Talks at Ajahn Anan's Retreats

Dhamma Talks Given at Ajahn Anan's Online Retreats

by Ajahn Achalo

2.08 - Faith, Energy and Determination

Faith, Energy and Determination

a talk given by Ajahn Achalo
06 October 2024, Day 2

2.07 - Natural Meditations lead to Profound Experiences of Deeper Nature

A talk with Q&A offered at an online retreat hosted by Ajahn Anan, March 2024.

Q1 You mentioned about "watching the elements". Would you please talk a bit about how you would do that.

Q2 Could you please explain the way you practice metta meditation please.

Q3 I read that some monks can feel numerous types of breath feeling. Can you describe these feelings more? Perhaps if I know it more consciously I can find it more easily.

Q4 There is a chant that refers to troubles beginning with those born by the bile and wind. What does this mean?

Q5 With your intensive meditation retreat in Bodgaya and then returning back to your duties, how have you managed to keep some of that energy?

2.06 - Retreat at Wat Marp Jan, Nov. 2023

The Big View - Nourishing Committed Determination

Ajahn Achalo encourages a group of Ajahn Anan’s International students towards the end of a meditation retreat at Wat Marp Chan

- November 4, 2023.

Q1: Do you have any tips on how to maintain our training at home?

Q2: I have an aspiration to be a stream enterer / sotapanna. Is this just an attachment?

Q3: I want to ask about your 26 years of shaving your eyebrows and Ajahn Chaa’s experience with sexual desire. So you want to keep your eyebrows and disrobe.

Q4: Sometimes when you start meditation at night you feel sleepy and then you sit and you feel so bright that you can’t sleep. Should I keep on meditating or should I sleep?

Q5: For a family man, if he wants to renounce it seems like there is a burden for the wife and kids.

2.05 - Retreat at Wat Marp Jan, July 2023

EMPOWERING FAITH, NOURISHING RESOLVE -

Ajahn discusses the subject of cultivating, deepening Faith, and then applying the good energy that comes from this in useful ways. Learning how to apply a more consistent and diligent effort as a consequence of having deep conviction and confidence in both the goal and one's ability to realize it.
- 21 July 2023

MAINTAINING CLARITY, JOY AND PEACE -

This talk, given on the last day of a 9 day online retreat, gives some perspective as well as useful pointers, with regards to progressing steadily in the gradual training towards complete liberation of mind.
- 23 July 2023

2.04 - Reflective Meditations

Reflective Meditations -
Utilizing the Thinking Mind

A talk and Q&A at Wat Marp Jan on the occasion of Ajahn Anan's birthday.

- 30 March 2023

Q1: May I know how can one start to train patient endurance? If one does not have any virtue, [does it mean] one cannot practice patient endurance?

Q2: Virtues mean high moral standards. How can one develop virtues?

Q3: How can I start to integrate meditation practice in my daily life when I feel I am still a slave to my cravings and often fall into their control and indulge in them?

Q4: How can I apply metta to myself and others and really mean it, when it comes to practicing in the sangha community. There is a difficult member in the sangha and saying may he or she be well is not working at least in my case it seems.

Q5: How do we train to rejoice in others’ good fortune when we are having a bad time in our life?

Q6: What is your advice on doubt regarding which tradition to follow?

Q7: You spoke about developing equanimity [towards dukkha]. How can we practice this if the dukkha is overwhelming and we just want to escape the pain?

Q8: If I am unable to control my craving for food, does it mean I do not have virtue? I find myself gobbling down food and then it is never enough. I always tell myself it will be the last time but the cycle repeats tomorrow.

Q9: Could you give more detail about how to make an aspiration for one’s next life? [example given]

2.03 - The Practice of Forgiveness

The Practice of Forgiveness
09 February 2023

Forgiveness Practice Supporting Insight -
From an online retreat at Wat Marp Jan, Day-3 Afternoon

Q1: Regarding metta, do we keep repeating and radiating out the metta until we achieve concentration?

Q2: When your mind is not pure, how effective is that loving kindness to others? How pure do we have to be to spread metta?

Q3: When I meet difficult persons, it seems very difficult to generate loving kindness

Q4: How can I know if I have really forgiven myself?

Q5: Can you please elaborate on using gestures to forgive ourselves.

Q6: In metta practice, may we include teachers who have passed away, as well as beings in nibanna?

Q7: Is it OK to meditate using metta for a little while and then anapanasati for 40-45 minutes and finish with Buddha anussati?

Q8: I am a busy wife and mother and I feel angry with myself when I cannot find the time to cultivate. How can I find the balance?