Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Ajahn Brahmali explores the Buddhist idea of freedom of choice and will. Ajahn looks closely at the connection between the Buddhist idea of freedom that is freedom from suffering or problems in life, compared to freedom of choice or will. Ajahn also looks at how our choices and intentions affect us.

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Ajahn Brahmali reflects on the meaning of Secular Buddhism, the need for it and whether Buddhism’s really a religion in the first place. Ajahn takes a look at how Buddhism has changed and adapted in western culture and the risks of Buddhism changing too much.

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What if this is your last meditation?  Ajahn Brahmali begins by giving a short Dhamma talk on the skilful ways of establishing yourself in the present moment. Ajahn teaches us that by contemplating death, thoughts about past and future fade away. Ajahn suggests to contemplate death at the beginning of the meditation to remind us that the past and future are irrelevant and help remove restlessness and tiredness.

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What is the Buddha’s advice to lay Buddhists?

Ajahn repeats some of the Buddha’s teachings he gave to laypeople and talks of the benefits of living life well. Ajahn begins by looking at the distinction between what the Buddha taught to laypeople and monastics. Ajahn covers many topics such as morality, generosity, kindness, solitude practise and meditation.

Ajahn Brahmali gives an introduction about how sila, contentment and support in your spiritual life help to remove meditation obstacles and ensure good progress.

Ajahn Brahmali gives a talk on the importance of the Sangha or monastic community in Buddhism. Ajahn considers the Sangha’s purpose or role in Buddhism, as well as why they matter and the Buddha’s reasons for making the monastic order.

Ajahn Brahmali elaborates on the Buddha's teaching that it is attachment that causes suffering and letting go is the cause for happiness. Ajahn points out that attachments are part and parcel of being a human being. Ajahn explains why attachments lead to suffering and how we can remove and reduce our attachments to that there is less suffering when impermanence comes round and tears these things away from us, which eventually it must do.

On the actual day of Vesak (birth, enlightenment and passing away of the Buddha) in 2010, Ajahn Brahmali gives a teaching on the life and qualities of the Buddha and how his example can be an inspiration for our own practice. Ajahn reminds us that the person who sees the Buddha, also sees the Dhamma, and the person who sees the Dhamma, also sees the Buddha.

Ajahn Brahmali discusses how the Buddha's core teachings have given rise to the numerous traditions and teachings of Buddhism that exist today. Through textual comparison, scholars can today point to those core teachings of the Buddha that are common across the early existent canons of the various Buddhist schools. These early teachings are where Ajahn Brahmali believes we should focus our attention if we are to uncover the Buddha's original teachings.

Ajahn Brahmali talks about understanding the allure and danger of sensual pleasures and alternatively cultivating the deeper sense of pleasure to be found in the spiritual path.

Ajahn Brahmali leads a guided meditation class on 28th January 2017.

Perseverance is required for success in achieving any goal in life, and this is true for Buddhist practice also. Ajahn Brahmali explains that when we have a commitment to the Buddhist path over many years we get the beautiful, peaceful fruits of practice in our lives.

Ajahn Brahmali leads a guided meditation class on Saturday 21st January 2017.

Ajahn Brahmali discusses the topic of new forms of artificial intelligence and computer intelligence, and the idea of the Singularity, and what this means for humanity. Furthermore, based on these new developments he discusses what it means to be human in this context.

Getting calm and peaceful in meditation is nice and a good outcome from meditating, but as Ajahn Brahmali explains, the aim of meditation is to get in touch with something very profound inside of us and to transcend this world. Ajahn Brahmali talks about how to give rise to a sense of joy and happiness in meditation that can take us to a higher level in meditation.

Ajahn Brahmali discusses the place of Buddhism in the context of modern secular society. This talk looks at how as Buddhism comes to the West that it offers an opportunity to look at Buddhism in a historical context and to see what is the essence of Buddhism and what are the cultural accretions that form around that essence. He goes on to also talk about how there is a risk of Western culture diluting the essence of Buddhism. This is what Ajahn Brahmali identifies as "secular Buddhism" developing in the West, which has some useful practices and some that are potentially harmful to the essence of Buddhism.

It has been some time since we've had Ajahn Bramali at Armadale Meditation Group and he is most welcome.  A guided beginners meditation with a Q&A after from Ajahn Brahmali.

We don't see him often but love it when we do.  A beginners meditation with Ajahn Brahmali.

Tax time 2015 and stress is the norm.  Well, a guided beginners meditation with Ajahn Brahmali will help with any stress.

Ajahn Brahmali gives us a guided meditation for beginners followed by a Q&A session.