Episodes
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In some recent episodes of Treasure Mountain Podcast we’ve heard about the importance of samatha - or stillness, tranquillity - meditation. But what about vipassana - insight meditation? The vipassana meditation movement has had a huge impact upon meditation practice in both East and West, and has shaped modern understandings of what meditation is about and for. So what is vipassana meditation? What is its heritage? What is its basis within Buddhism? And how does it work?
To answer these questions and more we have as our guest today Patrick Kearney.
Patrick has practised mindfulness meditation since 1977. At that time there was little or no Buddhist meditation training available in Australia, so he spent years travelling in Asia and the USA working with teachers from different Buddhist traditions to learn the craft of meditation practice. Most of his training has been in the insight meditation lineage of Mahāsī Sayādaw of Burma, which included several years as a Buddhist monk. His main teachers were Sayādaw U Paṇḍita and John Hale. He has also trained in the Diamond Sangha lineage of Zen where his teachers have been Robert Aitken Rōshi and Paul Maloney Rōshi.
Patrick has been a full-time teacher of mindfulness meditation for over 20 years. He conducts residential and online retreats, workshops and seminars. He has studied early Buddhism at post-graduate levels and has a particular interest in the original teachings of the Buddha, before the invention of “Buddhism.” This allows him to bring the radical insights of the Buddha to our contemporary situation. He sees meditation as a physical practice that reconnects us with the felt world of our senses, allowing us to live our lives directly rather than through the cling-wrap of our habitual thinking.
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Links related to this episode:
Patrick Kearney websiteLinks related to Treasure Mountain Podcast:
Treasure Mountain PodcastThe Everyday Dhamma NetworkSupport the podcast with a donation (via the Ko-fi creators platform) -
In Western culture over the past century, the growth of interest in psychology and Buddhism have occurred together and have often intersected. Yet they come from quite different views of the world and the nature of the mind. What is the relationship between Buddhism and psychotherapy in the modern world? Where do these two intersect, and where do they diverge? And how can we understand the nature of mind from both points of view?
On this episode of Treasure Mountain Podcast we are privileged to have as our guest Ayya Jitindriya who is currently resident at Viveka Hermitage in southern New South Wales. Ayya Jitindriyā first trained as a monastic in the Theravada Forest Tradition lineage of Ajahn Chah & Ajahn Sumedho for over 16 years from 1988-2004. After leaving the monastic order she gained a Master’s degree in Buddhist Psychotherapy Practice with the Karuna Institute in the UK, and continued to teach meditation and retreats on invitation. Returning to live in Australia in 2008, she practiced as a Buddhist psychotherapist and taught meditation, Buddhism and psychotherapy in various capacities. She was the Director of Training for Australian Association of Buddhist Counsellors and Psychotherapists for several years. In early 2018 Jitindriyā re-entered the monastic life at Santi Forest Monastery in the Southern Highlands of NSW and held the role of guiding teacher and Spiritual Director there for a time. In 2021 she helped to set up Viveka Hermitage in Southern NSW where she now resides.
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Links related to this episode:
Viveka HermitageLinks related to Treasure Mountain Podcast:
Treasure Mountain PodcastThe Everyday Dhamma NetworkSupport the podcast with a donation (via the Ko-fi creators platform) -
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Have you learned the basics of meditation and wanted to take things deeper? Have you heard about silent meditation retreats and wondered what they are like? If so, you’ve arrived at the right place as in this episode we are going to discuss why we should go on meditation retreats, with a focus on the commonly available nine or ten day retreat format. Also we’ll discuss what we might expect when going on meditation retreats and some of the obstacles we might encounter and how to overcome them, and how to integrate this all into a deeper practice, leading us to deeper tranquility and insight.
To guide us into a better understanding of silent meditation retreats is our guest Shaila Catherine.
Shaila Catherine is the founder of Bodhi Courses, an online Dhamma classroom, and Insight Meditation South Bay, a center for mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom in Silicon Valley, in California.
She has taught insight meditation since 1996 in the USA, Europe, Israel, New Zealand, and Canada. Shaila draws inspiration from the Discourses of the Buddha and maintains an unwavering dedication to awakening. She is known for her expertise in guiding practitioners to cultivate concentration and the deep absorption states of jhāna, and for her enthusiasm for sutta study.
Shaila is a Buddhist author of three books on meditation. Her first book, Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity, introduces concentration practices and the absorption states of jhāna. From 2006–2014 Shaila trained in samādhi and vipassanā under the direction of Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw in Myanmar. She went on to author Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhanā and Vipassanā to help make his traditional approach to meditative training accessible to western practitioners. And her third book is Beyond Distraction: Five Practical Ways to Focus the Mind which shares practical Buddhist strategies for overcoming restlessness and distraction.
Shaila has been going on and teaching meditation retreats for several decades and I feel very fortunate that she has offered her time and experience to help us understand the whys and hows of silent meditation treats on this episode of Treasure Mountain. So join us as we seek for the treasure within…
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Links related to this episode:
Shaila Catherine websiteShaila Catherine upcoming meditation retreatsBodhi Retreats and Courses (online)Links related to Treasure Mountain Podcast:
Treasure Mountain PodcastThe Everyday Dhamma NetworkSupport the podcast with a donation (via the Ko-fi creators platform) -
In this episode of Treasure Mountain we will explore the purpose and nature of samatha meditation, and it’s relation to other forms of meditation - notably vipassana meditation - and to the Buddhist path as a whole.
And our guest to help us have a deeper appreciation of samatha meditation is Professor Peter Harvey. Professor Harvey did a philosophy degree at Manchester University. Whilst there, he became a Buddhist after attending talks at the Buddhist Society and learning mindfulness of breathing Buddhist meditation. This then inspired him to visit India and do a doctorate in Buddhist Studies at the University of Lancaster, under Ninian Smart. From 1976 to 2011, he was a lecturer in Religious Studies at the Polytechnic then University of Sunderland. He taught Indian religions, the study of religion and also some Philosophy, and ended up Professor of Buddhist Studies, running an online MA Buddhist Studies. On top of all that he has taught Buddhist meditation in the Samatha Trust tradition since 1977, in Durham and Sunderland, and since 2015 in York and online. Peter Harvey’s publications on Buddhism include 'An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices' and 'An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics; Foundations, Values and Issues'. Whilst Peter retired from academia in 2011, he is still teaching meditation online through the Samatha Trust. He now spends his time writing and editing Buddhist material, teaching meditation to beginners and more experienced meditators, in recent years over Zoom, as well as gardening, and travelling around Yorkshire.
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Links related to this episode:
The Samatha TrustVideos and publications of the Samatha TrustBooks written by Peter Harvey:An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and PracticesAn Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: Foundations, Values and IssuesThe Selfless MindBooks related to the topic of samatha meditation:
Paul Dennison, Jhāna Consciousness: Buddhist Meditation in the Age of Neuroscience. Shambhala, 2022: the jhānas, aspects of the Samatha Trust method, and brain scans of Samatha meditators- by a senior Samatha Trust teacher.L.S. Cousins, Meditations of the Pali Tradition: Illuminating Buddhist Doctrine, History and Practice, Shambhala, 2022: an excellent survey of the history of mainly Theravāda samatha and vipassanā practices over the millennia up to today, by a senior Samatha Trust teacherL. S. Cousins, 1984 paper, ‘Samatha-yāna and vipassanā-yāna’: https://www.academia.edu/1417366/Samatha_y%C4%81na_and_Vipassana_y%C4%81na ).Peter Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press, 2013. Chapter... -
In this episode I wanted to talk about the importance of community when it comes to both finding the Path of Practice, but also in terms of having the support to stick with it and to grow with it. I’ve been practicing Buddhism for thirty years and I have a lot of contacts in Western Buddhist groups. And whilst these groups and these individuals are doing amazing work to establish the Buddha Sasana in the West, no group that I’ve seen has really got the amount of social coordination and support as groups in traditional Buddhist communities in the East.
So for this episode I’ve invited NeeWern Khoo who has been involved with the Buddhist Gem Fellowship in Malaysia for many years, and more recently with the Centre for Research and Dhamma Leadership Enhancement.
NeeWern first encountered Buddhism in his early teens whilst reading about the Life of the Buddha in a bookstore. His interest led him to join the Subang Jaya Buddhist Association, and subsequently played a pioneering role in the setting up of the Youth Section of the SJBA. He has participated in and taken the lead in various Buddhist youth programmes and is a past Chairman of the Inter-College and Varsity Camp by the Buddhist Gem Fellowship (BGF). He was also a committee member of the BGF in charge of the Learning & Development portfolio.
NeeWern is currently Head of Dhamma Leadership Development under the Centre for Research and Dhamma Leadership Enhancement (CRADLE for short) which aims to bring transformation to the Buddhist community through developing and enhancing Buddhist leadership. As you can see NeeWern has decades of experience in terms of being involved in and supporting Buddhist communities in Malaysia. So join us as we learn about creating and sustaining strong, supportive Buddhist communities.
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Joining us on this episode is a humble, yet trail-blazing monk from the forest tradition lineage of Ajahn Chah who is now the senior most bhikkhu at Abhayagiri Forest Monastery in California. I’m speaking of course of the Venerable Ajahn Pasanno.
Ajahn Pasanno took ordination in Thailand in 1974 with Venerable Phra Khru Ñāṇasirivatana as preceptor. During his first year as a monk he was taken by his teacher to meet Ajahn Chah, with whom he asked to be allowed to stay and train. One of the early residents of Wat Pah Nanachat, Ajahn Pasanno became its abbot in his ninth year. During his incumbency, Wat Pah Nanachat developed considerably, both in physical size and reputation. Spending 24 years living in Thailand, Ajahn Pasanno became a well-known and highly respected monk and Dhamma teacher. He moved to California on New Year’s Eve of 1997 to share the abbotship of Abhayagiri with Ajahn Amaro. In 2010 Ajahn Amaro accepted an invitation to serve as abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England, leaving Ajahn Pasanno to serve as sole abbot of Abhayagiri for the next eight years. In spring of 2018, Ajahn Pasanno stepped back from the role of abbot and now serves as a guiding elder for the community.
A quick note to listeners: I had a lot of problems with delayed echos across the original recording. I did a lot of editing to remove that echo, and I believe I’ve removed all of that which can be removed without changing the flow of the interview. I think it’s turned out quite well, but there are a few points at which we have echo or less than optimal audio.
In any case, I think it’s a really interesting interview in which one of the most senior Western disciples of Ajahn Chah reflects upon life and the changing times as Buddhism comes to the West. I hope you all enjoy this interview with Ajahn Pasanno.
Further information regarding to topic of this episode:
Abhayagiri Forest Monastery
Treasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast Treasure Mountain on FacebookEveryday Dhamma NetworkThank you for listening to the Treasure Mountain Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with you friends. If you'd like to support me to produce this type of content in future, you can support my work by offering a tip via the Ko-fi payment applet or via my Patreon.
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This episode is about the late, great Master Hsying Yun, a true dynamo of a monk, dedicated to the spreading of the teachings and practice of Buddhism in Taiwan, China and around the world. Master Hsing Yun has achieved so much in his lifetime that it is virtually impossible to relate but a small part of it here in the introduction. However, by way of offering a introducation, here is a quick outline some of his achievements in brief:
Starting in the 1950s, Hsing Yun started making many achievements at an early age. He taught numerous classes, built many schools for children, recorded the first Buddhist hymns, and was promoted as an executive in many Buddhist associations. In 1957, Hsing Yun established a Buddhist cultural center in which a variety of Buddhist books are published with training tools such as audio and visual aids. In 1959, Hsing Yun also supported the Tibetan movement against communist supression, and organized the first float parade in celebration of Wesak in Taiwan.
Perhaps one of Hsing Yun’s greatest achievements was his successful push for Wesak to become a national holiday in Taiwan, a wish that had been granted by former President Lee Teng-hui in 2000.
Master Hsing Yun was the founder and spiritual leader of Fo Guang Shan, a Buddhist organisation that has established around 300 temples and monasteries all over Taiwan, as well as in 12 other countries including China, the United States, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. He is also the author of 395 books in Chinese, many of which have been translated into other languages, notably to English. And all of this is just a brief outline, leaving out much of what Master Hsing Yun has achieved in his life.
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Further information regarding to topic of this episode:
Hsingyun.org
佛光百科 FoGuangPedia - FoGuangPedia
Home - Hsing Yun Education Foundation (hsingyunef.org.au)
An-Honest-Revelation-—-An-Open-Letter-PDF.pdf (hsingyunef.org.au)
Treasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast Treasure Mountain on FacebookEveryday Dhamma NetworkThank you for listening to the Treasure Mountain Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with you friends. If you'd like to support me to produce this type of content in future, you can support my work by offering a tip via the Ko-fi payment applet or via my Patreon.
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Joining us on this episode is a humble monk who was quietly practicing meditation in northern Thailand until he returned to his native Ukraine just three months before the Russian invasion in February 2022. Bhante Thithidhammo was born in the former Soviet Union in 1971. He was a reserved child who enjoyed spending time alone, reading and sometimes visiting Orthodox Christian monasteries for the quiet environment. At age 14, Bhante Thithidhammo and a friend became interested in the mysticism of Tibet and both decided they would like to be monks in Tibet. However it would not be until many years later whilst on a meditation retreat in Thailand when he decided to go forth as a samanera. After six month he disrobed and returned to Ukraine, however, life seemed unfulfilling and he returned to Thailand to ordain again in early 2015 in the Forest Tradition under his teacher Ajahn Suchart in northern Thailand.
[A transcript of this episode can be found on the Treasure Mountain Podcast website.]
Bhante Thithidhammo returned to Kyiv shortly before the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022 and experienced some hair raising situations as the Russian army closed in on his position near Kyiv. Despite enduring many difficulties along with millions of other Ukrainians, Bhante Thithidhammo bears no ill-will and thinks of Ukrainians and Russians (and all humans) as being like one big family. He has gone on to become a teacher to Ukrainians, Belorussians and Russians, both online and in person. He teaches both in Ukrainian and Russian, and is finding that there is an increasing interest in the teachings of Buddhism and practices like meditation.
Bhante Thithidhammo is kindly joining us today from Kyiv and we will be finding out a little about his experiences over the past year or so, and how the practice of Dhamma is helping people find peace amidst war.
[A transcript of this episode can be found on the Treasure Mountain Podcast website.]
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Treasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast Treasure Mountain on FacebookEveryday Dhamma NetworkThank you for listening to the Treasure Mountain Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with you friends. If you'd like to support me to produce this type of content in future, you can support my work by offering a tip or becoming a Supporter or Member of Treasure Mountain Podcast via the Ko-fi payment applet.
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Joining us on this episode is a return guest, Ajahn Kovilo who is joining us from Dharma Realm Buddhist University in California. Ajahn Kovilo is an Ohio-born monk who, having been introduced to meditation through the Goenka tradition, first entered the monastery in 2006. After receiving full ordination from Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in California in 2010, Ajahn Kovilo spent the next decade training at monasteries in the Ajahn Chah tradition in America and Thailand. In 2020, after a year practicing at a Pa Auk Sayadaw monastery, Ajahn Kovilo enrolled at the Dharma Realm Buddhist University in Ukiah, California where he is currently studying Pali and Sanskrit among other courses. Until the end of his formal studies, Ajahn Kovilo will be participating in the growing Clear Mountain Monastery community remotely and during Winter and Summer breaks. After finishing his studies, Ajahn Kovilo will join the community in person on a more regular basis.
Ajahn Kovilo is joining us today to discuss an institution that is often misunderstood in Western countries, even by practicing Buddhists in the West. That is, the Sangha, the community of ordained bhikkhus and bhikkhunis (monks and nuns). There are some in the West who say that we don’t even need a Sangha! But there is no denying that the Sangha was an integral feature of the Buddha Sasana from the very beginning, and indeed, to be a Buddhist is to have taken personal refuge with the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha! So what do we mean by the Sangha? And more importantly, what is it for? Join us in finding out more about the meaning and purpose of the Sangha with Ajahn Kovilo as we seek for the treasure within…
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Links referred to in this episode:
Clear Mountain Monastery Clear Mountain Dhamma Youtube ChannelClear Mountain Dhamma PodcastClear Mountain Monastery Facebook pageTreasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast Treasure Mountain on FacebookEveryday Dhamma NetworkThank you for listening to the Treasure Mountain Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with you friends. If you'd like to support me to produce this type of content in future, you can support my work by offering a tip via the Ko-fi payment applet.
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Our return guest today on Treasure Mountain Podcast is Bhante Akaliko who is an Australian monk in the Theravada forest tradition. He is the spiritual director of Little Dust and founder of the Rainbodhi LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Community. Bhante Akāliko is also the spiritual advisor of Central West Buddhists and a chaplain at Western Sydney University. He sits on the boards of the Buddhist Council of NSW and the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils.
Bhante Akaliko’s inspired project that we will be discussing today is Rainbodhi.
Rainbodhi is a spiritual friendship group for LGBTQIA+ Buddhists and an advocate for more inclusion and diversity in the broader Buddhist community. They offer meditation, Dhamma discussion and social events in a safe, supportive environment. Rainbodhi welcome everyone regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or ability. Rainbodhi is a non-sectarian Buddhist group, welcoming people from all faiths or with no faith. And all their events are free.
The Rainbodhi name combines two words; rainbow representing our diverse community and bodhi the Buddhist concept of Enlightenment. And it’s Rainbodhi that we will be discussing with Bhante Akaliko in this interview. So join us as we seek for the treasure within…
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Links from this episode:
RainbodhiAbout Bhante AkalikoTreasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast Treasure Mountain on FacebookEveryday Dhamma NetworkThank you for listening to the Treasure Mountain Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with you friends. If you'd like to support me to produce this type of content in future, you can support my work by offering a tip or becoming a Supporter or Member of Treasure Mountain Podcast via the Ko-fi payment applet.
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Our guest today on Treasure Mountain is Ian Green, who is Chairman of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion Ltd and Founder of the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace. Along with his wife Judy, he has been a Buddhist for over 40 years and a vegetarian for over 25 years.
Ian’s connection to Buddhism began with a visit to India in 1971. He has had the good fortune to meet many Buddhist teachers including Geshe Loden, Zasep Tulku, Lama Thubten Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Ayya Khema. In 1979 Ian completed the month long course at Kopan Monastery, in Kathmandu. Ian has continued his studies under many Buddhist masters to this day.
In the 1980 Ian’s father, Ed Green offered 50 acres of land to set up a Buddhist centre near Bendigo. This original 50 acres was later added to with further land from Ian’s mother and himself so that the Buddhist Centre in Bendigo is now 200 acres (85 hectares).
Ian was founding Director of Atisha Centre, he has served as board members of Tara Institute and Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition Inc. He is currently Chairman of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion Ltd and Founder of the Jade Buddha for Universal peace.
Ian has received various awards for his international work for peace and is a recipient of the Order of Australia Medal.
It is the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion that is Ian Green’s Inspired Project that we are going to focus on in this episode, and as you’ll find out in this interview, and what its real meaning and purpose is.
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Links from this episode:
The Great Stupa of Universal CompassionTreasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast Treasure Mountain on FacebookEveryday Dhamma NetworkThank you for listening to the Treasure Mountain Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with you friends. If you'd like to support me to produce this type of content in future, you can support my work by offering a tip via the Ko-fi payment applet.
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Our guest today on Treasure Mountain is John Waite who was born in post WW2 United Kingdom and brought up to be fiercely independent. From a young age he was searching for a better way to live in the world and was influenced by the simultaneously political and spiritual principles of Mahatma Gandhi. Travelling to India in the 1970s he was touched by the kindness of the Indian people despite their modest means. A chance meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala was a turning point on his spiritual journey. Later Joh would go on a two-week meditation retreat in Queensland an was pleasantly surprised when every thorny question and challenge to the teacher was warmly received and returned with wise, well-considered answers. This led him to commit himself to the path of practice. He was influenced deeply by Lama Zopa’s emphasis and example of being of service to others. John put this philosophy into practice enthusiastically as a volunteer fire fighter, ambulance medic, trade union steward and later as the Director of Hayagriva Buddhist Centre in Perth for 17 years helping to bring many great Buddhist teachers to Australia and supporting his local community of practice.
John is an old friend of mine and we worked together to found the Buddhist Council of Western Australia around 2005, and we also participated in getting the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils off the ground around the same time. Not only did I appreciate his calm and steady presence in the work we were doing to bring the various Buddhist groups together for a common cause, but also his insistence that all the Buddhist traditions have the same heart of dharma at their core. I think his attitude was prescient as we enter into this post-sectarian Buddhist renaissance in the twenty-first century.
And that’s why I wanted to interview him on the podcast. In one sense this interview is John Waite’s Spirit Story, about his path into practice, but on the other it’s telling a broader story about Buddhism as it moves into the West, specifically into Australia, and where it may be heading in future. I’m so glad you’ve joined us as we seek for the Dharma within…
Links from this episode:
Hayagriva Buddhist CentreFoundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana TraditionTreasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast Treasure Mountain on FacebookEveryday Dhamma NetworkThank you for listening to the Treasure Mountain Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with you friends. If you'd like to support me to produce this type of content in future, you can support my work by offering a tip or becoming a Supporter or Member of Treasure Mountain Podcast via the Ko-fi payment applet.
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One of the most impactful traditions of Buddhism in the modern world is one that isn’t very good at publicity - but is very dedicated to practice. Despite it’s strict adherence to the principles of monastic discipline and the principles of Buddhist ethics, like for instance never selling the teachings, it has gained a huge grass roots following in many Western countries where people are drawn to its plain, simple honesty and dedication to the original principles of set out by the Buddha. I’m referring to the Thai Forest Tradition, and to help us understand the origins and practices of the Thai Forest Tradition I have as our guest, Steven Towler, who, at the age of 19 left his home in the UK to travel to Thailand to ordain as a bhikkhu in 1972. This was a time in which the Thai Forest Tradition was in full bloom, and the first Westerners were travelling to Thailand to practice and even ordain. Steven ordained at Wat Bovornives with Phra Khantipalo, and we on to have many great teachers, including the renowned meditation master Ajahn Thate. He’s still dedicated to the Thai Forest Tradition and practicing to this day, and he has translated several Dhamma books from Thai to English for the benefit of the community. He’s kindly joined us on the Treasure Mountain Podcast to offer his knowledge and insights into this tradition that continues to grow in popularity to this day.
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Links from this episode:
Talks by Steven TowlerTreasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast Treasure Mountain on FacebookEveryday Dhamma NetworkThank you for listening to the Treasure Mountain Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with you friends. If you'd like to support me to produce this type of content in future, you can support my work by offering a tip or becoming a Supporter or Member of Treasure Mountain Podcast via the Ko-fi payment applet.
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Our guest today on Treasure Mountain Podcast is Bhante Akaliko. Akāliko Bhikkhu is an Australian monk in the Theravada forest tradition. He is the spiritual director of Little Dust and founder of the Rainbodhi LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Community. Bhante Akāliko is also the spiritual advisor of Central West Buddhists and a chaplain at Western Sydney University. He sits on the boards of the Buddhist Council of NSW and the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils.
Bhante Akāliko went forth as a monastic in 2016 and received full ordination with Ajahn Brahm at Bodhinyana monastery in 2017. He lived for several years with Bhante Sujato at the Monastery at the End of the World in Sydney and now lives as a wandering monk. He is now working on setting up the Little Dust Buddhist Community.
Little Dust connects communities across Australia to the Buddha’s teachings. It is aiming to create Dhamma and meditation events for Buddhists from diverse cultural backgrounds, as well as new Buddhists and the Buddh-ish. Little Dust aims to make Buddhism available to everyone, especially in regional and country areas where access to the Dhamma is limited.
So in this episode of Treasure Mountain Podcast we’re going to look at the work of Little Dust in working to develop communities of practice in outback Australia, but also to address the broader question of what to do to develop practice of Buddhism as both and individual and as small groups and communities to support one another in the dhamma.
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Links from this episode:
Little Dust Buddhist CommunityAbout Bhante AkalikoTreasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast Treasure Mountain on FacebookEveryday Dhamma NetworkThank you for listening to the Treasure Mountain Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with you friends. If you'd like to support me to produce this type of content in future, you can support my work by offering a tip or becoming a Supporter or Member of Treasure Mountain Podcast via the Ko-fi payment applet.
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From time immemorial we have looked up to heroes for guidance and as models of how to live an excellent life: people with virtues such as courage, patience, kindness and wisdom. But who are our heroes today? We live in an age of celebrity and social media influencers. But are celebrities and social media influencers our heroes?
To answer these questions and more, we have with us our return guest, Ayya Santussika from the Karuna Buddhist Vihara in northern California to discuss the topic of heroes versus celebrities in the age of social media.
And I think she is well qualified to speak on this topic having attained BS and MS degrees in computer science and worked as a software designer and developer for fifteen years in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ayya Santussika is well familiar with computers and the internet. But on the other hand, her search for deeper meaning and ways to be of service led her to train as an interfaith minister in a four-year seminary program that culminated in a Masters of Divinity degree. Later her quest led her to ordaining as a Buddhist nun, and Ayya Santussika has been a bhikkhuni since 2012. And she has kindly offered her time to reflect upon our current fascination with the rich and famous, and what this says about where we are at in a present culture, as well as search for nobler human qualities.
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Links from this episode:
Ayya Santussika's biographyKaruna Buddhist ViharaLink to the Vimangsaka Sutta (The Inquirer) referred to in this episode.Treasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast - https://www.everydaydhamma.net/show/treasure-mountain-podcast/Treasure Mountain facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/TreasureMountainPodcast -
On this episode of Sage Advice we have as our guest, Ajahn Hasapanna of Dhammasara Monastery in Western Australia. Ajahn Hasapanna was born in Ipoh, Malaysia in 1960. During her days as a lay person she and her family generously supported Ajahn Sujato when he was practicing in Ipoh. The main influence in Ajahn Hasapanna’s spiritual development is the monastic lifestyle of the forest tradition. When Ajahn Hasapanna had developed enough courage and inspiration to become a nun, Ajahn Sujato pointed her towards joining Dhammasara Nuns Monastery.
She joined Dhammasara in 2002, beginning her monastic training as an Anagarika (a trainee nun). She then ordained as a Ten Precept Nun with Ajahn Vayama as her teacher. She subsequently ordained as a bhikkhuni in 2009 with Ayya Tathaaloka as her preceptor in a ceremony at Bodhinyana Monastery, WA, Australia.
Currently, Ajahn Hasapanna is the Abbot of Dhammasara Nuns Monastery and the Assistant Spiritual Director of The Buddhist Society of WA (Inc). She is heavily involved in teaching and training nuns, anagarikas and lay people. She is the main teacher to 18 monastic trainees at Dhammasara.
In this episode we are going to ask Ajahn Hasapanna the big one: how we can have everything and be happy! Yes, that’s right it is possible to have it all and be happy!
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Links from this episode:
Ajahn Hasapanna's teachingsDhammasara MonasteryTreasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast - https://www.treasuremountain.stream/Treasure Mountain Website - https://www.everydaydhamma.net/show/treasure-mountain-podcast/Treasure Mountain facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/TreasureMountainPodcast -
Ajahn Brahmali is the guest on this episode to talk about how and why Secular Buddhism misrepresents the original teachings of the Buddha. This discussion goes in to some depth about the importance of understanding the place of karma and rebirth in the Buddha's teachings, and how our views impact upon the way that we act, including upon our practice. There is also discussion about the role of mindfulness in Secular Buddhism, and how mindfulness is a good thing, but also, how we cannot practice Buddhism fully without other important factors of the Eightfold Path.
Links from this episode:
Events coming up with Ajahn Brahmali (including his upcoming tours)Support the Buddhist Society of Western AustraliaTreasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast - https://www.treasuremountain.stream/Treasure Mountain Website - https://www.everydaydhamma.net/show/treasure-mountain-podcast/Treasure Mountain facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/TreasureMountainPodcast -
In this episode of Sage Advice we have as our guest, Ajahn Nissarano who is coming to us from Newbury Monastery, which is just north-west of Melbourne, Australia.
Ajahn Nissarano was born in 1952 in Perth, Western Australia. In 1997, he was ordained by Ajahn Brahm as a novice monk and a year later took full ordination. This year will be his 25th Rains Retreat, Vassa. He lived in Sri Lanka from 2006 to 2019, for a total of 13 and half years. During that time, he lived for 8 years in a cave on the side of a mountain, surrounded by forest and going for alms round to the village below. He returned to Australia regularly to teach, primarily at the Buddhist Society of Victoria. In January 2021 he became the Senior Monk at Newbury Buddhist Monastery, outside Melbourne, which is run by the Buddhist Society of Victoria.
Ajahn Nissarano joins us on this episode of Sage Advice to discuss the topic “our most urgent task”. We are so busy these days, we often lose sight of the big picture. And we can become so distracting that we don't even see what our most urgent task in life is. In this interview Ajahn Nissarano offers advice on what is most essential and urgent for us to focus on if we are to really develop the spiritual qualities.
Links from this episode:
Newbury Monastery, Victoria - https://www.bsv.net.au/monastery/Treasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast - https://www.treasuremountain.stream/Treasure Mountain website - https://www.treasuremountain.info/Treasure Mountain facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/TreasureMountainPodcast -
In this episode of Sage Advice we have as our guest, Li-Anne Tang from Perth, Western Australia.
Li-Anne Tang, Ph.D., is an experienced spiritual life coach, guide and mentor. Li-Anne’s life changed dramatically when she found herself in the midst of a dark night of the soul whilst raising her two young children. She searched the world and was fortunate to find wise and compassionate Buddhist meditation masters to guide her on her journey. At that time, she had already explored the depths of Western understanding through a Bachelor of Psychology, Master of Science, Ph.D. in neuropsychiatry and postgraduate training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Her subsequent practice under the tutelage of great meditation masters led her to the first of her spiritual awakenings. Since then, she has studied closely under numerous other masters, who have encouraged her to share her insights through her unique way of connecting with her students.
I hope that this episode of Sage Advice gets listeners to take a fresh look at mental illness from the point of view of spiritual practice, and I hope that this interview with Li-Anne Tang will help some people to stop asking “What’s wrong with me?”, and to start thinking “This difficult mind state I have at this time may be the opportunity I need to learn and to grow”.
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Links related to this episode:
Freeing Our Mind websiteLi-Anne Tang's Facebook pageLi-Anne's Tangs InstagramFreeing Out Mind youtube channelTreasure Mountain links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast - https://www.treasuremountain.stream/Treasure Mountain website - https://www.treasuremountain.info/Treasure Mountain facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/TreasureMountainPodcast -
In this episode of Spirit Stories we have as our guest, Ajahn Nitho who is coming to us from the mountains near Ørsta in western Norway.
Ajahn Nitho was born on the west coast of Norway in 1970, and after finishing high school, attended the University of Bergen and to The Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration. He then spent a few years working as a chief financial officer at various companies, and then spent two years of backpacking around the world. Having become interested in meditation, Ajahn Nitho travelled to Australia in 2007 to be ordained as a bhikkhu (a Buddhist monk), under Ajahn Brahm at the Buddhist Society of Western Australia (BSWA), Perth.
After one year as an anagarika, one year as a samanera (novice), Ajahn Nitho took higher ordination as a bhikkhu (monk) in 2009. After more than 10 years of training as a bhikkhu in Perth, and a few stays with Ajahn Ganha in Thailand, he has now returned to Oslo in Norway, where he currently resides.
Together with Jon Endre Mørk, he established the Buddhist Society of Oslo and Viken (ovbf.org) in 2021, and he is now teaching retreats and Buddhism various places in Norway, while building a Buddhist community there. The goal is to establish a centre in Norway for teaching and practise.
Links from this episode:
The Buddhist Society of Oslo and Viken (OVBF) - https://ovbf.org/ Donate to the OVBF - https://ovbf.org/en/donasjoner/Treasure Mountain Podcast links:
Treasure Mountain Podcast - https://www.treasuremountain.stream/Treasure Mountain website - https://www.treasuremountain.info/Treasure Mountain facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/TreasureMountainPodcast - Show more
