Log inJoin free
Menu
FindLearnCommunityAboutSupport us
Log inJoin free

Tag: motivation

  • Phra Ajahn Sao Kantasilo Mahathera

    Phra Ajahn Sao Kantasilo Mahathera (1861-1941)

     

    Ajahn Sao and his student Ajahn Mun established the Kammatthana tradition. A true forest-dweller, Ajahn Sao left no written records of his teachings. Fortunately for us, another of his students — Phra Ajahn Phut Thaniyo — recorded “Ajahn Sao’s Teaching: A Reminiscence of Phra Ajahn Sao Kantasilo”, which offers us a glimpse of Ajahn Sao’s terse but powerful teaching style.

    https://www.forestmeditation.com/teachings/forest_tradition/sao/ajaan_teaching.html

    With Respect to the Buddha, Dhamma & Sangha.

    Views: 0

  • Phra Ajahn Mun Bhuridatto

    Phra Ajahn Mun Bhuridatto (1870-1949)

    Ajahn Mun was born in 1870 in Baan Kham Bong, a farming village in Ubon Ratchathani province, northeastern Thailand. Ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1893, he spent the remainder of his life wandering through Thailand, Burma, and Laos, dwelling for the most part in the forest, engaged in the practice of meditation. He attracted an enormous following of students and, together with his teacher, Phra Ajahn Sao Kantasilo Mahathera (1861-1941), established the forest meditation tradition (the Kammatthana tradition) that subsequently spread throughout Thailand and to several countries abroad. He passed away in 1949 at Wat Suddhavasa, Sakon Nakhorn province.

    The Ballad of Liberation from the Khandhas
    The Ever-present Truth
    A Heart Released: The Teachings of Phra Ajaan Mun Bhuridatta Thera

     

    With Respect to the Buddha, Dhamma & Sangha.

    Views: 15

  • Law Of Reality

    Law Of Reality

    I seen how simple and direct the Dhamma is, that simply is just another word for “Law of Reality”.
    It is not telling us what not to do or to do. It is saying, this action/thought has an affect, That there’s cause and effect.
    If an object falls from a tall building, it will fall down, due to gravity
    If you overeat, the body will experience discomfort, due to nature of body
    If you hurt people, people will retaliate , due to human nature
    If you cling, you will suffer, due to nature of reality
    If there’s unwholesome thought, there will be bad feeling
    If there’s wholesome thought, there will be good feeling

    And is up to someone to find it themselves, **The Four Noble truth helps to simplify the investigation.**
    Any question of your life ” What about my xyz issue…/What about my goals…/What about my desire for meaningful life…”
    All put to stop
    It is simply, is there dukkha right now? Can you stop it, right now?

    It isn’t that the question of life doesn’t has skillful nature of giving rise to possibility of skillful investigation, but the question are still contaminated. The conditioning still runs deep.
    A sutta about **similee of wet log comes to mind, MN 36**

    > “Suppose a man wanted to light a fire with a wet, sappy stick lying in water. Could he do it?”
    > “No, —because it’s wet and in water.” :wood: :ocean:
    >
    > “Suppose he took a wet, sappy stick from land—still not in water. Could he light a fire?”
    > “No—because it’s still wet.”:wood::sweat_drops:
    >
    > “Suppose he had a dry, sapless stick lying on dry land. Could he light a fire?”
    > “Yes—because it’s dry and far from water.”:wood::sunny: :fire:

    In a way, you have far better chances to give rise to skillful question, and give rise to skillful action, and skillful result. Because one stop falling for the tricks of the mind.
    But one cannot get there, if the thoughts that seem so important at a glance, and one fall for it and question it.

    And the “Law of Reality” dictate, a mind that is still soak with conditioning, cannot necessary give rise to skillful investigation. In continuation of MN 36.

    > So it is with any brahman or contemplative** who lives withdrawn from sensuality in body & mind,** and whose desire, infatuation, urge, thirst, & fever for sensuality is relinquished & stilled within him: Whether or not he feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to his striving, **he is capable of knowledge, vision, & unexcelled self-awakening**. This was the third simile — spontaneous, never before heard — that appeared to me

    The practice of Anapanasati is simple and direct. And Gladdening the mind as the first defence of the mind can be very powerful. It is a reminder that says ” No need for that, I’m already okay”. Not only to stop oneselves from falling for seeking out object, it stop oneselves from entertaining thought from the mind.

    Cause it has been seen clearly, it is unwholesome, very unwholesome.
    This sort of disgust can only be developed if one continue the practice. Helping unifying the mind to a state of calm, collected and composed.
    It does not comes from intellect. Intellect help in putting things together.
    But what help beyond is dropping of intellect, remain completely here and now, satisfied and content.

    A good friend of mine, Brett told me once ” You have not mastered Samadhi until you know you’re out of Samadhi”

    Over here, we’re training to cultivate Sati (Remembering to wake up and take a look)
    and
    Samadhi (Calm,composed, unification of mind)

    Both works together. Sati is the sword, Samadhi is the weight of the sword being swing.
    All of this works in cutting through our delusion.

    This is where the practice gets really solid, it doesn’t matter how much you know about Dhamma, what matter is how you put this together into a tool. And tool which one feel enthusiatic and delight in.
    And this “tool” can’t be taken away, no one can rob you away from your tool. This is the practice.

    One can even say, is the skill to take things easy, skill to be happy and joyful. Skill to be free

    Views: 3

  • What Meditation means

    What Meditation means

    There are 3 purposes for Samadhi-Bhavana or MEDITATION :

    1st
    to gain direct experience (Panna) of each Element (Dhatu) as one & the same and limitless & timeless through Absorptions on the 4 Brahmavihara, on the 4 Rupa and on the 4 Arupa Jahnas, with the 5th one as ‘Cessation’;

    2nd
    to overcome the 3 Tanha linked to sensations & thoughts, doubts & fears, conceit & consciousness, through their right evaluation according to the Dhamma (Vipassana), taking to the relevant disenchantment & dispassion for them because seen as changing or as conditioned (Dukkha);

    3rd
    another valid reason, that probably not many can fully understand, is visiting Thusita in Samadhi, in order to make it become next destination after death (Bodhisattvas or Sammasambuddha Path).

    Any other Element or Plane of existence should be considered irrilevant for the achievemt of the final goal or even a danger, since taking time & effort away from what it is really needed for ending the suffering of Samsara forever. 🙏❤️🙏

    Views: 0

  • Practice vlogs in the woods

    Practice vlogs in the woods

    Started uploading some practice vlogs to Youtube. Spending some time walking and sitting in the woods behind my house. Feel free to check them out if you’re interested. 

    25-01-17

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g15gP3nFVdo

    25-01-18

    https://youtu.be/qFTxoC8awMM?si=OigUnoI9AGj2ybE_

    Views: 2

  • The self is never there.

    The self is never there.

    First Post.
    Don’t take this self so personally. Mind above the flood. Whatever comes flushing. You can see all that is happening with curiosity.

    If there’s car burning outside. You can’t help but to observe with curiosity. But when the car you observe is “yours”. You begun to act frantic and panic. The “self” is suffering. But when is seen through as “not self” . You begin to enjoy the show ” wow, what’s happening? What’s the commotion?”

    This life becomes a journey of joyful investigation. No more “poor me” mindset. Is just this. You become a moving target. Getting ourselves outside the shooting range. No me there. Everything is just happening by itself.

    Wholesome change of just seeing what is happening with a smile. Relax. Can’t catch dukkha. See dukkha and start getting out the way. Not by aversion but wisdom.

    Views: 2

  • a short lesson in patience

    I just spent 15 minutes writing a very heartfelt essay, after which I posted,  only to read, error! Error! Tags required,  after I added some tags I returned to my post only to find it completely non existent lol 😆 😅,  but in a way this is far better than what I previously wrote,  because just like those Tibetan sand Mandalas , Things don’t last & this was a very good reminder 🤗😂☯️ & lesson,  in the Words of Bob Ross ” There are no mistakes,  only happy accidents “

    Views: 1

  • “TREAT EACH HUMAN FRIEND BY THINKING THAT:

    “TREAT EACH HUMAN FRIEND BY THINKING THAT:

    “TREAT EACH HUMAN FRIEND BY THINKING THAT:

    • He’s our friend who was born to be old, become ill, and die, together with us.
    • He’s our friend swimming around in the changing cycles with us.
    • He’s under the power of defilements like us, hence sometimes he errs.
    • He also has lust, hatred, and delusion, no less than we.
    • He therefore errs sometimes, like us.
    • He neither knows why he was born nor knows nibbāna, just the same as us.
    • He is stupid in some things like we used to be.
    • He does some things accordingly to his own likes, the same as we used to do.
    • He also wants to be good, as well as we who want even more to be good — outstanding — famous.
    • He often takes much and much more from others whenever he has a chance, just like us.
    • He has the right to be madly good, drunkenly good, deludedly good, and drowning in good, just like us.
    • He is an ordinary man attached to many things, just like us.
    • He does not have the duty to suffer or die for us.
    • He is our friend of the same nation and religion.
    • He does things impetuously and abruptly just as we do.
    • He has the duty to be responsible for his own family, not for ours.
    • He has the right to his own tastes and preferences.
    • He has the right to choose anything (even a religion) for his own satisfaction.
    • He has a right to share equally with us the public property.
    • He has the right to be neurotic or mad as well as we.
    • He has the right to ask for help and sympathy from us.
    • He has the right to be forgiven by us according to the circumstances.
    • He has the right to be socialist or libertarian in accordance with his own disposition.
    • He has the right to be selfish before thinking of others.
    • He has the human right, equal to us, to be in this world.
    If we think in these ways, no conflicts will occur.

    Buddhadāsa Indapañño
    Mokkhabalārāma, Chaiya
    22 May, 2531

    (With confidence in Buddhadasa Bhikku’s great compassion and humanity, a Thai Buddhist has taken his permission for granted and translated the above message into English, with kind help from an American bhikku.)
    26 June, 2536”

    Views: 1

  • For 2500 Years Buddhadhamma Has Been Passed from Teacher to Student

    For two and a half thousand years the teachings of the Buddha have been passed on from 
teacher to student, shared between friends, and passed on from generation to generation. 
This has been done in community, out of enthusiasm, compassion, and generosity. 
These teachings and their potential for profound transformation, both personal and 
collective, are now starting to take root globally.

At this pivotal moment, we are confronted with a choice: a choice between allowing 
these teachings to become another item in the spiritual marketplace or to keep with 
the traditions that have passed these teachings to us and ensure that they are taught 
with integrity, effectiveness, and in a spirit of open hearted, enthusiastic generosity.
At Open Sangha Foundation we are creating, nurturing and supporting a community of 
practitioners of Buddhadhamma, students and teachers, who are committed to ensuring 
these teachings flourish in the 21st Century without succumbing to the market paradigm 
and the various hidden barriers built into that system.

    Views: 2

  • Can “just say no” Be effective

    I think with time, practice, restraint, and discipline(and 8FNM) the practice of “Just say no” can be a good method.

    If it’s not working for u yet…don’t say no…just say later. Or not now.
    Let me see if I can wait 10 more mins and not do that behavior which is causing more suffering….and see if I can imagine being ok if I do it, or if I don’t. It’s okay either way.
    From that okayness saying no becomes easier. Cultivate good feelings and right action. Its also about what you do leading up to trying to Saying no to immaturely following sense desires…get some momentum with the easy “No’s” and then when the hard ones come you will have a stronger foundation to help u ride the wave.

    Views: 1

  • May I

    May I be a source of warmth,   

    Embracing all beings with an open heart,   

    May I cultivate an infinite loving-kindness,   

    For every soul I encounter,  

    May I cherish the gift of empathy and care,   

    And bring relief to suffering everywhere,   

    May I have in my heart pure joy and bliss,   

    Sharing this happiness with each soul I meet,  

    May I hold in my heart a deep sense of equanimity,  

    To see the interconnectedness of all things,   

    May I be a bridge of understanding and grace,  

    In a world healing from division,  

    May I surrender my selfish desires,   

    Embracing the gift of service,   

    May I in this devotion to others,   

    Find true purpose and fulfillment,  

    May all beings one day be free from suffering,  

    Understanding that all earthly experiences are passing. 

    Views: 1

  • If you know what he characteristics of….Ajahn Chah quote

    If you know what he characteristics of….Ajahn Chah quote

    If you know the characteristics of what is skillful and unskillful in physical and verbal behavior, you already see where to practice in order to give up what is unskillful and do what is good. When you give up wrong and set yourself right, the mind becomes firm, unswerving, concentrated. This concentration limits wavering and doubt as to body and speech. With the mind collected, when forms or sounds come, you can contemplate and see them clearly. By not letting your mind wander, you will see the nature of all experiences according to the truth. When this knowledge is continuous, wisdom arises. Virtue, concentration, and wisdom, then, can be taken together as one. When they mature, they become synonymous that is the Noble Path. When greed, hatred, and delusion arise, only this Noble Path is capable of destroying them.” Ajahn Chah

    Views: 1

  • Everything is ok

    Everything is just like this,  Everything is ok, resting gently in our relaxation & breathing,  Letting go, our true sweet nature is revealed

    Views: 0

  • There are no chains

    There are no chains

    Views: 4

  • The tales from the Crypt

    The tales from the Crypt

    Tales from the Crypt
    One day, meanwhile walking in the wat’s forest, I I ended up finding a broken-down abandoned few hundred years old village nearby, with houses falling apart. The nature had retaken the place as trees where breaking through the old stone floor. As I kept going, I stumbled upon a graveyard that looked forgotten, with ancient tombstones. Some of them open, maybe thefts looking for jewels, some of them because time, and most of them still with their owners inside, forgotten by their loved ones.
    While I was checking out the old building, I found a small hole in the wall, like 50cm tall. Curiosity drove me inside, started crawling on the floor, avoiding sticky mold, roots, spiders and strange long legged insects. The place was dug on soft ground, about 15 metres deep in the wall. I went through it and discovered a room full of skeletons, placed in holes in the wall, and in the middle, a wooden meditation bench and old wet Bhikkhu colour blanket. Some candles were available. It was spooky, but I saw a great opportunity for maranasati meditation and to fear old fears from childhood, about death, ghosts, demons and stuff, I decided to sit and meditate among the bones
    In the dim light, an old candle started making weird loud sounds, I suppose because humidity. Even though my mind knew there was no real danger, I felt scared, a sensation of tightness in the chest and vision getting blurred. Because caution, I put of the candles and I left the place, but that fear stayed with me. During the night, in my kuti, the chest pain, the visions, fantasies, feeling presences near me haunted me for 3 nights, fear of ghosts, death, fear of going crazy, fear of my mind going against me. I even though of calling Dhammarato or talking to the Bhikkhus but the tricky mind was shy and embarrassed.. I went back three more times to that place, trying to face it. 2nd time I walked around the place but even the thought of entering the crypt was making me run away. Second time I entered, with decision and the help of the advice of the noble friends and Anapana Sati. The spine shivers were hard and some kind of neck throat blockage was releasing coughing, cramps, weird phenomena. The last time, I went full pitch black night and I invited a friend, a lay person who is living there for few years already. When I asked him if he wanted to come and spend the night with the dead, he said “you are the friend I was waiting for”. He led the way without a help of a torch, the half moon was enough to see. Meanwhile we walked, he chanted in pali with his old broken voice. I felt I was living a kind of lucid dream. It was fascinating
    We visited caves, cliffs, paths, strange trees and finally we got in the secret crypt. We sat down there quietly, so quiet that the inner sound of my own ears was so loud. There in the middle of the night. Surprisingly, it was peaceful. Since that night, I feel different, but in a good way. The scary feelings are gone, and I’ve found a sense of calm. The crypt’s story became my own tale of overcoming old fears and discovering peace in unexpected places.
    Thank you, J

    Views: 5

  • Let go

    Gently resting in the way things are . . .Ajahn Chah

    Views: 1

  • A Little summary of the teachings: Dissatisfaction and its end.

    A Little summary of the teachings: Dissatisfaction and its end.

    Dissatisfaction and its end, this is the core of the truly awake teaching!

    The cause of dissatisfaction is wanting unwisely. When we stop wanting unwisely dissatisfaction ends.

    The method to stop wanting unwisely is The Noble eightfold path.
    This includes the skills to Remember, look, and change.
    Remember to look at what you are doing and make a wholesome change.
    These 3 qualities run circles around each other and the rest of the path.

    Practice remembering in or out breathing. To develop R.L.C (Remember, Look, Change) as well as the whole Noble Eightfold Method. Remembering the in and out breath as an anchor to wake up, look, and direct the mind away from the unwholesome and to the wholesome.
    Getting into seclusion helps develop these skills, into a spot that is safe. Makes it easy to talk yourself into feeling safe, secure, and satisfied when it’s the reality. It’s very beneficial to develop these skills because the mind can run off into Dissatisfaction Town very quickly, so it’s of great benefit to keep the practice in mind and return home here and now often.

    One wholesome thought after another leads to
    A wholesome attitude.
    Then the mind becomes unified, whole, and Free from dissatisfaction.
    When the mind is whole we speak, act, and live kindly and skillfully.

    I have seen this work again and again directly. I have full confidence in the method and the Four Noble Truths. They are just that Noble and True!

    You can do this! Simply remember to look, make wholesome Change, and Congratulate yourself for doing so! Recognizing that this truly is enough, dissatisfaction ends!

    Thank you, Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.

    Views: 1

  • 7 motivating tips for practitioners

    7 motivating tips for practitioners

    • Be confident in your skills and abilities. They are the foundation of every situation and the most reliable tools you have to build, act, react, and create.
    • Be unshakable in every situation. Be active. Don’t dwell on the circumstances or the odds of success. Just takethe first step and the path will reveal itself.
    • If you want to change your life, you don’t have to settle for or trust external opinions. They are simply reflecting the reality of the present moment. Try it for yourself. If you keep affirming your reality and vision, things will change for the better, but you won’t have any confirmation. However, if you stop doing so, things will start to fall apart very quickly.
    • You are the one who has to believe in yourself.
    • If you fall, dust yourself off and start again.
    • Learn meditation and how to breathe properly. Meditation can teach you how to control your thoughts and emotions. You must learn how to use your breath to control your inner state and make it wholesome at all times.
    • Don’t try to understand reality. For the most part, inputs are just inputs that we can allow to pass through and not even register. See thoughts as thoughts, feelings as feelings, and sensations as sensations. See things for what they are, regardless of your habit of labeling them as something different than they actually are.

    Views: 2

  • Join the discord!

    Join the discord to chat with other people on the path, ask questions and get answers; https://discord.gg/8ZZC7gyrYB

     

     

    (more…)

    Views: 2

  • First jhana is all you need

    First jhana is all you need

    And so now i Wake up, take a look, make a change.

    I stop right here, right now, whatever thing i am doing, i can remember to consciously stop and see: what is happening right now? How do i feel? Which thoughts am i having? And then enter the doors of the senses, how do my clothes feel on my skin ? And the feet on the floor? The butt on the chair? Can I take some deep breaths and remind myself how much I can feel good with very little, because I believe that is enough, that I have arrived, that there is nothing to do and nowhere to go? I can be alive here and now, i let the chest expand with inhalation and going back with exhalation, such a gift that It is! Feeling safe, secure, wholesome on the inside , and satisfied.

    Then first jhana arises, I come to the state of the plateau, my homebase, the always on time train of the present moment. And I let go of the worries, the neediness, the complaining,and the wanting for something more , for something next. Here the fire of the wholesome has started, from a little sparkle of intention, now the logs are on fire and it warms me up, what a joy to nourish it and keep it alive!

    I will abide in the wholesome, I will get to know my mind and its mysteries because from here everything looks more clear and the clouds of doubt are far away , blown by the winds of conscious decision. Right effort and awesome thoughts in line, born one after another, from the womb of nourishment and awareness of my sweetest behalf, the one i call when i need to come to understand that this moment is all i have and i will be relaxed and chilled, swimming in an ocean of wholesomeness.

    My safe environment is a state of mind that doesn’t need boundaries to be protected, that I don’t have to put a guard on it and that I don’t have to defend my security. Is an expanded light of softness that embraces all there is right here right now.

    Such a delight to abide in first jhana 

    Such a delight to be here and now

    In noble wisdom I trust, and I let myself flow in the stream of the never ending present moment.

    Views: 2