Livestream Recordings |
Online Meetings April to June 2023
14 June 2023
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Questions
Q1. What is consciousness? Do animals have consciousness? What happens to consciousness when a person or animal dies.
Q2. Why do humans have regrets? What does Lord Buddha say about regrets? |
Q3. How can we guard ourselves from the negative energies of others, when we sense that a particular conversation/interaction is going to affect us badly?
Q4. I have a very severe chronic illness that’s basically destroyed my life. My illness often makes it hard for me to practice. Are there specific types of good kamma I can do to try and alleviate sickness, or is all good kamma equally beneficial in this regard? What about with dana? Would some places I can give dana be more effective than others for helping with sickness?
Q4. I have a very severe chronic illness that’s basically destroyed my life. My illness often makes it hard for me to practice. Are there specific types of good kamma I can do to try and alleviate sickness, or is all good kamma equally beneficial in this regard? What about with dana? Would some places I can give dana be more effective than others for helping with sickness?
24 May 2023
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Questions
Q1: Is there such a thing as the ripening of bad kamma that prevents one from doing wholesome things? Could it be that it arises from one wrong view? How does one overcome such obstacles?
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Q2: I would like to understand what could be the karmic cause of being abandoned and hurt by people I am romantically attached to in my life? Could I have hurt other people in the past too? How should I alleviate this bad kamma?
Q3: In a recent Q&A session, you briefly mentioned that there is intentional and unintentional kamma. I wondered if you could elaborate on this, e.g. in terms of stepping on ants in the forest. What is the difference between the workings of intentional kamma and the workings of unintentional kamma?
Q4: In the beginning I had 100% saddha/faith in the Buddhist path of dana, sila and bhavana - generosity, virtue and mental cultivation. But currently I am totally losing faith in it. Kindly provide some tips to regain my faith in the 8 fold path.
Q5: How should I apologize to all of the ajahns who I have intentionally or unintentionally made many mistakes towards by body, speech and mind? For example, when I promised to stay in the monastery for 2 weeks, because of my own kilesa I could not stand it and I left. I gave a lot of dishonest reasons to get out of the monastery. Should I go to all ajahns’ places personally to ask forgiveness?
Q6: Recently I've been looking for a job. I often think of many unpleasant memories from the past few jobs, such as being treated unreasonably by my boss. I cannot let go of these scary memories. I tried to seek some advice from social workers, but it didn't help. Any suggestions?
Q7: I’m struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome after cancer. Do you have any guidance with dealing with that and chronic pain in general?
Q3: In a recent Q&A session, you briefly mentioned that there is intentional and unintentional kamma. I wondered if you could elaborate on this, e.g. in terms of stepping on ants in the forest. What is the difference between the workings of intentional kamma and the workings of unintentional kamma?
Q4: In the beginning I had 100% saddha/faith in the Buddhist path of dana, sila and bhavana - generosity, virtue and mental cultivation. But currently I am totally losing faith in it. Kindly provide some tips to regain my faith in the 8 fold path.
Q5: How should I apologize to all of the ajahns who I have intentionally or unintentionally made many mistakes towards by body, speech and mind? For example, when I promised to stay in the monastery for 2 weeks, because of my own kilesa I could not stand it and I left. I gave a lot of dishonest reasons to get out of the monastery. Should I go to all ajahns’ places personally to ask forgiveness?
Q6: Recently I've been looking for a job. I often think of many unpleasant memories from the past few jobs, such as being treated unreasonably by my boss. I cannot let go of these scary memories. I tried to seek some advice from social workers, but it didn't help. Any suggestions?
Q7: I’m struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome after cancer. Do you have any guidance with dealing with that and chronic pain in general?
19 April 2023
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Questions
Q1: has been made into a separate video (below).
Q2: What should I do when I feel peaceful during and after the meditation? Some teachers advise me that I should think of dukkha (suffering) and the causes of dukkha. But I don't know how to do it because I don't feel any pain or sickness during the peaceful moments of the meditation. |
Q3: Dear Ajahn, in my practice, I am only seeing everything as dukkha (suffering), both internally and externally. I don't know what to do. I do practice metta but it only helps temporarily. What should I do?
Q4: I know my actions do have an impact on others. Do I therefore contribute to their karmma?
Q5: What does meditation do to oneself and to others?
Q6: When there is a problem in my life I keep thinking about it in order to solve/overcome it. It is impossible then to feel sukha and go into samadhi, as I am afraid that this will cover and ignore the problem rather than solving it. Any suggestions on how to practice in such cases please?
Q7: I have tried to be aware of breathing in and breathing out for a long time. However, I experience difficulty trying to be aware of it. I cannot relax and be mindful during the meditation. Even while chanting I feel my neck and my head become very tight. After the meditation I feel unwell, such as tension, mental tiredness and headache. How should I practice meditation?
Q8: I have been reading Ajahn Punnadhammo’s book on Buddhist Cosmology. My question is: Can a being in the animal realm be reborn in the Peta/ghost realm in an animal form. Meaning as a peta that appears as the animal they previously existed as. An example would be a dog peta.
Q9: I am thinking to help an overseas friend of mine to set up a business company in Singapore using my name. I know that they will be doing legal business. My only concern is if I will be breaking the 4th precepts as I don’t work in the company but on paper I will be the appointed director etc. By agreeing to him, I hope to be of help to this friend and at the same time be able to have some passive income. What would Ajahn advise?
Q4: I know my actions do have an impact on others. Do I therefore contribute to their karmma?
Q5: What does meditation do to oneself and to others?
Q6: When there is a problem in my life I keep thinking about it in order to solve/overcome it. It is impossible then to feel sukha and go into samadhi, as I am afraid that this will cover and ignore the problem rather than solving it. Any suggestions on how to practice in such cases please?
Q7: I have tried to be aware of breathing in and breathing out for a long time. However, I experience difficulty trying to be aware of it. I cannot relax and be mindful during the meditation. Even while chanting I feel my neck and my head become very tight. After the meditation I feel unwell, such as tension, mental tiredness and headache. How should I practice meditation?
Q8: I have been reading Ajahn Punnadhammo’s book on Buddhist Cosmology. My question is: Can a being in the animal realm be reborn in the Peta/ghost realm in an animal form. Meaning as a peta that appears as the animal they previously existed as. An example would be a dog peta.
Q9: I am thinking to help an overseas friend of mine to set up a business company in Singapore using my name. I know that they will be doing legal business. My only concern is if I will be breaking the 4th precepts as I don’t work in the company but on paper I will be the appointed director etc. By agreeing to him, I hope to be of help to this friend and at the same time be able to have some passive income. What would Ajahn advise?
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Response to Question 1.
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06 April 2023
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Questions
Q1: Personality traits such as “being introverted” or “anxious” seem to persist even with being mindful in the moment. Are they due to our past karma and/or created views due to childhood events? Should one just continue training in being present and letting go of fear, moment to moment? It seems pervasive sometimes.
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Q2: What book would you recommend that is a good all round introduction to Buddhism?
Q3: I find that my mind more successfully becomes more peaceful through a "welcoming sati" rather than a "focused samatha-practice". Could you please say anything about sati as a refuge, and perhaps how it relates to samadhi?
Q4: I have been your faithful student since 2013 and I have been heeding, taking in and making repeated resolutions to increase my daily formal and mindfulness practice. I seem to move forward a little and then slip back in my addithana, due to worldly distractions etc. Can Ajahn offer some advice on how to proceed and break beyond this stagnation?
Q5: I listened to your teaching during Ajahn Anan’s retreat and was inspired to cultivate the practice of ‘Devanussati’, as it’s something I’ve never done before. I am a very visual person. When I practice Buddhanusati, I would imagine myself sitting in front of a Buddha rupa or just think of a face of a Buddha rupa. Likewise, for sanghanusati, I usually recollect the smiling faces of ajahns, such as Ajahn Anan, Ajahn Dtun, or Ajahn Achalo, and would feel the rapture and peacefulness. However, as beings in the human realm, we’re not quite familiar with any devas. How should we initiate the practice on devanusati?
Q6: Do you have tips for online retreatant at home? Being in the online retreat, I sense frustration from within when I received WhatsApp messages. I see that it’s not the messages that make me frustrated but it’s me that wanted to cut away from the connection. I see a need to reply to the person and etc… It’s also similar when the retreat has ended. Sometimes, I feel saddened that I have to be in the mad rush schedule again. I am happy to be home - home. Thanks for your guidance.
Q3: I find that my mind more successfully becomes more peaceful through a "welcoming sati" rather than a "focused samatha-practice". Could you please say anything about sati as a refuge, and perhaps how it relates to samadhi?
Q4: I have been your faithful student since 2013 and I have been heeding, taking in and making repeated resolutions to increase my daily formal and mindfulness practice. I seem to move forward a little and then slip back in my addithana, due to worldly distractions etc. Can Ajahn offer some advice on how to proceed and break beyond this stagnation?
Q5: I listened to your teaching during Ajahn Anan’s retreat and was inspired to cultivate the practice of ‘Devanussati’, as it’s something I’ve never done before. I am a very visual person. When I practice Buddhanusati, I would imagine myself sitting in front of a Buddha rupa or just think of a face of a Buddha rupa. Likewise, for sanghanusati, I usually recollect the smiling faces of ajahns, such as Ajahn Anan, Ajahn Dtun, or Ajahn Achalo, and would feel the rapture and peacefulness. However, as beings in the human realm, we’re not quite familiar with any devas. How should we initiate the practice on devanusati?
Q6: Do you have tips for online retreatant at home? Being in the online retreat, I sense frustration from within when I received WhatsApp messages. I see that it’s not the messages that make me frustrated but it’s me that wanted to cut away from the connection. I see a need to reply to the person and etc… It’s also similar when the retreat has ended. Sometimes, I feel saddened that I have to be in the mad rush schedule again. I am happy to be home - home. Thanks for your guidance.
