Joyful Meditation | Ajahn Dhammasiha | Dhammagiri | Buddhist Dhamma Talk

We can train ourselves to enjoy meditation, or actually any kind of activity. Perception is not-self, it depends on conditions, and if we cultivate the right conditions, then our perception will change accordingly. The ability to turn ones perception around has been called 'Ariya-Iddhi' (Noble Psychic Power) by the Buddha. The enlightened Arahants can see the attractive as disgusting, or the revolting as delightful, or they can percieve it as neither repulsive nor pleasant, but just observe it with equanimity. Once we develop that skill, even only to a limited extend, our life will be much easier: Just imagine you perceive doing the dishes, or cleaning the toilet, or any required chores, as being fun - all tough duties are suddenly very easy! Just imagine you perceive the experience of breathing in and out as exceedingly delightful, even blissful - breath meditation will be so easy! By noticing how much our perception can be deliberately changed, we also undermine the delusion that perception (saññā) is self. By the way, we've got playlists of our Visiting Teachers, Chanting, Guided Meditations and Sutta Explorations available on our Spotify Profile here: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/user/8z4dmrysnbbnjtz9f0wzjgcre⁠⁠ Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our email Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Our Podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 .

After his return to Dhammagiri, Ajahn Dhammasiha shares some experiences from his travels. Some photos can be seen here: https://travel-pics-ajahn-2.dhammagiri.net He first attended the huge event for Luang Por Sumedho's 90th birthday at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery near London. LP Sumedho is the most senior Western disciple of Ajahn Chah, and the founder of Wat Pah Nanachat, Cittaviveka and Amaravati Monasteries. You can find more info about this great celebration attended by some 140 monastics here: https://amaravati.org/luang-por-sumedhos-birthday-update-june-2024/ Ajahn Dhammasiha also visited Muttodaya Monastery in Germany, and Cittaviveka in the south of England, Sussex. The website for Ajahn Khantiko's little place in Jena, Germany, which Ajahn couldn't remember correctly in the video, is: https://waldmoench.de/ https://www.dhammagiri.net .

The term ‘bhikkhu’ is defined as ‘almsman’, or ‘mendicant’. One who depends on the generosity of others for his material needs. What kinds of requisits are buddhist monks allowed to have and how should they relate to them? By the way, we’ve got playlists of our Visiting Teachers, Chanting, Guided Meditations and Sutta Explorations available on our Spotify Profile here: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/user/8z4dmrysnbbnjtz9f0wzjgcr Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our email Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Our Podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 .

Ajahn Dhammasiha compares spiritual practice and meditation with the task of cleaning to show how they are related to each other. By the way, we’ve got playlists of our Visiting Teachers, Chanting, Guided Meditations and Sutta Explorations available on our Spotify Profile here: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/user/8z4dmrysnbbnjtz9f0wzjgcr Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our email Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Our Podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 .

Ajahn Dhammasiha explains about the various benefits of developing Metta (loving-kindness), especially to motivate ourselves. By the way, we’ve got playlists of our Visiting Teachers, Chanting, Guided Meditations and Sutta Explorations available on our Spotify Profile here: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/user/8z4dmrysnbbnjtz9f0wzjgcr Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our email Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Our Podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 .

Sañña, usually translated as perception, is one of the 5 Aggregates (Khandha), one of the central teachings of the Buddha. Learn more about the meaning of the Pali word and how it relates to the origination and cessation of suffering. By the way, we’ve got playlists of our Visiting Teachers, Chanting, Guided Meditations and Sutta Explorations available on our Spotify Profile here: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/user/8z4dmrysnbbnjtz9f0wzjgcr Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our email Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Our Podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 .

What does it really mean "to take refuge in Sangha"? What if a very senior monk disrobes, how can we protect our mind from losing faith in such situations? Ajahn Dhammasiha points out that our refuge in terms of Sangha is: "...Yadidaṃ cattāri purisayugani, aṭṭha purisapuggala - Esa Bhagavato Sāvakasangho... "...Namely the four pairs of persons, the eight kind of individuals - THESE are the Sangha of the Exalted One's disciples..." In the strict definition given by the Buddha himself, 'Sangha' as refuge is NOT the ordained sangha of monks and nuns, but it is only those who have realized one of the stages of awakening, whether lay or ordained. If we keep that in mind, and direct our faith not to just to individual monks or nuns, but to the community of those who have realized the Dhamma, our faith will not be shaken if an individual monk or nun disrobes or acts in uninspiring ways. Naturally, as we can't know who truly has realized stages of awakening, there is a tendency to regard the ordained sangha as a symbol for the community of awakened disciples, as we can actually recognize monks and nuns easily by their wearing robes, and our faith likes to have something visible and concrete to latch on. There is nothing wrong in that, especially as so many Arahants and noble disciples have been part of the ordained sangha. But even so, we should be mindful to direct our faith to the WHOLE sangha, the complete sangha of the four quarters and the three time periods, rather than only to individual monks or nuns who we feel personal affection for. Again, this will protect our faith from crumbling in case a monk or nun we like does not meet our expectations.

A Dhammatalk by Ajahn Dhammasiha about the numerous benefits of associating with people who have noble qualities and realized awakening. By the way, we’ve got playlists of our Visiting Teachers, Chanting, Guided Meditations and Sutta Explorations available on our Spotify Profile here: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/user/8z4dmrysnbbnjtz9f0wzjgcr Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our email Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Our Podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 .

Guided Meditation and Question & Answer session at Dhammagiri with Ajahn Vajiro, currently abbot of Sumedharama monastery in Portugal on Sunday, 25th February. Ajahn Vajiro first gives a short guided meditation. In the session afterwards he is answering questions on the topics of the meaning of the Ovāda Pātimokkha & Mangala Sutta, about Silence & Space and about clinging to views & opinions. By the way, we’ve got playlists of our Visiting Teachers, Chanting, Guided Meditations and Sutta Explorations available on our Spotify Profile here: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/user/8z4dmrysnbbnjtz9f0wzjgcr Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our email Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Our Podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 .

On occasion of Visākhā Pūjā, Ajahn Dhammasiha relates the events leading up to the Buddha's Supreme Awakening under the Bodhi Tree. Initially, the Bodhisatta practised extreme austerities in the believe that only through pain one can eradicate desire and attain perfect release. He fasted and tortured his own body until he almost died. When he collapsed, the Bodhisatta fortunately remembered how he had attained Samādhi (the first Jhāna) as a little child, sitting in the shade of a Roseapple tree. The insight occurred to him that the happiness of Jhāna is not be be feared of avoided, as it is utterly seperated from sensuality or unwholesome states. He realized that the wholesom, spiritual rapture and bliss of Samādhi is not an obstruction to awakening, but actually an essential part of the path. Eating and regaining his strength, he found a suitable location for developing samādhi, and after attaining the various jhānas, he sat down under the Bodhi Tree with the famous resolution: "Even if my blood and flesh completely dry out until only skin, sinews and bones remain; I will not break this posture unless I have attained complete freedom from suffering!" https://www.dhammagiri.net https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJw .