Clear Mountain Monastery Project
Dharma talks from monastics at Clear Mountain, an aspiring Buddhist Forest monastery in the greater Seattle area. The Forest Tradition represents a return to the simple way of life taught by the Buddha. Monastics aspire to live as the early disciples did: dwelling in the forest, studying the teachings, and devoting themselves to meditation. To learn more, visit https://wwww.clearmountain.org.
Meditating in Total Darkness: Divine vs Diabolical Darkness | Andrew Holecek PART ONE
This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Andrew Holecek—scholar, practitioner, and "student of the night" (https://www.andrewholecek.com/). Watch PART TWO here: https://youtu.be/mGqZDbIVK0c
00:00:00 - Introduction & Andrew Holecek's Background
00:01:44 - Lunar Spirituality Bio & Background
00:07:01 - Overview & Significance of Dark Retreat
00:10:34 - Physical Setup and Environments
00:12:03 - Sutra vs. Tantra Approaches
00:18:26 - Comfort, Challenge, and Danger Zones
00:24:03 - Testing Personal Limits and Session Duration
00:25:34 - Preparing for Total Darkness
From Seattle to North Bend: A Lotus With Every Step | Ayya Anandabodhi, Ajahn Kovilo & Ajahn Nisabho
00:00 Chanting Together
00:52 Ayyā Ānandabodhi — Walking Right Here
08:04 Ajahn Kovilo — Walking With Stillness: The World Moving Through Us
16:58 Ajahn Nisabho — Path as Duty: Monastery as Container
26:59 Question: Navigating Career Transitions
31:53 Question: Managing Boredom in Relationships
37:25 Question: Balancing Duty and Presence
In this session, directly preceding their three-day pilgrimage from St. Mark's Cathedral in Capitol Hill, Seattle to the new Clear Mountain property in North Bend, Ayyā Ānandabodhi and Venerable Satima join Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho in reflecting on the why an...
Returning to Nature through Wuwei: Simplifying, Sensitizing, & Surrendering | Jason Bartlett Q&A
ESSAYS
Return to Simplicity Through Wuwei: https://luminousdharma.org/return-to-simplicity-through-wuwei/
Returning to Nature: https://luminousdharma.org/returning-to-nature-advanced-dharma-practice/
PAIRED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/qlU00qmHq1E
DESCRIPTION
Returning to Simplicity is an approach to Buddhist practice based on radical surrender. What we set down is the whole apparatus of impulse, obsession, discriminating, ruminating, and holding concepts about how the world should be. We are not setting down the arising of these things, but our investment in them. What we...
Essence, Energy, & Emptiness: Taoist Energy Alchemy for Buddhist Liberation | Ajahn Nisabho
In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho the Buddha's directions towards developing jhāna through mindfulness of breathing, as articulated in the Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 18 - https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false). Taoist articulations of how to refine the body's energies provide practical tools for practitioners looking to refine the mind through these stages. Specifically, Jason Bartlett's "Awakening Alchemy" methodology, described in the talk and essay below, give in-depth guidance about the approach.
Video: Buddhist Lotus, Taoist Roots: An Ancient Blueprint for Modern Practice | Jason Bartlett Q&A: h...
Buddhist Lotus, Taoist Roots: An Ancient Blueprint for Modern Practice | Jason Bartlett Q&A
ESSAY: http://Luminousdharma.org/awakening-alchemy/
PAIRED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/_GUvwlg8bHI
DESCRIPTION
Awakening Alchemy is a system of body, breath, energy, and spirit practices that cultivate and transform our being on multiple levels. Its concepts and approach are rooted in principles found within East Asian medicine, Taoist cultivation, and Buddhism. In this discussion we establish the principles and working points that serve as the foundation for this style of practice.
As with all techniques, these practices affect...
A How-To Guide to Space! Is There A Final Frontier? | Ajahn Kovilo
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about four doors to entering into the perception of space (ākāsa-saññā or ākāsānañcāyatana-saññā):
1) transcending form (rūpasaññānaṃ samatikkamā);
2) setting down resistance (paṭighasaññānaṃ atthaṅgamā);
3) unhooking duality (nānattasaññānaṃ amanasikārā);
4) resting in space (‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati).
Bhikkhu Sujato Translation:
"With the...surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is i...
We All Bow to Something: Adhiṭṭhāna, Vows, & the Architecture of Aspiration | Ajahn Nisabho
In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks the importance in practice of directing attention and intention to shape our path and experience. The word "adhiṭṭāna" ("determination" or "vow") describes such training, as does the Buddha's frequent admonishment to his discples, "Evañhi vo … sikkhitabbaṃ" ("Thus you should train yourselves...").
Some Suttas where the Buddha speaks about this setting of intention include the Mahāgosiṅga Sutta (MN 32 - https://suttacentral.net/mn32/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false), AN 2.5 (https://suttacentral.net/an2.5/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none¬es=asterisk&hi...
How to Laugh First: Renunciate ProTips for Beautiful Breaths & Truckloads of Bliss | Ajahn Brahm Q&A
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Brahm, abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery (https://bswa.org/). The discussion delves into Ajahn's path to ordination, advice for achieving deep samādhi, thoughts on Stream Entry, stories of devas, tales of Luang Por Chah, and more.
00:00:00 Introduction and Greetings
00:00:27 Humor in Meditation and Teaching
00:01:50 Key Moments and Faith leading to Ordination
00:02:43 Joining the Cambridge University Buddhist Society
00:05:15 Psychic Research and Hunting Ghosts
00:07:18 The Impact of Deep Meditative Experiences
Mahāyāna Satipaṭṭhāna: Thich Nhat Hanh’s Theravāda Bonafides | Brother Pháp Lưu Q&A
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Brother Pháp Lưu, the eldest non-Vietnamese American monk in the Plum Village tradition who is currently at Deer Park Monastery (https://deerparkmonastery.org/).
Biography of Brother Pháp Lưu:
Ordained as a monk since December 13, 2003, Brother Chân Pháp Lưu (Brother Stream) received Transmission of the Lamp from Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh to teach in 2011. He helped start Wake-Up, the international movement for young people, as well as the Happy Farm, Plum Village’s or...
From Dharma Prince To Homeless Beggar: A Tibetan Tudong In Love With The World | Mingyur Rinpoche
In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo & Ajahn Nisabho speak with Mingyur Rinpoche (https://tergar.org/)
00:00 Introduction
03:29 Monastic Background and Biography
06:22 Motivation for the Wandering Pilgrimage
10:30 Utility and Traps of the Self-Image
15:36 Near-Death Experience in Kushinagar
24:48 Dynamic Between Effort and Non-Effort
30:36 Innate Qualities of Awareness, Love, and Compassion
40:56 Pointing-Out Instructions and Lineage Transmission
46:05 Nature of Mind as Mundane vs. Transcendent
52:20 Preparing for the Process of Dying
58:03 Closing Blessing...
The Buddha’s Blueprint for Wellbeing: It’s Not Just For Buddhist | Ajahn Kovilo
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the Four Noble Truths and the Discourse on Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dhamma in honor of Āsāḷha Pūjā.
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://ww...
Q&A: Perceiving Nibbāna, Bodhisattvas vs. Arahants, & Can Laypeople Attain Jhāna? | CM Monks
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho celebrate Āsāḷha Pūjā by speaking about the Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma Sutta (SN 56.11 - Dhammacakkappavattanasutta), and its articulation of the Four Noble Truths. They they take questions dealing with topics ranging from the difference between Bodhisattvas and Arahants, to the nature of Nibbāna, to the benefits of memorization. Sadhu!
An article by Ajahn Kovilo on memorizing long Dhamma may be found here: https://www.clearmountain.org/2020/08/01/article-a-fun-way-to-memorize-long-dhamma-with-a-special-focus-on-the-dhammapada/
A recording and text for chanting the Set...
Have You Forgotten Your Freedom? Prison Program Leaders & a Monk on Liberation Behind Bars | GRIP
In this session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks with Kim Grose Moore and Tommy "Shakur" Ross from the GRIP (Guiding Rage Into Power) Training Institute (https://grip-traininginstitute.org/) about their work in prisons teaching inmates to transform trauma and anger into meaningful internal change. The program, inspired by Dhammic principles and practices, has helped almost 2000 graduates move towards genuine freedom of heart, even while behind bars.
To learn more about GRIP and support, visit https://grip-traininginstitute.org/
To sign up for their newsletter, visit https://secure.everyaction.com/pDQIgRHaHUaPNnI5Xurq-A2
”There Won’t Be a Second”: A Devotional to Luang Por Sumedho, the Most Ordinary Human | Ajahn Vinita
In this session, Ajahn Vinita, longtime attendant and student of Luang Por Sumedho, speaks with deep devotional warmth and sweetness about his affection and love for his teacher, the "simplest, most ordinary human" he's ever met. The talk, given on the Saturday preceding Luang Por Sumedho's 93rd birthday, is made especially poignant in that it was given at Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral where Luang Por served as alter boy while growing up in Seattle.
Ajahn Vinita Biography:
Born in Sri Lanka, Ajahn Vinitha ordained as a novice at age 17 in...
The Miraculous Nature of the Ordinary: A Daylong Retreat on Gratitude | Bhante Rahula
Gratitude Retreat Part 1: https://youtu.be/Bs-ymolbjqs
In this second portion of the daylong gratitude retreat given in June of 2026, Bhante Rahula speaks about the essential practice of cultivating gratitude for the blessings in our life, and the blessings we give to others. Such recollections represent a great support in practice, and our lives, and can be cultivated through practical means. Bring a pen and paper! Special thanks to Luis Navarro (Memo) for inserting the wonderful visuals. To learn more, visit www.bhanterahula.com.
Bio
What Do You Want to Do with the Time You Have Left? The Radical Courage of Practice | Bhante Rahula
Gratitude Retreat Part 2: https://youtu.be/RJ1mAYVhJ-Y
In this first talk of the daylong gratitude retreat given in June of 2026, Bhante Rahula speaks about how to use practice to take stock of our moment in life, and use it skillfully to cleanse the mind and heart. To learn more, visit www.bhanterahula.com.
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 b...
Billionaires Crying All Night, Because They Don’t Understand Dukkha | Luang Por Damrong Siribaddho
00:00 Intro & THAI Part-1: On Merit, Meditation, Impermanence, and Karma
15:10 ENGLISH TRANSLATION Part-1
24:25 Question: Expressing Gratitude and Asking About Sitting Together
25:24 Ayya Anandabodhi Gratitude and Luang Por Damrong Sucitto Response
29:43 ENGLISH TRANSLATION Part-2
32:38 Question: Requesting a Monastic Blessing
In this talk, Luang Por Damrong Siribadaddho, one of the most senior disciples of Ajahn Chah, teaches that material wealth and physical health are impermanent, urging the community to find true happiness by cultivating inner peace through generosity, morality, and meditation. <...
The Warrior Practice of Nooks & Crannies: A Wholehearted Guide to ”Korwat” | Ajahn Nyaniko Q&A
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo will be interviewing Ajahn Nyaniko—abbot of Abhayagiri Monastery in California—about the Thai Forest methods of training the heart as found in the teachings of Luang Por Chah, Luang Por Baen, and in his own experience leading a monastic community of sincere seekers. The interview is organized around the teachings and "korwat" (monastic training protocols) found in the book "The Way Forward" by Luang Por Baen (as translated by Ajahn Nyaniko). "Training Thai Style"
- pdf of "The Way Forward": https://dn710703.ca.archive.org/0/items/TheWayForwardLuangPorBaen/The%20Way%20Forward%20-%20...
Life is Just Breath... Yet Sooo Many Problems! | Luang Por Damrong Sucitto
00:00 Intro and THAI Part-1: On Taking Precepts
07:13 ENGLISH TRANSLATION Part-1
10:28 THAI Part-2: Main Talk
21:47 ENGLISH TRANSLATION Part-2
In this talk, Luang Por Damrong Sucitto, one of the most senior disciples of Ajahn Chah, speaks about the importance of keeping sīla, or virtue, and of finding the deeper truths of the heart through observing the breath.
Bio
Luang Por Damrong Sucitto (หลวงพ่อดำรงค์ สุจิตโต - พระครูภาวนาสารคุณ)
Luang Por Damrong Sucitto (Phra Khru Bhāvanāsāraguṇa), direct disciple of Luang Por Chah and monk for over 50 years, is abbot of Wa...
Drunk on Life: Seeing Ducks as Chickens & Life as Flickerless Flame | Luang Por Jundee
00:00:00 THAI - Luang Por Jandee on Three Types of Drunkenness
00:15:46 ENGLISH TRANSLATION
00:32:40 Q1 - Practicing Right View as a layperson
00:33:31 THAI - Right View
00:34:36 ENGLISH TRANSLATION
00:36:08 THAI - Luang Por Chah on Right View
00:36:44 ENGLISH TRANSLATION
00:37:48 Q2 - Cultivating good health vs. getting drunk on health
00:39:06 THAI - Good Health
00:41:03 ENGLISH TRANSLATION
00:42:38 Q3 - A surprising teaching from Luang Por Chah
00:43:31 THAI - Surprising Teaching
<...
Relationship Advice from Two Celibate Monks: Seclusion without Delusion | Aj. Kovilo & Aj. Nisabho
In this Q&A session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho discuss seclusion of body (kāya-viveka) and seclusion of mind (citta-viveka), how to apply the fourth establishment of mindfulness (mindfulness of dhammas) in meditation, ways of dealing with aversion, skillful means of nonviolent communication, and the benefits of retreat versus stays at monasteries.
-----
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 Medit...
All the Pendence! Independence, Interdependence, Co-Dependence, & Dependence | Ajahn Kovilo
In this talk—given on July 4th, 2026—Ajahn Kovilo speaks about dependence (nissaya, paccaya), interdependence (aññāmaññapaccaya), and independence (anissita) in their various Theravāda Buddhist contexts.
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.clearmountainm...
The Interbeing of Nun and All: A Joyful, Engaged Life with Thich Nhat Hanh | Kaira Jewel Lingo Q&A
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Kaira Jewel Lingo, teacher, author, and former nun whose work integrates the traditions of Zen and Vipassana with a focus on social, racial, and environmental justice (http://www.kairajewel.com/).
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:38 Discussion on the dichotomy of softness and directness in teaching
00:02:35 Personal history: Growing up in spiritual and international communities
00:03:05 Key moments leading to Buddhist faith and ordination
00:07:41 The search for spiritual community after leaving childhood home
00:08:22 First encounter with Plum...
An Engineer’s Guide to Buddhism: A Google Acts of Peace & Joy on Demand | Chade-Meng Tan Q&A
In this interview, Ahahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with early Google engineer and author Chade-Meng Tan (https://chademeng.com/). He is also the founder of Buddhism.net (https://buddhism.net/).
00:01:21 Meng's early life and path to Buddhism
00:06:21 Integrating Buddhist inspiration into Google
00:16:15 Scaling transformation and transcendence in society
00:23:15 The accessibility of joy and its training methods
00:32:42 Inspiring spiritual depth in world and business leaders
00:40:21 Meditation strategies for computer programmers
00:45:27 Corporate management principles for monastic...
Five Recollections to Counter Intoxication With Youth, Health, & Life | Ajahn Kovilo
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about bringing loving-awareness and creativity to one's practice of the Five Subjects for Frequent Recollection:
1) "I am of the nature to age. I have not gone beyond aging."
2) "I am of the nature to sicken. I have not gone beyond sickness."
3) "I am of the nature to die. I have not gone beyond dying."
4) "All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, will become separated from me."
5) "I am the owner of my kamma, heir to...
Fantastic Monastics! | Ayya Niyyānika, Ajahn Pandit, Ajahn Cunda, Bhante Rāhula, & Maechee Paññāsiri
In this series of five talks given on June 20 for Clear Mountain's fourth annual Almsgiving Ceremony, we hear from 5 monastics:
00:00:00 - Ayya Niyyānika on how practice begins now, rather than when the monastery is finished;
00:02:45 - Ajahn Pandit on the story of Anaruddha, and the relentlessness of worldly life;
00:09:38 Ajahn Cunda on the wisdom of finishing work internally every day;
00:13:43 Bhante Rāhula on the joy of seeing the four Buddhist communities gathered together;
00:19:15 Maechee Paññāsiri on how a monastery is a mirro...
The Dhamma of Asking Questions: Deep Listening Advice From A Professional Interviewer | Steve James
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Steve James, meditation teacher & host of the Guru Viking Podcast (https://www.guruviking.com/).
00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:01:32 Formative faith moments and vocation
00:06:18 Life on an English canal boat
00:08:40 The rhythm of travel and interviewing
00:10:59 Interviewing the same guest over time
00:14:20 Most moving and luminous conversations
00:17:21 Handling negative reactivity in conversation
00:22:24 Balancing internal and external awareness
00:23:50 Advice for engaging with teachers and mentors
<...
”Beware of the Perfect Monastery”: From Spiritual Idealism to Spiritual Realism | Ajahn Sudanto
In this talk given on June 20 on the occasion of Clear Mountain's fourth annual Almsgiving Ceremony, Ajahn Sudanto—abbot of The Pacific Hermitage in White Salmon, WA—speaks about moving past the initial "romantic phase" of spiritual life into a resilient commitment. Celebrating Clear Mountain Monastery's new land, he warns that longing for flawless conditions is a delusion, reminding us that true practice requires anchoring faith with determination, rising above liking and disliking to weather the inevitable ups and downs of the journey. For more information about Ajahn Sudanto and the Pacific Hermitage, visit: https://pacifichermitage.org/
Uncompromising Attunement: Navigating Hellish, Hungry, & Exalted Realms & Places | Ayyā Ānandabodhī
In this talk given on June 20 on the occasion of Clear Mountain's fourth annual Almsgiving Ceremony, Ayya Ānandabodhi—abbess of Pārāyana Vihara in Port Townsend, WA—speaks about the joy of spiritual community, the danger of letting an untethered mind wander into modern-day 'hell realms,' and how to anchor ourselves in the present moment through the dual foundations of ethical living (sīla) and somatic awareness of the breath. For more information about Ayya Ānandabodhī or Pārāyana Vihara, visit: https://parayanavihara.org/
Ayya Ānandabodhī's bio:
Ayya Ānandab...
Interested & Excited: Gardening the Heart & Tooling Up Your Cultivation | Ajahn Cunda
In this session, Ajahn Cunda—Abhayagiri-ordained senior monk and good friend of Ajahns Kovilo and Nisabho—speaks about cultivation as a garden and a tool kit ... and how to use a shovel and washing machine!
Ajahn Cunda's Bio:
Ajahn Cunda was raised in a warm and loving family in the Northern suburbs of Chicago and moved to California in 1996. His interest in Buddhism began in high school, continued in college, led him on a spiritual search to Asia, and eventually drew him towards Theravāda meditation practices. It was not until...
The Hard Knox of Metta: How to Survive Prison, Forgive Your Prosecutor, & Love Anyone | Amanda Knox
In this interview, Ajahn Nisabho speaks with Amanda Knox, who was falsely convicted of murder in 2009, about her journey to find meaning in prison and forgiveness afterwards. The conversation delves into Amanda's practice of meditation, loving-kindness (metta), and advice for those struggling to forgive.
Bio
Amanda Knox is an exoneree, journalist, public speaker, author of the New York Times best-selling memoir, Waiting to Be Heard, and host of the podcast Hard Knox. Her second book, FREE: My Search for Meaning came out in 2025. Between 2007 and 2015, she spent nearly four years...
What’s to Give Light Must Endure Burning…& Mayo? A Mai-Nai/Uncertain Sandwich | CMM & Ven. Paññāsiri
In this three-way talk, Ajahn Kovilo, Ajahn Nisabho, and Maechee Paññasiri speak about the Three Characteristics/Perceptions (tilakkhaṇa), or perceptions:
00:00:00 Introduction & Ajahn Kovilo on Dukkhatā - Pain/Suffering/Unsatisfactoriness
00:11:58 Maechee Paññāsiri on Anattatā - Not-Self
00:27:51 Ajahn Nisabho on Aniccatā - Impermanence
00:43:14 Questions and Answers
By contemplating these skillfully, one can bring the heart to full liberation. The talk also features a surprising number of references to mayonnaise.
Maechee Paññāsirī's Biography:
Sister Maechee...
Stanford Scholar on the Conceits & Blind Spots of Every Form of Buddhism | Prof. Paul Harrison Q&A
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Paul Harrison, professor of religious studies at Stanford University (https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/people/paul-harrison).
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:23 Balancing academic scholarship and personal spiritual practice
00:04:09 Exploring the spiritual dimension of studying Buddhist texts
00:05:55 How early Mahayana Buddhism emerged
00:08:56 The timeline and setting where Mahayana began to diverge
00:12:54 Explanation of the Lokaksema Corpus and early ascetic Mahayana traditions
00:15:21 The cultural motivations and societal forces that drove the Mahayana movement
00:18:11...
Awakening is Devastating: Death, Dhamma, & Diamond-Cut Wisdom from White Robes | Maechee Paññāsirī
In this talk, Maechee Paññasiri, visiting from Thailand, speaks about the urgency and profundity of the path of practice, and how the mundane moments of life, such as washing a robe, can catalyze the deepest insights. By purifying our sila (virtue) and relying on spiritual friends, we can see what stains remain in the heart and devote ourselves to their purification. When we understand the truth of mortality, only one task remains: that of Awakening.
Maechee Paññāsirī's Biography:
Sister Maechee Panyasiri is a Chinese-born, Thai forest nun in the...
Making Mountains of Merit Amidst Mounting Madness: Shedding Light on Group Karma | Ajahn Achalo Q&A
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Ajahn Achalo, abbot and founder of Ānandagiri Monastery in Pechabun, Thailand (https://www.peacebeyondsuffering.org/)
00:00:00 Welcome and introduction of Ajahn Achalo
00:01:27 Connection with the local village and global uncertainty
00:07:53 Advice for navigating dark or distressing times
00:08:36 Internal practices for holding the heart in a good space
00:13:06 Correlation between renunciation and letting go of hindrances
00:16:43 Contemplating the law of karma during difficult periods
00:19:38 Skillful means for brightening an anxious o...
True Safety in the Bravest of Spaces | Ayya Niyyānika
In this session, Ayya Niyyānika explores how we can discover true inner security and cultivate a 'smiling heart' of endless kindness, even when navigating an overwhelming and messy world. Grounding in the Maṅgala Sutta, they challenge us to move beyond the illusion of perfectly guaranteed external 'safe spaces' and instead build brave communities where we can hold our vulnerabilities, challenges, and identities with wisdom and curiosity.
Ayya Niyyanika's Biography:
Ayya Niyyānika grew up on Whidbey Island, Washington, and worked as an ontology consultant in Minnesota before entering mona...
New & Ancient Rules of Relationship: Advice from a Therapist & Two Celibate Monks | Terry Real Q&A
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Terry Real, therapist, author, and creator of Relational Life Therapy (RLT) (https://terryreal.com/).
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:49 Coming out of the closet as a long-term meditator
00:04:46 Three parts of the brain and the psyche in RLT
00:05:42 Explaining the survival instincts of fight, flight, and fawn
00:06:22 Defining the "wounded child" and the nature of trauma
00:07:18 The role and function of the "adaptive child"
00:08:40 How trauma triggers reactivity in current relationships
<...
Weathered Maturity: A Jagged, Holistic Life At the Center of the Edge of the World | Ajahn Sukhito
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
...
(Almost) Effortless Mindfulness for Effortful Skeptics: A Savory Same-Taste Sandwich | Loch Kelly
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
0...
A Heart-shaking Life of Extraordinary Genius: The Historical & Human Buddha | Ajahn Nisabho
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.
----
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 P...
