Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Explains critical factors that stops you from entering Jhana and deep meditation based on the suttas. Discuss the importance of the practice of gratitude to increase the quality of our life in general and how it also leads us to deep meditation. Teaching given by Ayya Karunika on the 4 July 2024 at Jhana Grove, Western Australia. 

Bhikkhuni Ayya Kārunikā is currently the senior resident monastic at Santi Forest Monastery, NSW, Australia and the spiritual director for New Zealand Bhikkhuni Sangha Trust, Hamilton. She has been in monastic life for over 14 years and she received her full ordination as a bhikkhunī in 2014 at Dhammasara Nuns monastery in Western Australia where she lived and trained for over a decade with Ajahn Hāsapaññā. She has been a student of Ajahn Brahm and Ajahn Brahmali for over 2 decades.

Ayya Kārunikā is able to articulate the Buddhist teachings in a way that is practical and comprehensible to people of all ages and has experience in conducting retreats for both adults and youth. While she has a PhD in Microbiology and worked as a scientist, she has also been the building project manager for the construction of the Dhammasara Nuns Monastery main building complex and has worked with many volunteers over the years. Ayya Kārunikā was born in Sri Lanka but has been living and working in Australia for over 2 decades.

She has a passion to share her experience and knowledge and loves working with people and also doing creative projects. She is dedicated to supporting the growth of Bhikkhunis around the world and is currently involved in projects to support the establishment of places for Bhikkhunis in Theravada forest tradition in Australia, New Zealand, Poland and Sri Lanka. 

Please visit the Santi Forest Youtube Channel and Santi Forest Monastery website

The BSWA is now using Ko-fi for donations. Please join us on Ko-fi and cancel your donations via Patreon. Thanks for your ongoing support!

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Teachings are available for downloading from the BSWA website the BSWA Youtube Channel, the BSWA Podcast, and Deeper Dhamma Podcast.

Many people may feel restless during meditating. Venerable Nibbuto teaches us to have a kind, non judgmental attitude. Our mind will calm down and we can enjoy the peace.

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To find and download more Guided Meditations on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the meditation you want and then type the date into the Podcast search box e.g. 01-09-2018 or try 1 September 2018.

Venerable Nibbuto teaches us how compassion, meditation and having no ego are important ideas in Buddhism.

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To find and download more Guided Meditations on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the meditation you want and then type the date into the Podcast search box e.g. 01-09-2018 or try 1 September 2018.

Venerable Nibbuto guides a meditation session for about 30 minutes.

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To find and download more Guided Meditations on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the meditation you want and then type the date into the Podcast search box e.g. 01-09-2018 or try 1 September 2018.

Steven Towler has been a Buddhist for over fifty years and is a Dhamma Group facilitator at Wat Dhammayanaram managed by the Cambodian Buddhist Society WA. Steven spent 7 rains as a monk in the Thai Forest Tradition learning from teachers including Acharn Fun, Acharn Baen and Acharn Tate. Steven has skillfully translated text from teachers such as Luang Poo Tate, Luang Ta Maha Boowa and Acharn Piak from Thai to English.

Every year, the monastic community (Monks and nuns) go on a three month retreat called the “Rains Retreat” from mid July to mid October. During this period, they do not visit our centres for teachings as it’s a time for deepening their own practice.
While the monks and nuns are away, we will have some interesting guest speakers coming in to give the Friday Night talk.

HEAVENLY MESSENGERS 2024 (Rains Retreat Speakers' Series 2024)

The BSWA is now using Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa) for donations. Please join us on Ko-fi and cancel your donations via Patreon. Thanks for your ongoing support!

Describes a skilful mindful training technique that is called STOP. This is a helpful technique used among secular Mindfulness groups around the world and relates it to the teachings of the Buddha. Also reveals a valuable teaching received by her father on right attitude to generosity. Teaching given by Ayya Karunika on the 26 Jun 2024. 

Bhikkhuni Ayya Kārunikā is currently the senior resident monastic at Santi Forest Monastery, NSW, Australia and the spiritual director for New Zealand Bhikkhuni Sangha Trust, Hamilton. She has been in monastic life for over 14 years and she received her full ordination as a bhikkhunī in 2014 at Dhammasara Nuns monastery in Western Australia where she lived and trained for over a decade with Ajahn Hāsapaññā. She has been a student of Ajahn Brahm and Ajahn Brahmali for over 2 decades.

Ayya Kārunikā is able to articulate the Buddhist teachings in a way that is practical and comprehensible to people of all ages and has experience in conducting retreats for both adults and youth. While she has a PhD in Microbiology and worked as a scientist, she has also been the building project manager for the construction of the Dhammasara Nuns Monastery main building complex and has worked with many volunteers over the years. Ayya Kārunikā was born in Sri Lanka but has been living and working in Australia for over 2 decades.

She has a passion to share her experience and knowledge and loves working with people and also doing creative projects. She is dedicated to supporting the growth of Bhikkhunis around the world and is currently involved in projects to support the establishment of places for Bhikkhunis in Theravada forest tradition in Australia, New Zealand, Poland and Sri Lanka. 

Please visit the Santi Forest Youtube Channel and Santi Forest Monastery website

The BSWA is now using Ko-fi for donations. Please join us on Ko-fi and cancel your donations via Patreon. Thanks for your ongoing support!

To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.

Teachings are available for downloading from the BSWA website the BSWA Youtube Channel, the BSWA Podcast, and Deeper Dhamma Podcast.

Program:

00:00 - 24:18 - Guided meditation session by Sandra Henville (BSWA)
25:30 - 01:24 - Dhamma Talk by Natasha Tang (Buddha’s Light International Association of Western Australia - BLIAWA)

Speaker profile: Natasha Tang is a Dental Therapist specialising in Paediatric Dentistry as well as a Justice of Peace. She serves on the Board of Advisors for Buddha’s Light International Association of Western Australia (BLIAWA) as well as the Board of Directors for BLIA World Headquarters. She is also the President of the Buddhist Council of WA, working to promote closer ties between the member organisations and as well as further engagement between the Council and government representatives and the WA Buddhist community at large. Natasha enjoys listening to dharma talks, in the comfort of her home via YouTube, and walking mediation.

Reference to the book that Natasha read: Endless Knot by Venerable Master Hsing Yun on Living, Dying, and Learning, published by Buddha’s Light Publishing 2012 First Edition - https://www.blpusacorp.com/endless-knot/.

Every year, the monastic community (Monks and nuns) go on a three month retreat called the “Rains Retreat” from mid July to mid October. During this period, they do not visit our centres for teachings as it’s a time for deepening their own practice.
While the monks and nuns are away, we will have some interesting guest speakers coming in to give the Friday Night talk.

HEAVENLY MESSENGERS 2024 (Rains Retreat Speakers' Series 2024)

The BSWA is now using Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa) for donations. Please join us on Ko-fi and cancel your donations via Patreon. Thanks for your ongoing support!

Every year, the monastic community (Monks and nuns) go on a three month retreat called the “Rains Retreat” from mid July to mid October. During this period, they do not visit our centres for teachings as it’s a time for deepening their own practice.
While the monks and nuns are away, we will have some interesting guest speakers coming in to give the Friday Night talk.

HEAVENLY MESSENGERS 2024 (Rains Retreat Speakers' Series 2024)

Sutta References for this talk:
Guided Meditation:
SN 14.12: Sanidānasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (With a Cause)
MN 19: Dvedhāvitakkasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (Two Kinds of Thoughts)
Ud 1.10: Bāhiyasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (With Bāhiya)

Dhamma Talk:
DN 14: Mahāpadānasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (The Great Discourse on Traces Left Behind)
Thi Ap 20: Paṭācārātherīapadāna—Jonathan S. Walters (suttacentral.net) (Paṭācārā)
MN 120: Saṅkhārupapattisutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (Rebirth by Intention)
AN 6.10: Mahānāmasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (With Mahānāma)
AN 10.61: Avijjāsutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (Ignorance)
AN 1.248–257: Chaṭṭhavagga—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (Re. Unshakable Faith)
SN 45.2: Upaḍḍhasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (Half the Spiritual Life)
SN 47.3: Bhikkhusutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (A Monk)
SN 12.41: Pañcaverabhayasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (Dangers and Threats)
SN 47.19: Sedakasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (At Sedaka-re. Bamboo-Pole Acrobats)
SN 47.7: Makkaṭasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (A Monkey)
AN 5.42: Sappurisasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (True Person)
AN 5.25: Anuggahitasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (Supported)
Snp 2.4: Maṅgalasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (38 Great Blessings)
Snp 1.6: Parābhavasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (12 Entrances to Disaster)
SN 20.2: Nakhasikhasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (A Fingernail)
SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattanasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (Rolling Forth the Wheel of Dhamma)
AN 10.51: Sacittasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) (Your Own Mind)

The BSWA is now using Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa) for donations. Please join us on Ko-fi and cancel your donations via Patreon. Thanks for your ongoing support!

Venerable Chokyi is resident teacher at Hayagriva Buddhist Centre. Ordained in 2006 by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, she has held several senior posts at FPMT centres in Australia and international positions within the FPMT. Before coming to Perth, Venerable Chokyi was Spiritual Program Coordinator at the FPMT Centre in Sydney, Vajrayana Institute, for 10 years and in 2018 was appointed the resident western teacher at Chenrezig Institute, an FPMT Centre in Queensland.

Ven Thubten Chokyi and Sakyadhita friends read poetry written by the early nuns to fund raise for the Pirivena project - https://suttacentral-pirivena-pitaka.raiselysite.com/.

This amazing project led by Ajahn Brahmali, Bhante Sujato and others is helping restore ancient Buddhist teachings by providing modern English translations of the entire Sutta and Vinaya Pitaka, to every monastic education center (Pirivena and Seela Matha units) in Sri Lanka.

While the monks and nuns are away, we will have some interesting guest speakers coming in to give the Friday Night talk.

HEAVENLY MESSENGERS 2024 (Rains Retreat Speakers' Series 2024)

The BSWA is now using Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa) for donations. Please join us on Ko-fi and cancel your donations via Patreon. Thanks for your ongoing support!

Kathryn Choules joins the Armadale Meditation Group again for part two in her four part series, on-line live for Rains 2024.

Armadale Meditation Group (AMG) is designed to teach you about meditation. The classes generally begin with chanting the Metta Sutta, then receiving meditation instructions and meditating together, followed by asking questions and finally if time remains listening to a Dhamma talk. However, the layout can vary. These weekly Tuesday night teachings are happening via Zoom from Bodhinyana Monastery.

“All views expressed by our Rains Retreat Guest Speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the BSWA”

The BSWA is now using Ko-fi for donations. Please join us on Ko-fi and cancel your donations via Patreon. Thanks for your ongoing support!

Audio teachings are available to download from our BSWA Podcast Channel (Dharma talks and guided meditations) and BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel (Rain's Retreat teachings, retreats and suttas). Videos can be viewed on our BSWA YouTube Channel. Books and articles are available on our website here.