::How To Meditate I - What is Meditation ::

Bodhipaksa
Walking meditation

walking meditation - monk walking Walking meditation is one of the most widespread forms of Buddhist practice, and has the advantage that it can be done anytime we’re walking. It’s sometimes used as a way to break up periods of sitting meditation, giving the body a rest, but is frequently done as a meditation practice in its own right.

The Buddha described five benefits from doing walking meditation:

One is fit for long journeys
One is fit for striving
One has little disease
That which is eaten, drunk, chewed, tasted, goes through proper digestion
The composure attained by walking up & down is long-lasting.

Anything we do can become meditative, including eating, driving, washing, cleaning the house, and, of course, walking. Historically, Buddhist monks in India would make walking an important part of their daily practice, remaining mindful as they walked around performing the daily tasks of life such as fetching water or going to the bathroom, as well as when on the alms round as they begged for food by going from door to door, and as they simply walked from one place to another as they crossed the country. It was natural for them to make the simple act of walking into an opportunity to develop mindfulness and lovingkindness.
A CD containing a guided walking meditation is available through our online store, and the walking meditation track from that album is also available as an MP3 download.

Walking meditation also became a scheduled activity in which practitioners would walk up and down (or in some cases around a circular course) for a given period of time, just as they would have fixed periods of sitting meditation. Periods of walking meditation help the body to remain at ease and to recover from any tension that builds up due to repeated inactivity. But it’s also an opportunity to experience the body in action; in sitting meditation the body is still, while in walking meditation we can pay attention to the body as it moves, producing stronger and more easily observed sensations.

There are many forms of walking meditation, and I’ve done two different kinds taken from Zen traditions and one from Theravadin Buddhism. The main form I’m going to teach here has the advantage that it doesn’t require that you walk particularly slowly, meaning that you can do it while walking in a park or even in your local high street without drawing attention to yourself.

Walking meditation is perhaps the form of meditation that’s most amenable to the on-the-go modern lifestyle. Many people find it hard to set aside time to sit, but just about everyone does some walking, even if it’s just a trip to the grocery store. And since most of us don’t get enough exercise, walking meditation gives us the opportunity to keep both the body and mind healthy.

Walking meditation can be a lot of fun. It helps us to enjoy the experience of having a body, and can be very sensuous and immensely pleasurable.


http://www.wildmind.org/walking

 

.Daily words of the Buddha

Attā hi attano nātho,
attā hi attano gati.
Tasmā saṃyamamattānaṃ
assaṃ bhadraṃva vāṇijo.


One is one's own protector,
one is one's own refuge.
Therefore, one should control oneself,
even as a trader controls a noble steed.

to listen
http://host.pariyatti.org/dwob/dhammapada_25_380.mp3

 

Daily words of the Buddha

Sa vedagū,
Vūsitabrahmacariyo,
Lokantagū,
Pāragatoti vuccatī.
Listen: http://host.pariyatti.org/dwob/itivuttaka_4_109.mp3

One who is a master of knowledge,
Who has lived the holy life,
Is called one gone to the world's end,
One who has reached the further shore.

Itivuttaka 4.109

 

Ven. Ajahn Jayasaro - Talk on happiness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWAPtjzbYzI

 

The Thai Buddhist Forest Tradition, Thudong: Forest Monks and Hermits of Thailand

Since the time of the Buddha there have always been monks and nuns who have retreated into the depths of forests, mountains and caves seeking physical isolation to aid them in the development of meditation and realization of the Dhamma, the truth of the Buddha's teaching. Whether in solitude or in small groups, such renunciates lived a life of simplicity, austerity, and determined effort. They have included some of the greatest meditation masters since the Buddha himself. Far from cities and towns, willing to put up with the rigours and hardships of living in the wild for the opportunity to learn from nature, and uninterested in worldly fame or recognition, these forest monastics often remained unknown, their life stories lost among the jungle thickets and mountaintops.

The contemporary Thai Forest Tradition is a down-to-earth, back to the roots movement that models its meditation practice and lifestyle on that of the Buddha and the early generations of his disciples. The advent of the modern age notwithstanding, forest monasteries still keep alive the ancient traditions through following the Buddhist Monastic Code of Discipline, the training rules laid down by the Buddha, known as the Vinaya.

Until the mid-twentieth century most Buddhist monasteries in Thailand were the principle centers of education. Monks in the towns and villages taught school children and emphasized the scholastic study of the Buddhist scriptures. Performing ceremonies also played a large role in their lives. For the most part these village monasteries placed little emphasis on meditation, used money, and did not closely follow the monks' and nuns' training rules.

The Thai revival of the Forest Tradition in the nineteenth century was an attempt to return to the lifestyle and training that was practiced under the Buddha. The two main figures in this movement were Venerable Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta and Venerable Ajahn Sao Kantasilo.

Their intention was to realize in their own hearts and minds the inner peace and wisdom of the Dhamma. The busy village monasteries were abandoned for the peace and quiet of nature. The Vinaya was followed strictly, emphasizing the importance of every detail. Monks lived without money, accepting whatever was offered and patiently enduring when nothing was. Ascetic practices recommended by the Buddha were incorporated into their lifestyle: e.g., eating only one meal a day from one's almsbowl, wearing rag robes and living in the forest or in cemeteries.

The monks would often wander through the countryside seeking places conducive to meditation, carrying their few possessions: an almsbowl, three robes, a glot (an umbrella with a mosquito net, which was hung in the forest and used like a tent), and a few personal requisites.

From Ajahn Mun, Ajahn Sao and their numerous distinguished disciples, has come a legacy of powerfully relevant examples of an uncomplicated and disciplined way of life. Their teachings are directed towards those who wish to purify their minds by living the way of the Buddha. The very heart of the Forest Tradition is the development of meditation. By cultivating deep states of tranquility and systematically investigating the body and mind, insight arises as to the true nature of existence.

When entering a good forest monastery, the spirit of practice is evident everywhere. There is an air of simplicity. The buildings are clean and tidy. The remote setting supports an atmosphere of renunciation. Simple unadorned huts are individually nestled in small forest clearings. Monks or nuns mindfully and quietly do their chores or engage in sitting or walking meditation.

In developing meditation one may encounter many obstacles, and the forest masters were noted for their creativity in overcoming the hindrances and defilements of the mind. They were distinguished by their daring determination to realize enlightenment. The disciples of Ajahn Mun and Ajahn Sao gradually grew in number, and due to the excellent teaching they received and the intensity of their effort, many of them became great masters in their own right. Today the Forest Tradition is well established in Thailand and is beginning to take root in western countries.


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Enjoy!! Nice music and wonderful scenery.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCJi3u_KmQQ


Published on Nov 18, 2012

The Thai Buddhist Forest Tradition. Thudong: Forest Monks and Hermits of Thailand.
Video Edited and Produced by Facundo Soares Gache.

Venerable Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta and Venerable Ajahn Sao Kantasilo 's pictures

 

HAPPINESS & HUNGER

Buddhadasa Bhikkhu Lecture to foreign meditators at Suan Mokkhabalarama
7 May 1986
Translated by Santikaro Bhikkhu

Today I'd like to talk about something which most of you probably misunderstand. Although you've all come here with an interest in Buddhism, you may have some wrong understanding. For this reason, please gather your mental energies and set your mind to the task of listening. Pay special attention to what will be said today.

The thing we'll be talking about is happiness (sukha). This is a word that is quite ambiguous both in Thai, kwam sukh, in the Pali langauges, sukha, and even in English, happiness. In all three languages, this word has many varied meanings and applications. It's often difficult to understand exactly what people mean when they say the word "happiness." Because this subject can get very mixed up, it is necessary to reach some understanding of this thing, which is why we'll be speaking about happiness today.

The happiness felt in the everyday lives of ordinary people is one meaning of happiness. Then, there is the other kind of happiness, the happiness that arises with the realization of the final goal of life. There are these two very different things, but we call both of them " happiness." Generally, we mix up these two meanings, confuse them, and never quite understand what we're talking about.

WHICH HAPPINESS DO YOU WANT?

Here's one example of how the ambiguity of this word can cause problems. It's likely that you came here to study and practice Dhama in search of happiness. Your understanding of happiness, the happiness you desire, however, may not be the same happiness that is the genuine goal of Buddhism and the practice of Dhamma. If the sukha (happiness) that you desire is not the sukha that arises from Dhamma practice, then we're afraid that you'll be disappointed, or even heartbroken here. It's necessary to develop some understanding of this matter.

In order to save time and make it easy for you to understand, let's set down a simple principle for the understanding of happiness. The usual happiness that common people are interested in is when a particular hunger or want is satisfied. This is the typical understanding of happiness. In the Dhamma sense, however, happiness is when there is no hunger or want at all, when we're completely free of all hunger, desire, and want. Help to sort this out right at this point by paying careful attention to the following distinction: happiness because hunger is satisfied and happiness due to no hunger at all. Can you see the difference? Can you feel the distinction between the happiness of hunger and the happiness of no hunger?

Let's take the opportunity now to understand the words "lokiya" and "lokuttara," as they are relevant to the matter we're investigating today. Lokiya means "proceeding according to worldly matters and concerns." Lokiya is to be in the world, caught within the world, under the power and influence of the world. Common translations are "worldly" and "mundane." Lokuttara means "to be above the world." It is beyond the power and influence of the world. It can be translated "transcendent" or "supramundane." Now we can more easily compare the two kinds of happiness: lokiya-sukha (worldly happiness), which is trapped under the power of, governed by the conditions and limitations of, what we call "the world," and lokuttara-sukha (transcendent happiness), which is beyond all influence of the world. See this distinction and understand the meaning of these two words as clearly as possible.

We must look at these more closely. Lokiya means "stuck in the world, dragged along by the world," so that worldly power and influence dominate. In this state there is no spiritual freedom; it's the absence of spiritual independence. Lokuttara means "unstuck, released from the world." It is spiritual freedom. Thus, there are two kinds of happiness: happiness that is not free and happiness that is independent, the happiness of slavery and the happiness of freedom.

This is the point that we're afraid you'll misunderstand. If you've come here looking for lokiya-sukha, but you study Buddhism which offers the opposite kind of happiness, you're going to be disappointed. You won't find what you desire. The practice of Dhamma, including a wise meditation practice, leads to lokuttara-sukha and not to worldly happiness. We must make this point clear from the very beginning. If you understand the difference between these two kinds of sukha, however, you'll understand the purpose of Suan Mokkh and won't be disappointed here.

By now you ought to understand the difference between the two kinds of happiness: the happiness that comes from getting what we hunger for and the happiness of the total absence of hunger. How different are they? Investigate the matter and you will see these things for yourself. The happiness of "hunger satisfied" and the happiness of "no hunger" : we can not define them more succinctly or clearly than this.
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Extract from "Keys to Natural Truth" - Buddhadasa Bhikkhu ,
translated by Santikaro Bhikkhu, Published and distributed by Mental Health Publishing, 14/349-350 M.10, Rama II Road, Bangmod, Bangkok,Thailand
Tel: 662-4152621, 662-4156797, Fax: 662-4167744
Happiness & Hunger 1 Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

 

moving meditation
5minutes ......enjoy
Mahasati Meditation: Moving with Awareness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=ow4ffdfw0BI

A form of vipassana or insight meditation, Mahasati Meditation uses movement of the body to generate self-awareness and is a powerful method for self-realization

This method was developed by Luangpor Teean and it is a short cut to self-awareness. Mahasati Meditation do not call for reciting "in" or "out". There is no need to know that it's a long/short exhalation or inhalation or it's a fine or coarse one, no need to follow any rituals. The key point is to be aware of oneself. Since we are always moving, this meditation can be practiced 24/7.

For more information go to: Mahasati Meditation -- Moving with awareness
or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<wbr>Mahasati...

Mahasati Meditation is demonstrated in this video by Luangpor Thong, leading disciple of Luangpor Teean.

 

Read more about meditation

http://palungjit.org/threads/meditation.62278/

 

One of the nice web about meditation and power of the mind.
Mind Power : Discovering The Power Of The Human Mind

 

SUFFERING
BY AJAHN BRAHM

Enjoy!! Some truth are very funny indeed.

 

TALES OF A FOREST MONK BY AJAHN BRAHM

Scary ...enjoy

 

Ajahn Sumedho - Early Years At Wat Pah Pong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaRj7WbHIQg
Published on Nov 2, 2012

Luang Por Ajahn Sumedho (Thai: อาจารย์สุเมโธ) (born Robert Kan Jackman, July 27, 1934, Seattle) is the senior Western representative of the Thai forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism. He was abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, UK, from its consecration in 1984 until his retirement in 2010. Luang Por means Venerable Father (หลวงพ่อ), an honorific and term of affection in keeping with Thai custom; ajahn means teacher. A bhikkhu for 45 years, Sumedho is considered a seminal figure in the transmission of the Buddha's teachings to the West.
Ajahn Sumedho was born Robert Kan Jackman in Seattle, Washington in 1934.[1][2] During the Korean War he did military service for four years from the age of 18 as a United States navy medic. He then did a BA in Far Eastern studies and graduated in 1963 with an MA in South Asian studies at the University of California, Berkeley. After a year as a Red Cross social worker, Jackman served with the Peace Corps in Borneo from 1964 to 1966 as an English teacher. On break in Singapore, sitting one morning in sidewalk café, he watched a Buddhist monk walk by and thought to himself, "That looks interesting." In 1966 he became a novice or samanera at Wat Sri Saket in Nong Khai, northeast Thailand. He ordained as a bhikkhu (Buddhist monk) in May the following year.

From 1967-77 at Wat Nong Pa Pong, trained under Ajahn Chah. He has come to be regarded as the latter's most influential Western disciple. In 1975 he helped to establish and became the first abbot of the International Monastery, Wat Pa Nanachat in northeast Thailand founded by Ajahn Chah for training his non-Thai students. In 1977, Ajahn Sumedho accompanied Ajahn Chah on a visit to England. After observing a keen interest in Buddhism among Westerners, Ajahn Chah encouraged Ajahn Sumedho to remain in England for the purpose of establishing a branch monastery in the UK. This became Cittaviveka Forest Monastery in West Sussex.

Ajahn Sumedho was granted authority to ordain others as monks shortly after he established Cittaviveka Forest Monastery. He then established a ten precept ordination lineage for women, "Siladhara".

Until his retirement Ajahn Sumedho was the abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery near Hemel Hempstead in England, which was established in 1984. Amaravati is part of the network of monasteries and Buddhist centres in the lineage of Ajahn Chah, which now extends across the world, from Thailand, New Zealand and Australia, to Europe, Canada and the United States. Ajahn Sumedho played an instrumental role in building this international monastic community.

Ajahn Sumedho's imminent retirement was announced in February 2010, and he retired in November of that year. His successor is the English monk Ajahn Amaro, hitherto co-abbot of the Abhayagiri branch monastery in California's Redwood Valley.[3] Ajahn Sumedho now dwells as a "free agent" in Thailand.

Dhamma Talk

Home � Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Ajahn Sumedh &Ajahn Chah

 

Don't Believe It
Ajahn Sumedho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btCF3bnHpAI


Meditation and the Four Noble Truths
by Ajahn Sumedho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2JVgsrQLzU

 

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"Ajahn Chah"
Venerable Ajahn Chah (Pra Bhodinyana Thera) was born into a typical farming family in Baan Gor village, in the province of Ubon Rajathani, N.E. Thailand, in 1917. He lived the first part of his life as any other youngster in rural Thailand, and, following the custom, took ordination as a novice in the local village temple for a number of years, where he learned to read and write in addition to some basic Buddhist teachings. After a number of years he returned to the lay life to help his parents, but, feeling an attraction to the monastic life, at the age of twenty he again entered a temple, this time for higher ordination as bhikkhu, or Buddhist monk.

He spend the first few years of his bhikkhu live studying scriptures and learning Pali, but the death of his father awakened him to the transience of life and instilled in him the desire to find the real essence of the Buddha’s teaching. He began to travel to other monasteries, studying the monastic discipline in detail and spending a very brief but significant time with Venerable Ajahn Mun, the most outstanding meditation Master of the ascetic, forest-dwelling tradition.. Following his time with Venerable Ajahn Mun, he spend a number of years travelling around Thailand, spending his time in forests and charnel grounds, ideal places for developing meditation practice.

At length he came within the vicinity of the village of his birth, and when word got around that he was in the area, he was invited to set up a monastery at the Pa Pong forest, a place at this time reputed to be the habitat of wild animals and ghosts. Ven. Ajahn Chah’s impeccable approach to meditation, or Dhamma practice, and his simple direct style of teaching, with the emphasis on practical application and a balanced attitude, began to attract a large following of monks and lay people.

In 1966 the first westerner came to stay at Wat Pa Pong (Wat=temple), Venerable Sumedho Bhikkhu. From that time on, the number of foreign people who came to Ajahn Chah began steadily to increase, until 1975, the first branch monastery for western and other non-Thai nationals, Wat Pa Nanachat, was set up with Venerable Ajahn Sumedho as abbot.

The year 1976 Venarable Ajahn Chah was invited to England together with Ajahn Sumedho, the outcome of which was eventually the establishment of the first branch monastery of Wat Pa Pong outside of Thailand. Since than, further branch monasteries have been established in England, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and Italy.

In 1980 Venerable Ajahn Chah began to feel more acutely the symptoms of dizziness and memory lapse which he had been feeling for some years. This led to an operation in 1981, which however, failed to reverse the onset of the paralysis which eventually rendered him completely bedridden and unable to speak. However this did not stop the growth of monks and lay people who came to practice at his monastery, for whom the teaching Ajahn Chah are a constant guide and inspiration. Venerable Ajahn Chah passed away in 1992.
Sincerely appreciation ...from biography

Ven Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Sumedho and two western disciples

 

Diseases healed through Meditation
Meditation as a healing therapy for diseases | Tips to cure diseases through meditation | Meditationa and its benefits

 

What Happens After You Die? |
by Ajahn Brahm

 

Brief Teaching from The teacher..Ven.Ajahn Chah (13minutes app. with soothing music !!)
Ajahn Chah's Sayings

Losel Boon Hong Chuah -
Published on May 23, 2012
Some quotations taken from various published talks given by
Venerable Ajahn(Luang Por) Chah related to the general theme of "Teaching".
Thank you very much for the very beautiful music taken from "Secret Garden"

 

How to deal with rejection and lack of self-worth | by Ajahn Brahmavamso
BuddhistSocietyWA

 

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