Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Ajahn Brahm reflects deeply on the idea “I am not good enough”. Are you good enough? Why is it that we always think it’s not good enough?

Ajahn talks about how you can never satisfy the reach of what other people ask of you and to stop worrying about what other people think of you and trying to please others.

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Uncertainty and not knowing are part of human existence. Ajahn Brahm describes human beings tenuous hold on life or safety or happiness or health and offers advice on how to live with such uncertainty and still enjoy life, such as love, kindness happiness, good friends and so on. 

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Ajahn Brahm offers many great ways of overcoming phobias, such as using awareness, compassion, kindness, catching it early, relaxing the body and so on. Ajahn reveals that some phobias can be traced to previous lives and finding out the reason behind your phobia can take away a lot of the fear, which takes away a lot of the problems. 

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After visiting Singapore where Ajahn Brahm met many Buddhists working in the prisons to care for and help the prisoners. Ajahn Brahm decides to give a talk about the prisons of the mind and how to break free. In this talk Ajahn also recollects his visits to the prisons.

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Responding to a request to talk on the Buddhist idea of the art of love for Valentine’s Day. Ajahn Brahm gives a teaching on what romance or love actually is and how it works.

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Ajahn Brahm offers a deeper and broader understanding of mindfulness. Ajahn talks about the development and benefits of mindfulness and meditation, how it actually works and its role in the path of practice.

Ajahn Brahm offers a Buddhist attitude and perspective towards climate change and the environment.

Ajahn gives this talk to help relieve people’s underlying fears about climate change and generate some solutions. Ajahn begins by talking about an interesting metaphor in the Jataka tales (suttas) about climate change. And Ajahn also talks about reincarnation being a good reason to care for the land we live on.

Ajahn Brahm dedicates this talk to those of us living alone or without a relationship, however he says this talk is also relevant to those in relationships. 

Ajahn elaborates on the Buddhist principle or the basic law of karma that what you are experiencing right now is the result of your karma from the past and you can’t do anything with it. The most important thing is not what you have to deal with in life, but how you deal with it. In other words what are you making out of what you have. 

Ajahn advises us to love and appreciate ourselves and others and stop trying to change and improve ourselves and others.

Ajahn Brahm gives a talk on how to find a way through the thicket of confusion. Ajahn talks about remaining open to the potentials and opportunities that life brings, rather than allowing ourselves to become overwhelmed and lost in confusion.

Ajahn Brahm responds to the question “how should Buddhists relate to Anzac Day?,” which is the day Australians and New Zealander’s commemorate those Australians and New Zealander’s who served and died in wars.

Ajahn gives a talk on the Buddhist attitude to military, wars, fighting and conflicts. And reflects upon how to relate to days such as Anzac Day, why do people join the army, what to do if we are called to go to war and are there other alternatives to these conflicts?

Ajahn Brahm begins by talking about having gentleness and patience with our meditation. How to stay in this present moment by caring for and looking after this present moment and our body and mind; just as waiter cares for his customers. Ajahn also talks about why the mind does and doesn’t wander off.

For the 2011 New Year's Eve Dhamma Talk, Ajahn Brahm reminds us that learning how to put happiness into life is one of the great teachings and secrets of Buddhism. Ajahn talks about how for him the happiness principle of Buddhism, that is learning how to put happiness into whatever you’re doing and how to take away your suffering, pain, misery, guilt, fear and worries is more important than philosophising and theorising.

Ajahn Brahm ponders why it is we get into an unhealthy habit of blaming others for the suffering we experience in life?
Ajahn talks about why blaming others is a waste of time and creates more problems, pointing out that the suffering or problem is not from the other person but from you. 

“All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will one day become separated from me” the Buddha. Ajahn Brahm gives a teaching on anicca or change and the importance of coming to terms with change. Ajahn talks about understanding and accepting the constant changing nature of our world and life and how doing this gives rise to wisdom and compassion.

Ajahn Brahm tells the story of the Four Old Men: wealth, success, peace and harmony. The story teaches us about getting our priorities right because Ajahn says a lot of problems in life come from when we focus on something which is not worth very much and sacrifice things which are worth far, far more. Ajahn explains how when we get our priorities wrong we suffer and we create suffering for others.

Ajahn Brahm offers a teaching not on finding the meaning of life, but putting meaning into our life; that is making our life meaningful. Ajahn Brahm tells us how to put meaning into our lives and points out that when we don’t life does become quite meaningless. Ajahn talks about developing the right attitude that gives our life purpose and meaning and what does and doesn’t give meaning.

Ajahn Brahm examines the place of love, lust, desire and affection in Buddhism. Ajahn asks; Is love an attachment? Is love something beautiful? Is love going to get you into trouble? What actually is the place of love in Buddhism? What is spiritual about your love in a relationship? Ajahn also looks at how you can make use of your understanding of the love you feel in a marriage or relationship.

Ajahn Brahm begins by talking about what stops you from getting peaceful in meditation and seeing things clearly. Ajahn says the first two of the biggest obstacles or hindrances to meditation are wanting and ill-will/ aversion.

Ajahn Brahm gives a humorous talk on bringing fun and laughter into our Buddhist practise and life, because he says too many people are far too serious. Ajahn talks about seeing the positive in everything and the huge benefits of being able to laugh at what for many people is extremely sad, such as having dementia. Ajahn points out the benefits of laughter, such as that it gives a positive mind and takes away fear and anxieties. Lastly Ajahn Brahm also mentions how we can laugh at and deal with anxiety.

When someone we love is suffering, why do we suffer as well? Does love have to mean that when someone is suffering we suffer as well? Ajahn Brahm talks about how Buddhists deal with the suffering of loved ones. In this talk Ajahn offers some skillful means of responses and teaches us how to have real love, instead of attachment.