Monks In Cyberspace

2023-12-15 Bhante Sujato. Meditation and discussion of ~ 'things end all by themselves'. Discussion of cessation. Discussion that even the jhana qualities are progressive cessations, also the hindrances such as sloth and torpour fading away. Discussion of having faith in cessation and possible fear of cessation.

2023-12-08 Bhante Sujato. Mindfulness of breathing meditation - how important consistency is in medtiation, how unwholesome thoughts can come up if we define ourselves in specific ways. Dhamma talk on sankhāras. Discussion of how sankhāra relates to energy, relativity, neuroplasticity. Broader discussion of sankhāras as moral choices, sankhāras patterns in meditation, relationship to time, the bha...

2023-12-01 Bhante Sujato. Meditation on impermanence, steadiness and stilness. Dhamma talk on impermanence. Question on precognition, the relationship of the present to consciousness. Discussion of the relationship of time to impermanence. How many religions involve a search for things that don't change. The subtle desire to live forever. Q+A question of how momentariness was introduced into Buddh...

2023-11-24 Bhante Sujato. Meditation on doing nothing because the breath is calming you down. Dhamma talk on making decisions.

2023-11-17 Bhante Sujato. Meditation on the breath as radiant and changing dependent on the hindrances. Dhamma talk on "looking on the bright side" with discussion of the role of happiness on the path.

2023-11-10 Bhante Sujato. Meditation on the simple breath. Dhamma talk on mid-life crises. Discussion of the positive aspects of a mid-life crisis, the nature of faith and science, discussions about death, the difference between right thought and wisdom, God and Nietzsche, the three kinds of dukkha, with focus on viparinamadukkha, should we have hope?.

2023-11-03 Bhante Sujato. Meditation on the caring breath and brightness of the breath. Dhamma talk part 2 on the MN38 Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhayasutta (The Longer Discourse on the Ending of Craving). Discussion of Ven. Sāti's harmful misconception that 'this very same consciousness that roams and transmigrates, not another'.

2023-10-27 Bhante Sujato. Meditation on seeing the knower. Dhamma talk on the MN38 Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhayasutta (The Longer Discourse on the Ending of Craving). Discussion of Ven. Sāti's harmful misconception that 'this very same consciousness that roams and transmigrates, not another'.

2023-10-20 Bhante Sujato. Meditation on craving. Dhamma talk on the MN37 Cūḷataṇhāsaṅkhayasutta (The Shorter Discourse on the Ending of Craving). Discussion of how insisting on something is a strong form of craving, the role of Sakka in the suttas.

2023-10-13 Bhante Sujato. Meditation on feeling and form, two of the five aggregates. Dhamma talk on the MN35 Cūḷasaccaka Sutta (The Shorter Discourse With Saccaka). Saccaka as an early "troll" figure. Discussion of the dramatic way the debate takes place and how the Buddha refutes Saccaka's argument that Self is the five aggregates.

2023-10-06   Bhante Sujato. Meditation on light and the breath. Dhamma talk on the story of Anuruddha, Nandiya and Kimbila found in both MN128 Upakkilesasutta (Corruptions) and MN31 Cūḷagosiṅgasutta (The Shorter Discourse at Gosiṅga) . Discussion of the background to these three and why the sutta is framed the way it is, Anuruddha evading questions and gradually revealing things. Discussion of the...

2023-09-29   Bhante Sujato. Meditation on the parts of the body. Dhamma talk on Ven. Sāriputta's MN28 Mahāhatthipadopama Sutta (The Longer Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint) . Discussion of the elements as gods that reflect the sacredness of the world we live in. The integration of the four elements, and a shorter discussion of how Ven. Sāriputta also fits in anicca, non-self, forgiveness, metta...

2023-09-22   Bhante Sujato. Meditation on consciousness of the gradual movement and subtle dimensions of the breath. Dhamma talk on MN26 Pāsarāsisutta/Āriyapariyesanasutta (The Noble Quest). The question of what Āḷāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta taught and what may be missing from MN26. Āstika versus the nāstika/neti neti wings of Upanishadic thought, the dimension of nothingness. Also mentioned a...

2023-09-15   Bhante Sujato. Meditation on finding anything that is ourself. Dhamma talk on MN22 Alagaddūpamasutta (The Simile of the Cobra). The simile of the raft, and the various comparisons of self and non-self: 6 grounds for views. How non-self is almost always grasped in tthe wrong way like the simile of the snake/cobra.

2023-09-08   Bhante Sujato. Meditation on "what's done is finished". Dhamma talk on MN23 Vammikasutta (The Ant-Hill). Dicussion of how "the gods love hidden things" in the Vedic literature and the possible obscure meanings of the various things that the hero is digging for in this sutta with reference to the Vedic culture.

2023-09-01   Bhante Sujato. Meditation using the five stratgies of calming unskilful thoughts in Madhupiṇḍikasutta: 1. Focus on another thing that gives rise to more wholesome thoughts. 2. Examine ther drawbacks of unskillful thoughts 3. Ignore and forget the thought 4. Stop the causes of unskilful thoughts 5. With exertsion 'crush mind with mind'. Dhamma talk on the final on the trilogy in Majjhi...

2023-08-25   Bhante Sujato. Meditation using the Dvedhāvitakkasutta strategy of dividing thoughts into two classes: wholesome and unwholesome, focus on the drawbacks of unwholesome thoughts. Dhamma talk following on from last week's trilogy of suttas in Majjhima on thought (vitakka/sankappa) MN19 Dvedhāvitakkasutta (Two kinds of thought).

2023-08-18   Bhante Sujato. An insight practice meditation on being aware of how far away from your meditation you are when you realise you have lost your meditation. Dhamma talk on MN18 The Honeycake Sutta. Discussion of Bhante's updated version of this sutta. The Buddha's interlocutor Daṇḍapāṇi as representing someone with a past grudge. Discussion of the senses -> contact -> feeling -> perceivi...

2023-08-11   Bhante Sujato. Meditation on mudita. Dhamma talk on reality, with reference to the idealism vs realism debate in philosophy, the elements, the senses, delusion (delulu) and how the Buddha did not assume things, often asking and clarifying. Discussion of Thursday night's discussion between the Australian Sangha Association including Bhante Sujato, Venerable Thubten Chokyi and Noel Pear...

2023-08-04   Bhante Sujato. Meditation on gentle, easeful sense of balanced alertness; meditation as carrying you through the path. Dhamma talk on the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta for Āsālha Pūjā.

2023-07-28   Giles Barton. Meditation on the quality of your own mood and energy, present moment awareness. Dhamma talk on beginners's luck, kamma and Devadatta, rebirth, Giles's history with Buddhism, account of recovering from a recent accident.

2023-07-21   Dr. Sumana Ratnakaya. Meditation on the present moment and body relaxation. Dhamma talk on turning points on the path of awakening and in meditation. Discussion of SN48.42 as it relates to stages of the path and the kusala dhammas. Mention of MN117 - The Great Forty and the MN62 - Longer Discourse to Rāhula, MN131 - One Fine Night .

2023-07-14   Bhante Sujato. Mettā meditation for oneself and all beings. Dhamma talk on climate change and engaging in politics, day after the panel with Bhante Sujato and climate experts Let not the world burn.

2023-07-07   Bhante Sujato. Meditation on the breath leading us to peace rather than "me doing my meditation to get my results", the breath calming the energies of the body. Dhamma talk on the simile of "the Razor" in the Cunda Sutta DN29 and its possible source in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad by Yajnavalkya.

2023-06-30   Ayya Karunika. Meditation on death. Dhamma talk on death with reference to Dhammapada verse 174 and in one of its commentaries the story of a girl who meets the Buddha and practices death contemplation, which prepares her for stream entry. Broad discussion of near death experiences, importance of practicing death contemplation and doing things which cause pāmojja (non-regret) because...