Ajahn Anan Podcast

In the Tibetan tradition they give a metaphor: You've been caught by an ogre. He says he'll ask you one question, and if you get it right, he'll let you go. If you get it wrong, however, he'll eat you. His question is, "Why were you born?" So how will you answer? To listen to most recent talks, you can visit our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/ajahnanan To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Ja...

2021.09.09 | Cleanliness arises right where it’s dirty - the clean mind arises right where the mind is defiled. We practise to restrain our behavior of body, speech, and mind, to put down our views and conceit, and to practise virtue, collectedness, and wisdom in order to realize true happiness. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dha...

2021.09.08 | Even though none of us wishes to suffer, if the causes for that suffering still exist within our hearts, then we must suffer. So the Buddha taught us the way to develop our minds so they are able to put down those causes and realise the end of all suffering. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you can email w...

2021.09.06 | There are many methods to cultivate samadhi, collectedness and unification of mind. One method is to use contemplation to bring about peace. Once the mind is peaceful in samadhi, then wisdom and clear knowing can arise by itself. We can see the Dhamma. For this we need effort and diligence in our practice. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chantin...

As we all know, habits can go both ways: good or bad. Much of the path is about getting into skillful habit patters—being generous, virtuous and wise. To listen to most recent talks, you can visit our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/ajahnanan To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you can email wmjdhamma@gmail.com for the l...

2021.09.05 | When we set out on this path of practice, our aim is to reach the end of suffering. Having set this intention, we firmly apply ourselves to the teachings of the Lord Buddha, and in no long time we will see Nibbāna clearly within our own hearts. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you can email wmjdhamma@gmail...

2021.09.04 | In this age of communication and social media, we’re more easily subjected to the criticism and foul moods of other people than we were before. We need to bear with this, however, and ensure that we maintain our own virtue and goodness, no matter how intense our emotions may be. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma...

Even if we were to spend our entire lives looking through all the news and bits of information available to us via WhatsApp, Facebook and the like, we would never be done with it. It's endless. And receiving all of this information depletes our hearts' energy, potentially leading to depression or neurosis. So we need to take the time to recharge our inner batteries everyday to regain our strength...

2021.09.02 | When we reach the highest level of Dhamma, we understand that the body is just the body, the mind is just the mind; not a being, self, or other. Before we get there, however, we still have a self that we attach to. So, we must cultivate this self so that it gains the goodness, peace and wisdom necessary to see into the Dhamma. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community onl...

2021.09.01 | The Buddha said that there are four kinds of people: those who comes from darkness and go to darkness; those who come from darkness and go to light; those who come from light and go to light; and those who come from light and go to darkness. How we come into this world, and the situation we are born into, depends on the kamma we’ve made in the past. What’s of true importance, how...

2021.08.31 | It’s entirely normal to go through periods when we feel down and low in spirits. When we experience this, we need to find ways to lift our mood and give some freshness and joy to the heart. In this talk, Ajahn Anan explains many of such methods. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you can email wmjdhamma@gmai...

In this evening talk, Ajahn Anan explains to us the many ways in which foolish people can lead us to harm and loss. Being close to good people, however, will naturally cause our lives to take on a wholesome and joyful direction. To listen to most recent talks, you can visit our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/ajahnanan To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanti...

2021.08.30 | The current difficulties of the world are actually great opportunities for those with wisdom. When people suffer, this is a chance for us to cultivate hearts of compassion. When people are lacking, this is an opportunity for us to be generous. If everyone had everything they needed, who would there be for us to give to? And how could we build this kind of pāramī? To join Ajahn An...

In this videoconference talk from 17 Sep, 2021, Ajahn Anan talks about how contentment does not mean we don't be diligent or put forth effort, whether in our work, studies or Dhamma practice. It is taṇhā, desire, that is the cause of suffering. "Is this called taṇhā, desire? We have to understand that taṇhā is the cause for suffering to arise. So if we don't do anything and we have only desire, we...

2021.08.29 | Sometimes we feel discouraged, depressed, agitated, or hopeless. This is normal. We can apply the medicine of the Buddha’s teachings on generosity, virtue, and meditation. With the arising of samadhi the heart is uplifted and energized again. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you can email wmjdhamma@gmail.c...

In order to make it to the age that we have, we've had to overcome countless difficulties. Similarly, developing the way of Dhamma has its obstructions. But if we apply our faith, energy and mindfulness, we have what it takes to pass through them and reach inner purity in this life. To listen to most recent talks, you can visit our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/ajahnanan To join Ajahn Anan...

2021.08.28 | Whenever we create kamma, we are also building a habit to act in that way again. Ignorance pushes us to cling and act in immoral ways, creating bad kamma, which leads us on to suffering. If we build the good kamma of generosity, virtue and meditation, however, we steadily walk on the path to the end of all suffering. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for da...

2021.08.25 | The practice of recollecting the Buddha can give rise to great rapture and joy. We practise to establish ourselves in generosity, virtue, and meditation. We see our situation as being in a house on fire—on fire with aging, sickness, and death, and we seek to escape. The Buddha has already taught the way to freedom, so we practise to see this for ourselves. To join Ajahn Anan and...

2021.08.24 | Whether we are rich or poor, we must all be separated from that which we find pleasing. But if we are wise, this separation can be an opportunity for us to understand the Dhamma. Patacara Theri, for example, lost her parents, husband, brother, and children, all within a very short space of time. Soon after this, however, she attained Arahantship. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Ma...

Just as our bodies require an immune system to ward off illness, so our hearts need protection from the objects of the six senses that they experience throughout the day. Mindfulness is our inner immunity. With it, we're able to feel these sensations while knowing that they are separate from the mind. No sense of self is conjured up, and so we don't suffer.

2021.08.23 | When chanting with faith, rapture and fullness of heart can arise, and when the mind sees clearly the nature of reality, rapture can arise to a great degree. The Dhamma gives results irrespective of time. May we all be intent and put forth effort in our Dhamma practice. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you...

2021.08.22 | The two qualities of sati (mindfulness or recollection) and sampajañña (clear knowing) are very important in Dhamma practice. In order for the mindfulness to be right, it must come from Right View. This Right Mindfulness then works to develop Right View even further. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you ca...

In this videoconference talk from 10 Sep, 2021, Ajahn Anan talks about the importance of using our incredibly rare gift of being born as a human being to continue building goodness. "The ones who have died and are human-beings in this present life, where did they come from? We just don't know. Did they come from heaven? Come from the human realm? Come from the animal realm? We don't know. But what...

It's not the case that through the practice we annihilate darkness, rather we bring light into it. Even though the darkness is still there, if there's a constant bright presence, it can't do any harm to us.

In this videoconference talk from 3 Sep, 2021, Ajahn Anan talks about experiencing discouragement and despair, which is common amongst people in these difficult times, and how we can overcome them. "So a good method to overcome our loss of motivation and spirit, is by trying to charge the battery of our spiritual heart. We need to inject the vaccine into our spiritual hearts in order to protect ag...