Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Ajahn Vayama starts by sharing a Jataka Tale about wisdom gone wrong, which explains how we can easily misunderstand the teachings when we don’t get the full story and this can cause things to go wrong. Ajahn discusses people’s misrepresentations, misperceptions and misunderstandings of the Buddhist teachings, as well as how to know whether our motivations and intentions are wholesome. Ajahn also talks about how in Buddhism we go with the flow of wisdom, truth, impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, non-self and changeability.

We apologise for the quality of this audio, but it does improve a bit. This Buddha Dhamma talk was given in 1999.

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Ajahn Brahm talks about how wisdom stems not from thinking, but from the deep well of silence that comes from a mind still in meditation.

Given to an audience Buddhist Maha Vihara in 2012

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Ajahn Brahm talks about the challenges of teaching Buddhism to modern audiences.

Given to an audience in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia in 2014.

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Ajahn Brahm explains how generosity isn't just about sacrifice. It's about generating happiness not only for the receiver of the gift, but also joy for the giver of the gift also. He relates several stories of how generosity bring joy into our lives.

This talk was given to a large audience in Singapore organised by the Buddhist Fellowship.

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Bhante talked to us about letting go. Just as we would automatically pull our hand out of a fire, so to, with consistent practice, will we naturally let go of our thoughts when meditating.

Bhante then leads us in a guided breath meditation. First encouraging us to relax our bodies and then guiding us to direct our attention to our breathing, to be aware of it, not change it, just watch it. Bhante's meditation is well suited to beginners and experienced meditators alike.

After meditation Bhante opens to Q&A. Bhante then gave a talk on morality, virtue and many of the steps needed by us in order to meditate.

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Ajahn Appichato says in meditation we can experience deep tranquility, but it can be difficult to sustain. So Ajahn reminds us to develop our wisdom because he says insight is more powerful than tranquility.

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Ajahn Brahm shares with us his spooky real stories about cats and discusses how we can learn about love, kindness and wisdom from cats.

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Ajahn Brahm guides a meditation for approximately 30 minutes.

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The Buddhist Society of Western Australia is delighted to have guest speaker Bhikkhuni Kusuma give a Dhamma talk. Bhikkhuni Kusuma talks about The Four Noble Truths, in particular the second noble truth, which says the cause of dukkha (unsatisfactoriness or suffering) is attachment. Venerable contemplates what attachment is, why it causes us suffering and how we can get out of suffering.

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This episode is not a single interview, but a compilation of interviews with Ajahn Brahm.

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Never have you imagined that bananas could be so profound. 

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This is a dialogue between Ajahn Brahm and the Anglican Archbishop of Perth Roger Herft held at Curtin University in Perth. It's entertaining and enlightening, with Ajahn Brahm demonstrating a very good grasp of events in ancient history which he doesn't often elaborate upon. This talk is definitely for those curious about the origins of Buddhism and Christianity from a fresh perspective.

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It was Vesak day on Tuesday and Ajahn Cittapalo joined us at AMG.  Vesak Day commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha in the Theravada or southern tradition.  Ajahn having attended Vesak celebrations at Dhammaloka on Sunday, where many people took refuge by becoming Buddhist, noticed that for many, the five precepts are hard and fast rules.  Many of us do the same when we meditate.  We try too hard and become disenchanted when we fail.

Ajahn would never say that it is ok to consume alcohol, rather that we consider that we really should try to stop.  So it is with our meditations.  When random thoughts occur, we should simply let them come and go.  Don't get entangled, but don't try too hard and be overly critical that the thoughts continue.  Over time the ability to simply stand back in your mind and watch will grow and the thoughts will be come less frequent.  The same will happen with alcohol, each time we consume it, we consider it and do it less until we don't do it at all.

Ajahn tells us that our intentions matter more in all things.  When we meditate, it is our intention to gain a peaceful mind that matters.  Not being overly self critical for having thoughts.  Just as with the five precepts, it is our intentions that matter.

Ajahn led us in a body scan to relax us then a very peaceful silent meditation.

After the meditation Ajahn continued his talk on our intentions, cautioning us all to not be too critical of our efforts both in life and meditation.  After Ajahn concluded he joined the group in celebrating Vesak day.


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Question and Answers session with Ajahn Brahm, Venerable Hasapanna and the Sangha panel. Followed by taking the three refuges and five precepts.

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Forty five minute meditation guided by Ajahn Brahm. We apologise the introduction was unfortunately not recorded.

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As a novice monk in Thailand, Ajahn Brahm often got sleepy during meditation and felt hopeless until one day he realised it wasn’t his fault. Ajahn Brahm teaches us to not blame ourselves because our difficulties are great learning opportunities.

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Ajahn Brahm guides a meditation for approximately 30 minutes.

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

“Going forth with faith from home to homelessness” is the description in the Pali scriptures, for the decision and action of men and women when they take the step to go forth as monks or nuns. Ajahn Vayama talks about the Buddhist Order of Nuns. Ajahn firstly discusses the nun’s at the time of the Buddha and then the present day situation for Theravadin nuns and its implications for BSWA nun’s monastery in Perth WA. This talk was given in 1999. 

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Ajahn Brahm starts with the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism and explains how this is a road map finding happiness in life.

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Ajahn Brahm reflects upon how for most of us, most of the time, happiness seems to be just over the horizon, but rarely here and now. He goes on to try to help us understand that the origin of suffering is in within ourselves, and our way of looking at life. And rather than thinking of happiness as being somewhere over the rainbow, it's here and now, when we know how to look at the present through the lens of peace, compassion and wisdom.

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