Many years ago, Venerable Hasapanna wanted to ordain as a nun in the Theravada tradition but the opportunity wasn't available. Fortunately Venerable Hasapanna is now reaching her 10th year as a fully ordained Theravadin Nun (Bhikkhuni). Full Theravadin Bhikkhuni ordination was arranged by Ajahn Brahmavamso 10 years ago to allow for equality. Venerable Hasapanna advocates equality and equity not just for women in Buddhism, but for many aspects of people's lives. Lastly Venerable also discusses how to deal with our perceptions of unfairness.
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When visiting us at the Armadale Meditation Group, Ajahn Brahm always starts and ends the evening with humour. Tonight was no exception. Cleverly, Ajahn uses humour to bring us into the present moment. We are listening, we are focused, we are laughing and at ease. Forgotten are the troubles of the day, the plans for tomorrow. We are here in the present moment with Ajahn Brahm, listening intently to his jokes, funny stories and his instructions on meditation.
Ajahn Brahm led us in a thirty minute meditation easily enjoyed by beginners and experienced meditators alike. To begin, Ajahn simply asks us to make ourselves comfortable and as much as possible to relax. Not a traditional body sweep. Ajahn then progresses us to simply dealing with what is in front of us, rather than trying to suppress or dismiss our thoughts. Instead, encouraging us to focus on the silence between thoughts. As we practice this, the silence between thoughts gets longer.
After meditation Ajahn opened to questions. Several of the questions are those many of us face.
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The Buddhist Society of WA has encountered many occasions where something seemed unattainable, such as building the monks' monastery and the nuns' monastery, but we were able to make the impossible a reality. Ajahn Brahm inspires us to just give it a try and says, "Any place where there is negativity, there is always a place where you can get great wisdom."
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We are frequently encouraged to watch our breath during meditation. It is a time honoured practice we all use during meditation. Venerable Bodhidhaja references a novel written by Michael Ende titled Momo to encourage us to truly listen to what is happening in our minds rather than watching. Venerable uses this method because of the difference in how we define watching and listening. For many of us, when we watch an activity we are inclined to form an opinion or to perhaps wish it to be different. We are thinking. Not what we really want to do. So by just truly listening with the utmost attention and empathy, we don't tend to engage or form thoughts and opinions. A thought arises, we listen rather than watch and we let it go.
Venerable then guided us in an entirely relaxing, different meditation practice that encouraged us to listen with full attention and empathy, rather than watch our thoughts. Venerable commenced with a body scan and then softly moved to breath meditation. The meditation is well suited to beginners and experienced alike.
After meditation Venerable opened to questions.
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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.
In this Dharma talk, Ajahn Brahmali discusses 56th sutta from the Samyutta Nikaya: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta; "Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dhamma." A talk given at the Buddhist Society of Victoria (BSV).
Click here to read SN56.11 on Sutta Central. "The famous first discourse, taught at Varanasi to the group of five ascetics. It begins by rejecting the extremes of asceticism and indulgence and recommends the middle way of the eightfold path. Then it defines the four noble truths and analyzes them in twelve aspects. It ends with Venerable Kondañña becoming the first person apart from the Buddha to realize the Dhamma," Sutta Central.
Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKqdylUvC2Q (YouTube Channel: BSV Dhamma Talks). Please visit the BSV Podcast Channel: https://bsv.podbean.com/ and BSV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BSVWeeklyDTEng/featured
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.
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A public talk given by Ajahn Brahm on “The Four Brahma Viharas: Loving-kindness, Compassion, Altruistic Joy and Equanimity”, on the 17th October 2014 in Toronto at Mahavihara.
Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13uhXtqk4nI (YouTube Channel: urbanbuddhistmonk)
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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.
Tonight’s teacher was Ajahn Appi. Ajahn opened the night by explaining how our minds change over time through meditation. The basic methods of meditation are relatively easy, the hard part is sticking with it and practising. For beginners and experienced alike, finding those moments when we can meditate for minutes at a time can be difficult. Our modern world fills our heads with all manner of distractions and hindrances. Then our mind will throw up thoughts of the future, such as “is my super going to be enough”, or thoughts of the past “he said some horrible things to me”. So how do we stay in the present moment and avoid all this? We practice, as often as we can.
Ajahn then guided the group in meditation beginning with 5 minutes focusing on the darkness we see when we first close our eyes. The effect of this for beginners is to bring them into the present moment. Ajahn then continued the meditation focusing on the breath, this kept us in the present moment. This meditation would best suite beginners to intermediate meditators.
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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.
The Armadale Meditation Group doesn’t often get to see Ajahn Brahmali so when we do we are very grateful.
Ajahn began the night by relating a story of a visit from Ajahn Ganah to Bodhinyanna Monastery. So as not to spoil the story I will stop here. Ajahn Brahmali told this story to highlight how meditation can change people and other's perception of them. We become happier, more patient and more relaxed, but it takes practice and perseverance.
Ajahn then lead the full house through a very peaceful and relaxing 30 minute meditation suitable to both experienced and beginners alike.
After meditation Ajahn opened to comments and questions before continuing his talk on how we change with meditation.
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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.
A Dhamma talk and questions and answers session given by Ajahn Brahm on the 12th of October 2017 at Edgbaston Community Centre, in Birmingham, UK.
This event was part of Ajahn Brahm's UK Dhamma Tour in 2017 in support of Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project, of which Ajahn is Spiritual Adviser. Donations towards Anukampa's aim to develop a nuns' monastery in England are extremely welcome. Please visit https://anukampaproject.org/donate/
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.
Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ3PIvwu4Yo&list=PLPxfnU-O-ZycxYq_QfOloeZerHBRrM6eG (YouTube Channel: Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project)
We don’t see Ajahn Cittapalo often enough at The Armadale Meditation Group. Ajahn is particularly good at delivering instructions on meditation that are easily understood by beginners and those new to meditation.
Ajahn began his talk tonight by making us all laugh when he used our headset microphone for the first time. This had the immediate effect of relaxing us all and bringing us into the present moment. Ajahn then commenced his talk and instruction by asking us to consider what our intentions and motivations are before we meditate or, in the case of “newbies”, (as he calls those of us who are fairly new to meditation), to look carefully at our intentions and motivations before we sit down and attempt to meditate. If we do this for a minute or two, and try not to place undue pressure on ourselves, the meditation becomes less of a task and thus a more pleasant thing to do. No-one wants to add another task to their day.
After giving us instructions and describing the benefits of meditation to the “newbies”, Ajahn lead the group through a body sweep and peaceful meditation intended to help us simply relax and look inward. This meditation is well suited to beginners and those new to meditation.
After meditation Ajahn continued his talk on those things that hinder our meditations. He also asked us to consider trying different meditations and even different teachers before giving up. Ajahn talked on those things that we humans allow ourselves to become addicted to, suggesting that an addiction to meditation would be more beneficial. Ajahn further encouraged us to look within our own minds to resolve those things that bother us so deeply.
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
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.
