Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Apologies, recording started late due to technical issues.

Atomic Habits by James Clear was discussed in relation to the spiritual path by Ayya Karunika at the book club on Saturday, 24th May 2025.

Ayya explored how the concept of the “aggregation of marginal gains” (p. 13) can be used to enhance our daily practice. She offered a brief yet insightful overview of the four laws of behavior change (pp. 43–55), showing how they can support the cultivation of wholesome habits while helping us abandon unwholesome ones. She also introduced practical strategies such as habit stacking (pp. 72–79) as effective methods for integrating the Buddha’s teachings into daily routine. In addition, she explained in detail how to apply the noble eightfold path in daily life and discussed the importance of focusing on systems rather than goals (pp. 23–28) in order to achieve better results in meditation and to strengthen overall progress on the spiritual path.

Bhikkhuni Ayya Kārunikā is currently the senior resident monastic at Santi Forest Monastery, NSW, Australia and the spiritual director for New Zealand Bhikkhuni Sangha Trust, Hamilton. She has been in monastic life for over 14 years and she received her full ordination as a bhikkhunī in 2014 at Dhammasara Nuns monastery in Western Australia where she lived and trained for over a decade with Ajahn Hāsapaññā. She has been a student of Ajahn Brahm and Ajahn Brahmali for over 2 decades.

Ayya Kārunikā is able to articulate the Buddhist teachings in a way that is practical and comprehensible to people of all ages and has experience in conducting retreats for both adults and youth. While she has a PhD in Microbiology and worked as a scientist, she has also been the building project manager for the construction of the Dhammasara Nuns Monastery main building complex and has worked with many volunteers over the years. Ayya Kārunikā was born in Sri Lanka but has been living and working in Australia for over 2 decades.

She has a passion to share her experience and knowledge and loves working with people and also doing creative projects. She is dedicated to supporting the growth of Bhikkhunis around the world and is currently involved in projects to support the establishment of places for Bhikkhunis in Theravada forest tradition in Australia, New Zealand, Poland and Sri Lanka. 

Please visit the Santi Forest Youtube Channel and Santi Forest Monastery website

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Venerable Mettaji discusses the “Holly Jolly Joey” book by Ajahn Brahm.

Support us on https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa

BSWA teachings are available:

• BSWA Teachings
• BSWA Podcast Channel
• BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel
• BSWA YouTube

Ajahn Brahmali discusses the “After” book by Dr Bruce Greyson about near death experiences. Ajahn draw parallels between the near death experience stories in the book and the Buddhist path, and how these stories can help us develop right view (sammaditthi) and subsequently right effort (samma sankappa).

The next Dhammaloka Book Club will be held on the 19 April 2025, Saturday from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm, details here. For enquiries contact: library@bswa.org

Support us on https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa

BSWA teachings are available:

• BSWA Teachings
• BSWA Podcast Channel
• BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel
• BSWA YouTube

Venerable Vippassako discusses the book "Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away" by Ajahn Chah.

Dhammaloka Book Club is usually held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm, please check the BSWA event page for the latest updates.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Venerable Mettavihari discusses the "Being Nobody, Going Nowhere" by Ayya Khema in Dhammaloka Books Club's session on 20 May 2023.

This book is available from the Dhammaloka Library.

Dhammaloka Book Club is usually held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm, please check the BSWA event page for the latest updates.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Venerable Mettavihari discusses two books "Kindfulness"  by Ajahn Brahm and "Being Nobody, Going Nowhere" by Ayya Khema in Dhammaloka Books Club's session on 08 April 2023.

This book is available from the Dhammaloka Library.

Dhammaloka Book Club is usually held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm, please check the BSWA event page for the latest updates.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Bear Awareness - Questions and Answers on taming your wild mind with Venerable Mettaji.

Page references:
Teddy Bears @8.00 minutes - pages 26/27 and 88.
Metta @9.29 minutes - pages 1 to 6.
Cancer recovery story @ 23.30 minutes - page 73.
Posture and pain @ 27.43 minutes - page 11.
Reducing Thinking @30.46 minutes - pages 19, 85 and 135.
Going "in" , not progress @ 33.00 minutes pages 37/38.
Don't want anything (Let GO) @ 34.00 minutes pages 30/31.
Judging others @35.17 minutes - pages 88/89.
Clarity of mind @ 39.00 minutes - pages 119/120.
Summary of the chapters starts @ 42.00 minutes.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Teachings are available for downloading from the BSWA website the BSWA Youtube Channel, the BSWA Podcast, and Deeper Dhamma Podcast.

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Venerable Ananda discusses the "Simply this Moment" book by Ajahn Brahm in Dhammaloka Books Club's session on the 12 November 2022.

This book is available from the Dhammaloka Library.

Dhammaloka Book Club is usually held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm, please check the BSWA event page for the latest updates.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

In this 2nd series of the "Good? Bad? Who Knows?" book discussion, Venerable Mettaji shares how we can use these stories to help us to calm ourselves down, answer a dilemma, or stop and centre ourselves, even if we feel a bit agitated in our body or had a challenging recent experience.

This book is available from the Dhammaloka Library.

Dhammaloka Book Club is usually held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm, please check the BSWA event page for the latest updates.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Venerable Sunyo discusses his favourite stories in the book, sharing anecdotes from his childhood and meditation practice at the Dhammaloka Books Club's 5th session on the 14 May 2022.

Venerable shares the attitude that he uses when he meditates, "Just by sitting down and being there, the meditation is already a success and done, and there is nothing further to change or to get somewhere". The mind then gets peaceful right away, as we are opening the door of our heart to whatever is going on in our mind.

Also keep an ear out for Venerable's amusing encounter with "MULCH" in the monastery.

This book is available from the Dhammaloka Library.

Dhammaloka Book Club is usually held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm, please check the BSWA event page for the latest updates.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

At Dhammaloka Book Club's 4th session, Venerable Nibbuto discusses the "Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond" book by Ajahn Brahm.

As a self-proclaimed non-book reader :), Venerable Nibbuto highly recommends this book. Venerable Nibbuto bought the book 8 years before he ordained and shares his experience and insights while discussing parts of the books, offering some practical meditation advise, e.g. to do Metta meditation if you are unable to do breath meditation.

This book is available from the Dhammaloka Library.

Dhammaloka Book Club is usually held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm, please check the BSWA event page for the latest updates.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

In this 3rd series of the Dhammaloka Book Club on 22 March 2022, Venerable Radha discusses the “Falling is Flying” book by Ajahn Brahm and Chan Master Guojun.

What do we do when life throws rocks at us? “Instead of trying to discipline your mind with ill will, fault-finding, guilt, punishment, and fear, use something far more powerful: the beautiful kindness, gentleness, and forgiveness of making peace with life.” —Ajahn Brahm “

In free fall, nothing is solid and there is nothing to hold on to. There is no way to control the experience. You have to surrender, and with that surrender comes the taste of liberation.” —Master Guojun

Most of us tend to live each day as if it will be just another day—like nothing will change. It always comes as a shock when we lose a job, a loved one, a relationship, our health—even though we’ve seen it happen again and again to those around us. Once we finally realize we’re not immune, then we wonder: what now? How do we continue when the terrain suddenly gets rough? Meet your companions for this rocky part of the path: Ajahn Brahm and Chan Master Guojun—one a teacher in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, the other in the Chinese Zen tradition.

These two beloved meditation masters share personal stories and anecdotes from their own experiences of dealing with life’s pitfalls. You’ll learn from their honest, generous teachings how you can live fully—even flourish—even when the road ahead looks steep and lonely. Personal, poetic, instructive, and often laugh-out-loud funny, this is inspiring advice for people from all walks of life.

“Falling is Flying is truly unique because it offers a rare glimpse into the personal lives of two living Buddhist masters. With unflinching honesty, Ajahn Brahm and Chan Master Guojun share the struggles they’ve faced, even after becoming monks and respected teachers. Throughout the book, we see how, instead of turning away in aversion from adversity, they’ve used it as a stepping stone for finding the peace and happiness we all seek. I love this book and recommend it most highly!” —Toni Bernhard, author of How To Be Sick

This book is available from the Dhammaloka Library.

Dhammaloka Book Club is usually held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm, please check the BSWA event page for the latest updates.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

In this 2nd series of the Dhammaloka Book Club on 12 Feb 2022, Venerable Mettavihari discusses the "The Art of Disappearing" book by Ajahn Brahm. Venerable explores the main themes in the book about mindfulness and the meditation practice, and highlights some of the practical advice and strategies that we can use when our meditation is not going so well. Our attitude to how we meditate is important and we should put caring attention to it.

This book is available from the Dhammaloka Library.

Dhammaloka Book Club is usually held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm, please check the BSWA event page for the latest updates.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

At Dhammaloka Book Club’s first session, Venerable Mettaji discusses the “Good? Bad? Who Knows?” book by Ajahn Brahm. Venerable Mettaji shares his favourite stories, and invites the audience to do so as well, and delves a little deeper on the meaning of each story.

Dhammaloka Book Club is held on the second Saturday of every month from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm.

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

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.