Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Ajahn Brahmali gives a big-picture outline of how the Buddhist teachings understand the nature of the universe to operate, and points out the numerous parallels to the contemporary scientific understanding of the universe. However, he goes further to say that science in future will catch up with the Buddhist understanding by discovering that there are a sequence of multiple universes - a big bang followed by a period of universe expansion, then a period of universe contraction, and finally a big crunch.... and then a new universe being born again (big bang) - entire universes being reborn.

Ajahn Brahmali discusses the dangers of religious cults, including in Buddhism - how we can recognise them, and how to react to cults in society.

Anger and ill-will is a range emotions that goes from minor irritation all the way up to a furious rage. We've all experienced this emotion and it can be both intoxicating and very unpleasant. It's also a major obstacle on the path of Buddhist practice. Ajahn Brahmali discusses the problems with ill-will, and how to overcome it.

Ajahn Brahmali outlines a brief history of Buddhism, the impact on Buddhist scriptures, and how this has come to influence our understanding of Buddhism in the modern era.

The Noble Eightfold Path is at the core of Buddhist practice and is the only way to achieve Awakening. Ajahn Brahmali discusses the indispensable role of the Noble Eightfold Path.

Ajahn Brahmali talks on the universal quest to find happiness, and some secrets on how to find happiness in life.

The main quality of Buddhism is that it's not about belief so much as about practice - what to do to achieve happiness and end suffering. Ajahn Brahmali teaches us that it's the Noble Eightfold Path that is a practical method for achieving Awakening.

Ajahn Brahmali talks about how purity of mind, purity of heart and a strong sense of morality is the basis for developing the practice of mindfulness.

Saddhā, or confidence, is one of the five spiritual faculties in Buddhist teaching. Confidence is different from blind faith. Confidence is the force inside of you that pushes you along the spiritual path.

The first aspect of Buddhist confidence is gained through making observations and inferences about a person over a period of time.  A person who has extraordinarily inspiring and infusing attributes. These attributes arouse interest in the person's teaching, leading to confidence both in the person and in their teachings.

The second aspect is the confidence in the ancient Buddhist heritage, the Sutta. With the right kind of confidence, reading the Sutta and reflecting on Buddha's teachings brings much joy and inspiration. These feelings are instrumental to developing mindfulness and deep meditation. The path to Buddhist spirituality then becomes clear

Ajahn Brahmali encourages us to take responsibility for our spiritual life and to place confidence in both the living tradition and the ancient heritage.

Ajahn Brahmali talks about how virtue, especially of the mind, gives rise to mindfulness and how mindfulness is instrumental to successful meditation.