Buddhist Society of Western Australia

A public talk given by Ajahn Brahm on “The Four Brahma Viharas: Loving-kindness, Compassion, Altruistic Joy and Equanimity”, on the 17th October 2014 in Toronto at Mahavihara.

Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13uhXtqk4nI (YouTube Channel: urbanbuddhistmonk)

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Ajahn Brahmali describes what "Sutta" is, the importance of the suttas and how we can skillfully use them as a support for our practice. A short talk given at the Buddhist Society of Victoria (BSV).
Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyFn7yDp3FU (YouTube Channel: BSV Dhamma Talks)

Please visit the BSV Podcast Channel: https://bsv.podbean.com/ and BSV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BSVWeeklyDTEng/featured

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To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and 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. 

We all have fears and anxieties that are difficult to overcome. Ajahn Cittapalo shares his realisation that fear is just a thought and how we relate to it causes us to suffer or not. This talk relates to the short guided meditation Ajahn conducts directly before it.

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To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.

A talk given for Vesak at the Buddhist Society of Victoria (BSV). It is believed this talk was given in 2018. 

Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq7I5Uidwvc&list=PLwPICjq7jNeqDGMNhd04IemkUBGPnFSBy&index=20 (YouTube Channel: BSV Dhamma Talks)

Please visit the BSV Podcast Channel: https://bsv.podbean.com/ and BSV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BSVWeeklyDTEng/featured

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

To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and 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.

The Buddha said there will be no successor after he passes away; instead let his teachings and your training be your leader. Ajahn Brahm explains how an organisation can function autonomously i.e. make decisions without having an absolute authority.

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To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.

A Dhamma talk and questions and answers session given by Ajahn Brahm on the 12th of October 2017 at Edgbaston Community Centre, in Birmingham, UK.

This event was part of Ajahn Brahm's UK Dhamma Tour in 2017 in support of Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project, of which Ajahn is Spiritual Adviser. Donations towards Anukampa's aim to develop a nuns' monastery in England are extremely welcome. Please visit https://anukampaproject.org/donate/

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

To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.

Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ3PIvwu4Yo&list=PLPxfnU-O-ZycxYq_QfOloeZerHBRrM6eG (YouTube Channel: Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project)

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.

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.

Regardless of your past, you can always make something positive out of it. Ajahn Brahm teaches us some practical ways to accept our circumstance and move forward.

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To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.

Ajahn Brahm talks about the Buddhist idea of consciousness. Ajahn compares this with Aristotle's view of the mind as "the common sense" (amongst all the senses), and how this has caused Western philosophy to become materialistic, causing Western society to be one "where things are more important than feelings or people." Talk given on Ajahn's visit to Buddhist Society of Victoria (BSV), in June 2015

Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=p063lMIilMI (YouTube Channel: BSV Dhamma Talks)

Please visit the BSV Podcast Channel: https://bsv.podbean.com/ and BSV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BSVWeeklyDTEng/featured

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

To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.

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.

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. 

Many people believe that happiness is having the freedom to get whatever you want. However Ajahn Brahm opposes this belief by explaining that profound happiness actually comes when you’re free from wanting. Ajahn states, "When you want something more, you are not free, you cannot enjoy what you already have."

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

To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.

Ajahn Brahm discusses the cultivation and importance of wise friends on the path, the essential role the Bhikkhuni Sangha plays in increasing the longevity of the Buddha’s teachings, and how the four-fold community of Dhamma practitioners can support each other on our journey towards awakening. Recorded at the Thames Buddhist Vihara on the 27^th July 2016.

This event was part of Ajahn Brahm's UK tour 2016 - "Buddhism in the 21st Century" in support of Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project, of which Ajahn is Spiritual Adviser. Donations towards Anukampa's aim to develop a nuns' monastery in England are extremely welcome. Please visit https://anukampaproject.org/donate/

Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROIlbFmhEAY&list=PLPxfnU-O-ZyeLHWATLqHA2_g13_MLhGPa&index=3 (YouTube Channel: Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project)

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

To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and 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.

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.

Are you looking for a partner in life, your true love? Ajahn Brahm inspires us to find true love inside ourselves and explains that true love is being able to embrace imperfections and love life as it is.

To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.

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

Ajahn Khemavaro gives a talk on the subject of observing the emotional states of the mind as they arise and pass and how we can let go of attachment to these states and develop peace and stillness in the mind. A talk given at the Buddhist Society of Victoria (BSV).

Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5cADRIWHxU (YouTube Channel: BSV Dhamma Talks)

Please visit the Buddhist Society of Victoria (BSV) Podcast Channel: https://bsv.podbean.com/ and YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BSVWeeklyDTEng/featured

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

To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and 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 Brahmali examines some questions about Samadhi (deep states of meditation), such as: are they really important? Or can they be skipped? And are there any dangers from practicing Samadhi?

To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.

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

A talk given by Ajahn Nissarano at the Buddhist Society of Victoria (BSV).
Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDfEeYnRbvM&index=6&list=PLwPICjq7jNeqPSKNmtxEaiXMywVXdOIBX (YouTube Channel: BSV Dhamma Talks)

Please visit the BSV Podcast Channel: https://bsv.podbean.com/ and BSV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BSVWeeklyDTEng/featured

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

To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.