Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Ajahn Vayama responds to the request to talk about the Nun’s life; where they begin, their purpose or goal and how they live and practise. Ajahn Vayama reminds us that the Nun’s Sangha was created by the Buddha himself and is not a modern invention. Ajahn describes the nun’s monastery Dhammasara, its plans and the importance of having a Nun’s monastery for women to join the monastic life and attain Nirvana. As well as have female role models in the monastic life to inspire others. We apologise for the static in this audio, this Buddha Dhamma talk was given in 2000.

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Ajahn Vayama gives a talk on the nature of suffering, dukkha, which is the Buddha’s first noble truth that life is inherently unsatisfactory. The word dukkha means that which is difficult to bear. Ajahn explains how this Noble Truth is not saying that life is all miserable, but that it has this nature to it, which we can’t change. Ajahn explains how Buddhism teaches us how to deal with life’s dukkha and constant change more skillfully and wholesomely for our own and others peace and happiness. Ajahn teaches us how understanding and becoming more familiar with dukkha actually prepares us for the ups and downs of life. This Buddha Dhamma talk was given in 1999.

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Ajahn Vayama offers some reflections on the Buddhist teachings on living in the present, in the here in now. Ajahn Vayama says “The Buddha recited a poem to his disciples which he encouraged them to learn by heart and to use in their daily life to focus on the present moment. Part of the poem goes like this “One should not trace back the past, nor on the future builds ones hopes, the past is just the left behind, the future the yet unreached, rather with insight one should watch each mind moment as it arises now, to know and to be sure of that today the effort must be made, tomorrow death may come, who knows.” This poem is a summary of the Buddha’s teaching on living in the present moment.” We apologise for the quality of this audio, this Buddha Dhamma talk was given in 2000.

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Ajahn Vayama talks about the power of the Buddhist teachings and the path of practise to transform our suffering into happiness, particularly how we work with the mind in meditation to accomplish this. Ajahn explains the statement the Buddha made when he was asked what the Buddhist path was about and how this is very valid and important in our practise of meditation and our daily life. ‘The teaching of all the Buddhas is the same. That is to refrain from doing what is evil, harmful and unwholesome and unskillful. To actively cultivate what is good, wholesome, helpful and skillful and to purify the mind.’

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Ajahn Vayama guides a meditation for approximately 30 minutes. 

Ajahn Vayama guides a meditation for approximately 30 minutes. 

Meditation guided by Ajahn Vayama for approximately 30 minutes. 

Ajahn Vayama guides a half an hour meditation. 

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

Ajahn Vayama ponders what it is Buddhist practitioners are trying to accomplish in terms of the mind? Ajahn Vayama reveals what we are practising and why. And shares advice on how to be mindful of our body and mind.  

Responding to a recent question on whether it is possible for women to become enlightened? Ajahn Vayama gives a talk on the history of the nun’s order and shares stories of the fully enlightened nun’s in the past and women who have left their families and sometimes royal privileges to enter the monastic life. Hence demonstrating that women have the same capacity and potential for spiritual growth as males.

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

Ajahn Vayama gives an enlightening talk about how the limitations on our perceptions can cause us to have misleading and inaccurate views about how the world works, including how our own minds work. Only when we develop a mindful attitude and ability to step back and look at the conditions upon the mind can we begin to untangle the puzzle of life.

Giving an unusual talk during the middle of the annual Rains Retreat, Ajahn Vayama talks about what goes on in a monastery during a period of retreat, particularly the focus on developing the inner practice of meditation and developing an insight into the nature of the mind.

Ajahn Vayama reflects back on her first ten years as a nun, ordaining and training in Sri Lanka, and upon how so many faithful people supported her and helped her get to the point of being able to establish a monastery in Australia. She goes on to celebrate with gratitude the generosity of her supporters in those early days and point to what we can all learn from this situation.

Ajahn Vayama gives a talk on the time just before the Buddha's Awakening, demonstrating the power of goodness as an example to us all.

Whilst the practice of meditation is very important, so too is the basics of how we relate to the people in our lives every day. The quality of the relationships that we develop with our family, work colleagues and the people we meet with every day is going to have a strong bearing on the quality of our minds and the quality of our lives, so it pays to give wise attention to this according to Ajahn Vayama.

Ajahn Vayama puts a Buddhist slant on the saying "Seeing is believing", but drawing out the powerful role of perception in skewing what we sense and understand reality.

Ayya Vayama discusses how to relate to various kinds of thinking through mindfulness and understanding.

Given that the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism deal with suffering, one can be forgiven for thinking that Buddhist's have a pretty miserable attitude to life. However, as Ajahn Vayama explains, really what the Buddha was teaching was the pathway to achieving ever greater levels of happiness in life. Using recent findings from the fields of psychology and sociology, Ajahn Vayama discusses the Buddhist understanding and practices that are aimed at creating happiness and how research methods are increasingly validating Buddhist teachings and practice.

Using the analogy of a bush fire, Ajahn Vayama explains how to put out the fires of suffering in our lives.

Ajahn Vayama reflects upon some of the teachings that the Buddha gave to the bhikkhunis (fully ordained nuns) and how that applies in the modern era.