Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Bhante begins with an explanation of present moment awareness.  Reminding all of us of those moments we all have in our lives that we can clearly remember in detail.  Where we were, who we were with, what was happening at that moment in time.  We often reflect to such moments when we hear a song or tune.  At the time you first heard the song or tune, you experienced present moment awareness.  Bhante explains why we need such awareness to meditate.

Bhante then guided the group in a 30min meditation using the breath as our meditation object, or point of focus.

Briefly after the meditation, Bhante opened to Q&A before giving us a talk on the things that will hinder [hinderances], our meditation practice.

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Ajahn Brahmali offers powerful advice on how we can deepen our meditation with right view. Ajahn explains that our ideas about the future are not real & unrealistic and so we should not bother thinking about the future in meditation. Instead focus on finding peace in the present moment. 

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"Buddhism is incomplete without the Bhikkhuni Sangha". Ajahn Brahmali teaches us of the importance of having the Bhikkhuni Sanga in Buddhism and gives historical evidence that the Buddha supported them, along with sound reasons why we should too.

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Ajahn Brahm shares what he really wants in life. He wants the beautiful sense of peace, friendship, kindness, contentment, respect, acceptance and love. Isn't that what you want?

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Ajahn Brahm offers advice on how to deal with the complexities of life and talks widely on the nature of forgiveness in Buddhism, contrasted with attitudes to justice and revenge in the world today. Ajahn discusses the tremendous benefit of having the philosophy “whatever happened or happens to you good, bad, who knows?" because this attitude opens up the opportunity for lotuses to grow in your life.

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Ajahn began with base instructions on how and why we meditate, keeping it nice and simple for the beginners and the more experienced alike.  A  refresher never hurts.  Ajahn then led the full house through a 30 minute guided meditation.

“Nothing to do. Cars going by, clock ticking, body breathing. Nothing to do.  We don't need to do anything, just be a friendly observer.”  Ajahn Cittapalo :-)

After the meditation Ajahn offered this advice to beginners:- Don't make it a chore or a burden, make it a pleasant, easy for you, experience.  If you aren't enjoying it, shorten the time.  Gradually extend your meditation time, don't make it a job.

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Sometimes in meditation we can get restless and start thinking. Ajahn Brahm says that this is our mind's reaction to pain and discomfort. Ajahn encourages us to be kind and gentle to our discomforts and sooner or later the pain tends to disappear.

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How about going nowhere for your next holiday? Ajahn Brahm encourages us to relax and do nothing, because he says this has many benefits; physically, psychologically and more. 

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Ajahn Brahm guides a meditation for approximately 30 minutes.

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Venerable Hasapanna talks about skillful ways to give loving kindness to yourself, in meditation and in practice, with many examples from her own life. Venerable emphasises sending loving kindness towards yourself because your priority should be your own wellbeing as it is most important you take care of yourself. Venerable reminds us that the teacher can only show you the way, but ultimately you free yourself, you liberate yourself and no one else can do this for you.

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Ajahn Brahm talks about our many fears, including fear of physical discomfort, fear of criticism and fear of the future, and why there is no need to be fearful.

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Ajahn Nissarano trained with Ajahn Brahm at Bodhinyana for many years. He has subsequently spent many years practicing alone in Sri Lanka but was invited to speak to the Ajahn Brahm Society of Sri Lanka.

Arranged by Ajahn Brahm Society Sri Lanka and recorded by Dharmavahini Foundation, Sri Lanka.

The first beginners meditation for 2018 and our teacher is Ajahn Santutthi.  For the benefit of first timers and those of us beginning in meditation, Ajahn Santutthi gave us an excellent layman’s explanation of meditation.  Ajahn then guided us through a 30 minute meditation followed by Q&A.

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One of the biggest problems in meditation practice that almost everyone encounters is the thinking mind. The Buddha says that the foundations for all meditation are virtue and "straight view". Ajahn Brahmali teaches us how to have a "straight view" and calm our mind.

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What can we do to persevere in our Buddhist practice? Ajahn Brahmali offers us an outlook of the world through impermanence, non-self, and suffering and gives us reasons to keep on walking the Buddhist path.

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Ajahn Brahmali guides a meditation for approximately 30 minutes.

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We emphasise too much on beginnings and ends, and do not pay enough attention to the in-between times which count the most in our lives.

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Ajahn Brahm explores similes in Buddhism on the humble banana: revealing how the mind works and how to solve problems. Ajahn Brahm talks about our monkey mind which is always trying to get things out of the way first, before it can be kind, generous, meditate, love and so on.  Ajahn Brahm points out that we should do the important things in life first which are being kind, generous, meditating and loving one another and so on.

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This is Ajahn Brahm's last guided meditation for 2017. Ajahn guides the meditation for approximately 40 minutes and then finishes with some chanting for the New Year. 

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The Buddha says that having good friends (Kalyanamitta) is the whole of the spiritual life. In this final Dhamma talk for 2017, Ajahn teaches us the importance of associating with good people and ends by encouraging us to welcome the difficulities and uncertainty of 2018. 

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