Guided mettā meditation for a loved one with focus on feelings, noticing and sensations inside the body. Dhamma talk on war, with discussion of the first precept, 'just war theory' and peace. Discussion of peace and the work people do to maintain peace.
Meditation talk on reducing a sense of self. Guided meditation on sense of self and gentle awareness of mood. Dhamma talk on hopelessness. Losing hope/living without hope, and how we can commit without a sense of emotional investment to something in the future. Differences between hope, faith (sadha) and enthusiasm (chanda).
Guided meditation on letting go and meditating in the present. Talk about the rains retreat tradition and its origin stories, various traditions, events and rules around the rains period, possible commitments laypeople can make.
Guided mettā meditation for a loved one with focus on feeling. Dhamma talk an entry-to-rains discussion on giving (cāga/dana), drawing from the Dhammacakkappavattana sutta and the four noble truths. Cāga as one of the metaphors for nibbāna and how it fits into the four noble truths. Discussion of suffering and its relationship to letting go.
meditation on mindfulness of breathing. Bhante's trip to Sri Lanka. Q+A: Buddhist view on the body. Spiritual sadness (nirāmisa domanassa). Buddhist view on the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Facts about first bhikkhuni ordination at Ajahn Brahm's monastery. Meditation and difficult emotions.
Bhante Akāliko's last time as a Monk In Cyberspace. Dhamma talk on the community aspect of spiritual practice: be responsible for developing your own practice and give back to the community. Growing together again after times of lockdown and isolation, restoring help, support, growth. Bhante's plans for the future.
From Harris Park. Why there's a ceremony at the beginning of a meeting. Creating space for meditation. Breath meditation and letting go. Bhante is now a "Middle Monk", time to move on and go out into the world, and the letting go that's involved in that.
From Harris Park. Guided gratitude meditation. Dhamma talk on the topic Why am I always right? Discussion on ahankāra (I-making), thinking, truth, and views.
From Harris Park. Unboxing the Malaysian edition of Bhante's translations of the Sutta Pitaka. Breath meditation. Dhamma talk on the Uluru Statement of the Heart, by Aboriginal people. The wisdom of first nations people and Buddhism.
