Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Venerable Cunda lead us first through a guided meditation most suitable to those of us that need to relax both physically and mentally.  The meditation was suitable for beginners and experienced alike.  A body scan and simply relaxing as much as possible allows us to also relax the mind.

After the guided meditation Venerable introduced himself and gave an excellent dharma talk. He then encouraged us in our practice by relating why he became a Buddhist Monk, the impact it has had on both his health, life in general and all those around him.

Venerable then spoke on the five precepts and then opened the floor to Q&A.

Venerable Kelsang Nampur, a resident teacher at Dharmapala Buddhist Centre in Fremantle, was a guest speaker during the rains retreat in 2011 at BSWA Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre. Venerable talks about the Buddhist way to increase mental energy in our everyday busy life. 

Ajahn Brahm talks about the fault-finding mind that just looks at what is wrong with things. Ajahn explains how life doesn’t go 'wrong,' it just goes different and people are not 'wrong', but different. Ajahn tells the classic ancient Buddhist stories of The Anger-Eating Demon and the The Two Arrows.

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Venerable Hasapanna teaches us how to overcome the third hinderance sloth and torpor.  Venerable shares her experience of sleepiness during meditation and advises us not to fight it with will power. 

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Venerable Hasapanna teaches us how to develop loving-kindness particularly towards ourselves. Such as by sending loving-kindness to ourselves, being kind towards ourselves, forgiving ourselves and letting go of our grudges. Venerable also emphasizes the importance of forgiving people in our times of difficulties.

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

Venerable Hasapanna guides a meditation for approximately 30 minutes.

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

Ajahn Brahm talks about Buddhism and human rights, including what the Buddhist understanding of justice is and how it challenges conventional thinking. Ajahn also reflects on what freedom of religion and freedom from religion means and its advantages and disadvantages.

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

Ajahn Appichato gives a Buddhist perspective on how and why we search for meaning in our life, and how to be ready for death, with a lesson on generosity from his time in Thailand.

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

Ajahn regaled us with his usual wit and humour, teaching us to relax our bodies beforehand so that we may then relax our minds.  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.

Following the meditation Ajahn again used wit and humour to keep us relaxed.  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 Brahmali teaches us that having right view naturally steers our mind in the right direction. Ajahn also advises us to regard our meditation as an act of generosity towards ourselves and others.

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

Ajahn Brahmali discusses the importance of moral leadership, citing examples from the kings in Buddha's time. Ajahn explains how morality of a leader trickles down to the entire society.

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

Ajahn Brahmali guides a meditation for approximately 30 minutes.

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

An enlightening talk about how it is not wrong to be sick - it is simply the nature of the body. Ajahn Brahm discusses the merit of being sick and illustrates a touching story of a dying nun. Not to be missed, and sure to rid you of those guilty feelings forever, when the flu bug next bites!

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

Why not allow yourself to be happy? You deserve to be happy. Be at peace with yourself. Being at peace with yourself opens the door to happiness. Ajahn Brahm offers a teaching on accepting praise and developing self-worth, because he says many of us lack self-worth and think we don’t deserve to be happy. Ajahn emphasises the great benefit of innovation, seeing things anew, doing things differently and stopping this habit in the mind of always doing things the same old way. 

Ajahn Brahm receives a letter from a Zen practitioner in Japan asking whether there is too much emphasis in Buddhism on "letting go" and not enough on "getting attached" by doing good in the world. Here's AB's response on when to attach and when to let go.

Venerable JR led a relaxed evening of meditation encouraging us to let go of the past and future.  Venerable instructed us that our only responsibility at this time, is to relax.  Nothing to do but relax.  Allow the thoughts to come and then let them go.

Venerable then led a very relaxed breath meditation.  After the meditation Venerable talked about anxiety, then opened the session to Q&A.

Ajahn Brahmali guides a meditation for approximately 30 minutes.

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

Ajahn Brahmali begins by talking about how right view is strongly related to our meditation practice. Then Ajahn offers some simple methods for aligning our mind with the Buddha Dhamma and away from the external world.

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

Ajahn Brahmali reflects on the factors that lead to success in meditation and the spiritual life. Ajahn stresses the importance of the foundation stones being in place such as Kalyanamitta: spiritual friends, because Kalyanamitta will eventually push you all the way to awakening. Ajahn asks us ‘how can we use our ordinary life to support our spiritual life and meditation?’ rather than ‘how can our meditation and spiritual practise support our life?’  

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

An entertaining talk filled with jokes, both old and new. Ajahn Brahm talks about friendship, both with others and with yourself.

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