Clear Mountain Monastery Project

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Kalyano, abbot of Buddha Bodhivana Monastery in Australia, about the practice of meditating all night, long sits, vegetarianism, spirits, training with a teacher, Abhidhamma study, and... tigers!

Bio

Ven. Ajahn Kalyano (Daniel Jones) was born in London in 1962. His interest in Buddhism awakened while still a student. After completing his university degree at Bristol University, he travelled to Thailand. In 1985 received ordination in the forest tradition of Ajahn Chah.

He has trained for many years with Venerable Ajahn Anan, one of several disciples of Ven. Ajahn Chah who have become highly regarded as meditation masters in their own right. In 2000, Ven. Ajahn Kalyano was invited to establish the forest tradition in Australia. He is now the abbot of Buddha Bodhivana Monastery in East Warburton, Melbourne, Australia

https://www.buddhabodhivana.org/

His biography can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19dwI6JBiwI9kEXSCU3s3Wgz4Kvd8lw5w/view

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the balancing reflections of the "Ten Subjects for Frequent Recollection" (Pabbajita Abhiṇha Sutta - AN 10.48 - https://suttacentral.net/an10.48/en/sujato?lang=en):

“Bhikkhus, there are 10 dhammas which should be reflected upon again and again by one who has gone forth. What are these 10?

(1) ‘I am no longer living according to worldly aims and values.’ …

(2) ‘My very life is sustained through the gifts of others.’...

(3) ‘I should strive to abandon my former habits.’...

(4) ‘Does regret over my conduct arise in my mind?’...

(5) ‘Could my spiritual companions fnd fault with my conduct?’...

(6) ‘All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, will become separated from me.’...

(7) ‘I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to my kamma, abide supported by my kamma; whatever kamma I shall do, for good or for ill, of that I will be the heir.’...

(8) ‘The days and nights are relentlessly passing; how well am I spending my time?’

(9) ‘Do I delight in solitude or not?’...

(10) ‘Has my practice borne fruit with freedom or insight so that at the end of my life I need not feel ashamed when questioned by my spiritual companions?’...

Bhikkhus, these are the ten dhammas to be reflected upon again and again by one who has gone forth.”

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this conversation, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho discuss their favorite suttas in the Majjhima Nikāya and suggest ways you can do the same!

Useful Resources:

Access to Insight: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/index.html

Reading Faithfully Index: https://index.readingfaithfully.org/

Discuss & Discover on SuttaCentral: https://discourse.suttacentral.net/

Norbu AI: https://norbu-ai.org/

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about some of the more fraught issues in the Sangha today, including the different conceptions of bhikkhunis in the Theravāda Buddhist world, the place of affinity groups in Buddhist spaces, and how to hold change alongside harmony.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Jonas Mago, PhD candidate at McGill University, about his research dealing with the neuroscience of jhāna meditation.

BIO

Jonas Mago is a cognitive neuroscientist and wellbeing aficionado, deeply invested in understanding the cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms underlying human flourishing. His research explores contemplative practices designed to cultivate wholesome states of mind—spanning meditation, prayer, collective cultural rituals, and psychedelic therapies. I approach these topics from an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating cognitive science, neurobiology, computational modeling, and phenomenology to investigate mechanisms of self-regulation and transformation. He is currently pursuing my doctoral studies in Neuroscience at McGill University under the supervision of Dr. Michael Lifshitz, with co-supervision from Prof. Dr. Karl Friston. His academic journey includes a master’s degree in Mind, Language, and Embodied Cognition from the University of Edinburgh (UK) and undergraduate studies in Liberal Arts and Sciences at University College Maastricht (Netherlands).

Research into the Neuroscience of Jhāna Meditation:

Jhana meditation represents a unique and profound set of states achieved through deep concentration. My research focuses on the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these states, working with expert Jhana practitioners in North America, Myanmar, Thailand, and India. Using fMRI, EEG, and computational modeling, I aim to develop a comprehensive neuro-computational model that elucidates how these states emerge, their underlying mechanisms, and their impact on other cognitive functions.

Learn more at https://www.jonasmago.com/

A recent podcast with Jonas Mago may be found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-jhana-meditation-facilitates-insight-and/id1680606350?i=1000681849225

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo examines prayer and its potential use in Buddhist practice - exploring such issues as a possible place for prayer in a Buddhist contemplative life, specifics of how one might pray in a Buddhist sense, and offering reflections on the Serenity Prayer:

May there be the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things that I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

CHAPTERS

0:00:00 Intro

0:00:21 Welcome

0:00:35 Luang Por Vajiro’s Biography

0:01:45 Luang Por’s Current Practice and Teachings

0:03:42 The Influence of Ajahn Chah and Luang Por Sumedho

0:09:45 Contrasting the Goenka/U Ba Khin and Forest Traditions

0:14:00 “Joy at Last to Know There Is No Happiness in the World”

0:15:55 The Most Sustaining Element for Remaining as a Monastic

0:20:23 From Luang Por’s Book: “Be Grateful for Gratitude”

0:23:11 Bringing the Practice of Gratitude to a Lay Practitioner’s Life

0:28:51 Luang Por Dtun: “Mind Seeing the Mind”

0:30:57 Guidance for Remaining Grounded as Bhikkhus While Creating a Monastery from the Ground Up

0:37:47 How Kalyāṇa Mittā (Spiritual Friendship) Matures Over Time

0:40:36 Stories of Gaining Faith in Luang Por Chah

0:42:44 How Does One Judge One’s Spiritual Progress?

0:45:50 Anecdote About the Sand Dunes That Caught on Fire

0:50:04 Chanting as a Practice

0:53:42 Everyone Finds Their Own Truth… Not!

0:57:13 Lessons the Sangha Has Learned in Accommodating a Wide Variety of Personalities Through the Robes Over Many Years

1:00:42 Gratitude to Luang Por Vajiro

1:01:15 Outro

Description

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Luang Por Vajiro, abbot of Sumedharama Monastery in Portugal, about his path to robes, the pursuit of a happiness apart from the world, the Eight Worldly Winds, the value of spiritual friendship, sustaining a monastic life, how to extinguish the fires of greed, hatred, and delusion, and much more!

SOURCE REFERENCES

Daniel M. Stuart: Insight in Perspective - https://www.projektverlag.de/Insight-in-Perspective

Luang Por Vajiro: Allowing Intuition, Revelation, and Insight - https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/26/allowing-intuition-desktop-2023-04-12.pdf

The Eight Worldly Winds - https://www.lionsroar.com/buddhism/eight-worldly-concerns/

Luang Pu Dune Atulo: Mind Seeing the Mind - https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/dune/giftsheleft.html?t

Bio

Luang Por Vajiro was born in Malaysia in 1953 and has been a buddhist monk for over 40 years. In 1979, he met Luang Por Chah and Luang Por Sumedho when they made a visit to Hampstead Vihara in Oakenholt, England. He received higher ordination from Ajahn Chah personally in Thailand in 1980 at Wat Nong Pah Pong. After helping with the opening of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK, he participated in the running of both Harnham Buddhist Monastery and Chithurst Forest Monastery. In 1993 he moved to New Zealand to lead the Bodhinyanarama community in Wellington for five years. Following this he entered a three-year retreat in Australia before returning to Amaravati in 2001. In 2012 he moved to Portugal to establish Sumedharama Monastery, near Lisbon, where he now serves as abbot. To learn more, visit https://sumedharama.pt/home-en/

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the two levels of Right View taught by the Buddha, and how holding both allows us to honor the conditioned realm while also looking beyond it, both in terms of personal practice and social identity. Additionally, the Buddha provides us with a different paradigm for what constitutes true privilege in life, complicating current cultural narratives.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho answer questions about the five aggregates (khandhas) of form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, specifically addressing the Pheṇa Sutta (SN 22.95) in which the Buddha says that:

1. form (rūpa) is like a lump of foam

2. feeling (vedana) is like water bubble from a raindrop landing in water

3. perception (saññā) is like a mirage,

4. mental formations (saṅkhārā) are like a pithless plantain tree

5. consciousness (viññāṇa) is like a magician’s illusion at a crossroads.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ayya Niyyānika, speaks about how to cultivate a sense of care instead of aversion to the circumstances of the world.

My mind will not get bent out of shape

And no evil speech will I spew

With kind care

And continued warm heart

No anger inside

Is the way to go in all situations.

Ayyā Niyyānika's Bio:

Ayyā Niyyānika is a fully ordained Buddhist monastic in the Theravada tradition. Ayya uses they/them pronouns. They received their initial monastic training within the Dhammadharini community from 2014 through 2019 and then was with the Aloka Vihara community for three years. The past year and a bit have been a time of travel, integration, and deepening in practice. They visited a variety of monastic and lay communities in the West and in Asia, taking time for retreat and study as well as community involvement. To learn more, visit https://passaddhivihara.org/ .

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Bhante Rāhula of Paññābhūmi Monastery, Guadalajara, Mexico. To learn more about Bhante Rāhula and support Paññābhūmi Monastery:

- email: [email protected]

- join Bhante's WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/JEQSFwwuKwl83yQcUT1Bkw

(Dhamma sharing in Spanish)

- join Bhante's every Sunday Zoom meeting at 7am Mountain Time: https://zoom.us/j/7426068348?pwd=c3BqT3dNcnkxcFFwVFQvNkRnUHlTQT09 (ID: 7426068348; Contraseña: metta)

(Dhamma sharing in Spanish)

- visit Bhante's YouTube Channel (chiefly Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/c/Anatom%C3%ADadelaMenteAbhidhamma

- watch the video of Paññabhumi Monastery: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xjy8qq4k7od0v28siq2yl/PB-PINDAPATA.mov?rlkey=ni2kjcgakko6q8l7zz2pt0nn7&st=aot1feug&dl=0

- retreat in Houston: May 23rd-26th

Bhante Rāhula's bio:

Bhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has practiced and studied the Dhamma.He was ordained in Myanmar by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, who is his preceptor. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya. For 6 years, Bhante studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau. In 2019, he completed a course on Buddhist scriptures from Harvard University.

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, recorded on New Year's Eve 2024 as part of the Clear Mountain New Year's Vigil, Ajahn Kovilo reflects on insights gained from the book "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" by James Clear and how they can support our practice of generosity, ethics, and wisdom. Ajahn Kovilo introduces the "habit loop" of Cue, Craving, Response, Reward, and the mnemonic frameworks of:

- OAES (always) making the Noble Eightfold Path: Obvious, Attractive, Easy, & Satisfying! and

- NEVR (never) practicing the craving that leads to dukkha by making bad habits: Non-obvious, Eerie, Vexing, & Repulsive!

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Tan Jāgaro speaks about how our individual Dhamma practice ripples out into the world around us, in particular referencing his experience wandering monastic "tudong" and walking for alms these past several years.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Gregory Kramer, founder of the Insight Dialogue Community. To learn more about Gregory, visit: https://gregorykramer.org/

Brief Bio of Gregory:

Gregory Kramer is the Founder and Guiding Teacher of the Insight Dialogue Community, and has been teaching Insight Meditation since 1980. He developed the practice of Insight Dialogue and has been teaching it since 1995, offering retreats in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. He has studied with esteemed teachers, including Anagarika Dhammadina, Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thero, Achan Sobin Namto, and Ven. Punnaji Maha Thero.

Gregory is the author of: _Insight Dialogue: The Interpersonal Path to Freedom_ (2007), _Seeding the Heart: Lovingkindness Practice with Children_ (1997), _Meditating Together, Speaking from Silence: the Practice of Insight Dialogue_ (2003), and _Dharma Contemplation: Meditating Together with Wisdom Texts_ (2011). His newest book is _A Whole-Life Path: A Lay Buddhist’s Guide to Crafting a Dhamma-Infused Life_ (2020). Gregory lives in Washington State, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk given during Clear Mountain's New Year's All-Night Vigil, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how we can use an understanding of conditionality to help us forgive.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Tan Tejadhammo, visiting from Wat Marp Jan, speaks about the body as not-self, and how to cultivate the brahmavihāra of muditā, or sympathetic joy, even towards those we have aversion to.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro

00:22 Welcome

00:40 Biography of Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

01:58 The Background of Atisha’s Lojong

03:58 Atisha’s First Verse and Jetsunma’s Dream of the Prison of Samsara

09:50 Viewing Atisha’s Lojong Training as “Precepts”

11:55 The Glimpse of the Mind and the Divine Resonance of the First Verse – Is this equivalent to Theravada Stream Entry?

14:14 Advice for anyone who thinks Stream Entry or the Glimpse of the True Nature of the Heart is beyond them

16:38 Are there glimpses before this utterly life-transforming deep glimpse that may be Stream Entry?

18:53 The Second Verse – Taming the Mind: What is the requisite effort for achieving Samatha? Retreats, approaches…

22:44 The Second Verse – Altruism: And the Theravada Firebrand – working for one’s own benefit versus working for the benefit of others

25:32 The Ninth Verse – Supreme Generosity: Who has embodied this most in your life?

28:05 The Sixth Verse – The Supreme Conduct is Being in Disharmony with the World! How does one do this in a healthy manner?

30:12 Living in Partnership with a Non-Dhamma Person – How to navigate beautifully and with a compassionate heart

32:16 The Seventh Verse – The Continual Decrease of Disturbing Emotions: Is it feasible to never, ever be sad?

34:19 Verses Fifteen and Sixteen – Hidden Flaws: Meeting your root teacher for the first time – What gave you confidence?

38:22 The Fourth Refuge/Jewel in Tibetan Buddhism – The Guru: How necessary, safe, or feasible is it?

42:27 Bridging the Theravada Concept of Nibbana and the Mahayana Concept of Bodhicitta

46:24 The Twelfth Verse – Supreme Effort is “Letting Go” of Activity vs. Engaged Buddhism

49:08 Jetsunma’s Comment on Atisha’s Lojong: “The Ego is Happy to Be Miserable…”

50:05 The Goal to Save All Beings – Skillful Means or Beyond Language, in the Bodhicitta?

53:06 Words of Guidance for Ajahns Nisabho and Kovilo

55:33 Invitation to Himachal Pradesh and to Seattle

56:13 Outro

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo about "Atisha's Lojong Root Verses on Training the Mind", delving into these powerful teachings as tools towards breaking free from the prison of saṃsara, and realizing ultimate Awakening.

To support the nun's community Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo founded and guides, along with her other initiatives, please visit https://dgli.org/tsunma-projects/

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo's Biography: https://tenzinpalmo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/jetsunmatenzinpalmo

https://www.instagram.com/jtenzinpalmo/

https://www.facebook.com/dglnunnery

https://www.instagram.com/dglnunnery/

To support nuns not in the Himalayas, please visit https://allianceofnonhimalayannuns.org/

**Atisha's Lojong Root Verses on Training the Mind**

The Supreme understanding is to realize the meaning of selflessness

The Supreme spiritual discipline is to tame ones own mind

The Supreme great quality is altruism

The Supreme oral instruction is to observe the mind at all times

The Supreme remedy is to know that nothing has self nature

The Supreme conduct is to be in disharmony with the world

The Supreme accomplishment is a continuos decrease of disturbing emotions

The Supreme sign of accomplishment is a continuos decrease of wishes and wants

The Supreme generosity is non attachment

The Supreme ethical conduct is to pacify one’s mind

The Supreme patience is to take the lowest place

The Supreme effort is letting go of activity

The Supreme concentration is not altering the mind.

The Supreme wisdom is to not grasp onto anything as the self

The Supreme spiritual teacher is the one who exposes our hidden flaws and

The Supreme instruction is the one that help us to strike at those flaws

The Supreme companions are mindfulness and alertness

The Supreme inspiration is enemies, hindrances, disease and suffering

The Supreme method is to be natural

The Supreme way of benefiting is to help others enter the Dharma

The Supreme benefit is a mind that turns toward the Dharma

You can listen to a series of Jetsuma Tenzin Palmo's talks on the verses here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS38s8prqQU

In this "Q&A and Community Stories" session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho are joined by Tan Budhisaro from Thailand, answering questions about balancing worldly obligations and Dhamma, the practice of "Buddho" as samatha and vipassanā practice, and following one's calling to the Path. In the "Community Stories" section, Clear Mountain community members Nit-Noi, Jean, Sam, Eugene, and Miles share how they came to the Dhamma and what it's meant to them

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with their friend Tan Tejadhammo of Wat Marp Jan about the existence of celestial beings (deva) and the utility of such a belief, as they each share stories of uncanny light.

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho discuss various aspects of the community dynamic and support being fostered in the Clear Mountain community in Seattle, Washington, specifically through the framework of the 6 "Principles of Cordiality" (Sāraṇīya-dhammas"):

1) acting with loving-kindness by body – in public and private;

2) acting with loving-kindness by speech – in public and private;

3) acting with loving-kindness by mind – in public and private;

4) sharing and being generous with what one has;

5) maintaining the same precepts;

6) having the same view (Right View).

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the Four Noble Truths, and how to orient our practice based on which Truth we are experiencing.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Leigh Brasington speaks about the various interpretations of jhāna, practical steps to access it, becoming "indistractible", and more.

Bio

Leigh Brasington has been practicing meditation since 1985 and is the senior American student of the late Ven. Ayya Khema. Leigh began assisting Ven. Ayya Khema in 1994, and began teaching retreats on his own in 1997. He is also authorized to teach by Jack Kornfield.

Leigh has taught the jhanas, along with multiple insight practices, at over one hundred and fifty residential retreats throughout the United States and Europe. He is the author of the books Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhanas and Dependent Origination and Emptiness: Streams Of Dependently Arising Processes Interacting.

For more information, visit https://www.leighb.com/

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, given just after a visit home for Thanksgiving, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about several of the "highest blessings" found in the Mangala Sutta (https://suttacentral.net/kp5/en/sujato?lang=en), namely:

- "providing for mother and father’s support" (mātāpitu upaṭṭhānaṃ)

- "cherishing family" (puttadārassa saṅgaho)

- "ways of work that harm no being," (anākulā ca kammantā).

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Āyasmā Ariyadhammika, spiritual director of Sāsanārakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS) (https://sasanarakkha.org/).

BIO

Ven. Ariyadhammika is an Austrian Buddhist monk who ordained in 2005 in Myanmar with Pa-Auk Sayadaw as his preceptor and meditation teacher. He maintained a very simple lifestyle, living out in the open and under trees, dedicating himself to mindfulness of breathing and later also to many other meditation subjects. He was initiated into the meditation techniques of Mogok, Mahasi, Shwe Oo Min/U Tejaniya and Sunlun.

He went to Thailand in 2010, where he stayed for 3 years at Wat Pah Nanachat, undergoing the traditional training of a Thai forest monk of the Ajahn Chah lineage. He stayed in Malaysia from 2013 to 2015, studying Pāli, Suttanta and the Vinaya under the guidance of Ven. Aggacitta Mahāthera. From 2015 to 2018 he stayed in Sri Lanka and returned to Malaysia in Jan. 2018 where he was appointed Saṅghanāyaka of SBS Monk Training Centre, dedicated to guiding and supporting fellow monastics.

You can find out more about Āyasmā Ariyadhammika and Sāsanārakkha at the links below:

- https://sasanarakkha.org/

- https://www.youtube.com/@ariyadhammikabhikkhu5385

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.or....

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_mona... for details. Welcome!

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ayya Santacittā speaks about how, in the face of a chaotic world, we can fortify the heart with a sense of patience, equipoise, and the steady intention of the earthworm—making space amidst the pressure of surrounding dark. The talk is followed by a meditation on the body as elements and not-self.

Biography

Santacitta Bhikkhuni was born in Austria and did her graduate studies in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on dance, theatre and ritual. She also worked in avant-garde dance theatre as a performer and costume designer. In 1988 she met Ajahn Buddhadasa in southern Thailand, who sparked her interest in Buddhist monastic life. She trained as a nun in England and Asia from 1993 until 2009, primarily in the lineage of Ajahn Chah. Since 2002, she has also received teachings in the lineage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

Santacitta Bhikkhuni co-founded Aloka Vihara in 2009 and received Bhikkhuni Ordination in 2011. She is committed to Gaia as a living being and resides at Aloka Earth Room, currently located in San Rafael, CA. You can learn more at https://alokavihara.org/ayya-santacitta/ .

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tuere Sala, Guiding Teacher at Seattle Insight Meditation Society and the founding teacher of the Capitol Hill Meditation Group. They speak about Tuere's path to the Dhamma, the difficulty People of Color have entering largely white Dhamma groups, the potency of the Thai Forest Tradition, dealing with deep grief, and the power of muditā, or sympathetic joy.

Tuere's Biography:

Tuere is a retired prosecuting attorney who has practiced Vipassana meditation for over 30 years. Tuere believes that urban meditation is the foundation for today’s practitioner’s path to liberation. She is inspired by bringing the Dharma to nontraditional places and is a strong advocate for practitioners living with high stress, past trauma and difficulties sitting still. Tuere has been teaching since 2010 and has a long history of assisting others in establishing and maintaining a daily practice.

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how we can hold the political upheavals of the world with equanimity, turning towards their challenges as sources of growth rather than suffering. If approached with wisdom, such difficulties can become the flame that purifies the heart's gold, as in AN 3.101 (https://suttacentral.net/an3.101/en/thanissaro?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false).

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this special session recorded in late October 2024, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho take a tour of Birken Forest Monastery's "Forbidden Library" and interview Ajahn Sona about a selection of books from its shelves, including:

- The Republic by Plato

- The Death of Ivan Ilych by Tolstoy

- The Seven Storey Mountain by Merton

- Walden by Thoreau

- A Short History of Myth by Armstrong

- Siddhartha by Hess

- and more!

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, given just a few days before Election Day 2024, Ajahn Kovilo encourages spaciousness of heart, tranquility in abandoning unhelpful doubt, noticing and curbing the "fault-finding mind", and learning how not attach to views.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ayya Suvijjānā & Ayya Niyyānika of Passaddhi Vihara join Clear Mountain, teaching on how to align bodily, verbal, & mental formations (kāyasaṅkhārā, vacīsaṅkhārā, & cittasaṅkhārā) to move the mind towards calm. A canonical description of the three forms of activity may be found in the MN 44, Cūḷavedalla Sutta (https://suttacentral.net/mn44/en/sujato?lang=en).

To learn more about Ayya Suvijjānā & Ayya Niyyānika, visit www.passaddhivihara.org.

Ayya Suvijjānā's Bio:

Ayyā Suvijjānā started with Zen meditation in 1976. After discovering Vipassana in 1998, she visited Abhayagiri where she became a disciple of Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno, eventually becoming a monastic student of Ayya Tathālokā in 2006. Taking full ordination in 2010, she helped establish Dhammadharini before traveling and teaching since 2020.

Ayyā Niyyānika's Bio:

Ayyā Niyyānika is a fully ordained Buddhist monastic in the Theravada tradition. Ayya uses they/them pronouns. They received their initial monastic training within the Dhammadharini community from 2014 through 2019 and then was with the Aloka Vihara community for three years. The past year and a bit have been a time of travel, integration, and deepening in practice. They visited a variety of monastic and lay communities in the West and in Asia, taking time for retreat and study as well as community involvement.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Achalo, founder of Anandagiri Monastery!

Biography of Ajahn Achalo:

Ajahn Achalo was born in Brisbane Australia in 1972. He developed a keen interest in meditation at the age of twenty and a year later left for Thailand to study Buddhism more intently.  After a two year period practising in various centres and monasteries, in 1996 Ajahn Achalo ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu under Ajahn Liem at Wat Nong Pah Pong, the monastery founded by venerable Ajahn Chah. Although most of his training has taken place in Thailand, Ajahn Achalo has also lived in several international Forest Monasteries in the Ajahn Chah lineage. 

During his years of training, he has received personal guidance from many remarkable teachers, among them, Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Kalyano. For most of his Bhikkhu life, he has considered Tan Ajahn Anan, abbot of Wat Marp Jan, to be his principal mentor. In addition, he has found the Dalai Lama's instructions and example to be of tremendous value.

Ajahn Acalo is the founder and abbot of Anandagiri Forest Monastery in Pechabun, Thialand. Much of his time - over 3000 hours and counting - has been spent meditating at Bodhgaya (where the Buddha was Enlightened).

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session - Part 2 of 2 - Ajahn Kovilo interviews Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi on the topic of Theravāda Themes in Translation. Through chronologically surveying the main corpus of his translations, Bhikkhu Bodhi discusses various themes found throughout Theravāda Buddhism and suggests how they can be more fully understood as they move from Southeast Asia to the West.

For PART 2 of this interview, visit: https://youtu.be/EB-9NINXATo

Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi's Biography:

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City. He obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School. Bhikkhu Bodhi traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received ordinations and held positions as president and editor of the Buddhist Publication Society. He is known for his work as the editor, compiler, and translator of three Discourse Collections of the Pali Canon. In 2001, he returned to the US and founded Buddhist Global Relief, a non-profit organization supporting hunger relief, sustainable agriculture, and education in impoverished countries. Currently residing at Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, New York, he continues to teach Pāli and Dhamma.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session - Part 1 of 2 - Ajahn Kovilo interviews Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi on the topic of Theravāda Themes in Translation. Through chronologically surveying the main corpus of his translations, Bhikkhu Bodhi discusses various themes found throughout Theravāda Buddhism and suggests how they can be more fully understood as they move from Southeast Asia to the West.

For PART 2 of this interview, visit: https://youtu.be/hIfSDQKPSs8

Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi's Biography:

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City. He obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School. Bhikkhu Bodhi traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received ordinations and held positions as president and editor of the Buddhist Publication Society. He is known for his work as the editor, compiler, and translator of three Discourse Collections of the Pali Canon. In 2001, he returned to the US and founded Buddhist Global Relief, a non-profit organization supporting hunger relief, sustainable agriculture, and education in impoverished countries. Currently residing at Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, New York, he continues to teach Pāli and Dhamma.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ayya Ānandabodhī, founder of Pārāyana Vihara, speaks about the mind's tendency to lose itself in thoughts of the past and future, and our need to purify the heart so that the present moment becomes a place of deep abiding, regardless of external circumstances.

Ayya Anandabodhī's Bio:

Ayya Ānandabodhī was born and raised in Wales, UK. Ayya first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while reading about the Four Noble Truths. This was life-changing and from that moment she experienced a deep confidence in the Buddha’s insight and a wish to understand his teachings more deeply. At the age of 24, Ayya began monastic training at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England under the guidance of Ajahn Sumedho. 17 years later she moved to the USA with a wish to create more opportunities for women monastics. In 2011 she took full Bhikkhunī Ordination, joining the worldwide revival of the Theravāda Bhikkhunī Order. Ayya Ānandabodhī loves to share the Dhamma. Ayya’s practice is guided by early Buddhist scriptures, living in community, and through nature’s pure and immediate Dhamma.

For more information about Ayya, visit: https://alokavihara.org/about-aloka-vihara/

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this Community Stories session, different Clear Mountaineers share how they came to the Dhamma and what it's meant to their lives. Those who so generously shared include Betsy, Matthew Riggins, Matt Warning, James, Yanett, Tyler, Roya, Andrew, and Axel. Sadhu!

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with renowned teacher Sharon Salzberg about her path to faith (and India!), her experience with renowned spiritual teachers including Dipa Ma, navigating deep grief, politics, and the more religious elements of Buddhism the West.

Bio

Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is among the first to bring mindfulness & lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture fifty years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers.

A co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, Sharon is the author of thirteen books, including the New York Times bestseller, "Real Happiness", now in its second edition, and her seminal work, "Lovingkindess"

In 2023, Sharon released two new books: "Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom" and "Finding Your Way: Meditations, Thoughts, and Wisdom for Living an Authentic Life".

Sharon’s popular podcast, "The Metta Hour" has amassed seven million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond.

To learn more, visit https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho discuss the "teeth" of Theravāda, that is, teachings of the Buddha which might be hard for some people to hear, including:

- talk on renunciation

- talk on ethics

- talk about saṃsāra

and more!

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

A series of talks from Ajahn Nisabho and Ajahn Kovilo's recent retreat in Twisp, WA, on "Compassion & Emptiness". The retreat drew heavily on materials from Bhante Analayo's "Brahmavihāras & Emptiness": https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/compassion-audio/

Chapters (Talks)

00:00 - Talk 1: Ascent into Emptiness | Ajahn Nisabho

39:22 - Talk 2: Empty of Hindrance | Ajahn Kovilo

1:05:05 - Talk 3: Emptiness through Fusion | Ajahn Nisabho

1:16:32 - Talk 4: Guan Yin & Emptiness | Ajahn Kovilo

1:3814 - Talk 5: Humility & Grace | Ajahn Nisabho

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the variety of body discourse found in the Pāli Canon. Discussion includes speaking to:

- the precept body

- the heart body

- the whole body

- the elemental body, and

- the space body.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Mudito, a monk of the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest Tradition and abbot of Suddhavāri Monastery in Brazil (https://suddhavari.org/). Topics touched on include training in Thailand, meeting Forest Masters, living with Luang Por Piak, and practice in the deep jungle.

BIO

Ajahn Mudito's first contact with Theravada Buddhism came through the Dharma House . After finishing college, he considered ordaining as a monk, but wanted to find an environment where the monastic rules, as created by the Buddha himself, were truly observed. After hearing an interview with Ajahn Sumedho , he felt that this search was over, and upon contacting the monk, he was suggested to visit the Thai monastery Wat Pah Nanachat. Thus, in 2002, at the age of 25, he began his path to monastic life.

In 2004, he received ordination as a Bhikkhu at Wat Nong Pah Pong monastery (the head monastery of Ajahn Chah ), with Luang Po Liem as his upajjhaya (a preceptor monk who has the authority to confer full monastic ordination. After a few years of residing at that monastery, he decided to move to Wat Pah Cittabhavana in Pathum Thani province to practice under the guidance of Luang Po Piak , who remains his teacher to this day. He is currently the abbot of Sudhavāri Monastery in São Lourenço, Brazil.

Clear Mountain Info

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about orienting ourselves towards experience using the Four Noble Truths, relying on their framework to transmute suffering into Enlightenment, as fusion transforms matter into light.

The guided meditation referenced may be found here: https://studio.youtube.com/video/t5r6zuUywxA/edit

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks to the Mahāyāna critique of the Theravāda arahant ideal as selfish, questioning the dichotomy and pointing back to present-moment awareness of what good practice entails for each of us.

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo discusses:

1) the Four Noble Truths

2) the Four Noble Shoulds/Four Noble Moves, and

3) the Four Noble Proofs

as taught in the Buddha's first Discourse, the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta (https://suttacentral.net/sn56.11/en/bodhi?lang=en)

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho discuss the the Nobel Prize winning author Hermann Hesse (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Hesse) and his influential book Siddhartha, Narcissus and Goldmund, and others.

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/. Tune in with fellow practitioners every Wednesday evening from 6 - 6:45 pm or Saturday morning from 9:30 am - 11 am for a Dhamma Talk and Q&A with Ajahn Kovilo or Ajahn Nisabho. Saturday mornings begin with a thirty-minute meditation. Wednesday evening Q&A's are followed by a discussion on Zoom from 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm. See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho describes the concept of the demonic and evil in Buddhist thought, along with cosmological depictions of these mindstates and how we can interact with them.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!