Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Change is inherent in all things, but we take stability instead as the truth.  Ajahn Brahm explains how if we fully understood the Dhamma, the truth, and the nature of impermanence we would become enlightened. Ajahn says because we don’t want to see it or we think it’s so apparent, we take it for granted and we don’t notice it. Ajahn Brahm looks at the element of impermanence or change in all levels of our experience such as our internal and external world. This Buddha Dhamma talk was given in 1994.

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You can never know another person, so how can you judge? What’s important is how you relate to others and to know that the only person you can change is yourself. All that matters is what you do now, such as showing kindness, compassion and forgiveness to yourself and others. Venerable Hasapanna explains how Buddhist practise is continual day to day training of the mind through practising; keeping the precepts, living in the moment, mindfulness, stillness, meditation and so on and it doesn’t just happen overnight.

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10th Global Conference on Buddhism - Toronto, Canada. Pre-conference session by Ajahn Brahm - Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond - June 16, 2017

In this talk Ajahn Brahm discussed the step by step approach to the blissful deep meditative experiences, known as the Jhānas. This included the basic methods of meditation, hindrances to meditation, the qualities of right mindfulness, the Jhānas and the nature of deep insight.

"There's no jhana for one with no discernment, no discernment for one with no jhana. But one with both jhana & discernment: he's on the verge of unbinding" - Buddha (Dhammapada-372)

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Venerable Vissudha gives a broad Dhamma talk on finding peace in our everyday life. Venerable looks at modern people’s lives and why we experience happiness and suffering. Venerable explains how happiness and suffering are only states of mind and because of this we can train the mind to be peaceful.

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Ajahn regaled us with his usual wit and humour for the final time before the Rains Retreat.  We look forward to his return in three months.

Ajahn used his stories and jokes to both relax us and move us to a more happy state of mind before leading us in a beginners meditation.

Ajahn used his stories to show us what we unconsciously do to ourselves all day, every day, especially when we are dealing with stressful situations and or health issues.

Following the meditation Ajahn talked about anxiety, relating it to his annual visit to the Cancer Clinic in Cottesloe.  Ajahn explained to us that our anxiety is our own mind imagining what may, or may not, happen in the future.  We focus our attention on our own "two bad bricks" to such an extent that we don't see all the other perfectly laid bricks.  We spend so much time trying to control our minds and being unkind to ourselves that we don't see what's good in life.

As Ajahn has said to us many times “Stop looking into the past, reliving bad things that have happened, or imagining a future that may never happen, and live in the moment”.

Ajahn Brahm shares his experience of being busy and how to react to the stress that comes with it. Ajahn talks about dealing with the stress of life by making peace and being kind and gentle. Ajahn says instead of complaining you learn to let go, enjoy life and be selfless, kind and happy.

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Venerable Jhanarato teaches us the basics of meditation, how to relax and that contentment ends restlessness.

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Ajahn Sujato tells the story of what happened after the Buddha became enlightened and Ajahn reflects on what people do once they become enlightened. Ajahn explains how the Buddha worked and helped people to understand the Dhamma teachings.

Ajahn points out that each one of us has the quality of goodness, wisdom, love, caring, letting go, contentment, understanding and compassion. But the question is how do we find, manifest and draw out these seeds so we can use any situation?

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Ajahn Brahmali talks about how the study of the Buddhist suttas allow us to connect with the teachings of the historical Buddha himself. Ajahn Brahmali discusses why the suttas are important, their place in Buddhist practise and the benefits of studying them. Ajahn looks at why it is many people listen to particular Buddhist teachers but it’s not common for people to just follow the suttas. Ajahn hopes this talk will encourage us to read the suttas and become inspired from the word of the Buddha himself.

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Often, we try to make peace and joy in our meditation but that does not happen. Venerable Nitho teaches us to be passive and let everything slowly calm down all by itself, so that then you will experience peace and joy.

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Jacob Meddin a lay Buddhist offers a guided meditation for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and/ or Fibromyalgia.

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Jacob Meddin a lay Buddhist guides a twenty minute meditation for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and/ or Fibromyalgia. This meditation is designed to help us to become calmer, peaceful and easier to live with; both with ourselves and other people.

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Ajahn Brahm talks about enjoying our possessions like family, relationships and identity without being attached to them. Attachment comes from fear and enjoyment comes from letting go of fear.

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Bhante Sangharatana talked to us about mindfullness and breath meditation encouraging us to see the difference between the two. Mindfulness being our attention to the meditation object or focus on, for example, our breath.  Bhante further explains that mindfulness is of itself not meditation.

Bhante then explained for the beginners amongst us, the need for meditation or why we meditate.  He further explained the technique used for a simple but successful breath meditation.  Bhante then guided us through a 30min beginners breath meditation after which he opened the floor to questions.

Venerable Hasapanna describes how attachment to our habitual views and behaviours clouds our perception of our actions and the world around us. Venerable explains how training the mind and practising mindfulness gives us the ability to acknowledge, recognise and accept what is arising in our mind, such as subtle hatred and to then let it be instead of reacting.

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Mindfulness brings a huge number of benefits to our health, wellbeing and education and is a core part of meditation and Buddhism. Ajahn Brahm talks about what mindfulness is, what it’s not and how it can be used in ordinary life to improve our quality of life, let alone to see the truth of things and become enlightened. Ajahn Brahm gave this Buddha Dhamma talk during 2009 in Thailand. 

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Ajahn Appichato teaches us a technique of calming the mind, by looking at the breath with a positive perception, such as beauty and joy.

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Ajahn Appichato discusses the environmental issues in our world today. Ajahn contemplates why we conduct ourselves in such a way that is not conducive to the welfare of the natural environment and the serious damaging impacts this will have on our human society.

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Ajahn Brahm points out that natural disasters happen, it is part of living in the world.  It is not some punishment from karma and what really matters is our intentions and the way we deal with them. Ajahn teaches us how relate to the tragedies in life and to see the beauty in them, such as the beautiful lessons we learn from them.

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The Middle Way is the term the Buddha used to refer to the Noble Eightfold Path – a practice avoiding extremes of austerities and sensual indulgence.

Ajahn Brahmali discusses The Middle Way in regards to the Buddha’s own practice and also our own meditation practice.

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