Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Ajahn Brahm gives an energetic talk on the value of forgiveness for the spiritual life to an audience in Halifax, Canada in 2014.

Responding to a debate between Sam Harris and Deepak Chopra which appeared to be lacking in science and philosophy and resembled more the arguments had every day between ordinary people, Ajahn Brahm criticises intellectual materialism for lacking heart nor a sense of humour. The purpose of both religion and science should not be defending doctrines and books, but developing a deeper understanding of life and respect for one another. As Ajahn Brahm states,"We mistake the ideas for the truth. We mistake the theories for the underlying emotional freedom which those theories are supposed to be pointing. The sign posts are not the destination."

Ajahn Brahmali gives an accessible and easy to understand talk on rebirth - how we live life after life.

One question often asked by those new to Buddhism is "What holy books do you follow?". Ajahn Brahm responds by telling them that just as the Muslims follow the Koran and the Christians follow the Bible, Buddhists follow meditation. That means that the ultimate reference and authority within Buddhism, the real truth, is direct experience derived from a peaceful mind developed through meditation. This is the ultimate source of wisdom and truth.

Should we "tolerate" other people? Or is that just a bit patronising, or even a put-down? Ajahn Brahm explores what tolerance really means and ways in which we can do even better than tolerance.

Why practice self-compassion? A public talk at University of Toronto on October 17, 2014.

"Meditation is better than sex!" So says Ajahn Brahm who is happy to celebrate the benefits of celibacy.

People often want to take the easy way. This includes in Buddhism where there are no shortage of "short cuts to Enlightenment". However, as Ajahn Brahm explains, there are no effective short cuts, only the Eightfold Path. And whilst we may not always get what we want, we usually get what we need.

Is it really possible to be happy in the world? Or is there something inherently wrong with the system, and no matter what we do with our relationships, with our circumstances, with our mind, that we can't really be happy? Ajahn Brahm takes us deeper into the notion of what happiness really is, and how true happiness can be found.

Often we feel disappointed with how our lives are progressing and how our progress on the spiritual path is going. Ajahn Vayama tries to put this all in perspective by seeing the bigger picture of where we are at on our spiritual journey.

Often we are tempted to try to take charge of things in the world and fix the world's problems. Ajahn Brahm queries this urge to control, and says that another way is to understand and adapt. Indeed control freakery is very much the cause of the problems of the world and being another control freak is not necessarily the answer at all. Ajahn Brahm also refers to the example of the Buddha who could have become a "wheel turning monarch" ruling over much of the world, but instead chose to become the world's wisest teacher.

Ajahn Brahm points out that there's really nothing very wrong with procrastination, and that it's our perfectionism and constant doing that is the real problem. So why do today what we can put off for tomorrow? Just be happy for now. And if you can be happy you're on the track to understanding the meaning of life.

Ajahn Brahm explains why guilt is pointless and often very emotionally damaging, and how becoming aware of this helps us to let go of guilt and experience a greater sense of peace.

Where does wisdom come from? Not from universities - they teach old knowledge. Wisdom comes from a deep, all-round knowing in the present moment - it is empowered by a mind stabilized by the deep silence and peace of meditation. Ajahn Brahm how silence is the source of deepest wisdom.

Responding to the question,"What is the best meditation to do when one is dying?" Ayye Vayama offers advice on how we can practice in such a way to prepare the mind for dying, and to yield other benefits from this practice too.

Is everything really interconnected? Is being disconnected always such a bad thing? Ajahn Brahm challenges the prevailing orthodoxy within Buddhism by pointing out when things are interconnected, when they're not, and how understanding this can be useful on our path to find peace and happiness.

Ajahn Brahm teaches us how to deal with difficult emotions and to learn how to experience more positive emotions, more often.

Ajahn Brahmali discusses Right View and good companionship at the Buddhist Society of Victoria.

Everything we do by body, speech or mind has an ethical dimension, and there are consequences for our behaviour and our actions. We are all accountable for our actions, and Ajahn Brahm explains how we sometimes get so caught up in getting through the day that we often forget or put out of mind the longer term consequences of our actions, and offers advice on how to change.

On Christmas Day in Perth Ajahn Appicchato speaks on the benefits of the good, and simple life.