Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts

This year's Robe Offering Ceremony at Dhammagiri included a recitation of auspicious protective chants ('Paritta') in Pali language. These teachings have been preserved directly from the Buddha's lips by the monks and nuns, and faithfully learned by heart, recited and transmitted virtually unchanged in the same language for 2,500 years! Paritta Recitation, if listened to mindfully...

This Sunday 08 November we will conduct our yearly Robe Offering Ceremony at Dhammagiri (also on live 'Castbox' podcast 12.00 noon Brissie time).While preparing our audio setup, we did numerous trial runs to finetune mics and amplifier settings. One turned out nice enough that we've uploaded it now, for you to get a little taste (only 6 min) of what's to come at our ceremony on Sunday. You hear th...

Ajahn Dhammasiha guides a meditation on Mettā: unconditional, non-judgemental good will to all beings.  This time, we're not gradually etending the range of beings, but we jump straight in, wishing well to all beings throughout the whole universe. We aim to include absolutely everyone in our loving kindness:  Whether they respond or not Whether they like us back or not Whether they are B...

Ajahn Dhammasiha offers some reflections on the 8 wordly phenomena ('Aṭṭha-loka-dhammā'):Gain and LossFame and ObscurityPraise and BlamePleasure and PainUsually we like, approve and hanker after gain, fame, praise and pleasure; and we dislike, resist and detest loss, obscurity, blame and pain. Thus these 8 worldly conditions overwhelm our mind and cause us lots of distress. On the other hand, if w...

Ānāpāṇasati, mindfulness of the in and out breath, is the Buddha's own favourite meditation object, and the one he has given particular detailed instructions about.  One peculiar advantage is that breath meditation can be used to develop both : Samatha (calm/samādhi/concentration) Vipassana (insight/wisdom) To cultivate and deepen samādhi , with every in and outbreath we develop: Gladness Joy...

What happens after someone who has attained Nibbāna dies:Do they still exist after death? Or do they not exist? Or both? Or neither? The Buddha rejected all four options above. Instead, he explains that the mind freed from defilements and clinging is immeasurable like the great ocean. It can no longer be described or defined by language, thoughts, form, feeling, perception, intention or consciousn...

Gladness, joy, happiness, rapture and bliss are the crucial supporting factors for our mind to be able to unify in 'SamādhI' ('concentration' / 'internal unification of mind'). In this guided meditation, Ajahn Dhammasiha gives some pointers how to develop joy and rapture in our meditation. As long as the happiness experienced is not based on sensuality or unwholesome intentions, we should not shy...

Often meditators are focussed so much on the meditation object, that they lose awareness of the general state of their mind, and how the mind relates to the meditation object.  Ajahn Dhammasiha encourages us to become fully aware of our mind while we're watching the breath, as the Buddha described in the third tetrad on Ānāpāṇasati: We train ourselves to breathe in and out experiencing the mi...

In this guided meditation, we develop Mettā first to only one being. We choose whoever we find most easy to wish well, and then we gradually widen the circle of beings until everyone in the whole universe is included. Mettā, Loving Kindness, is the intention of unconditional good will to everyone. Non-judgemental, loving friendliness to all living beings.  However, it is often easier to devel...

Compassion ('Karuṇā') has the miraculous, transformative power to uplift our mind, keep it bright and whoesome and confident, and raise it above the pain and distress we experience when we witness intense suffering in other beings. The Buddha himself radiated such strong compassion that everyone meeting him felt a sense of relief and unburdening from whatever suffering ('dukkha') they were experie...

The Buddha explained that Mindfulness of In and Out Breath (Ānāpāṇasati) can develop all 4 Satipaṭṭhāna (Foundations of Mindfulness).  In this guided meditation, Ajahn Dhammasiha uses the instructions of the Buddha as given in Ānāpāṇasati Sutta (Middle Length Discourses/Majjima Nikāya #118) to lead us in developing the 4th Foundation of Mindfulness, 'Contemplation of Dhamma': We train ourselv...

Ajahn Dhammasiha points out that the Buddha did not teach Not-Self to establish a theory or philosophy. The Buddha is not concerned with theorizing or arguing about philosophical views. His one and only concern is to get us out of suffering (dukkha); to teach us to end ageing, sickness, death and new rebirth; how to end all disappointment, frustration and pain. Not-Self if a meditative tool to ach...

On the first Full Moon Practice Day in this year's rains retreat at Dhammagiri, Ajahn Dhammasiha leads a guided meditation on the theme of 'Not-Self' ('Anattā').  In the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta, the Buddha taught a short but pithy, meditative Pali formula to his first five disciples. Contemplating it wisely, the hearts of his disciples were released from all corruptions and attained Nibbāna. How...

In this guided meditation, Ajahn Dhammasiha encourages us to develop the perception of beauty, joy and happiness while meditating on the breath. Ānāpāṇasati, Mindfulness of the In and Outbreath, was the Buddha's own favourite meditation object. Fortunately, he left us extensive, detailed instructions how to develop this particular meditation. The crucial factor is to enjoy meditating. If we only f...

In this guided meditation on occasion of Āsāḷhā Full Moon / Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Ajahn Dhammasiha is encoraging us to use breath meditation to investigate the four noble truths. We use the breath as anchor for our awareness, and then carefully observe how craving takes us away from the breath, with the result that we experience dukkha (suffering/stress/discomfort).If craving (taṇhā) leads...

Ajahn explains three fundmental principles that we have to gradually unfold and learn to enjoy in our meditation:Directing our attention inwards, to observe our own internal feelings, thoughts, emotions and moods, rather than external phenomenaTo let go of past and future, and to settle down in the present moment, the 'paccuppanna dhamma'To calm down all activity, doing, thinking, creating, making...

With questions about Anatta ('Not-Self') via both email and messages during the live podcast, Ajahn Dhammasiha shares some reflections on this subject. He points out that the Buddha did not teach Anattā to establish a doctrine or philosophy, but he intended it as a meditative tool for the explicit purpose of undermining and ulltimately totally uprooting all attachment, clinging and identification...

Ajahn Dhammasīha challenges us to reflect on the idea of 'being stuck in a lockdown' on a deeper level. Are we truly free when the government enforced lockdown is lifted? Or do we not remain 'stuck' inside our body, and 'locked down' in attachment and delusion all the time? He quotes Suttanipāta verse 778, the famous verses on “The Cave” from the Chapter of Octads, where the Buddha compares our si...

Ajahn Dhammasiha leads a guided meditation on Loving Kindness ('Mettā'), also called 'Divine Abode' ('Brahma-Vihāra'), and 'Liberation of the Heart' ('Ceto-Vimutti') by the Buddha. He encourages us to transcend the physical lockdown by releasing our mind, and to happily settle into a lockdown inside the divine, mental dwelling place of unconditional, non-judgemental loving kindness. More about Dha...

Recorded at Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage on Tuesday 21 April 2020, on the 14-Day New Moon Uposatha, the 3rd Uposatha of the Hot Season ('Gimhāna'), recitation by Ven Moneyyo. The sequence of the ceremony is as follows:1. Dedication of Offerings "Yo so..."2. Homage to the Buddha "Namo tassa..."3. Reciter requests permission from Sanghathera to recite Pāṭimokkha4. Announcement in English5. Prelimenar...

Since his arrival about one month ago for a long term stay, Harley has been working with great dedication on the Cubby Kuti. He calls in at our livecast to give us an update on the project. We discuss:Location of the site on a steep slope with beautiful viewsLocal council regulations and Vinaya regulations given by the Buddha that determine size of the kutiFeatures of kuti and walking meditation p...

Dhamma reflection by Ajahn Dhammasiha at Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage during Coronavirus lockdown in Brisbane, Australia. He quotes from Saṃyutta Nikāya, Dhātusaṃyutta, Cankamasutta (Connected Discourses of the Buddha 14.15 - page 638), where the Buddha points out various groups of disciples walking meditation together. All of those in each group have similar mental qualities and interests; e.g. al...

Recollection of the Buddha ('Buddhānussati') is a very popular and easy meditation object, that has been highly recommended by the Buddha himself, especially for the lay community. Many of the great Kroob Ajahns in our tradition used it as 'Parikamma' (foundational meditation object), and first succeeded in calming their mind in samādhi that way. Ajahn Dhammasiha leads a guided meditation on Buddh...

Guided Meditation & Dhamma Reflections on Recollection of Virtue, Generosity & Angels (Sīlānussati, Cāgānussati & Devatānussati) with Ajahn Dhammasīha on Full Moon Uposatha Night. Recording of Live Podcast from Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage. By the way, only next day did I learn that it was actually a 'Super Moon' - the next one brighter than this one will occur only in 2025!www.dhammagiri.org.auwww...

Evening Chanting, Guided Meditation and Dhamma Reflections on Compassion with Ajahn Dhammasiha. Live Podcast recorded at Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage. Ajahn explains how compassion can raise our heart out of depression, sadness and despair, even if we witness great suffering in other beings. The intention: "May you be released from suffering, may you be healed, may you be free from pain!" can uplif...