Clear Mountain Monastery Project

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Sukhito, Israeli-born abbot of Poo Jom Gom Forest Monastery in Ubon, Thailand and (https://ketkamala.org/).

00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction of Tan Ajahn Sukito

00:00:26 Biography: Early Life and Journey to Buddhism

00:01:04 Service at Wat Phu Chong Gom and the Gamala Foundation

00:01:38 Personal Connection and Reflections on Practice

00:02:27 Ajahn Sukito’s Experience in Northern India

00:04:21 Favorite Suttas and Precious Teachings

00:07:07 The Five Faculties as a Framework for Life

00:09:32 A Holistic Approach to the Dhamma

00:11:46 The Five Dimensions: Relationship, Action, and Supervision

00:16:37 The Five Dimensions: Inner Life and Continuous Learning

00:18:59 Tracing the Development of Faith (Saddha)

00:21:53 Meeting the Dhamma: A Powerful Shift in Perspective

00:27:56 The Faculty of Energy (Viriya) and the Path to Thailand

00:32:51 Discovering the Thai Forest Tradition and Its Teachers

00:35:51 Stepping into the Role of Abbot at Wat Phu Chong Gom

00:40:46 Managing a Forest Monastery for Holistic Practice

00:44:40 The Importance of Community in the Ajahn Chah Lineage

00:47:07 Balancing Aesthetic Seriousness with Lightness

00:48:49 Physical Work and Simplicity as Spiritual Practice

00:52:49 Cultivating Noble Friendship on the Path

00:55:19 The Faculty of Wisdom (Panna) and Education

00:59:48 The Vision of the Kate Gamala Foundation

01:03:40 Applying Dhamma to Global Challenges and Education

01:06:48 Guiding Hearts Through World Upheaval and Conflict

01:13:47 Closing Words and Gratitude

Ajahn Sukhito's Biography:

Ajahn Sukhito - born in Israel in 1970 - is a Theravāda Buddhist monk in the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah. In his early twenties, he traveled to the East, where he first encountered Buddhism in Northern India - an experience that profoundly shaped his life. He went on to study and practice within several Buddhist traditions before ordaining as a monk in the Ajahn Chah lineage. For over 30 years, Ajahn Sukhito has lived and practiced as a monk primarily in Thailand. For approximately 14 years, he has served as abbot of Poo Jom Gom (วัดป่าภูจ้อมก้อม) Forest Monastery in Northeast Thailand. In recent years, he has also spent extended periods in Israel at the invitation of his students, supporting the development of the local community of practitioners in the Ajahn Chah tradition. Also in recent years, Ajahn Sukhito has taken on the role (along with Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Dton) of "Spiritual Advisor" to the Ket Kamalā Foundation มูลนิธิเกตุกมลา (https://ketkamala.org/), which provides Holistic Buddhist Education in the form of weekend camps at various monasteries and with a vision is to establish a Holistic Buddhist Bilingual School in Ubon Province.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Loch Kelly - meditation teacher, author, and founder of the Effortless Mindfulness Institute (https://lochkelly.org/).

00:00:00 Introduction to Loch Kelly

00:02:14 Introduction to Effortless Mindfulness for Theravāda Listeners

00:12:14 Mapping Effortless Mindfulness to Samādhi and the Unborn

00:14:12 Resonance of Loch's Teachings with the Theravāda Tradition

00:19:40 Defining "Glimpses" and "Local Awareness"

00:27:35 Experiencing a Glimpse: What is the Nature of this Awareness?

00:29:03 Understanding the Capabilities of Local Awareness

00:30:08 Loch’s Personal Experience and the "Clear Light" of Rigpa

00:32:00 Determining the Relationship Between Awareness and the Deathless

00:39:06 Navigating the Conflict Between Dualistic and Non-Dualistic Teachings

00:45:52 Demonstrating a Second Skillful Glimpse

00:50:08 Distinguishing Types of Awareness: Attention vs. Mindful Awareness

00:53:11 Shifting the Location of Identity and the Mindful Witness

00:56:58 Identifying the Detours: Spiritual Bypassing, Psychological Overpassing, Cognitive Underpassing

01:02:40 Guiding the Seven Steps: Unhook, Drop, Open, See, Include, Know and Let Be

01:04:41 Implementing Effortless Mindfulness for Different Personalities

01:11:53 Paradoxes in Buddhism: Mundane vs. Super-Mundane Right View

01:15:12 Applying Mindfulness Tools to Deep Suffering and Trauma

01:25:19 Helping Students "Unstuck" from the Mindful Witness Position

01:28:30 Integrating Flow Consciousness into Everyday Life

01:32:11 Risks and Ethics of Sharing Direct Pointing Instructions

Loch Kelly's Biography:

Loch Kelly is a meditation teacher, psychotherapist, and is the founder of the non-profit Effortless Mindfulness Institute. A graduate of Columbia University and Union Theological, he has, since the late 1970s, studied in multiple lineages of Buddhism: with such Theravāda elders as Professor Lily de Silva and Godwin Samararatne; with the Tibetan masters Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and Anam Thubten among other greats; and with modern teachers such as Adyashanti, Tara Brach, and Shinzen Young. Loch synthesizes ancient nondual wisdom, neuroscience, and contemporary psychology–especially Internal Family Systems–into a unique experiential teaching style focused on "small glimpses" many times. Loch is recognized for his collaborative research with neuroscientists at Yale and NYU, and is the author of "Shift Into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness" and "The Way of Effortless Mindfulness."

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho recounts the Buddha's life and Enlightenment, emphasing both his relatability as a historical figure who lived 2500 years ago, and the transcendent aspect which we can contact today. By more deeply understanding his humanity, we understand that we too have the potential to Awaken as he did.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Brahmali, elder monk at Bodhinyana Monastery, advisor to the Buddhist Society of Western Australia (https://bswa.org/), and frequent contributor to and translator at SuttaCentral.net.

Biography of Ajahn Brahmali:

Ajahn Brahmali was born in Norway in 1964. He first became interested in Buddhism and meditation in his early 20s after a visit to Japan. Having completed degrees in engineering and finance, he began his monastic training in England at Amaravati and Chithurst Buddhist Monasteries. After hearing teachings from Ajahn Brahm, he decided to travel to Australia to train at Bodhinyana Monastery. Ajahn Brahmali has lived at Bodhinyana Monastery since 1994, and was ordained as a Bhikkhu, with Ajahn Brahm as his preceptor, in 1996. Ajahn Brahmali’s knowledge of the Pali language and of the Suttas is excellent. A regular contributor to discourse.suttacentral, he has also published two essays on Dependent Origination, a book called “The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts” with Bhante Sujato, and has translated the entire Buddhist Monastic Code.

Ajahn Brahmali Previous CMM Interview on Early Buddhist Texts: https://youtu.be/FznHXTboSJs?si=44Mc8X9sSSZGRysh

Nine Principles of Translation

from: https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/principles-of-translation/19485

1. Translating (nearly) everything

2. Translating transparently and meaningfully

3. Principle of the least meaning

4. (Partially) transforming the oral nature of the text into literary form

5. Using simple language and vocabulary

6. Avoiding Buddhist hybrid English

7. Using American spelling and vocabulary

8. Sometimes using multiple renderings for each Pali term or expression

9. Principle of [[lectio difficilior potior

The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Randima Fernando, co-founder of Center for Humane Technology (https://www.humanetech.com/) joins Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho for a conversation.

Randima's Biography:

Randima has presented on the intersection of technology, mindfulness, and social impact to the world’s leading technology companies, NGOs, and government agencies. He is a Co-Founder and former Executive Director of Center for Humane Technology, which has helped over 100 million people globally understand the harms of extractive technology through the documentary film The Social Dilemma, the podcast Your Undivided Attention, and many other initiatives. Randima started his career at NVIDIA, where he led many award-winning projects and authored three #1-ranked books on 3D graphics over seven years. Additionally, he was a founding Board Member of the NVIDIA Foundation. Randima then served for seven years as founding Executive Director at Mindful Schools, a nonprofit that has taught mindfulness to millions of kids and over 70,000 educators worldwide. He is also a former board member of Spirit Rock Meditation Center.

The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery

https://youtu.be/ElxEuHRiolI

https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/

In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak about the long-term vision for Clear Mountain, as well as the timeline and immediate steps towards its realization. Addressing frequently asked questions and comments from the audience, the session describes the process for creating a refuge of Dhamma in the Northwest on the newly acquired land.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about Nibbidā - disenchantment, disillusionment, and enoughness as one practices the path at getting better at pleasure, happiness, and peace.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, we speak with Luang Por Khemadhammo OBE (https://foresthermitage.org.uk/), abbot of The Forest Hermitage & founder of the Angulimala Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy program.

00:00:00 — Introduction

00:01:45 — Key moments of faith leading to monasticism

00:06:45 — Transferable skills between acting and meditation

00:11:18 — Personal perspectives on the "Dharma of Shakespeare"

00:11:44 — Specific gems of wisdom found in Shakespeare's works

00:12:16 — Experiencing the qualities of genius and love in Ajahn Chah

00:17:48 — Specific anecdotes or stories from time with Ajahn Chah

00:23:44 — The genesis and nature of the Angulimala prison project

00:30:57 — Inspiration for dedicating decades to prison work

00:35:00 — Transmuting rage and anger in incarcerated individuals

00:37:31 — Most relevant Buddhist teachings for inmates

00:38:50 — Practical means and methods of the prison program

00:42:04 — Relating to and appreciating diverse Buddhist schools

00:49:33 — Stories of personal transformation among inmates

00:52:17 — Handling worldly accolades and honors as a monk

00:55:06 — The quintessential ingredient for staying in robes

00:58:29 — Evolving perspectives on monks using modern media

01:01:15 — Advice for interacting with those "down and out" or unseen

As you can see, the conversation was wide-ranging touching on many fascinating aspects of Luang Por Khemadhammo's unique life as a Shakespearean actor turned Buddhist monk. Such topics include meditation lessons from the theatre, the initial meeting and life with Luang Por Chah, the beginnings of the Western Sangha in England, the birth of the Angulimala Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy program, insights from teaching prisoners, and perspectives gained from 55 years in robes. For more information about Luang Por, visit: https://foresthermitage.org.uk/

Luang Por Khemadhammo's Bio:

Luang Por Khemadhammo (Chao Khun Bhavanaviteht) OBE was born in England in 1944. After training and practising as a professional actor and working at the Royal National Theatre with Laurence Olivier, in 1971 he travelled to Thailand via the Buddhist holy places in India. In December 1971 in Bangkok he became a novice and about a month later moved to Ubon to stay at Wat Nong Pah Pong with Ajahn Chah with whom he received bhikkhu ordination. In 2003, he was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to prisoners and for his creation of the Angulimala Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy (https://angulimala.org.uk/) program. The following year at His Majesty the King of Thailand’s birthday in December he was made a Chao Khun with the title, Phra Chao Khun Bhavanaviteht. He is the founder and abbot of The Forest Hermitage and one of the most senior Western Disciples of Luang Por Chah.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this dual talk describing their recent three-month Winter Retreat, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak about key tools, take-aways, and the particular dukkha and sukha, of sitting in quiet for 90 days… with 9 hours a day of sitting meditation on Zoom.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Indo-Tibetan Buddhist scholar Dr. Jay Garfield (https://jaygarfield.org/).

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:00:25 – Biography of Professor Jay Garfield

00:01:48 – Prof. Garfield's Start Studying Buddhist Philosophy

00:06:14 – The Origin of the "Third World Expectation" Requirement

00:08:34 – Why Study at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies?

00:09:15 – Shared Experiences at Hampshire College

00:10:18 – Defining Indo-Tibetan Buddhism

00:12:13 – Comparing Theravada and Indo-Tibetan Traditions

00:17:17 – Explaining the Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma

00:26:24 – Authenticity and the Definition of "Word of the Buddha" (Buddhavacana)

00:33:44 – The Story of the Academic Exchange Program

00:36:48 – Distinguishing the Three Vehicles (Yānas)

00:39:50 – Common Misunderstandings of Tantra

00:40:38 – Overview of the Four Major Schools of Tibetan Buddhism

00:45:35 – The Role of Ethics (Sīla) in Buddhist Study

00:50:06 – The Guru: Fourth Jewel of Tibetan Buddhism

00:51:17 – Exploring Dzogchen and "Pointing Out" Instructions

00:59:18 – Which Languages Would You Prioritize Learning?

01:00:06 – Top Book Recommendations for Beginners

01:00:31 – Which Western Philosopher Should a Buddhist Read?

01:00:47 – Whose Mind Would You Like to Experience?

01:01:13 – Which Realm of Being Would You Inhabit?

01:01:45 – Have You Ever Considered Ordination?

Dr. Garfield's Biography:

Jay L. Garfield is Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Smith College, visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School, Professor of Philosophy at Melbourne University, and adjunct professor of philosophy at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies. His work has focused on Buddhist philosophy, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, ethics, and cross-cultural work, addressing topics in cognitive science, modern Indian philosophy, epistemology, and Indo-Tibetan Madhyamaka and Yogācāra Buddhism in particular. He is the author or editor of over 30 books including "Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live without a Self," "Buddhist Ethics: A Philosophical Exploration," "Engaging Buddhism: Why Does Buddhism Matter to Philosophy?," and "How to Lose Yourself: An Ancient Guide to Letting Go" in addition to nearly 200 articles, chapters, and reviews. He is also the Professor of the Great Courses Series on "The Meaning of Life."

The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how we can create true spiritual community, referencing the the six principles of harmony taught by the Buddha in the Kosambiya Sutta (MN 48 - https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN48.html). Understanding kalyāṇa-mittatā, or spiritual friendship, as relationship predicated on mutual support of shared spiritual values rather than resonance of personality, we can cultivate a truly inclusive and safe refuge for all.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Ajahn Mahā Dam (https://www.facebook.com/buddhakhanti/), who was handicapped during the Walk For Peace.

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:27 – Early Faith and Becoming a Novice

00:03:24 – Moving to Thailand at Age 14

00:04:03 – Ajahn's "Second Birth" as a Buddhist

00:05:41 – Challenges of Language and Adaptation

00:07:07 – Sustaining Monastic Life as a Youth

00:09:34 – Transitioning to Pāli Studies in Bangkok

00:11:38 – The Technique of Pain Meditation

00:14:03 – Recollections of the Accident

00:17:00 – Duration of the Peace Walk

00:21:27 – Breath Meditation vs. Mantras

00:22:25 – The Importance of Mindfulness at Death

00:25:11 – Advice on Loss and Mindfulness Without the Breath

00:26:38 – Sensations Immediately After Impact

00:30:17 – Processing the News of Amputation

00:33:08 – Offering the Leg as Buddha Pūja

00:37:31 – Hopes for Future Service to the Dhamma

00:39:36 – Experiences with Racism and Being a Stranger

00:41:10 – Favorite Teachers of the Thai Forest Tradition

00:42:38 – Listening to Ajahn Chah in Isaan/Lao Language

00:44:01 – Hopes for Pilgrimage in India and Nepal

00:44:36 – The Core Purpose of the Walk for Peace

00:48:07 – Practicing with Loss and Avoiding Resentment

00:50:55 – Forgiveness and the "Second Arrow" of Anger

00:54:13 – Reflections on the Community’s Support

00:56:37 – Current Recovery and Future Hopes

00:58:54 – A New Companion: The Peace Dog

Ajahn Mahā Dam's Biography:

Ajahn Mahā Dam Prommasan (พระอาจารย์มหาดำ พรหมสาร) was born in Savannakhet, Laos and ordained as a novice monk at age nine. At age fourteen, he traveled to Ubon, Thailand to further his studies at Wat Phitsopārām (วัดพิชโสภาราม), later continuing his studies in Bangkok where he would complete the eighth of nine levels of Pāli Proficiency. In 2016, he moved to Wat Lao Buddha Khanti in Snellville, Georgia, where he now serves as head monk. At the end of last year, Ajahn Maha Dam joined Bhante Paññākāra's Walk for Peace tudong. While on this walking pilgrimage near Houston, Texas, he was struck by a vehicle, resulting in injuries so severe that his leg had to be amputated. Despite the profound physical trauma and the loss of his limb, he continues his life as a monk with a heart free of grievance, embodying the very peace he set out to share with the world.

To learn more about Ajahn Mahā Dam, visit: https://www.watlaobuddhakhanti.org/ OR https://www.facebook.com/buddhakhanti/

- Interview with the Walk for Peace leader, Bhante Paññākāra here: https://youtu.be/vgo0mhBAotM

- And Part Two of that interview here: https://youtu.be/r_AhRfLJJNw

#walkforpeace #alokathepeacedog #buddhistmonks

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 - 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo takes a cue from the Christian Calendar, speaking to the symbolism of Holy/Glorious/Low Saturday–the day after Christ's Crucifixion and before his Resurrection–as a metaphor for being with and understanding dukkha, suffering.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's two-part interview with Bhante Paññākāra. You may find PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/vgo0mhBAotM

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:51 - Encounters with Suffering on the Road

00:09:14 - Walking Meditation and Mindfulness of Breath at the Edge

00:18:55 - Ajahn Mahā Dham's Accident and Amputation

00:24:32 - "Protest" and Police Encounters

00:38:40 - Personal Relationship to the Triple Gem: Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha

00:41:48 - Engaging with Christian Protesters - "No Religion"

00:50:30 - A Message for the World

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Bhante Pannyakara (https://dhammacetiya.com/), the Vietnamese-born Theravāda monk who led the recent "Walk for Peace" from Texas to Washington DC and who founded the Dhammacetiya Project in Fort Worth, Texas. This second part of the interview details the miraculous rescue of the 'ambassador dog' Āloka from India, the transformative impact of the 2,300-mile 'Walk for Peace' on those contemplating suicide or facing deep grief, the tragic yet transcendent accident of Ajahn MahāDham, the unique integration of law enforcement and protesters into a singular field of mindfulness, and how the internal discipline of watchin the breath can allow a practitioner to maintain a 'peaceful day' amidst the noise of the world.

To learn more, visit https://dhammacetiya.com/ or https://www.youtube.com/@walkforpeaceusa

Bhante's Biography:

Bhante Paññākāra is a Theravāda Buddhist monk and former IT engineer who transitioned from a corporate career to a life of mindfulness and service. Born in Vietnam and educated at the University of Texas at Arlington, Bhante Paññākāra immigrated to the U.S. in 1997 and took full ordination in 2010 in the lineage of the Most Venerable Ratanaguna, the last direct disciple of His Holiness the Venerable Vamsarakhita, founder and first Sangharaja of the Vietnamese Theravāda Buddhist Sangha. In 2020, he launched the Dhammacetiya Project to preserve the Tipiṭaka in a monumental marble stupa complex, a vision furthered by his 112-day, 2,100-mile ascetic Dhutanga pilgrimage across India and Nepal. That journey, chronicled in his memoir, The Footsteps of a Buddhist Monk, laid the foundation for his most recent undertaking: leading the only-very-recently-completed 2,300-mile, 108-day 'Walk for Peace' from Texas to Washington, D.C. He currently serves at the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhāvana Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

To learn more about Bhante Paññākāra, visit: https://www.facebook.com/walkforpeaceusa/ or https://dhammacetiya.com/

#walkforpeace #alokathepeacedog #buddhistmonks

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 - 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the quality humility in Buddhism, and how to let go of pride and conceit. Though anattā, or "not-self", can seem like an abstract concept at first, Buddhist practice teaches us over time the embodied sense of what means to let go of a sense of self and ensuing suffering. In humility we find true majesty of spirit.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's two-part interview with Bhante Paññākāra. PART TWO is scheduled to air April 1st here: https://youtu.be/r_AhRfLJJNw

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:23 - How is Āloka?

00:04:00 - Key Moments of Faith and Ordination

00:14:51 - Choosing Theravāda

00:23:12 - Making Vows

00:30:52 - Āloka Sighting

00:31:55 - Daily Vows and the Practice of Tudong Pilgrimage and Wearing Rag-robes

00:39:54 - How Bhante Met Āloka

00:47:26 - Social Justice Peace Walks vs. Renunciate Peace Walks

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Bhante Pannakara (https://dhammacetiya.com/), the Vietnamese-born Theravāda monk who led the recent "Walk for Peace" from Texas to Washington DC and who founded the Dhammacetiya Project in Fort Worth, Texas. This first part of the interview explores Bhante Paññākāra’s transition from a disillusioning IT career to the monastic life, the profound 'system-reboot' sparked by the simple sight of a falling leaf, the persistence required to secure his parents' and teacher's permission to ordain, the seven-year silent incubation of his vow to build the marble Dhammacetiya Project, and the physical rigors of a 2,100-mile ascetic pilgrimage through India and Nepal in hand-stitched rag robes.

Bhante's Biography:

Bhante Panyakara is a Theravāda Buddhist monk and former IT engineer who transitioned from a corporate career to a life of mindfulness and service. Born in Vietnam and educated at the University of Texas at Arlington, Bhante Paññākāra immigrated to the U.S. in 1997 and took full ordination in 2010 in the lineage of the Most Venerable Ratanaguna, the last direct disciple of His Holiness the Venerable Vamsarakhita, founder and first Sangharaja of the Vietnamese Theravāda Buddhist Sangha. In 2020, he launched the Dhammacetiya Project to preserve the Tipiṭaka in a monumental marble stupa complex, a vision furthered by his 112-day, 2,100-mile ascetic Dhutanga pilgrimage across India and Nepal. That journey, chronicled in his memoir, The Footsteps of a Buddhist Monk, laid the foundation for his most recent undertaking: leading the only-very-recently-completed 2,300-mile, 108-day 'Walk for Peace' from Texas to Washington, D.C. He currently serves at the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhāvana Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

To learn more about Bhante Paññākāra, visit: https://www.facebook.com/walkforpeaceusa/ or https://dhammacetiya.com/

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 - 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/

00:00 Introduction

02:13 Monastics speak

15:45 Board & Land Development Team speak

44:18 Audience sharing with Q&A

On Sat. March 21, 2026, Clear Mountain's monastics, Board, and Land Development team announced to the community that the Friends of Clear Mountain Board had taken a final vote to approve acquisition of the 90-acre North Bend land for Clear Mountain Monastery. By doing so they met the March 22 deadline for the due diligence process. Community support for the land acquisition reflects the incredible generosity of the Clear Mountain community around the world, and the final donations for the purchase came through to Friends of Clear Mountain for the full $4.93 million purchase of the two North Bend parcels, the future home of Clear Mountain Monastery!

We rejoice in all those who contributed to this beautiful aspiration being realized! Sadhu!

To learn more, visit https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Bhante Sumitta, founder of “Dhamma USA” (https://www.dhammausa.org/). Topics discussed include Bhante Smnitta's going-forth at eleven, the benefits of loving-kindness, cultivation of metta, teaching Dhamma to children, the emerging bhikkhuni order in Sri Lanka and the US.

Bhante Sumitta's Biography:

Bhante Sumitta is the founder of “Dhamma USA”, a community-based charity organization to launch his community care and spiritual care activities. Bhante is actively engaged in social welfare and spiritual care activities in California and other states by conducting Dhamma Talks, Sutta Discussions, Meditations and Pali Language Classes apart from helping many under privileged families and children in Sri Lanka. Dhamma USA is also helping children education projects in India. Bhante Sumitta is currently a PhD Research scholar at the University of the West and is pursuing his research thesis on “Philosophy of Arahanta Ideal as Depicted in Mahaniddesa”. At his school, University of the West, Bhante Sumitta started “UWest Pali Society” to promote Pali studies and Buddhist Art & Culture. A weeklong Budart Exhibition was co-organized by Bhante Sumitta along with Budart. He works as an Adjunct Faculty at the University of the West in several Departments teaching Ethics in Buddhist Ministry; Fundamentals of Buddhism; Introduction to Buddhist Psychology and more. He works as a prison care volunteer for Engaged Buddhist Alliance in Southern California apart from teaching at Home Boys Industries in Los Angeles from time to time. Prior to arriving at United States, venerable has been working at the Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka as a Senior Lecturer in English. He has completed 2 Bachelor Degrees and 3 Master Degrees prior to pursuing his doctoral Degree at the University of the West.

To learn more, visit https://www.dhammausa.org/

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

The 4-Part guided meditation on "sharing merit" that preceded this talk can be found here: https://youtu.be/cK__2ma48vs

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks to the practice of "sharing merit" (pattidāna-mayā puññā) based on the "Verses of Sharing & Aspiration" chant on page 33 of the Chanting book (https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/30/Chanting-Book-Vol-1-Web.pdf):

"Through the goodness that arises from my practice,

May my spiritual teachers & guides of great virtue,

My mother, my father, & my relatives,

The Sun & the Moon, & all virtuous leaders of the world,

May the highest gods & evil forces,

Celestial beings, guardian spirits of the Earth, & the Lord of Death,

May those who are friendly, indifferent, or hostile,

May all beings receive the blessings of my life.

May they soon attain the threefold bliss & realize the Deathless.

Through the goodness that arises from my practice, & through this act of sharing,

May all desires & attachments quickly cease & all harmful states of mind.

Until I realize Nibānna,

In every kind of birth, may I have an upright mind,

With mindfulness & wisdom, austerity & vigor.

May the forces of delusion not take hold nor weaken my resolve.

The Buddha is my excellent refuge,

Unsurpassed is the protection of the Dhamma,

The Solitary Buddha is my noble guide,

The Sangha is my supreme support.

Through the supreme power of all these,

May darkness & delusion be dispelled."

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

Ratthapala was a wealthy young man who heard the Buddha teach and immediately wanted to ordain. His parents refused - he was their only son, raised in privilege. So he lay on the floor and declared he would die there if not permitted. After seven days of fasting, they relented. He quickly attained arahantship and later returned home. His father tried to lure him back with piles of gold and his former wives, but Ratthapala was unmoved. When King Koravya asked why someone with youth, health, and wealth would renounce the world, Ratthapala taught the famous "Four Dhamma Summaries". The Buddha declared Ratthapala foremost among disciples who ordained on "pure conviction" - not from misfortune, but from profound insight into the nature of existence.

To learn more or join via Zoom for the Sunday "Mission Majjhima!" discussion group from 5:10 - 6 pm PT following the video premier, visit Clear Mountain Monastery's website and click on the link for the "Mission Majjhima! – Sunday Evening Sutta Teaching & Discussion" (https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/sunday-sutta-study/).

THIS SUTTA:

The Ratthapala Sutta (About Ratthapala) - https://suttacentral.net/mn82/en/sujato

THE FULL MISSION MAJJHIMA PLAYLIST & SERIES:

- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLomY-Sp4p5YsIVG0DmvJhUcR6YaXR_3wf

- https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/sunday-sutta-study/

SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES:

- Reference Notes - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GbSQaD5VJr3oVkoOXQZOP23NeysBTsY9u5h4O8wub_E/edit

- SuttaCentral Translations and Parallels - https://suttacentral.net/mn82

- Bhikkhu Bodhi Translation - https://suttacentral.net/mn82/en/bodhi

- Thanissaro Bhikkhu Translation - https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN82.html

- Bhikkhu Bodhi Lecture - Syllabus for a Systematic Study of the Majjhima Nikāya:

-- https://bodhimonastery.org/a-systematic-study-of-the-majjhima-nikaya.html#:~:text=MN%2082%2E%20Ra%E1%B9%AD%E1%B9%ADhap%C4%81la%20Sutta,-V

-- (audio) https://scdd.sfo2.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/uploads/original/3X/d/3/d3c0aa5d75be1472abc9000e329bc671942d09a5.mp3

- Bhikkhu Analayo - A Comparative Study of the Majjhima-nikaya - MN 81 - Page 477 - https://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/pdf/5-personen/analayo/compstudyvol1.pdf#page=477

- Venerable Ekaggata - MN 82 - https://bswa.org/teaching/mn82-ratthapala-sutta-12-december-2012/

- Dharmata - Ratthapala Sutta Analysis - https://palisuttas.com/2015/12/06/ratthapala-sutta-mn-82-r/

- The Four Dhamma Summaries (Chanting Guide) - https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/ChantingGuide/Section0013.html

- "The World Is Swept Away" (Thanissaro Bhikkhu) - https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/Meditations2/Section0039.html

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain's weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening "Mission Majjhima!" Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho converse with Bhante Rahula, founder of Paññabhumi Monastery in Guadalajara, Mexico (https://dhamma-pb.org/ and https://www.bhanterahula.com/). They talk about how the monastery served as a refuge during recent political upheaval, the role of monastics in times of tumult, favorite hidden gems in the Suttas, reasons for ordination, and more!

Bhante Rāhula Bio

Bhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has practiced and studied the Dhamma.He was ordained in Myanmar by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, who is his preceptor. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya. For 6 years, Bhante studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau. In 2019, he completed a course on Buddhist scriptures from Harvard University. After living for several years at Sāsanārakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS) in Malaysia, he returned to Mexico to found Paññabhumi Monastery in Guadalajara.

To find out more about Bhante Rāhula or Paññabhumi, visit https://www.bhanterahula.com/ or https://dhamma-pb.org/

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how we can use Buddhist cosmology to understand the mind and its refinement. Where the standard lists of mental factors and contemplations taught by the Buddha often provide the necessary language for practice, the variegated world of Buddhist cosmology contains great wisdom as well.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's interview with Jack Kornfield. Watch PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/selbulve5z0

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:35 - Early Years: From Dartmouth to Haight-Ashbury to Peace Corps to the Thai Forests

00:05:28 - Meeting Ajahn Sumedho

00:07:26 - Meeting Ajahn Chah and Being the Second Western Monk at Wat Nong Pah Pong

00:10:00 - Life in Caves (Wat Tam Saeng Pet), Walking alms barefoot

00:12:25 - Visiting Ajahn Chah with Ram Dass and Joseph Goldstein

00:13:04 - Returning to the West and the poignant decision to disrobe

00:16:28 - The Birth of IMS: Lay Practice and Unexpected Karma

00:17:39 - Founding Spirit Rock: Sacred Land and Generous Benefactors

00:20:45 - Asian Origins of Western Teachings

00:22:15 - Modernizing the Dharma: Lay Teachers and Team Teaching

00:26:21 - Integrating the Feminine

00:27:35 - Right Effort for Westerners Moving Beyond "Cowboy Style"

00:31:20 - Inviting Asian Teachers to America: Ajahn Chah, Mahāsi Saydaw, the Dalai Lama,

00:33:50 - Teacher Conversations for Mutual Growth and Respect

00:39:40 - Ethics and Sexual Misconduct: Precepts for Teachers

00:42:11 - Psychology and the Path

00:44:15 - The "Insight Tradition" and Teacher Training and Curricula

00:49:35 - Addressing Trauma and Seeing Suffering

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Jack Kornfield, a pioneering bridge between Theravāda Buddhism and Western psychology, and a key architect of the mindfulness movement currently flourishing in the United States. Jack brilliantly summarizes a life devoted to bringing the Dharma West, touching on such topics as Kornfield’s early encounters with Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho in the Thai forests, the serendipitous karmic origins of major American centers like IMS and Spirit Rock, and the deliberate evolution of Western Dharma through team teaching, female leadership, and secular teacher training. Kornfield highlights the vital "middle path" of adapting ancient monastic medicines—such as mindfulness and Metta—to address modern issues like trauma and psychological striving, while preserving the core essence of the Four Noble Truths.

Jack's Biography:

Jack Kornfield has been a pioneering force in bringing Theravāda Buddhism – and mindfulness more broadly – to the West. After serving in the Peace Corps in the late 1960s, Jack trained as a monk under our teachers' teacher Ajahn Chah, and - for varying lengths of time – also met and trained with such other monastic luminaries as: Mahasi Sayadaw, Ajahn Jumnien, Taungpulu Sayādaw, Ajahn Buddhadāsa, and Ajahn Maha Boowa. As a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in 1975 and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in 1987, Jack has spent decades bridging Eastern tradition with his background in clinical psychology. He is the author of several modern Spiritual classics, including: "Living Dharma" (formerly "Living Buddhist Masters", "A Path with Heart", "After the Ecstasy the Laundry", and "The Wise Heart". His most recent book is a collection of stories: "All in This Together". To learn more about Jack, visit: https://jackkornfield.com/

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks to the Buddha's teaching of 36 kinds of feelings (vedanā) as alluded to in "The Many Kinds of Feelings Sutta" (MN 59 - https://suttacentral.net/mn59/en/sujato?lang=en) and elaborated upon in "The Analysis of the Six-Sense Fields" (MN 137 - https://suttacentral.net/mn137/en/sujato?lang=en). Ajahn Kovilo summarizes these feelings down to three pairs ... with illustrations:

1. Householder/Carceral Joy (Gehasita Somanassa) & Renunciate/Liberative Joy (Nekkhammasita Somanassa);

2. Householder/Carceral Grief (Gehasita Domanassa) & Renunciate/Liberative Grief (Nekkhammasita Domanassa);

3. Householder/Carceral Equanimity (Gehasita Upekkhā) & Renunciate/Liberative Equanimity (Nekkhammasita Upekkhā).

The essence of Renunciate Grief is the wish: "Oh, when will I enter and remain in the same sphere/expanse/dimension that the noble ones now enter and remain in today?"

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Jack Kornfield. PART TWO is scheduled to air March 4th: https://youtu.be/Bi7XYeCVOrY

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:29 - How many times did you ordain, and what were those circumstances?

00:05:39 - Jack asks the Ajahns about Clear Mountain

00:08:05 - What's the purpose of this podcast?

00:09:84 - Is Enlightenment a permanent end to greed, anger, and delusion, or is it temporary?

00:23:38 - Is Enlightenment unshakable?

00:25:34 - What changes have been made in bringing the Dharma West?

00:26:41 - Shared practice? Democritization? Feminization? Integration?

00:26:51 - Your life is your practice.

00:27:49 - Bodhisattva Vows and Engaged Buddhism?

00:28:14 - Democritization

00:31:06 - How has your personal relationship with the Buddha changed over the years?

00:36:50 - What is your one message for listeners dealing with political fear and global anxiety?

00:43:34 - What is the one thing you miss most about monastic life?

00:44:22 - What is the one thing you miss least about monastic life?

00:45:13 - Would you re-ordain for one week if Dan Harris and Sam Harris did it with you?

00:45:59 - If you rewrote your book today, who would you name as the "Modern Buddhist Masters"?

00:48:15 - Which specific teaching of the Buddha has resonated with you the most?

00:49:29 - What type "spiritual bypassing" should American Buddhists watch out for?

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Jack Kornfield, a pioneering bridge between Theravāda Buddhism and Western psychology, and a key architect of the mindfulness movement currently flourishing in the United States. The interview touches on such topics as Kornfield’s varied ordinations in Asia, the integration of psychology into modern Buddhist practice, perspectives on enlightenment, "democratization" of the Dharma, the necessity of compassion in a suffering world, and how the essence of non-clinging transcends traditional lineage boundaries.

Jack's Biography:

Jack Kornfield has been a pioneering force in bringing Theravāda Buddhism – and mindfulness more broadly – to the West. After serving in the Peace Corps in the late 1960s, Jack trained as a monk under our teachers' teacher Ajahn Chah, and - for varying lengths of time – also met and trained with such other monastic luminaries as: Mahasi Sayadaw, Ajahn Jumnien, Taungpulu Sayādaw, Ajahn Buddhadāsa, and Ajahn Maha Boowa. As a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in 1975 and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in 1987, Jack has spent decades bridging Eastern tradition with his background in clinical psychology. He is the author of several modern Spiritual classics, including: "Living Dharma" (formerly "Living Buddhist Masters", "A Path with Heart", "After the Ecstasy the Laundry", and "The Wise Heart". His most recent book is a collection of stories: "All in This Together". To learn more about Jack, visit: https://jackkornfield.com/

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho describes how the Buddha's Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing (MN 118 - Ānāpānassatisutta - https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false) can help provide us wiht a roadmap for how the mind can sublimate into increasingly refined states of samādhi, or meditative calm. Just as machine learning uses self-play to attain mastery over domains, our approach to meditation can be one of playfulness as we pit the Enlightenment Factors agains the 5 Hindrances.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Phillip Moffitt, founder of Dharma Wisdom (https://dharmawisdom.org/), Life Balance Institute (https://dharmawisdom.org/signup-for-weekly-teachings/.

Biography of Phillip Moffitt:

Phillip Moffitt is a longtime Buddhist meditation teacher and writer whose work is rooted in the Theravada tradition. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he has spent more than 25 years offering teachings and guidance to students and served as co-guiding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center from 2010 to 2018. His own path has been shaped by his primary teachers—the Venerable Luang Por Sumedho, the Venerable Bhikkhu Anālayo, Joseph Goldstein, and Sharon Salzberg. Out of decades of practice and study, he developed the Naturally Arising practice method and helped establish the online retreat center Dharma Ground. In addition to his dharma teaching, Phillip is the founder of Life Balance Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people cultivate the inner skills needed to meet life’s transitions with clarity and intention. Phillip is the author of three books: Dancing with Life: Buddhist Insights for Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering; Emotional Chaos to Clarity; and Awakening through the Nine Bodies.

The Nine Bodies:

(A) Manifest Bodies (Sthūla)

1. Physical Body: Sthūla Śarīra (स्थूल शरीर) / Pāli: Thūla Sarīra

2. Vital Body: Prāṇamaya Śarīra (प्राणमय शरीर) / Pāli: Pāṇamaya Sarīra

3. Emotional Body: Bhāvanātmaka Śarīra (भावनात्मक शरीर) / Pāli: Bhāvanāttaka Sarīra

(B) Subtle Bodies (Sūkṣma)

4. Etheric Body: Ākāśamaya Śarīra (आकाशमय शरीर) / Pāli: Ākāsamaya Sarīra

5. Astral Body: Antarātmā Śarīra (अन्तरात्मा शरीर) / Pāli: Antarātta Sarīra

6. Intuitional Body: Vijñānamaya Śarīra (विज्ञानमय शरीर) / Pāli: Viññāṇamaya Sarīra

(C) Causal Bodies (Kāraṇa)

7. Spiritual Body: Ātmika Śarīra (आत्मिक शरीर) / Pāli: Attika Sarīra

8. Divine Body: Divya Śarīra (दिव्य शरीर) / Pāli: Dibba Sarīra

9. Cosmic Body: Kāraṇa Śarīra (कारण शरीर) / Pāli: Kāraṇa Sarīra

The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this Valentine's Day session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the Metta Sutta (https://suttacentral.net/kp9/en/amaravati?lang=en), detailing three methods for practice:

1) the Who-Method - focusing on who on spreads metta to,

2) the What-Method - attending to what phrase or words one uses to practice metta, &

3) the Where-Method - noticing from where and to where one radiates of feels metta.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ayya Sobhanā, former vice-abbot of Dhammadharini Monastery and current abbot of Empty Cloud Monastery.

Biography of Ayya Sobhana:

Ayya Sobhana is a Harvard graduate and trained with master Dhamma and meditation teacher Venerable Dr. Henepola Gunaratana Nāyaka Mahāthero (known as "Bhante G") since 1989. She “went forth” into monastic life as a Sāmanerī in 2003 at the Bhavana Society of West Virginia with Bhante Gunaratana as her teacher, and obtained full Bhikkhuni ordination at Dambulla, Sri Lanka in 2006, with the Most Venerables Padukke Sumithra Mahātherī and Sīri Sumangala Mahāthero as her bhikkhunī and bhikkhu preceptors. Her primary practice is the Eightfold Noble Path, that is, integration of meditation with ethical living and compassionate relationships for the sake of liberation.

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm PT Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk given on New Year's Eve 2025, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about finding a healthy and mature relationship to taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha; further discussing the Eight Streams of Merit discussed in Anguttara Nikāya 8.39 (https://suttacentral.net/an8.39/en/sujato?lang=en) that are "overflowing merit, overflowing goodness, [that] nurture happiness and are conducive to heaven, ripening in happiness and leading to heaven, [that] lead to what is likable, desirable, agreeable, to welfare and happiness" namely:

1) taking refuge in the Buddha

2) taking refuge in the Dhamma

3) taking refuge in the Saṅgha

4) refraining from killing

5) refraining from stealing

6) refraining from sexual misconduct

7) refraining from lying

8) refraining from intoxicants.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks a bit about the Buddhist monastic alms bowl and the four times of nutriment/food (āhārā) spoken of by the Buddha:

1) physical food

2) contact

3) intention

4) consciousness

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Bhante Jayasāra on the subjects of convert Buddhism, rebirth, the "Burden", Maggasekha Discord server, Dhammapalooza, the connection between metta and anicca, and life with Bhante G at Bhavana Society.

For more information on Bhante J visit: https://maggasekha.org/

or https://www.youtube.com/@Maggasekha

Biography of Bhante Jayasāra:

Bhikkhu Jayasara, or "Bhante J" for short, was ordained in 2016 at the age of 38 by Bhante Gunaratana of Bhavana Society. Bhante shares the Dhamma and leads retreats online and in person across the country. He specializes in showing how the ancient teachings of the Buddha are practical, pragmatic, and able to be put into practice by modern people in the modern world, just as he did as a professional person in the world before becoming a monastic to more deeply pursue the path. He is the founder of the Maggasekha Discord Community and YouTube Channel and, after several years as a "nomad monk" is now in the process of nurturing in-person community in Colorado.

The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

You can find the guided death meditation referenced in the Q&A here: https://www.youtube.com/live/tTAidK4aK9U?si=kwEvgYTE8u1Ct0KV&t=1310

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho answers question regarding the effect of the final moment before death on rebirth, Buddhist last sacraments, the nature of the citta, the relationship of metta and emptiness, and more!

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Nisabho and Bhante Rahula, joining from Paññābhūmi Monastery in Guadalajara, Mexico (https://www.bhanterahula.com/), answer a wealth of questions, including if grief is a Buddhist emotion, how to use self-acceptance to counteract aversion, and how to deal with boredom.

Bhante Rāhula Bio

Bhante Rāhula was born in Mexico. Originally a musician and composer by profession, he lived the last 20 years in Asia where he immersed himself in the study and practice of the Dhamma. He was ordained in Myanmar with the Most Venerable Sayadaw Dr. U Nandamālābhivaṃsa as his preceptor. to learn more, visit https://www.bhanterahula.com/

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahh Nisabho speaks to how we can approach the political upheavals of the modern world with loving-kindness.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview renowned Buddhist teacher Roshi Joan Halifax about her path to Buddhism, finding "compassion in the charnel ground" of the world, balancing compassion towards oneself and towards others, the difference between healthy and unhealthy empathy, and many other subjects. It was a joy! To learn more, visit https://www.joanhalifax.org/ and https://www.upaya.org/

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:30 - What moments of faith led you to Buddhism?

12:35 - Tell us about finding compassion in a charnel ground on Mount Kailash

24:40 - How do you balance compassion for yourself with compassion for others?

31:50 - Tell us about how your experience caring for a burnt girl at the Nomad clinic taught you about the difference between emotionally-regulated empathy with unhealthy empathy.

45:20 - Tell us about the "edge states" of altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, and engagement, and what can they tell us about internal and external work.

57:03 - How can we be good friends to women in the Dhamma world, and what is your relationship with the Buddha like now?

1:03:00 - Farewell and blessings!

Bio

Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D., is a Buddhist teacher, Founder of Upaya Zen Center, social activist, and author. A pioneer in end-of-life care, she has lectured globally and received honors like the Pioneer Medal for Health Care Leadership. She worked with dying cancer patients (1972-75) and continues teaching caregivers about end-of-life care. She directs the Project on Being with Dying, founded the Upaya Prison Project and Nomads Clinic in Nepal. Her books include _The Human Encounter with Death_ and _Being with Dying_, and *Standing at the Edge*. She has been involved with the Mind and Life Institute since its inception and is founder of the Varela International Symposium. To learn more, visit https://www.joanhalifax.org/ and https://www.upaya.org/

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In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Roshi Joan Halifax of Upaya Zen Center.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/

We found land! These video updates serve to keep Clear Mountain's wider community informed about the ongoing process of Due Diligence—a 3 month period, ending March 22, 2026, where where we assess if the land is suitable for a monastery and the community gathers in support. Please feel free to dedicate the goodness of your practice towards the realization of this dream; a refuge for all sentient beings! You may add to our "Recitations of Refuge" page at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/recitations-of-refuge/ and learn more about the land at https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the "Ten Subjects For Frequent Recollection" (AN 10.48 - Amaravati Chanting book page 57 - https://suttacentral.net/an10.48/en/sujato?lang=en AND https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/30/Chanting-Book-Vol-1-Web.pdf):

1) ‘I am no longer living according to worldly aims and values.’

2) ‘My very life is sustained through the gifts of others.’

3) ‘I should strive to abandon my former habits.’

4) ‘Does regret over my conduct arise in my mind?’

5) ‘Could my spiritual companions find fault with my conduct?’

6) ‘All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, will become separated from me.’

7) ‘I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to my kamma, abide supported by my kamma; whatever kamma I shall do, for good or for ill, of that I will be the heir.’

8) ‘The days and nights are relentlessly passing; how well am I spending my time?’

9) ‘Do I delight in solitude or not?’

10) ‘Has my practice borne fruit with freedom or insight so that at the end of my life I need not feel ashamed when questioned by my spiritual companions?’

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview James Baraz about his extensive meditation experience, his passion for climate and engagement, and his teachings on awakening joy in the face of difficulty. To learn more about James' work, and upcoming "Awakening Joy" course, visit https://www.awakeningjoy.info/.

Biography of James Baraz:

James Baraz has been a meditation teacher since 1978 and is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. James started the Community Dharma Leader program, the Kalyana Mitta Network, the Spirit Rock Family Program and helped create the Heavenly Messengers Training Program. James has been leading the online course "Awakening Joy" since 2003. He serves as a guiding teacher to One Earth Sangha, a Virtual EcoDharma Center devoted to Buddhist responses to Climate Change. He co-authored Awakening Joy and Awakening Joy for Kids.

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm PT Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Santikaro Upāsaka, student and translator of Ajahn Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu and international Dhamma teacher for over 35 years. In this conversation, Santikaro discusses his time living with and translating for Ajahn Buddhadāsa, the scope of saṃsāra, the reality or rebirth, Santikaro's experiences with cancer (twice!), the importance of people of integrity (sappurisa), approaches to mindfulness of breathing, socially engaged Buddhism, "The Four Noble Truths of Dhammic Socialism", and more!

For more information about Santikaro, visit: https://www.kevalaretreat.org/.

Santikaro Biography:

Santikaro Upāsaka studied with Ajahn Buddhadasa during the last nine years of his life, became his primary translator, and continues to share his “naturalist” approach to Buddha-Dhamma. Ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu in 1985, Santikaro spent most of his monastic life at Suan Mokkh (สวนโมกข์). During this time he also led Dawn Kiam (ดอนเคี่ยม), a small monastic community for foreigners and was active among socially engaged Buddhists in Asia. He returned to the USA in 2000 and left monastic life in 2004 to found Kevala Retreat (then Liberation Park). He continues to teach nationally and internationally, and to translate the work of his teacher. He has led meditation retreats for more than thirty-five years, with a special fondness for mindfulness with breathing. Books edited, contributed to, and translated by Santikaro include: "Seeing With the Eye of Dhamma: The Comprehensive Teaching of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu", "Under the Bodhi Tree: Buddha's Original Vision of Dependent Co-arising", and "Mindfulness with Breathing: A Manual for Serious Beginners."

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Willa Thaniya and Eliza Day about their key moments of faith which guided them to the path, using Dhamma to deal with heartbreak and loss, stories of devas and the supernatural, the Dhamma of Gestalt therapy, and more. To learn more, visit https://kihikihi-meditation-yoga.org/ .

Bio

Both Willa Thāniyā Reid and Elizabeth Day were trained in the monastic lineage of the Thai Forest Tradition, in which teachers offer Dhamma reflections in response to the present moment (_the ‘here and now’ Dhamma_). They speak informed by the graduated teachings of the Buddha, drawing on primary texts relevant to the unfolding inquiry of Dhamma.  

They live in Kihikihi where they have established a practice community. They teach locally in Aotearoa NZ and internationally, primarily in the Pacific Northwest.

Elizabeth works as a professor of psychotherapy, and also offers individual therapy and Dhamma guidance. Willa is currently in the process of retiring, allowing her to further orientate to providing Dhamma guidance. They are intending to spend next year offline, in meditation retreat. Appreciating that time is short, they will be cultivating what is most precious.

To lean more, visit https://kihikihi-meditation-yoga.org/

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho describe the 10 pāramis, or spiritual perfections, as priorities for the New Year. In these qualities, we find a rich language to describe the growth of heart daily practice brings..

The Pāramī include:

1) Generosity — Dāna;

2) Morality — Sīla;

3) Renunciation — Nekkhamma;

4) Discernment or Wisdom – Paññā

5) Energy —Viriya;

6) Patience — Khanti;

7) Truthfulness — Sacca;

8) Resolve — Adhiṭṭhāna;

9) Kindness — Mettā;

10) Equanimity — Upekkhā

You may read more about the pāramī here: https://ajahnsucitto.org/articles/parami-1-crossing-the-floods/

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about using the traditional eight Tibetan Mind Training verses (https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/geshe-langri-thangpa/eight-verses-training-mind) to relinquish the self and find the deeper peace of humility.

Eight Verses of Training the Mind

by Geshe Langri Thangpa

1. By thinking of all sentient beings

As more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel

For accomplishing the highest aim,

I will always hold them dear.

2. Whenever I’m in the company of others,

I will regard myself as the lowest among all,

And from the depths of my heart

Cherish others as supreme.

3. In my every action, I will watch my mind,

And the moment destructive emotions arise,

I will confront them strongly and avert them,

Since they will hurt both me and others.

4. Whenever I see ill-natured beings,

Or those overwhelmed by heavy misdeeds or suffering,

I will cherish them as something rare,

As though I’d found a priceless treasure.

5. Whenever someone out of envy

Does me wrong by attacking or belittling me,

I will take defeat upon myself,

And give the victory to others.

6. Even when someone I have helped,

Or in whom I have placed great hopes

Mistreats me very unjustly,

I will view that person as a true spiritual teacher.

7. In brief, directly or indirectly,

I will offer help and happiness to all my mothers,

And secretly take upon myself

All their hurt and suffering.

8. I will learn to keep all these practices

Untainted by thoughts of the eight worldly concerns.

May I recognize all things as like illusions,

And, without attachment, gain freedom from bondage.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this roundtable discussion, Ajahn Kovilo and Nisabho speak with Doug Smith (of Doug's Dharma YouTube channel) and Jon Aaron - the cohosts of Diggin' the Dharma. The conversation touched on themes Secular Buddhism vs Traditional Buddhism, the sacred, belief in rebirth, saddhā (faith), Mundane Right View vs Transcendent Right View, attachment to views, and much more! To learn more about Diggin' the Dharma visit:

- www.digginthedharma.com

https://www.youtube.com/@DougsDharma

- https://www.jonaaron.net/

- https://www.youtube.com/@DiggintheDharma-qd7jz

Join Clear Mountain Live:

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

Land Page: https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/

Full Land Reveal Video: https://youtu.be/8z4kwFzSyzU

In this presentation, Kim Tull-Esterbrook, President of Friends of Clear Mountain, and Steve Wilhelm, Vice-President, speak about what a forest monastery could mean for the Pacific Northwest, and how those who are inspired can help this happen.

00:00 - Steve Wilhelm, Vice President, on the relevance of Clear Mountain

3:58 - Kim, President, on how people can contribute

7:44 - Ajahn Nisabho speaks about Clear Mountain's messaging around it's aspiration.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this short session, Ajahn Kovilo introduces the concept of a "vihāra-dhamma," a tool for sustaining the heart, asking: What is your "Vihāra Dhamma"? Your way to home? Your abiding principle?

Also highlighted is the Sutta on the Highest Blessings (https://www.abhayagiri.org/reflections/131-mangala-sutta) as a wise checklist for evaluating one's 2025 and for planning into one's 2026.

The Maṅgala Sutta's 38 "Highest Blessings":

(1) Avoiding those of foolish ways

(2) Associating with the wise

(3) Honoring those worthy of honor

(4) Living in places of suitable kinds

(5) With the fruits of past good deeds

(6) Guided by the rightful way

(7) Accomplished in learning

(8) Accomplished in craftsman’s skills

(9) With discipline, highly trained

(10) Speech that is true and pleasant to hear

(11) Providing for mother’s support

(12) Providing for father’s support

(13) Cherishing family

(14) Ways of work that harm no being

(15) Generosity

(16) A righteous life

(17) Offering help to relatives and kin

(18) Acting in ways that leave no blame

(19) Steadfast in restraint

(20) Shunning evil ways

(21) Avoiding intoxicants that dull the mind

(22) Heedfulness in all things that arise

(23) Respectfulness

(24) Being of humble ways

(25) Contentment

(26) Gratitude

(27) Hearing the Dhamma frequently taught

(28) Patience

(29) Willingness to accept one’s faults

(30) Seeing venerated seekers of the truth

(31) Sharing often the words of Dhamma

(32) Ardency

(33) Commitment to the Holy Life

(34) Seeing for oneself the Noble Truths

(35) The realization of Nibbana

(36) A mind that remains unshaken when involved in worldly tasks

(37) Beyond all sorrow (Sorrowlessness)

(38) Spotless and secure (Stainlessness)

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/

00:00 - Beginning

2:00 - Thai Forest Tradition (Roots)

4:46 - Clear Mountain's goals

7:10 - Clear Mountain's phased plan

13:31 - Introducing Friends of Clear Mountain Board

18:35 - The story of Clear Mountain

29:00 - Searching for land

33:25 - Potential land in North Bend!

38:05 - Team, Due Diligence process, and steps going forward

45:25 - How you can help

48:10 - Fundraising goals and how to contribute

In this exciting video, Ajahn Kovilo, Ajahn Nisabho, and the Friends of Clear Mountain Board (Kim Tull-Esterbrook (Jotikārā), Steve Wilhelm, Alison Thomas, and Nicole Jarosinski) reveal a momentous milestone in the creation of Clear Mountain Monastery: following a multi-year search, the project has signed a preliminary purachase-of-sale agreement on approximately 90 acres of land near North Bend, Washington! The next three months of due diligence testing and community support will determine if the land can indeed become a home for Clear Mountain Monastery.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the power of developing the four brahmavihārā (divine abodes), of mettā (loving-kindness), karuṇā (compassion), muditā (rejoicing), and upekkhā (equipoise). By constantly invoking these skillful emotions, we create a breadth of heart which can hold all beings and lead to liberation.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Joseph Goldstein about his perspectives on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as taught in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (https://suttacentral.net/mn10/en/sujato?lang=en&) and elaborated upon in his book "Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening."

The conversation touches on Joseph's personal relationships with his teachers and peers Anagarika Munindra and Bhante Analayo, the meaning of "ardency" (ātāpi); the daily life practice of clear comprehension; the experience of "not clinging to anything in the world"; how to relate to "digging for the water" of practice; breathing mindfulness; walking meditation; intuitive practice with the elements; the similarities and differences between knowing mind as mind and Dzogchen; whether Nibbāna is a state of awareness; how to relate to such inquiries; and much more!

Joseph's Biography:

Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and lovingkindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and the Forest Refuge, a center for long-term meditation practice. He is the author of:

- Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening;

- One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism;

- The Experience of Insight, among other books.

To learn more about Joseph, visit: https://www.dharma.org/teacher/joseph-goldstein/

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

#Mindfulness #JosephGoldstein #Awareness #Meditation #PresentMoment #SelfAwareness #MentalHealth #MindfulLiving #Buddhism

In this talk, Ayya Suvijjana and Ayya Niyyanika speak about the 4 aspects of sati-sampajañña, or mindfulness and clear comprehension, outlined in the commentarial teachings. By considering actions in terms of purpose, suitability, domain, and non-confusion, we can see reality more clearly, and let go of ignorance. To learn more about Ayya Suvijjānā & Ayya Niyyānika, visit www.passaddhivihara.org.

Ayya Suvijjānā's Bio:

Ayyā Suvijjānā started with Zen meditation in 1976. After discovering Vipassana in 1998, she visited Abhayagiri where she became a disciple of Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno, eventually becoming a monastic student of Ayya Tathālokā in 2006. Taking full ordination in 2010, she helped establish Dhammadharini before traveling and teaching since 2020.

Ayyā Niyyānika's Bio:

Ayyā Niyyānika is a fully ordained Buddhist monastic in the Theravada tradition. Ayya uses they/them pronouns. They received their initial monastic training within the Dhammadharini community from 2014 through 2019 and then was with the Aloka Vihara community for three years. The past year and a bit have been a time of travel, integration, and deepening in practice. They visited a variety of monastic and lay communities in the West and in Asia, taking time for retreat and study as well as community involvement.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Venerable Chandaratana about Ven. Matara Srī Ñāṇārāma Maha Thero, the way of practice at Na Uyana and Nissarana Vanaya Forest Monasteries, the practice of the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness, finding joy in meditation, the benefits of memorizing Pāḷi, and more. Learn more about Ven. Chandaratana at https://www.nissarana.lk/

Ven. Chandaratana's Biography:

Venerable Panadure Chandaratana Thero ordained as a Buddhist monk at Na Uyana Forest Monastery in 2008 under the guidance of the Most Venerable Na Uyane Ariyadhamma Mahā Thero. Over the next six years, he engaged in rigorous training in both Samatha and Vipassanā meditation under revered teachers including Most Venerable A. Ariyananda Mahā Thero and Venerable S. Ñāṇasiri Thero. He spent several years teaching and practicing abroad before returning to Sri Lanka and taking up residence at Nissarana Vanaya Forest Monastery in 2015, where he has been practicing under the Most Venerable U. Dhammajiva Mahā Thero and serving as the deputy Abbot since 2017. Combining a background in information technology with decades of deep practice, he inspires meditators around the world through his rare fusion of contemplative depth, modern knowledge, and compassionate service. Learn more at https://www.nissarana.lk/

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about several Buddhist triads:

- 1) radical introversion; 2) radical extroversion; and 3) the Middle Way

- 1) interoception; 2) proprioception/kinesthesia; 3) exteroception

- 1) Buddha; 2) Dhamma; and 3) Saṅgha.d

And proposes a "Nine Breath Challenge" - taking one minute to recite the 3-fold refuge:

Breaths #1-3) "Bud-dhaṃ sara-ṇaṃ gacchā-mi." OR "To-Buddha for-peace I-return."

Breaths #4-6) "Dham-maṃ sara-ṇaṃ gacchā-mi." OR "To-Dhamma for-peace I-return."

Breaths #7-9) "Saṅ-ghaṃ sara-ṇaṃ gacchā-mi." OR "To-Saṅgha for-peace I-return."

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Zen meditation teacher and founder of Awakening Dharma, Stephen Mugen Snyder, Roshi. Subjects discussed include the Pau Auk meditation system, techniques for deepening jhāna, and the concepts of Cessation, Awakening, and the Deathless across Zen and Theravāda traditions. To learn more about Mugen Roshi, visit https://awakeningdharma.org/.

Bio

Stephen Mugen Snyder, Roshi began practicing daily meditation in 1976. Since then, he has studied Buddhism extensively—investigating and engaging in Zen, Tibetan, Theravada, and Western non-dual traditions. He was authorized to teach in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in 2007 and the Zen Buddhist schools of Soto and Rinzai in 2022. Mugen is a senior student of Roshi Mark Sando Mininberg and a transmitted teacher in the White Plum Asanga—the body of teachers in the Maezumi-roshi lineage. Mugen is the author of five books, including "Liberating the Self", "Demystifying Awakening", and "Buddha’s Heart". He also co-authored "Practicing the Jhānas." To learn more, visit https://awakeningdharma.org/.

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ven. Thubten Chodron, founder of Sravasti Abbey, visits Clear Mountain's Saturday gathering and shares insights into the self-centered mind and how not to fall for its tricks. Sharing insights from nearly 50 years in robes, she speaks about how we can learn to consider others' wellbeing as of equal importance to our own, and cultivate a heart as broad as the world. Also included: a very good story about a horse in Tibet and giving up anger!

For more information about Venerable Chodron, visit: https://thubtenchodron.org/

Thubten Chodron's Bio

Venerable Thubten Chodron is an author, teacher, and the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, a pioneering Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Western nuns and monks in the US. She graduated from UCLA and did graduate work in education at USC. Ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun in 1977, she has studied extensively with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsenzhap Serkong Rinpoche, and other Tibetan lamas. She received full ordination as a bhikshuni in 1986.

Venerable Chodron teaches worldwide and is known for her warm, practical, and humorous explanations of how to apply Buddhist teachings in daily life. She is also involved in prison outreach and interfaith dialogue. She has published many books on Buddhist philosophy and meditation and assisted His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the writing and publication of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, a ten-volume series of teachings on the Buddhist path. Visit thubtenchodron.org for a media library of her teachings, and sravastiabbey.org to learn more about Sravasti Abbey.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's interview with Sam Harris. Watch PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/cYamzDDJR8w?si=v5O0YrlBS0zT7g9r

00:00:07 Introduction

00:01:30 The Details of Sam's spiritual biography & the paradox of meaning?

00:19:49 Who else was on the trip with Sam to see Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche?

00:26:22 What preliminaries enabled the Dzogchen pointing out instruction to be effective?

00:49:20 The moment of pointing out? A guided meditation.

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with neuroscientist and author Sam Harris about the early part of his spiritual journey and its crucial turning point toward the centerless center.

To learn more about the Clear Mountain Monastery Project, visit: https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

Sam Harris' Bio:

Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher, author, and podcaster whose work explores the intersection of science, morality, religion, and contemplative practice. He holds a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA.

He is the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including The End of Faith, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, Lying, and Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion. Sam hosts the Making Sense Podcast and is the creator of the Waking Up app, which offers a secular and scientific approach to meditation and the good life. With more than three decades of meditative practice - including a cumulative 2 years on silent retreat - he has studied under such teachers as Sayadaw U Pandita, Punjaji, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, and with his friend, Joseph Goldstein.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

In this talk, Bhante Sumitta, joining Clear Mountain on a special occasion with 13 other monastics, speaks about the power of mettā, or loving-kindness, in developing the 11 benefits described by the Buddha in the Mettā Sutta (AN 11.15 - https://suttacentral.net/an11.15/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin). Apart from helping one feel confident in any group, the practice can help one find forgiveness, and even approach death with serenity.

Bio

Bhante Sumitta is the founder of “Dhamma USA”, a community-based charity organization to launch his community care and spiritual care activities. Bhante is actively engaged in social welfare and spiritual care activities in California and other states by conducting Dhamma Talks, Sutta Discussions, Meditations and Pali Language Classes apart from helping many under privileged families and children in Sri Lanka. Dhamma USA is also helping children education projects in India. Bhante Sumitta is currently a PhD Research scholar at the University of the West and is pursuing his research thesis on “Philosophy of Arahanta Ideal as Depicted in Mahaniddesa”. At his school, University of the West, Bhante Sumitta started “UWest Pali Society” to promote Pali studies and Buddhist Art & Culture. A weeklong Budart Exhibition was co-organized by Bhante Sumitta along with Budart. He works as an Adjunct Faculty at the University of the West in several Departments teaching Ethics in Buddhist Ministry; Fundamentals of Buddhism; Introduction to Buddhist Psychology and more. He works as a prison care volunteer for Engaged Buddhist Alliance in Southern California apart from teaching at Home Boys Industries in Los Angeles from time to time. Prior to arriving at United States, venerable has been working at the Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka as a Senior Lecturer in English. He has completed 2 Bachelor Degrees and 3 Master Degrees prior to pursuing his doctoral Degree at the University of the West.

To learn more, visit https://www.dhammausa.org/

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To join via Zoom on Saturdays, visit Clear Mountain Monastery's website and click on the link for the Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/saturday/)

To participate in the Saturday chanting, use the pdf found here:

https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/30/Chanting-Book-Vol-1-Web.pdf

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Sam Harris. Watch PART TWO on Wednesday, Nov. 26th.

00:00:07 Introduction

00:01:50 Is it okay to choose what one takes from Buddhism?

00:12:25 Is Sam a Buddhist? What is Sam's relationship to faith in the Triple Gem?

00:30:03 Faith in the Sangha? Is there value in living a monastic life?

00:43:02 The advantages of monastic baldness and robes?

00:44:06 Belief in rebirth? What was Sam's past life relationship with Joseph Goldstein?

00:50:31 Does Sam know Bhante Analayo?

00:50:58 How should secular scientists relate to evidence suggestive of rebirth?

00:57:17 Agnosticism about psychic powers?

01:00:10 If you had the Buddha on your podcast, what would be your first question?

01:03:25 What Pāli Buddhist word deserves to be more widely known?

01:12:36 The meaning of "vedana"?

01:14:20 How has Sam kept his center while becoming famous?

01:21:29 Where does Nibbāna figure in the "Moral Landscape"? Rigpa?

01:30:19 The meaning of "Rapid Fire - Lightning Round" for Sam?

01:30:43 Sam's most treasured personal Buddhist imagery? A shrine?

01:32:42 How does Sam decompress after a 3-hour interview?

01:34:08 Would Sam take temporary ordination with Jordan Peterson?

01:34:33 Has Sam ever considered ordaining as a monk?

01:37:44 Sam appreciates Clear Mountain and monastics!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with neuroscientist and author Sam Harris about the intersection of Secularism and Buddhism.

To learn more about the Clear Mountain Monastery Project, visit: https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

Sam Harris' Bio:

Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher, author, and podcaster whose work explores the intersection of science, morality, religion, and contemplative practice. He holds a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA.

He is the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including The End of Faith, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, Lying, and Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion. Sam hosts the Making Sense Podcast and is the creator of the Waking Up app, which offers a secular and scientific approach to meditation and the good life. With more than three decades of meditative practice - including a cumulative 2 years on silent retreat - he has studied under such teachers as Sayadaw U Pandita, Punjaji, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, and with his friend, Joseph Goldstein.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

In this talk, Ayya Ānandabodhī speaks about

Bio

Ayya Ānandabodhī was born and raised in Wales, UK. Ayya first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while reading about the Four Noble Truths. This was life-changing and from that moment she experienced a deep confidence in the Buddha’s insight and a wish to understand his teachings more deeply. At the age of 24, Ayya began monastic training at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England under the guidance of Ajahn Sumedho. Seventeen years later she moved to the USA with a wish to create more opportunities for women monastics. In 2011 she took full Bhikkhunī Ordination, joining the worldwide revival of the Theravāda Bhikkhunī Order. Ayya Ānandabodhī loves to share the Dhamma. Ayya’s practice is guided by early Buddhist scriptures, living in community, and through nature’s pure and immediate Dhamma.

To learn more, visit https://parayanavihara.org/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with revered Buddhist monk and longtime yogi Bhante Yogavacara Rāhula of Lion of Wisdom Meditation Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland about his wild journey from the hippie trail into Buddhist monastic life. Topics discussed include details about his early hippie days, glimpses into his book "One Night's Shelter: From Home to Homelessness", portraits of his life with Bhante G. (Gunaratana), the story of his name, his finding Buddhism through meditation, his finding yoga to support meditation, insights from stillness, his connection with Brazil and the Himalayas, and much more!

To learn the Meditation-Yoga mentioned in this interview, see the guided video here: https://www.lionwisdom.org/yoga-for-meditation-guided-practice/

To learn more about Bhante Y. Rāhula in general, visit: https://bhanterahula.blogspot.com/ or https://www.lionwisdom.org/.

Bhante's Biography:

Bhante Rahula was born in California and ordained as a novice Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka in 1975 and took higher ordination in 1979. He lived in Sri Lanka ten years studying the Dhamma and practicing vipassana meditation with different teachers and living alone in secluded hermitages. He also studied yoga with Swami Gitananda in South India. His teaching integrates the practice of yoga and meditation. From 1987 until 2010. Bhante Rahula had resided at the Bhavana Society Forest Monastery in West Virginia with Bhante H. Gunaratana. Currently he is the principal teacher at the Pannasiha Lion of Wisdom Meditation center in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

Clear Mountain Upāsakā Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GtgmYKj-XrBaqLDhTeHP32TZe4PpHkLHSajrZyrgVj8/edit?usp=sharing

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho describe the Upāsakā lay Buddhist form in 13 (optional but awesome) moves:

Introduction to the Upāsaka form

(1) Take Refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha (The Essential Foundation)

(2) Keep the Five Precepts

(3) Meditate at Least 4 Hours Each Week

(4) Keep a Weekly Uposatha ("Observance Day") Emphasizing Practice

(5) Engage in a Twice-Monthly Confession with a Fellow Upāsaka

(6) Create a Prominent Buddhist Shrine in Your House

(7) Wear White in Buddhist Spaces, at Buddhist Gatherings, or on Holy Days

(8) Learn Basic Buddhist Chants & Ceremonies

(9) Read Part of a Sutta Every Day

(10) Every Day, Engage in At Least One Act of Generosity

(11) Stay at a Monastery At Least 3 Nights Each Year

(12) Celebrate One’s Commitment Annually!

(13) Take It Up a Notch! (Advanced Practices)

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview scholar and practitioner Dr. Sarah Shaw about Buddhism in academia in general and about breathing mindfulness in particular.

Dr. Shaw's biography:

Dr. Sarah Shaw is a faculty member and tutor at the University of Oxford, a fellow of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, and a visiting contemplative mentor at Brown University. She has taught and published numerous works on the history and practices of Buddhism, including "The Art of Listening: A Guide to the Early Teachings of Buddhism", "Mindfulness: Where It Comes From and What It Means", and "Breathing Mindfulness: Discovering the Riches at the Heart of the Buddhist Path".

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto (his mother's home congregation) about his own history being raised in the Unitarian Church and its effect on the trajectory of his life. Topics explored include Henry David Thoreau's essay "Life Without Principle", the intersection of Buddhism and Unitarian Universalism, how a Unitarian might begin to understand the Buddha's teaching, and much more!

Join Other Clear Mountain Events:

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Sādaro, visiting from Melbourne, Australia, speaks about the benefits and risks of using Large Language Models (LLMs) for Dhamma guidance. We may use these tools with wisdom, but knowing their limitations is essential.

Bio

Ajahn Sādaro ordained in the forest tradition in Thailand in 2005. After practicing throughout SE Asia, he returned to Australia in 2015 and now currently resides at the Buddhist Society of Victoria’s Buddhaloka vihara in Melbourne. To find our more, visit https://www.bsv.net.au/ajahn-sadaro/

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how he personally cultivates compassion (karuṇā), means of counteracting smartphone and internet addiction, the upāsakā form and wearing white in Buddhist spaces, the protective power of loving-kindness (mettā), stories of demons, devas, and elephants, how to practice seclusion and renunciation, and lay practice for Stream Entry (sotāpanna).

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the relationship between dukkha (suffering, or stress) and time. Invoking the Christian concepts of chronos (choronological time) and kairos (sacred time), and orienting by the Buddha's description of a liberated state outside of time, we can navigate towards a greater spaciousness. Of special import is the ability to notice and dismantle the "clock" of Dependent Origination's (paticca-samuppada), whose twelve links lead to suffering.

The twelve links of Dependent Origination may be found here: https://suttacentral.net/sn12.1/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false

Rob Burbea's talk, "Time and the Emptiness of Time" may be found here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/11929/

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Prof. R. Bogdan Staszewski about the intersection between Buddhist thought and quantum mechanics, focusing on the observer effect and the primacy of consciousness in shaping reality.

Two other lectures by Prof. Bogdan on the subject:

- "Is Consciousness in the Universe or Is the Universe in Consciousness?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_ld5TdXRX0

- "Can Quantum Physicists and Buddhists Agree on Consciousness? (Part Two)": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxlqH4_hRXA

Bio

Professor R. Bogdan Staszewski is a leading researcher at University College Dublin, where he works on making wireless communication, the Internet of Things, and even quantum computing more efficient and practical. Bogdan has co-authored six books, over 350 publications, and holds more than 200 U.S. patents. Previously at Texas Instruments and Delft University of Technology, he has co-founded several start-ups, including Equal1 Labs, which is building the first single-chip quantum computer. To learn more, visit. https://www.bogdanst.com/

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Munissara describes the power of diversity in Dhamma communities and teachers, particularly in elevating female articulations which have been absent for so much of Buddhist history. She speaks about the fragility of unawakened views, the power of remaining open to other articulations of truth, the history of the bhikkhuni order, and also the Dhamma of butlers!

Bio

Munissara Bhikkhuni was born to Thai parents in Manila, Philippines, in 1978. After living in the Philippines, Bangladesh, and the United States, she returned to Thailand in 2003. She went forth as a samaneri in July 2009 at Nirodharam Bhikkhuni Arama in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and took bhikkhuni ordination in March 2012 at Dhammasara Nuns Monastery in Perth, Australia, where she currently resides.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Narindo about lessons learned from the various phases of a modern monastic life.

Biography of Ajahn Narindo:

Ajahn Narindo was born in 1981 in the Netherlands, where he studied and worked in marketing and law. In his twenties he encountered Buddhism, began practicing the precepts, and eventually turned toward monastic life. In 2012 he received full ordination at Amaravati Monastery in the UK. Since that time, he has practiced and trained at monasteries in Thailand, America, and Portugal - where he is currently spending the Rains Retreat. Through meditation he discovered a peace far deeper than consumerist pursuits, and chose to dedicate his life to this path of practice.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ayya Santussika, visiting with Ayya Cittananda from Karuna Buddhist Vihara (https://www.karunabv.org/) addresses the unease many feel with about the current state of the world, emphasizing how Dhamma practice and non-hatred can provide refuge.

Ayya Santussika Bhikkhuni:

Born in Illinois in 1954, Ayya Santussika began exploring meditation in the late seventies. She received BS and MS degrees in computer science while being a single mother. After working as a software designer and developer for fifteen years in the Bay Area, she trained as an interfaith minister and received a Masters of Divinity degree in 2002. She visited monasteries in the US, Europe, and Asia, learning from master teachers mostly in the Ajahn Chah lineage. In 2012, she received full ordination as a bhikkhuni and founded Karuna Buddhist Vihara, a neighborhood Theravada Buddhist monastery for bhikkhunis. Find out more at https://www.karunabv.org/

Ayya Cittananda Bhikkhuni:

Ayya Cittananda was inspired to follow the Buddhist path in 2005 after a college philosophy class. After completing a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and working as a registered nurse in Texas, she lived as a monastic at a small Pure Land/Chan monastery in Florida. She spent time practicing at monasteries in England and Scotland, and at Aloka Vihara in Placerville, California. She took Anagarika precepts at KBV in March of 2015, Samaneri ordination in April of 2016, and Bhikkhuni ordination in May of 2018 at Buddhi Vihara in Santa Clara, California.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview renowned meditation teacher Guy Armstrong about his time as a monk with Ajahn Buddhadasa, the relationship between sense consciousness (viññana) and a deeper awareness, the Mahāyāna concept of Buddha nature, emptiness, and remaining grounded in the modern world.

Guy's Biography:

Guy Armstrong has been leading insight meditation retreats since 1984 in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. His training included living as a monk for a year in the Thai forest lineage. Guy is a member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council and a guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society.

The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Dan Thiracitto about his experience as a Western forest monk in Thailand: living with Thai Krooba Ajahns, walking tudong, and living close to the earth.

Resources mentioned in this conversation:

- Luangta Maha Bua: Shedding Tears of Dhamma - https://youtu.be/iI5TQnYcFn8?si=yUJb3t2e4d_cscAV

- Arahattamagga Arahattaphala: The Path to Arahantship by Luangta Maha Bua - https://www.abhayagiri.org/media/books/maha_boowa_arahattamagga_arahattaphala.pdf

- Talks by and Q&A with Ajahn Dick Silaratano - https://www.abhayagiri.org/talks/teachers/51-ajahn-dick-silaratano

Ajahn Dan Thiracitto's Biography:

Ajahn Dan Thiracitto, born in Germany in 1980, encountered Buddhism through Vietnamese Pure Land practice in 2001 in Australia. He explored Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism before embracing the Thai Forest Tradition, inspired by Luang Por Chah, Luang Dta Maha Bua, and the Pali Canon. Ordained in 2011 in Thailand’s Dhammayut Order, he trained four years in the lineage of Luang Dta Maha Bua and Luang Por Chop in Loei province. Since 2013, he has largely lived an independent, nomadic lifestyle of Carika (Thudong, walkabout). He spent five Vassas at Wat Pah Nanachat and affiliated monasteries, including a year with Ajahn Jayasaro. Since 2019, he is based in Nan province while regularly undertaking long-distance pilgrimages in Thailand and other countries like Malaysia, Nepal, India, Taiwan, Germany, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Australia.

He currently resides at a small branch monastery on the outskirts of Chiang Mai City, Thailand.

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ayya Brahmavara speaks about the 4 vipallāsa or distortions of perception, described in the Vipallāsasutta AN 4.49 (https://suttacentral.net/an4.49/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=sidebyside&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin), and how our clinging causes us to suffer. The Buddha's teachings, though counter to how much of the world thinks, lead to a sense of lightness and peace.

Bio

Ayyā Brahmavarā learned Vipassana meditation from age 24, under the guidance of SN Goenka, after hearing about meditation retreats from a fellow student at Sheffield University. From being a medic striving to alleviate suffering, there was a gradual realignment over the next ten years from the medical field of practice to the monastic one. Same quest, going deeper . . . as she discovered in the Buddha's Path of practice how one could begin to explore and to help alleviate suffering through facing up to its root causes. 

Ayyā visited Amaravati monastery with a couple of Goenka friends in 1999 and by the end of 2000 was working as retreat center manager there. In August 2001, she was glad to have the chance to renounce the household life and enter monastic life as an anāgārikā. Sīladharā pabbajjā followed in 2004 and she practiced at Amaravati and Chithurst monasteries in the UK for the next 15 years. Ayyā benefitted from many months on tudong in the UK, Ireland, Italy, and France and from pilgrimages to Burma, India, Taiwan, China, and Malaysia which increased her faith in the sāmaṇa life and broadened her view of Buddhist practice. 

In 2019, Ayyā Brahmavarā moved to Thailand and Wat Subthawee to practice under the guidance of Luang Por Ganha. From him she learned the value of sacrifice, of selfless service, and of love. Ayyā Nirodhā is a valued bhikkhuni there and she encouraged Ajahn Brahmavarā to consider full ordination as a bhikkhuni. 

In 2021, Ayyā feels blessed to have been invited to receive bhikkhunī upasampadā with Mahātherī Ayyā Tathālokā as preceptor, and to join the auspicious Vassa gathering at Dhammadharinī Monastery and Aranya Bodhi Hermitage. Ayyā Brahmavarā's aspiration is to continue the practice using this form as a way of serving and supporting liberation from suffering for all beings.

To learn more, visit https://www.ayyabrahmavara.org/

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To join via Zoom on Saturdays, visit Clear Mountain Monastery's website and click on the link for the Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/saturday/ )

To participate in the Saturday chanting, use the pdf found here:

https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/30/Chanting-Book-Vol-1-Web.pdf

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Ayya Santussika and Ayya Cittananda live at Kuruna Buddhist Vihara.

Ayya Santussika Bhikkhuni:

Born in Illinois in 1954, Ayya Santussika began exploring meditation in the late seventies. She received BS and MS degrees in computer science while being a single mother. After working as a software designer and developer for fifteen years in the Bay Area, she trained as an interfaith minister and received a Masters of Divinity degree in 2002. She visited monasteries in the US, Europe, and Asia, learning from master teachers mostly in the Ajahn Chah lineage. In 2012, she received full ordination as a bhikkhuni and founded Karuna Buddhist Vihara, a neighborhood Theravada Buddhist monastery for bhikkhunis.

Ayya Cittananda Bhikkhuni:

Ayya Cittananda was inspired to follow the Buddhist path in 2005 after a college philosophy class. After completing a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and working as a registered nurse in Texas, she lived as a monastic at a small Pure Land/Chan monastery in Florida. She spent time practicing at monasteries in England and Scotland, and at Aloka Vihara in Placerville, California. She took Anagarika precepts at KBV in March of 2015, Samaneri ordination in April of 2016, and Bhikkhuni ordination in May of 2018 at Buddhi Vihara in Santa Clara, California.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

• Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

• Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

• Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://linktr.ee/clea... for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tan Ajahn Asoko, a senior monastic at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK and the primary attendant to Luang Por Sumedho. The focus of the interview was the ins-and-outs of serving as an attendant and caregiver.

Biography of Tan Ajahn Asoko:

Ajahn Asoko grew up in a village near Geneva in Switzerland. His mother brought Buddhism into the family life. As a teenager, he visited Amaravati Monastery, where he first met Luang Por Sumedho and was fortuitously able to attend a ten day retreat with Luang Por Sucitto. At 19 years old, he decided to take a sabbatical year off and spend it at Wat Nanachat, Luang Por Chah's branch monastery for Westerners in Thailand, under the guidance of Luang Por Pasanno. After 9 years back in lay life, it seemed time to return to Thailand, and was ordained as a bhikkhu by Luang Por Liem. He spent 18 years in Thailand, the last 8 years as Luang Por Sumedho's attendant and secretary. He came to stay at Amaravati Monastery in January 2021 as Luang Por Sumedho returned to live there.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tara Brach about her advice for practitioners dealing with fear and anger over the current state of the world, her relationship with faith and the Triple Gem, the R.A.I.N. approach to metabolizing difficult emotions, taking a "u-turn" in navigation of relationship, halos, unitarians, and more!

00:00:57 What's currently alive for you in the Dhamma?

00:02:45 What was a dark time for you, and how did you move out of it?

00:06:51 Could you speak about your own spiritual biography?

00:08:42 Could you speak about your faith in Buddhism?

00:15:20 Could you describe R.A.I.N. and lead us in a guided meditation?

00:26:01 Other skillful means for protecting the sacred in life?

00:34:03 Is there a place, not for "allowing", but for saying "no".

00:37:37 How to balance equanimity with action, and maintain a birds-eye view of the situation.

00:43:16 How much should we use AI on our spiritual path?

00:50:41 Skillful means to work with relationship difficulties?

00:57:33 How broadly should a practitioner search for spiritual guidance?

01:00:23 One prayer for yourself, and for those listening?

Tara Brach's bio:

Tara Brach is a Buddhist meditation teacher, psychologist and author of several books including international bestselling Radical Acceptance, Radical Compassion, and Trusting the Gold. Her popular weekly podcast on emotional healing and spiritual awakening is downloaded over 2 million times a month. She is founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and has been active in bringing meditation into schools, prisons and underserved populations. Along with Jack Kornfield, Tara leads the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP), serving participants from more than 75 countries around the world. For more info, visit: http://www.tarabrach.com/

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

A document describing how to honor the dead may be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13H0UzWa73aLS1y6vVSANftAxZRjho76aozhZ5Tcjp2E/edit?usp=sharing.

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about maraṇasati, or recollection of death, as a path towards gratitude and heedfulness. He then describes how we can honor those who have passed, in ritual, spirit, and practice.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Nisabho interviews Steven Hayes, clinical psychologist and co-developer of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and process-based therapy (PBT). They speak about the panic attack that catalyzed Dr. Haye's path of healing, Relational Frame Theory, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, modern culture's lack of a transcendent articulations, and even get Dr. Haye's to sing! You may find the official version of "Leaves from My Tree" here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wpr9czppjkuuc1emhqmtl/Leaves-from-my-tree.mp4?rlkey=3pjxv1uq4onvzhewolhahxmj0&dl=0

BIo

Dr. Steven C. Hayes is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, and President of the Institute for Better Health.

He developed Contextual Behavioral Science, originating its philosophical foundation (Functional Contextualism), basic science of human cognition (Relational Frame Theory, or RFT), and its therapeutic application (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training, ACT). He co-developed Prosocial for group cooperation, advanced the Psychological Flexibility Model of suffering and well-being, and more.

Dr. Hayes’ contributions have been recognized with awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the Impact of Science on Application Award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis.

Author of 47 books, including "The Liberated Mind", and nearly 700 scientific articles, he is among the world’s most cited psychologists and continues to influence the field through his research and innovation.

To learn more, visit https://stevenchayes.com/

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In celebration of Labor Day, in this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about Buddhist work ethics, addressing such questions as "What do Buddhist do anyways?" and "How well am I spending my time?"

Suttas Addressed:

(AN 1.324-327)

- “Bhikkhus, whoever arouses energy in a badly expounded Dhamma and discipline dwells in suffering. For what reason? Because that Dhamma is badly expounded.”

- “Bhikkhus, whoever is lazy in a well-expounded Dhamma and discipline dwells in suffering. For what reason? Because that Dhamma is well expounded.”

- “Bhikkhus, whoever is lazy in a badly expounded Dhamma and discipline dwells in happiness. For what reason? Because that Dhamma is badly expounded.”

- “Bhikkhus, whoever arouses energy in a well-expounded Dhamma and discipline dwells in happiness. For what reason? Because that Dhamma is well expounded.”

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Mudito, a monk of the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest Tradition and abbot of Suddhavāri Monastery in Brazil (https://suddhavari.org/). The theme of discussion was "Blunt, Unpopular Dhammic Truths for Westerners": the need for a teacher; "confronting" defilements; blindsponts for moderns; and rebirth.

Ajahn Mudito's Biography:

Ajahn Mudito's first contact with Theravada Buddhism came through the Dharma House. After finishing college, he considered ordaining as a monk, but wanted to find an environment where the monastic rules, as created by the Buddha himself, were truly observed. After hearing an interview with Ajahn Sumedho, he felt that this search was over, and upon contacting the monk, he was suggested to visit the Thai monastery Wat Pah Nanachat. Thus, in 2002, at the age of 25, he began his path to monastic life.

In 2004, he received ordination as a Bhikkhu at Wat Nong Pah Pong monastery (the head monastery of Ajahn Chah), with Luang Por Liem as his upajjhaya (a preceptor monk who has the authority to confer full monastic ordination). After a few years of residing at that monastery, he decided to move to Wat Pah Cittabhavana in Pathum Thani province to practice under the guidance of Luang Por Piak, who remains his teacher to this day. He is currently the abbot of Sudhavāri Monastery in São Lourenço, Brazil.

The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how to work with the mind's craving for material objects, bringing up joy on the path, what's let go of after Stream Entry, the initial stage of Enlightenment, how to work with the news, and cold showers.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tan Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto about the Sotāpanna, or Stream Entry, the first stage of Enlightenment. They delve into how one knows such an experience is real, the fetters released through the experience, and the route of practice which most quickly leads to such insight.

Tan Ajahn Suchart's biography:

Tan Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto was born in Thailand in 1947 and received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Civil Engineering from California State University before returning to Thailand to manage a small business in Pattaya. Receiving a copy of a Dharma Book from Sri Lanka from a tourist, he realized the importance of meditation and wrote to the BPS requesting more. He received from them a copy of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (https://noblepath.info/PDFs/Nyanasatt... he then chanted and practiced diligently. Leaving his job in 1974 to meditate full time, he was ordained at Wat Bowon by Somdet Yan himself in 1975 thanks to the help of Bhikkhu Khantipalo before traveling to Wat Pa Baan Taad where he would train under Luangta Maha Bua (https://buddhistuniversity.net/author... the next nine years. For his tenth rains, Ajahn Suchart came back to Pattaya where he has remained ever since. You can find his teachings and more at: https: //www.phrasuchart.com/en/

The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ayya Ānandabodhi, founder of Pārāyana Vihara (https://parayanavihara.org/), speaks about using metta, or loving-kindness practice, to loosen the knots that bind us to suffering, desire, and limited notions of self. Reflecting with insight on the transpersonal nature of life, and our good fortune in encountering the Dhamma, can help soften and brighten the heart as we walk the Buddha' path.

Ayya Ānandabodhī's Biography:

Ayya Anandabodhi was born and raised in Wales, UK. Ayya first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while reading about the Four Noble Truths. This was life-changing and from that moment she experienced a deep confidence in the Buddha’s insight and a wish to understand his teachings more deeply. At the age of 24, Ayya began monastic training at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England under the guidance of Ajahn Sumedho. Seventeen years later she moved to the USA with a wish to create more opportunities for women monastics. In 2011 she took full Bhikkhunī Ordination, joining the worldwide revival of the Theravāda Bhikkhunī Order. Ayya Ānandabodhī loves to share the Dhamma. Ayya’s practice is guided by early Buddhist scriptures, living in community, and through nature’s pure and immediate Dhamma. She's currently founding a Pārāyana Vihara in Port Townsend, Washington.

To learn more or offer support, visit https://parayanavihara.org/

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Āyasmā Ariyadhammika, spiritual director of Sāsanārakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS), on the broad topic of monastic training in its various expressions in Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and their synthesis in Malaysia at SBS. Specifically, the conversation delves into the fourteen courses of monk trainings at SBS (See https://sasanarakkha.org/monastery/):

(1) Meditation theory and practice, which includes experimenting with and gaining proficiency in different meditation techniques which can then be skillfully applied for different purposes, times & situations

(2) Dhamma knowledge and proper attitude towards the scriptures

(3) Vinaya knowledge and proper attitude towards the Vinaya

(4) Abhidhamma knowledge and its scrutiny in the light of Early Buddhism

(5) Knowledge of important Chants (in Pāli & English)

(6) Development of practical skills (sewing robes, making brooms, living under a tree, going on thudong)

(7) Development of research skills with the use of modern technology and specialised software

(8) The mastery of basic level Pāli, sufficient for research purposes (Advanced Pāli too, in case of individual interest)

(9) Development of right speech and conversation skills that go beyond mere noble silence (e.g. “Non Violent Communication” workshops)

(10) Development of verbal & digital presentation skills for giving Dhamma talks

(11) Development of writing skills for DhammaVinaya essays

(12) Development of Dhamma sharing skills on a Buddhist blog, newsletter, chatgroup, monastery or personal website

(13) Development of administrative and leadership skills

(14) Development in other areas depending on demand and interest of the resident monastics.

- Note: Access to the training/courses mentioned from point ten to thirteen is dependent on vassa age and a sufficient foundation in points one to nine.

Āyasmā Ariyadhammika's Biography

Ven. Ariyadhammika is an Austrian Buddhist monk who ordained in 2005 in Myanmar with Pa-Auk Sayadaw as his preceptor and meditation teacher. He maintained a very simple lifestyle, living out in the open and under trees, dedicating himself to mindfulness of breathing and later also to many other meditation subjects. He was initiated into the meditation techniques of Mogok, Mahasi, Shwe Oo Min/U Tejaniya and Sunlun.

He went to Thailand in 2010, where he stayed for 3 years at Wat Pah Nanachat, undergoing the traditional training of a Thai forest monk of the Ajahn Chah lineage. He stayed in Malaysia from 2013 to 2015, studying Pāli, Suttanta and the Vinaya under the guidance of Ven. Aggacitta Mahāthera. From 2015 to 2018 he stayed in Sri Lanka and returned to Malaysia in Jan. 2018 where he was appointed Saṅghanāyaka of SBS Monk Training Centre, dedicated to guiding and supporting fellow monastics.

You can find out more about Āyasmā Ariyadhammika and Sāsanārakkha at the links below:

- https://sasanarakkha.org

- @ariyadhammikabhikkhu5385

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The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo suggests a 5-part taxonomy of the sukhas (happinesses & pleasures) taught by the Buddha:

1) pleasure like fire - kāma-sukha (sensual pleasures not to be pursued);

2) pleasures like fresh air - kusala/nekkhamma-sukha (wholesome/healthy pleasures to develop);

3) pleasures like space - vipassana/upasama-sukha (the pleasures of clear seeing to be made much of);

4) pleasures like water - jhāna/paviveka-sukha (the pleasures of absorption/jhāna meditation - a trainable, uncomplicated, blameless, profound mental ease);

5) pleasures like earth - magga-phala/sambodhi-sukha (the pleasures of the Paths & Fruitions of Enlightenment).

See The Araṇa-vibhaṅga Sutta for more on how to define sukha and to cultivate it internally: https://suttacentral.net/mn139/en/nyanamoli?lang=en

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Bhante Joe Atulo, curator of www.dhammavinayapatipada.com. Subjects touched upon include: the Sri Lankan Forest tradition - its history and present, the happiness of respect, Bhante Ñāṇadīpa, and other relevant topics.

You can find more of Bhante Joe's teachings at www.dhammavinayapatipada.com or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@DhammaVinayaPatipada

Bhante Joe's Biography:

Born in London, Ontario in 1983, Bhante Joe’s interest in Buddhism began in high school after reading about the Four Noble Truths. He trained at the Toronto Zen Buddhist Temple before turning to Theravāda and joining Tisaraṇa Buddhist Monastery in 2008. Ordained as a bhikkhu in 2010, he trained in Canada and Thailand until 2015. After time in California and Toronto, he moved to Sri Lanka in 2019, where he now resides.

Tune in with fellow practitioners every Wednesday evening from 6 - 6:45 pm or Saturday morning from 9:30 am - 11 am for a Dhamma Talk and Q&A with Ajahn Kovilo or Ajahn Nisabho. Saturday mornings begin with a thirty-minute meditation. Wednesday evening Q&A's are followed by a discussion on Zoom from 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm. See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about looking at flavors of energy spoke of in Taoist tradition, a speculative overlay of some Taoist principles onto the traditional four Buddhist foundations of mindfulness, the meaning of sankhara (mental formations) and viññana (sense consciousness) in the five aggregates of clinging, Buddhist sleep advice, metta (loving-kindness), khanti (patient endurance), and more.

You can access more teachings from Jason Bartlett, the source of the speculative overlay of jing, qi, and shen onto the four foundations of mindfulness, at of http://www.luminousdharma.org/ .

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Khemarato Bhikkhu, creator of The Open Buddhist University - https://buddhistuniversity.net/.

Khemarato's Bio:

Khemarato Bhikkhu is a former software engineer from Silicon Valley where he worked on AI systems at Google and Facebook. He ordained in the Dhammayut Tradition in Thailand in 2019 and has lived in a tent in the Thai jungle ever since. He is the creator of the digital resource "The Open Buddhist University" and is an occasional contributor to SuttaCentral.

Tune in with fellow practitioners every Wednesday evening from 6 - 6:45 pm or Saturday morning from 9:30 am - 11 am for a Dhamma Talk and Q&A with Ajahn Kovilo or Ajahn Nisabho. Saturday mornings begin with a thirty-minute meditation. Wednesday evening Q&A's are followed by a discussion on Zoom from 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm. See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the role of emptiness (suññata) in Buddhism, specifically referencing the image of an extinguished flame described in MN 72 ("To Vacchagotta on Fire" - https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN72.html ), and elaborated on in Ajahn Thanissaro's "Mind Like Fire Unbound" (https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/likefire/index.html). Further questions delved into how to deal with fear arising in response to peace, translations of "metta", and how to work with our human failings.

The session ended with an exercise where partners took time to repeatedly ask one another the question, "What's holding you bath from your Dhammic path right now?".

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview their friends Jin Chuan Shi and Jin Wei Shi of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, & Redwood Vihara. Discussion touches upon embodiment, loving-kindness, non-violent communication, and restorative practices.

Find out more about Jin Chuan Shi, Jin Wei Shi, and the Redwood Vihara at https://www.redwoodvihara.org/

Biographies:

Bhikshus Jin Chuan Shi and Jin Wei Shi both found their spiritual calling early in life and now serve as monastics in the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. Jin Chuan, born in New Jersey and raised in Silicon Valley, discovered Buddhism while in high school, and committed to the Buddhist path when he met Ajahn Amaro at Stanford, where he was studying physics and religion. He eventually became a resident at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) in 2005 and received full ordination in 2013.

Jin Wei, originally from Poland, began meditating in 1999 and, after reading a translation of the Sixth Patriarch Sūtra, committed himself to Dharma service, eventually arriving at CTTB in 2013 and ordaining in 2017. Both hold M.A. degrees in Buddhist Classics from Dharma Realm Buddhist University, where Jin Chuan now serves as an assistant professor and chaplain.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about what to do when it seems like you've reached a wall in practice or in life. He specifically touches on six psycho-physical meditational movements for freedom found in the definition of the Third Noble Truth – the Cessation of Dukkha and mirrored in the framework of Loch Kelly's "Shift Into Freedom":

(1) virāga - fading away - unhooking

(2) nirodha - cessation - dropping

(3) cāga - relinquishment - opening

(4) paṭinissagga - letting go - seeing

(5) mutti - release - include

(6) anālaya - without attachment - letting be.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ayyā Sucittā about her path into the Theravāda, Koan practice, her encounters with nature, Natural Law, and other aspects of her teaching and path.

To learn more or support Ayya Sucitta's hermitage, contact her steward, Jason Bartlett, at info@luminousdharma.org, Jason.c.bartlett@gmail.com, or through his website, luminousdharma.org, noting that dāna given should be given to Ayya Sucitta's project.

Ayyā Sucittā's Biography:

Ayyā Sucittā grew up in South Korea, studied and traveled in the United States and after a while, back in Korea, became a monastic in the Korean Mahayana tradition. That was 30 years ago. She attended one of the bhikkhunī universities in Korea. After her initial training she had a thirteen year retreat with a Satipaṭṭhāna focus. About twenty years into her monastic life she visited the UK and met Theravada bhikkhus in Oxford. She found a resonance with the Early Buddhist teachings and forms of practice. Ayyā was encouraged to learn some Paḷī and chanting, she also began reading all the Early Buddhist Suttas. They sponsored her to study in Myanmar for six months. After Myanmar, she attended Amaravati's Vassa and the Winter Retreat. In 2017 she came to California and formally transitioned to the Theravada with a Daḷhīkamma Ordination with Ayyā Tathālokā as preceptor and with the support of bhikkhunīs from several communities and the Sri Lankan bhikkhus in the Bay Area. After about three years, Ayyā returned to Korea to take care of some health issues. She is now strong and healthy and will be starting Dhammadhārinī branch in South Korea in summer of this year.

To learn more or support Ayya Sucitta's hermitage, contact her steward, Jason Bartlett, at info@luminousdharma.org, Jason.c.bartlett@gmail.com, or through his website, luminousdharma.org, noting that dāna given should be given to Ayya Sucitta's project.

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The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ayyā Sucitta, visiting from South Korea, speaks about her path into Theravāda robes, her love of the early texts, and lessons learned from her pre-dawn pilgrimagse to a mountain stream during her thirteen years of retreat.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Guṇavīro Bhikkhu on the topic of "tudong" - wandering on faith. They speak about his learning in the Goenka tradition, advice for would-be wanderers, & experiences with hardship and blessing.

Gunaviro Bhikkhu's Biography:

Gunaviro Bhikkhu (Jeffrey Hancuff) is a Buddhist monk. He began practicing Buddhism in 2001, began monastic training in 2015, and received full ordination in 2018 with Luang Por Pasanno as his preceptor. Since 2022 he has been travelling independently, primarily in California, trying to follow the rules the Buddha laid down as closely as possible.

Contact Gunaviro Bhikkhu at gunavirobhikkhu@gmail.com

You can find out more at https://samanasevana.org/ or ema

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the power of habit in a Buddhist context and speaks about specific ways we can upgrade our practice of generosity, integrity, and meditation during the upcoming 3-month Rains Retreat (vassa). The "habit-loop" framework of "cue-routine-reward" from Charles Duhigg's "The Power of Habit" is introduced as a methodology for cultivating healthy habits for this "Buddhist Lent" period of intensified practice based on the Buddha's foundational teaching on "faith" (saddhā) that:

"It is possible to abandon the wholesome ... It is possible to abandon the unwholesome." (Anguttara Nikāya 2.19)

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

00:09 Thai Original Talk

22:41 English Translation

In this talk - in Thai with English translation - Luang Por Damrong Siribhaddho, abbot of Wat Pah Nam KamGeung, Thailand speaks of

Luang Por Damrong Biography:

Luang Por Damrong Siribhaddo has been a bhikkhu for 56 years. He acts as the preceptor for many of Luang Por Chah’s disciples in Thailand.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

00:10 - Thai Original Talk

21:07 - English Translation

In this talk - in Thai with English translation - Luang Por Khoon Aggadhammo, abbot of Wat Pah PoSuwan, Thailand speaks about the power of the Triple Gem, the Five Precepts, Three Types of Wisdom, the Eight Worldly Winds, and the Eightfold Noble Path.

Luang Por Khoon Biography:

Luang Por Khoon Aggadhammo has been a monk for 59 years. Having lived and studied for years under Luang Por Chah and having trained with Luang Por Sumedho for many years, Luang Por Khoon is currently the abbot of Wat PhoSuwan in Piboon Mangsahan district, Ubon Province.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview - in Thai with English translation - Ajahn Kovilo speaks with and translates the teachings of Luang Por Damrong Siribhaddho, abbot of Wat Pah Nam KamGeung.

Luang Por Damrong Biography:

Luang Por Damrong Siribhaddo has been a bhikkhu for 56 years. He acts as the preceptor for many of Luang Por Chah’s disciples in Thailand.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview - in Thai with English translation - Ajahn Kovilo speaks with and translates the teachings of Luang Por Khoon Aggadhammo, abbot of Wat Pah PoSuwan.

Luang Por Khoon Biography:

Luang Por Khoon Aggadhammo has been a monk for 59 years. Having lived and studied for years under Luang Por Chah and having trained with Luang Por Sumedho for many years, Luang Por Khoon is currently the abbot of Wat PhoSuwan in Piboon Mangsahan district, Ubon Province.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this video, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ven. Jigme, Ven. Ngawang, Ven Gyatso, & Thubten Chodron on the subject of the Sravasti Abbey Prison Dharma Project. For more information about Sravasti Abbey and the Prison Dharma Project, visit: https://sravastiabbey.org/who-we-are/how-we-help/

Short Description of the Prison Dharma Project:

The Prison Dharma Outreach supports over 1,000 incarcerated individuals by sending Dharma books, videos, newsletters, and offering spiritual guidance, including through prison visits by Abbey monastics. Around 200 inmates participate annually in the Abbey’s Retreat from Afar, engaging in daily practice and receiving weekly teachings. Many prisoners express deep gratitude through donations, artwork, and poetry, despite their challenging financial circumstances.

More ways to connect with Clear Mountain:

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session from the Clear Mountain June 28th, 2025 Alms Giving Ceremony, Ayya Ānandabodhī of Pārāyana Vihāra (https://parayanavihara.org/) speaks about allowing the Seven Factors of Enlightenment to unfurl.

Ayya Ānandabodhī's Biography:

Ayya Ānandabodhī was born and raised in Wales, UK. Ayya first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while reading about the Four Noble Truths. This was life-changing and from that moment she experienced a deep confidence in the Buddha’s insight and a wish to understand his teachings more deeply. At the age of 24, Ayya began monastic training at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England under the guidance of Ajahn Sumedho. Seventeen years later she moved to the USA with a wish to create more opportunities for women monastics. In 2011 she took full Bhikkhunī Ordination, joining the worldwide revival of the Theravāda Bhikkhunī Order. Ayya Ānandabodhī loves to share the Dhamma. Ayya’s practice is guided by early Buddhist scriptures, living in community, and through nature’s pure and immediate Dhamma.

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, given at the 2025 Clear Mountain Almsgiving Ceremony, Luang Por Sona speaks about his early days as a monk, and the lessons he learned about humility, agility, and keeping a warm heart and cool head.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Sona of Birken Monastery on the topic of his recent video "Greek & Persian Influence On Early Buddhism" (https://youtu.be/UDZK_V2wnt4?si=uz7ZQxr_t8CLU_dO).

Ajahn Sona's Bio:

Ajahn Soṇa is the founder and abbot of Birken Forest Monastery. Born in Canada in 1954, Ajahn Soṇa's background as a layperson is in classical guitar performance. His encounter with Buddhist wisdom as a young man initiated a spiritual journey that led him to become a lay hermit in the Coast Mountain region of BC for several years. He subsequently ordained as a Theravada monk in 1989 under Ven. Gunaratana, at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia, where his first years of training took place. Ven. Soṇa further trained for over three years at monasteries following Ajahn Chah in northeast Thailand, especially Wat Pah Nanachat. Upon his return to Canada in 1994 he helped found the original Birken Forest Monastery near Pemberton, BC and, as its spiritual guide, he has since led the monastery through each stage of its growth.

Tune in with fellow practitioners every Wednesday evening from 6 - 6:45 pm or Saturday morning from 9:30 am - 11 am for a Dhamma Talk and Q&A with Ajahn Kovilo or Ajahn Nisabho. Saturday mornings begin with a thirty-minute meditation. Wednesday evening Q&A's are followed by a discussion on Zoom from 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm. See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Bhante Rahula, visiting from Paññabhumi monastery in Guadalajara, speaks about how conscious gratitude and recollection of one's virtue can serve as a cure for the various ailments of the mind. Carefully documenting the goodness in one's life represents an important task for practitioners hoping to cultivate a bright heart. To find out more about Bhante Rāhula or Paññabhumi, visit https://dhamma-pb.org/

Bhante Rāhula's bio:

Bhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has practiced and studied the Dhamma.He was ordained in Myanmar by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, who is his preceptor. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya. For 6 years, Bhante studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau. In 2019, he completed a course on Buddhist scriptures from Harvard University. After living for several years at Sāsanārakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS) in Malaysia, he returned to Mexico to found Paññabhumi Monastery in Guadalajara. To find out more about Bhante Rāhula or Paññabhumi, visit https://dhamma-pb.org/

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)

- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)

See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!