Buddhist Society of Western Australia

The reason many of us who find attaining peaceful states in meditation is because of one (or more) of five things: sensual craving, ill-will, slothfulness, restlessness and doubt. Ajahn Nyanadhammo explains what the Five Hindrances are and how to overcome them to attain tranquillity and insight.

Having just spent time with a dying lay woman and her funeral, Ajahn Vayama speaks about how we can face dying with calm and resolution.

Honoured guest Ajahn Plien, a great meditation master from the north of Thailand (Chiang-Mai region) was invited to visit the Buddhist Society of Western Australia and share his wisdom. This session starts with an outline of Ajahn Plien's past, including being a disciple the legendary Ajahn Mun and Ajahn Waerne in the Thai forest tradition. It then goes on to a session taking questions from the audience with answers translated by Ajahn Nyanadhammo.

Reflecting upon recent horrible hate-crimes, Ajahn Brahm is moved to talk about hatred, where it comes from and how to overcome it.

Ajahn Nyanadhammo talks about the process of dying and what lay beyond the death of the body.

The Buddha saw family as the foundation for the development of healthy individuals and a healthy society. Ajahn Vayama talks about the role of the family and parents within Buddhist society.

Ajahn Nyanadhammo talks about the development of the Ten Paramis (a.k.a. 'perfections', 'virtues', 'spiritual qualities'). Those 10 qualities are:

Ajahn Nyanadhammo talks about the development of the Ten Paramis (a.k.a. 'perfections', 'virtues') in a way that connects with contemporary life.

Most people in the world want action and stimulation. Peace and stillness seem very boring to most people in the world. But in the peace and stillness of meditation very powerful and profound things can occur, just as when Siddhartha Gotama sat in meditation under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya and freed his mind from all traces of suffering and illusion. Ajahn Nyanadhammo talks about how the seemingly ordinary acts are where we can find the path to awakening.

Ajahn Appichato gives a talk on how morality is the foundation of happiness and the Buddhist path.

Ajahn Vayama reflects upon the nature of family attachments, and how to relate to family skillfully.

Ajahn Brahm offers a wise, yet practical teaching on how to be mindful of the body and how this can be beneficial to help solve problems and understand what is going on with this life.

Ajahn Brahm talks about how perception often tricks us, but when we understand the plasticity of perception we can start to use that for our benefit in life.

Ajahn Nyanadhammo reflects upon the importance of developing wisdom in life so that the results of the actions that we sow today are pleasant and not painful, and so that we can develop the path of practice.

Ajahn Brahm deals with how Buddhism and mindfulness have become popular fads in the West filled with status seeking and intellectual trends, but not getting to the heart of what the Buddha was teaching. As he explains, Buddhism isn't so much an identity or set of beliefs, but a set of practices directing us to investigate and see the deeper nature of reality directly, and to experience freedom firsthand.

Ajahn Brahm talks about the Buddhist practice of mindfulness and how to use it in our daily lives, including how to use mindfulness to improve our relationships with others, and with ourselves.

Ajahn Brahm talks about how to resolve conflicts and to strive towards having a meaningful life. This is done through asking the question: should we live to serve others or strive for our own Enlightenment?

Ajahn Vayama reflects upon aspects of the Dhamma - namely that it refers to the truth of how nature and the mind work, as well as being a path that leads beyond suffering.

Ajahn Brahm addresses the question of whether our future will be directed more by science or religion.

Pride and arrogance cause all sorts of problems in life - for those who have to put up with it AND for those who are purveyors of it! Ajahn Brahm talks about the many manifestations of conceit, and the cure to conceit and arrogance: humility.