Buddhist Society of Western Australia

This talk is republished with permission by Metta Centre, teaching retrieved from http://Dhamma Talks – Metta Centre.

There can be a tendency to read lots of Dhamma, watch heaps of YouTube from many Monks – in the hope of finding the perfect answer and path to Enlightenment! One very wise monk (extra points if you know who it was, and why he said it) famously pronounced: ”There is only one book worth reading: the Mind”. Our sentient experience comes from within and therefore practice is best centered on your own 5 aggregates, and not on the “outside”.

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:57 - Meditation
00:35:33 - Brahmaviharas
00:37:24 - Meditation works when you get out of the way
00:39:28 - The next book...
00:41:07 - Ajahn Chah's methods
00:46:40 - Negative states in meditation
00:49:28 - Mudita - scientific studies
00:53:24 - Modern distractions
00:55:03 - Conditioned preferences
00:58:50 - Mental illness
01:01:56 - Meditation practice - happy place
01:05:51 - Q&A
01:06:11 - Looking into the feeling of metta
01:09:01 - Transition from cerebral to contemplative
01:13:02 - We're writing the book every moment
01:17:40 - Thich Nhat Hanh's Peace Treaty
01:22:18 - Finding more purpose as a monk
01:24:38 - Mindfulness apps causing distress
01:27:55 - Dedication of merits
01:29:37 - Announcements

#buddhism #meditation #metta #mudita #lovingkindness #dharmatalk #dhammatalk

** About the Speaker **
Bhikkhu Mettaji believes that he is a very fortunate Bhikkhu to be given the opportunity to ordain late in life at Bodhinyana, a very precious and rare gift. His lifelong search for absolute truth started a long time ago in Europe in his teens. He is now in his mid-60s and believes he only found the real teachings when he touched Theravada Buddhism 10 years ago. Good people with Metta sustained and nurtured him through the difficult years. He was fortunate to run into an ex-monk from the Thai Forest tradition in 2009, in Sydney, who had been one of Ajahn Chah’s carers. Soon afterwards he discovered that all the teachings of the Buddha are very honest and thorough, and passed all experiential investigation. There are no loopholes in the Suttas and the Eightfold Path does gradually reduce suffering. He finds it a blessing to have Ajahn Brahmavamso as his preceptor and access to other marvellous teachers like Ajahn Brahmali, Bhante Sujato and Bhikkhu Bodhi. Such riches! His name, Mettaji comes from a monk in the time of the Buddha and translates as ” Victory through loving kindness.” That is the aspiration he wants to fulfil in his practice and in meeting anyone, anywhere.

** About Metta Centre **
To find out more about the Metta Centre & how you can support us you can visit https://www.mettacentre.com

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Bear Awareness - Questions and Answers on taming your wild mind with Venerable Mettaji.

Page references:
Teddy Bears @8.00 minutes - pages 26/27 and 88.
Metta @9.29 minutes - pages 1 to 6.
Cancer recovery story @ 23.30 minutes - page 73.
Posture and pain @ 27.43 minutes - page 11.
Reducing Thinking @30.46 minutes - pages 19, 85 and 135.
Going "in" , not progress @ 33.00 minutes pages 37/38.
Don't want anything (Let GO) @ 34.00 minutes pages 30/31.
Judging others @35.17 minutes - pages 88/89.
Clarity of mind @ 39.00 minutes - pages 119/120.
Summary of the chapters starts @ 42.00 minutes.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Teachings are available for downloading from the BSWA website the BSWA Youtube Channel, the BSWA Podcast, and Deeper Dhamma Podcast.

© Copyright 2023 Buddhist Society of Western Australia www.bswa.org

This talk is republished with permission by Metta Centre, teaching retrieved from http://Dhamma Talks – Metta Centre.

Venerable Mettaji will offer a Metta meditation, share his understanding of Metta and answer any questions. 

The Peace Treaty

The Right Way to Criticise Someone

0:00 – Introduction
2:26 – Meditation practice
27:59 – Importance of Metta
32:15 – Metta Sutta
34:10 – Peace Treaty
37:26 – The antidote
39:15 – Problem solving
42:33 – Partners
43:55 – Some stories 
48:39 – Q & A
49:21 – Metta to ‘objects’
56:27 – Conflict at Bodhinyana
1:01:54 – Reasons for ordaining
1:07:08 – Beyond images
1:09:43 – Ajahn Brahm’s marriage ceremonies
1:12:16 – Q: Challenges practising Metta
1:12:38 – Fault-finding
1:14:55 – Self-righteousness
1:18:20 – Ego: friends & threats
1:22:07 – Pride & those who’ve harmed us
1:26:33 – Sleepiness
1:28:55 – Remorse
1:32:27 – Too effective? Wisdom & saying no
1:38:13 – Metta spirit, energy, frequency
1:40:38 – Metta to strangers
1:41:57 – Closing & dedication

About the presenter: Bhikkhu Mettaji believes that he is a very fortunate Bhikkhu to be given the opportunity to ordain late in life at Bodhinyana, which is a very precious and rare gift. His lifelong search for absolute truth started a long time ago in Europe in his teens, but sadly led to lots of cul-de-sacs and dead ends. He is in his mid-60s and believes he only found the real teachings when he touched Theravada Buddhism 10 years ago. Living and studying at Bodhinyana Monastery enabled him to finally find the real teachings. Good people with Metta sustained and nurtured him through the difficult years. His father, as an expression of Metta, often comes to mind and also his children who are young adults now. Isn’t family some of our best teachers too, even when events don’t go too well?

He was fortunate to run into an ex-monk from the Thai Forest tradition in 2009,in Sydney, who had been one of Ajahn Chah’s carers. Soon afterwards he discovered that all the teachings of the Buddha are very honest and thorough, and passed all experiential investigation. There are no loopholes in the Suttas and the Eightfold Path does gradually reduce suffering.

He tried to blend Buddhist practice into a number of senior roles that he had in the Finance and Charity sectors in Sydney but soon realised that colleagues will only practice if they want to! He finds it a blessing to have Ajahn Brahmavamso as his preceptor and access to other marvellous teachers like Ajahn Brahmali, Bhante Sujato and Bhikkhu Bodhi. Such riches! His name, Mettaji comes from a monk in the time of the Buddha and translates as ”Victory through loving kindness.” That is the aspiration he wants to fulfill in his practice and in meeting anyone, anywhere.

Facilitator: Tina Ng

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Published with permission of Treasure Mountain Podcast. Please visit Treasure Mountain Podcast, Treasure Mountain website and Treasure Mountain facebook page.

On this episode of Sage Advice, Venerable Mettaji returns to offer his advice on the topic of giving from the heart.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Published with permission of Treasure Mountain Podcast. Please visit Treasure Mountain Podcast, Treasure Mountain website and Treasure Mountain facebook page.

In this episode our guest is Venerable Mettaji, formerly Stephen Mayers, a man who has had a journey from the heights of corporate success down into the valley of trial and loss. This has led him on to ordaining as a bhikkhu - a Buddhist monk - later in life. But through all the ups and downs of Venerable Mettaji’s journey there has been a will to serve others stemming from a well-spring of kindness. In this episode we’re going to learn about that journey and some of the unexpected ways behind the scenes that he is serving the growing Buddhist community in Australia with a heart of kindness.

Links related to Venerable Mettaji and this episode:

• The Australian Sangha Association
• Bodhinyana Monastery

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

In this 2nd series of the "Good? Bad? Who Knows?" book discussion, Venerable Mettaji shares how we can use these stories to help us to calm ourselves down, answer a dilemma, or stop and centre ourselves, even if we feel a bit agitated in our body or had a challenging recent experience.

This book is available from the Dhammaloka Library.

Dhammaloka Book Club is usually held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm, please check the BSWA event page for the latest updates.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

At Dhammaloka Book Club’s first session, Venerable Mettaji discusses the “Good? Bad? Who Knows?” book by Ajahn Brahm. Venerable Mettaji shares his favourite stories, and invites the audience to do so as well, and delves a little deeper on the meaning of each story.

Dhammaloka Book Club is held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Venerable Mettaji guides a meditation.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

This guided meditation is part of the corona dhamma daily series of daily meditation and dhamma teachings offered by the monks at Bodhinyana Monastery to support the community during the coronavirus pandemic.

Teachings are available for downloading from the BSWA website, the BSWA Youtube Channel, the BSWA Podcast, and Deeper Dhamma Podcast.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

This guided meditation is part of the corona dhamma daily series of daily meditation and dhamma teachings offered by the monks at Bodhinyana Monastery to support the community during the coronavirus pandemic.

Teachings are available for downloading from the BSWA website, the BSWA Youtube Channel, the BSWA Podcast, and Deeper Dhamma Podcast.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

Venerable Mettaji talks about staying at home literally whilst on lockdown, but also figuratively, within the mind. By staying at home in the mind we can find calm and compassion within ourselves even whilst there is there is uncertainty outside.

This talk is part of the corona dhamma daily series of daily meditation and dhamma teachings offered by the monks at Bodhinyana Monastery to support the community during the coronavirus pandemic.

Teachings are available for downloading from the BSWA website, the BSWA Youtube Channel, the BSWA Podcast, and Deeper Dhamma Podcast.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.