect, one thing giving rise to the next, that starts with suffering (dukkha) and goes all the way to the end of suffering; enlightenment Nirvana. This teaching starts with dukkha and looks on it as a teacher, because suffering is an invitation to wake up in our life, to wake up to the realities of life. Ajahn talks about how suffering can motivate us to find a way out of suffering; for us to put in the effort and energy required to find peace and wake up.
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Ajahn Brahmali gave a Dhamma Talk and Questions and Answers Session at October Gallery London on the 9th of July 2018.
Ajahn Brahmali supports Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project, of which Ajahn Brahmavamso is Spiritual Adviser. Donations towards Anukampa's aim to develop a nuns' monastery in England are extremely welcome. Please visit: https://anukampaproject.org/donate/
Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0cZ3LSaRX0 (YouTube Channel: Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project)
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.
Ajahn Vayama offers practical reflections on what we can do to prevent and stop social conflicts arising, such as anger, arguments and blaming others. Ajahn explains that there is no quick fix, or one answer to solving these problems, so she goes through step by step what the Buddha taught on how to deal with conflict, which includes developing and having right view.
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.
