Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Kathryn begins her third of four weeks at AMG by explaining why we need, or rather when we may need, to change our perspective. Kathryn uses examples such as the need for very focused perspective when doing surgery as compared to when we need a broad perspective on those occasions when something negative has occurred in our life. The benefits, to our health and well being, of positive emotions and the chemicals our bodies release when we have a positive experience have been the subject of many recognised research studies around the world today.

Kathryn then leads the group in three separate meditations. The first meditation is aimed at recognising when the mind tries to narrow our focus or perspective, putting us into a well known loop of negativity. By recognising when this occurs we can learn to deal with it and return to our broader perspective.

The second meditation highlights our feeling and belief of being independent when, in actuality, we are interdependent on so many people in our lives. Gratitude is used to focus our attention during this meditation. To bring this to mind Kathryn recited a poem by Jane Kenyon (1947–1995), former Poet Laureate of New Hampshire in the US, titled “Otherwise”. The object was to encourage us to realise that despite our trials and tribulations things could be worse and that perhaps our lives aren't quite as bad as we believe.

The third meditation brings to mind equanimity; the calm amidst the storm; the idea of being able to maintain balance and a sense of being grounded when the proverbial is hitting the fan. During the meditation Kathryn helps us to broaden our perspective by reading the “Serenity Prayer”;

“May I have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.”

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Ajahn Brahm gives a talk on the practice and benefits of meditation at Staten Island Buddhist Vihara, USA. Date unknown. Talk starts around 50 seconds into the recording. 

Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=709&v=AsY9DE2T7q8 (YouTube Channel: MOM I Love You)

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Ajahn Brahm conducts an intermediate / advanced meditation class for approximately one hour. Recorded at Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, Perth, Western Australia. 

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

Ajahn Brahm responds to a very common question asked by people new to Buddhism: Why should I bow to a Buddha statue?

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

Ajahn Appichato conducts an intermediate / advanced meditation class for approximately one hour. Recorded at Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, Perth, Western Australia. 

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

Ajahn Brahm responds to a question about mind (mentality) and matter (materiality) and provides a deep, yet simple to understand answer about the nature of consciousness and how the mind stops.

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Ajahn Brahm responds to a question, "Why do we chant?" In response he goes into an explanation of the meaning of one of the most common chants, the Ratana Sutta, and goes on to explain what the ultimate goal of the Buddhist path is.

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Ajahn Brahmavamso conducts an intermediate / advanced meditation class for approximately one hour. Recorded at Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, Perth, Western Australia. 

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

Ajahn Appichato conducts an intermediate / advanced meditation class for approximately one hour. Recorded at Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, Perth, Western Australia. 

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

Recording from Ajahn Brahm’s One-Day Meditation Retreat on the 18th of October 2014 at the Halton Peel Buddhist Society, Mississauga, Ontario Canada.

The first talk was an introduction to meditation with an emphasis on the initial preparation. The second recording, ‘The Symbol of the Lotus Flower’, expanded on the topic of meditation. The third recording is questions and answers.

This fourth recording is a Dhamma talk on ‘What is Right Livelihood.’

Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX18H8nw8JE (YouTube Channel: urbanbuddhistmonk)

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

Ajahn Brahmavamso conducts an intermediate / advanced meditation class for approximately one hour. Recorded at Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, Perth, Western Australia. 

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

Ajahn Sujato conducts an intermediate / advanced meditation class for approximately one hour. Recorded at Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, Perth, Western Australia. 

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

Ajahn Brahm fields a question about types of "samadhi". He goes on to say that there is only one type of samadhi, and that it makes no sense to translate the word as "concentration" when what it really means is "stillness".

Ajahn Sujato conducts an intermediate / advanced meditation class for approximately one hour. Recorded at Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, Perth, Western Australia. 

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

Recording from Ajahn Brahm’s One-Day Meditation Retreat on the 18th of October 2014 at the Halton Peel Buddhist Society, Mississauga, Ontario Canada.

The first talk was an introduction to meditation with an emphasis on the initial preparation. The second recording, ‘The Symbol of the Lotus Flower’, expanded on the topic of meditation.

This third recording is questions and answers. Ajahn answers questions about body-scanning (awareness of feelings in the body), letting go of oneself, and a question about attachment arising "naturally" (which Ajahn argues, is actually unnatural). The fourth recording is a Dhamma talk on ‘What is Right Livelihood.’ 

Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ1dx5T2P24 (YouTube Channel: urbanbuddhistmonk)

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

Recording from Ajahn Brahm’s One-Day Meditation Retreat on the 18th of October 2014 at the Halton Peel Buddhist Society, Mississauga, Ontario Canada.

The first talk was an introduction to meditation with an emphasis on the initial preparation. This second recording, ‘The Symbol of the Lotus Flower’, expands on the topic of meditation. The third recording is questions and answers. The fourth recording is a Dhamma talk on ‘What is Right Livelihood.’ 

Teaching retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ1dx5T2P24 (YouTube Channel: urbanbuddhistmonk)

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

Ajahn Brahm conducts an intermediate / advanced meditation class for approximately one hour. Recorded at Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, Perth, Western Australia. 

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

What are we to do when we just don't want to meditate? Should we persist or should we try something else? Ajahn Brahm offers wise advice on how to deal with feelings of aversion to meditation.

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

Ajahn Brahmali conducts an intermediate / advanced meditation class for approximately one hour. Recorded at Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, Perth, Western Australia. 

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

Kathryn begins her second of four weeks at AMG by asking all to do a standing body shake - starting with the upper body and finishing with the lower body. This exercise is one practised by the director of Paliative care at Royal Perth Hospital to help patients dissipate the physical signs of stress that has built up in the body during day.

Kathryn then continued her talk on reactivity to external stimuli and what actually happens chemically within our bodies. She then details ways of shortening the time it takes for us to return from those situations that cause us to remain in that stressed state of mind. Mindfully being aware that it is happening will allow us to return to normal in a shorter period of time or, at the very least, shorten the time it takes for those chemicals to dissipate.

We all endure daily situations where we'd rather not be. Being able to be there without over-reacting and, to some degree, reducing the time that we are stressed, can be achieved with mindfulness.

Kathryn then guided the group through a 30 minute body scan meditation using mindfulness.

After the very relaxing body scan meditation Kathryn continued her discussion and talk on our reactions to the sensations we felt during the meditation with a focus on what we noticed or became aware of and not over-reacting.

Kathryn then talks on perception and conditioning within our lives. Kathryn openly relates from an example in her own life when she was nine and how this has changed her perceptions. Our conditioning affects our perceptions and our reactions to reality.

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