Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Bhante Bodhidhaja always starts the session a little differently to most and tonight was no exception. He arrived carrying a bucket with a number of not often seen in a meditation class, strange props. Having been a primary Teacher with some acting experience, Bhante is adept at using props. Bhante asked us to use our imagination to do body painting. After the surprise and laughter subsided Bhante explained that the paint [imaginary], would consist of three primary paints each consisting of the sub parts;

     care             interest             gratitude
     kindness     curiosity           rejoicing
     warmth       awareness

Having mixed the ingredients, we are instructed to paint our bodies during the meditation, from top to toe using first a brush then a roller for the larger areas. As we do this, we are asked to feel the sensation on that area, of the brush, roller and paint. In doing this we will be in the present moment and most definitely focused on that particular part of our body.

Just prior to commencing the guided meditation, Bhante asks us to recite in our own minds the following mantra:

     Nothing to Do
     No-where to Go
     Time to Relax and Let The Peace Grow

Having been suitably instructed we are then led by Bhante in a slightly longer than 30 minute meditation, that surprised most if not all. At the end of the meditation there were smiles all round.

This meditation is suitable for beginners and experienced alike.

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Ajahn Appichato asks us the question “What Are We Looking For In Meditation”.  Ajahn then spoke of the many variations of meditation, metta, breath etc and the benefits. Ajahn reminds us that we should try each if not all until we find one that best suits our own nature. One size may well fit many but nothing beats a perfect fit.

On this occasion, Ajahn asked us to find within ourselves an emotion that we would associate with an event from the past. For example, sadness for a lose. We then began our meditation by using a mantra asking for example; may I be happy, may I be well, may I live in peace. After approximately 10 minutes we moved onto breath meditation. An easy meditation well suited to beginners and experienced meditators alike.

Following the meditation Ajahn opened to questions.

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It's wet and cold outside. Still Ajahn Brahm starts the evening with a joke about his own voice. He explains that he has the "Pony" virus... It makes his voice a little "horse". Clearly a little unwell and tired from his recent trip, still he is happy. Ajahn as always, has us laughing from the start. Even joking that to fit the microphone headset, we will need to widen it to allow for his new big head. The reason for his new big head, Ajahn Brahm has been appointed a "Member of the Order of Australia". Ajahn received this honour for services to Buddhism and gender equality. How do we get to this level of contentment, peace and harmony. As Ajahn explains, we meditate and practise as often as we can.

To begin our meditation, Ajahn asks us to look as closely as we can at our own bodies, to be happy with who and what we are. Look deeply into those areas that may be troubling us, like a sore throat and make ourselves comfortable as much as possible.

After meditation Ajahn opened to questions. The first question was "what is a good life". There went the rest of the night. How-ever, Ajahn still managed to inject a few jokes and funny stories into the explanation.

This session was enjoyed by all present from children to elderly and so can be easily done by beginners and experienced alike.

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Ajahn Khemavaro is the Abbot of Wat Buddha Dhamma and as such, doesn't get out much. To have him at the Armadale Meditation Group for our Tuesday night was a rare privilege. So many thanks to Ajahn Santutthi of Wat Dhammayanaram for inviting him across the country for a visit and our Co-ordinator Marlene for inviting him to our group.

Ajahn began the evening talk explaining meditation and comparing it to cleaning our homes. Just as when our homes become dusty and unkempt, they need to be cleaned or cleared. So to our minds from time to time need to be cleaned or cleared. When we return home we often flop down into our favourite chair and simply "chill out". We do our best to forget the day and not plan for the future. Often as not we sit in front of our TV or computer and just get lost. All this to only have it all return the following day. Ajahn explains that by using a simple mantra [being mindful], even when working, we can overcome most of the things that bother us.

Ajahn then reminded us that if our body is not comfortable the meditation will be difficult. So we are encouraged to find a body position that can be maintained for at least 30 minutes. Ajahn then guided us through a 30 minute meditation using a simple mantra. This meditation is suitable for beginners and experienced meditators alike.

After meditation Ajahn opened to Q&A.

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Ajahn Brahmali, barely off the plane from Singapore and almost straight to us at AMG. Ajahn began by reinforcing those simple to follow but often forgotten instructions we should all follow when meditating. Ajahn doesn’t just give us the instructions, Ajahn includes an explanation that we all can follow and easily implement.

Ajahn then guided us in our meditation. This meditation is approximately 40 minutes and easily done by beginners and experienced meditators.

Following meditation Ajahn talked to us about Vesak Day. Ajahn related to us some of the main aspects of the Buddha’s life. Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and eventual death. More importantly he talked to us about the often overlooked aspect of the Buddha, that he comes across from the sutta as being a very ordinary human. Ajahn then points out that what the Buddha had, that made him the Buddha, was insight into how our minds work.

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Ajahn Appi began by asking us all to reflect on all the good we have done through out our lives to up lift our minds. As an indicator, Ajahn pointed out to us that many of the people he meets daily that look at their lives in this way, are by default happy and joyful despite economic pressures. They are not typically easily distressed or unsettled. They have built a store of emotional strength on which to call when times are more difficult. By reflecting on all the good things in life rather than the negative.

Ajahn then guided the group in a longer than usual meditation asking us all to be as comfortable as we are able first. Then to reflect on all the good qualities that we each know we have. After reflecting on ourselves we moved to the good we have done for others, then to breath meditation. This meditation is more suited to experienced meditators.

After meditation Ajahn opened to questions. In response to a question, Ajahn then reminded us that no matter who we are we are all capable of reaching very deep meditative states. So for many of us, when random thoughts intrude, we need to address them, to understand why they continue to intrude. Looking as deeply as we can into such thoughts helps to diminish them. Then they eventually go away. Samadhi is attained.

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Ajahn Cittapalo began by pointing out to us that our use of the word meditation instead of samadhi sometimes leads us to the wrong mindset when we meditate. Lost in translation like so many things said or done by Buddha, the word meditation to us in western society means “Continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature”. When we meditate we are usually trying to achieve the opposite. A mind state of calm, relaxation and clarity. Thoughts arise and we let them go. Ajahn used this odd fact to point out that we do tend to allow our minds to latch onto thoughts, rather then letting them go. The result is we spend our time contemplating rather than in peace. Having made us aware Ajahn asked us to allow ourselves to just let the thoughts go and not fall into contemplation.

Ajahn then guided the group in a longer than usual meditation [samadhi not contemplation], beginning with a body sweep and progressing onto just watching the breath. A meditation well suited to beginners and a pleasure to do.

After the meditation, Ajahn was asked questions relating to euthanasia and suicide. Subjects we in western society try to avoid. Ajahn answered as best he could after pointing out that Buddhism doesn’t have an opinion and that any answer given would be his point of view.

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Ajahn Brahmali doesn't often get the time to visit us at AMG and we are most grateful when he does because he is an excellent teacher.

Ajahn began by reminding us that the instructions while the same, repeated as they are help reinforce our meditation practice. The changes in our minds happens over time. The time it will take to reach deeper meditation states will vary greatly between each of us. The instructions though usually very simple can actually have a very profound affect on you over time. Hence the need for repetition.

Ajahn then guided us through meditation slightly longer than 30 minutes that is well suited to experienced and novice. Following meditation Ajahn opened to questions. Ajahn then gave a talk on that one subject we in western society tend to avoid. Ajahn delivered an explanation using his own very recent experience of having arranged and conducted a funeral for his father.

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It was only Venerable Mudu's second visit to the Armadale Meditation Group's Tuesday evening session and as such, a most welcome surprise. Venerable started the evening by letting us know that he doesn’t really have a preferred method of meditation. In Venerable’s words “I really don’t have a fixed kind of meditation of step one, two, three and four. I roll them all into one, I sit down, shut-up and just watch what goes on in my mind”. Venerable does recognise that those of us new to or still learning, need guidance though. With that in mind Venerable related to us his experience when he first started to learn meditation techniques of breath and metta etc. On a nine day retreat when still a lay person, his view of daily life differed from what he is now learning. In this example he demonstrated how the simple mantra of “Make Peace Be Kind Be Gentle” helped him to overcome his conditioned response of self criticism.

Venerable Mudu then led the group in meditation. Venerable started the meditation with a short body sweep giving thanks and being grateful to our bodies for the work they do each day. For the balance of the meditation we all went in search of the beautiful breath.

After meditation Venerable continued his explanation of why we should meditate each day. Venerable concluded the night with a joke he was asked to deliver to us by Ajahn Brahm. Everyone in attendance left relaxed and happy. This meditation is well suited to both beginners and experienced alike.

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

To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the
BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching
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When visiting us at the Armadale Meditation Group, Ajahn Brahm always starts and ends the evening with humour. Tonight was no exception. Cleverly, Ajahn uses humour to bring us into the present moment. We are listening, we are focused, we are laughing and at ease. Forgotten are the troubles of the day, the plans for tomorrow. We are here in the present moment with Ajahn Brahm, listening intently to his jokes, funny stories and his instructions on meditation.

Ajahn Brahm led us in a thirty minute meditation easily enjoyed by beginners and experienced meditators alike. To begin, Ajahn simply asks us to make ourselves comfortable and as much as possible to relax. Not a traditional body sweep. Ajahn then progresses us to simply dealing with what is in front of us, rather than trying to suppress or dismiss our thoughts. Instead, encouraging us to focus on the silence between thoughts. As we practice this, the silence between thoughts gets longer.

After meditation Ajahn opened to questions. Several of the questions are those many of us face.

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To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.

Ajahn Jhanarato prefers an unstructured meditation so begins the night by explaining why. We do have a tendency when learning something new to want or need instructions or structure. Though many of us still like to have a guided meditation, sometimes it's interesting to just start our meditation and see what arises.

Though preferring an unstructured meditation, Ajahn then led us through a longer than usual body sweep meditation.

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We are frequently encouraged to watch our breath during meditation. It is a time honoured practice we all use during meditation. Venerable Bodhidhaja references a novel written by Michael Ende titled Momo to encourage us to truly listen to what is happening in our minds rather than watching. Venerable uses this method because of the difference in how we define watching and listening. For many of us, when we watch an activity we are inclined to form an opinion or to perhaps wish it to be different. We are thinking. Not what we really want to do. So by just truly listening with the utmost attention and empathy, we don't tend to engage or form thoughts and opinions. A thought arises, we listen rather than watch and we let it go.

Venerable then guided us in an entirely relaxing, different meditation practice that encouraged us to listen with full attention and empathy, rather than watch our thoughts. Venerable commenced with a body scan and then softly moved to breath meditation. The meditation is well suited to beginners and experienced alike.

After meditation Venerable opened to questions.

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To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.

We haven’t seen Ajahn Santutthi at The Armadale Meditation Group for some time now so it was a welcome surprise. Ajahn began the evening by asking us to let go of the doer in our mind, so the mind can begin to relax. We constantly look for things to do in life and our mind isn’t much different. Our mind is constantly looking for things to make it happy, things to do. The doer in our mind doesn’t do relax. So to really relax, we need to let it go and just be in the present moment.

Ajahn led us in a longer than usual meditation this evening that is well suited to beginners and experienced alike. After the meditation, rather than talk on any specific subject, Ajahn opened to a Q&A to conclude the evening. Interspersed throughout Q&A are some funny stories to further relax us all. 

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To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box. 

Tonight’s teacher was Ajahn Appi. Ajahn opened the night by explaining how our minds change over time through meditation. The basic methods of meditation are relatively easy, the hard part is sticking with it and practising. For beginners and experienced alike, finding those moments when we can meditate for minutes at a time can be difficult. Our modern world fills our heads with all manner of distractions and hindrances. Then our mind will throw up thoughts of the future, such as “is my super going to be enough”, or thoughts of the past “he said some horrible things to me”. So how do we stay in the present moment and avoid all this? We practice, as often as we can.

Ajahn then guided the group in meditation beginning with 5 minutes focusing on the darkness we see when we first close our eyes. The effect of this for beginners is to bring them into the present moment. Ajahn then continued the meditation focusing on the breath, this kept us in the present moment. This meditation would best suite beginners to intermediate meditators.

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To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box. 

The Armadale Meditation Group doesn’t often get to see Ajahn Brahmali so when we do we are very grateful.

Ajahn began the night by relating a story of a visit from Ajahn Ganah to Bodhinyanna Monastery. So as not to spoil the story I will stop here. Ajahn Brahmali told this story to highlight how meditation can change people and other's perception of them. We become happier, more patient and more relaxed, but it takes practice and perseverance.

Ajahn then lead the full house through a very peaceful and relaxing 30 minute meditation suitable to both experienced and beginners alike.

After meditation Ajahn opened to comments and questions before continuing his talk on how we change with meditation.

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To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.

We don’t see Ajahn Cittapalo often enough at The Armadale Meditation Group. Ajahn is particularly good at delivering instructions on meditation that are easily understood by beginners and those new to meditation.

Ajahn began his talk tonight by making us all laugh when he used our headset microphone for the first time. This had the immediate effect of relaxing us all and bringing us into the present moment. Ajahn then commenced his talk and instruction by asking us to consider what our intentions and motivations are before we meditate or, in the case of “newbies”, (as he calls those of us who are fairly new to meditation), to look carefully at our intentions and motivations before we sit down and attempt to meditate. If we do this for a minute or two, and try not to place undue pressure on ourselves, the meditation becomes less of a task and thus a more pleasant thing to do. No-one wants to add another task to their day.

After giving us instructions and describing the benefits of meditation to the “newbies”, Ajahn lead the group through a body sweep and peaceful meditation intended to help us simply relax and look inward. This meditation is well suited to beginners and those new to meditation.

After meditation Ajahn continued his talk on those things that hinder our meditations. He also asked us to consider trying different meditations and even different teachers before giving up. Ajahn talked on those things that we humans allow ourselves to become addicted to, suggesting that an addiction to meditation would be more beneficial. Ajahn further encouraged us to look within our own minds to resolve those things that bother us so deeply.

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We humans seem to have an issue with doing nothing! Ajahn describes doing nothing as an art form. When we start to meditate our mind will try all manner of tricks to keep us from a still, quiet session. It will monkey about and thoughts will come to mind of the past, of the future and even of the present which is all intended to keep our attention away from our goal of a quiet mind. Ajahn Brahm uses humour and common sense to make us laugh and relax. This is a good step on the path to meditation. Having a happy, relaxed mind prior to meditation is so much better than having a mind stuck in the past or desperately trying to predict the future.

So in the inimitable style of Ajahn Brahm, we heard jokes and funny stories and had a good laugh prior to commencing our meditation. Ajahn led the group through a body sweep prior to focusing on the present moment.

This meditation is well suited to beginners and experienced meditators alike.

After meditation Ajahn opened to questions and was asked to further explain the "doer and the thinker". Ajahn used his life experience and funny stories to illustrate the answer.

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To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box. 

Bhante started the night by asking the group if there was a particular subject or topic that he might use to base the evening’s meditation and talk on. One member asked for a meditation with Metta whilst another suggested a meditation dealing with physical pain. Bhante, after careful and clever consideration, was able to deliver a talk which combined both subjects. Gratitude, as described by Bhante, is the airbag we need when things aren't going well, or to our liking, in our lives. Bhante described the two darts of suffering as one being a physical pain, for which we might seek relief with medication, and the other as a mental pain. Many of us sadly use our mental suffering to make our physical pain so much worse than it need be. A good meditation can most certainly help. We humans often don't separate the two which leads us to make our physical pain so much worse with an increasingly negative mind set.

Bhante then led the group in a guided meditation on gratitude that went a little longer than usual. By focusing on gratitude for everything from the simplest smiles of family or friends to the big events in our lives, we build an airbag to cushion us against adversity and pain.

After the meditation Bhante continued his discourse on gratitude. He pointed out to us the many ways we can build up our resistance to both bad situations and physical pain, by remembering those times and things that we are grateful for.

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To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.

Ajahn Appi started with an in-depth explanation of meditation for beginners. He outlined many of the benefits that can be gained from a regular meditation practice, such as peacefulness and a resistance to stress, anger, anxiety and many of the garden variety feelings that we as humans encounter in our daily lives. Ajahn continued his explanation until meditation time, touching on how each of us will be individually affected by a continued practice, with the main benefits being an improved wisdom and emotional outlook on life.

Ajahn then lead the group in three different techniques of meditation. The first meditation which is five minutes, is to use the darkness we have present in our minds when we close our eyes and begin to meditate. This is done to draw our attention away from thinking.

The second five minute meditation focuses our attention on our breath moving out of our bodies, then in, all the way to our abdomen, and then out again. This method of following a moving object is recommended for less experienced meditators as it is easier to follow a moving object than a stationary one.

The third meditation is twenty minutes and asks us to focus our attention on the very fine feelings, or rather sensations, that arise at the edges of our mouths and/or nostrils when we breath. Ajahn also recommends doing these meditations in a dull or darkened environment. This helps us turn our focus inward rather than be distracted by external events.

After meditation Ajahn opened to Q&A and then gave us a talk on the hindrances for beginners. Ajahn briefly touched on Karma, and how it can accumulate and affect our daily lives.

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

To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings
page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.

Ajahn Jhanarato, started the evening by relaxing us with an explanation of the quiet moments that we experience between thoughts. These quiet moments are what we need to focus on but how do we do that without effort, without tripping our “self” into a thought process. Don't, that's it, don't. When a thought arises, just let it pass, don't engage, gently pull yourself back to your meditation. We will do this many times and eventually [with lots of practice] we start to notice that the gaps, or quiet moments, become longer. After a while they will become more frequent than the random thoughts. Ajahn recommended to us all that we read Ajahn Brahms booklet on "The Basic Method of Meditation" before we attempt to move onto more advanced states of meditation.

Ajahn then led us through a very relaxed and easy 30 minute meditation, asking us to just notice the quiet moments of our mind. He reminded us to use our breath as an anchor to return us when we strayed into random thoughts.

After meditation Ajahn opened to Q&A with explanations on some of the more difficult concepts to grasp for beginners.

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

To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.