Bhante Sujato lives at Lokanta Vihara, the Monastery at the End of the World. Bhante gives these regular Friday night teachings online. Visit the Lokanta Vihara homepage for session link, chanting book and further information.
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2022-01-21 Bhante Akāliko's Rainbodhi booklet. Thoughts on tradition and its evolution. Bhante Sujato on meditation going against the stream of result based thinking. Breath meditation guided by bhante Sujato. Dhamma talk: the 8 parts of the 8fold path. Q+A: right livelihood. Connection lost during Q+A.
2022-01-28 Honoring Thich Nhat Hannh. Breath meditation explained and guided by Bhante Sujato. Q+A: sīlā, samādhi, paññā as a comprehensive framework for the elements of the path, derived from the Buddha's teaching on the Gradual Training, e.g. in Dīgha Nikāya 2. Breath meditation as opposed to ancient pranayama techniques trying to control the breath. Meditation methods require balance between receiving and doing. Threshold concentration. Weird experiences during meditation. Resources: DN 2, Sāmaññaphala Sutta. 10-fold path: AN 106, Nijjara Sutta
2022-02-04 from Mantra Hotel. Introduction by Bhante Akāliko: the trapped monkey. Meditation guided by Bhante Akāliko. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on the Buddha's idea of mantras as a skillful means, a tool to work with the mind, without intrinsic power. Snp 4.14: craving drives thinking. Q+A: resistance to meditation. Fear. Simile of the cat and the elephant. Reference: Snp 4.14
2022-02-11 Bhante Sujato on meditative states vs. meditative process. Meditation on impermanence guided by Bhante Sujato. Dhamma talk on a passage from the Madhupiṇḍikasutta (MN18): about the proliferation going on in the mind. Katukurunde Ñānananda: concept and reality. Q+A: choice without a chooser. Resources: MN 18 - The Honey Cake SuttaKatukurunde Ñānananda: "Concept and Reality"
2022-02-18 Mettā for mosquitoes. Mettā meditation for small creatures led by Bhante Sujato. Dhamma talk on AN 4.67 Ahirājasutta (The Snake King). Q+A: The first nun. Resources: AN 4.67 in Pali. Resources- Translation by Bhante Sujato. - Jataka Tale with the same verses. - Cambridge declaration on consciousness. Bhante Sujato on who was the first nun - Dhamma talk: The Buddha's mother and stepmother.
2022-02-25 Mettā meditation guided by Bhante Sujato. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on the Russian invasion of Ukraine: how to find truth in a sea of disinformation (five guidelines). Thoughts on the concept of "Just War": its ancient philosophical origins and the Buddhist perspective. Black / white / black and white / neither black nor white kamma.
2022-03-04 from Mantra Hotel. Ayyā Suvīrā presenting her new book. Mettā meditation, introduced and guided by Bhante Sujato. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato: the psychology of peace. Samatha and Vipassanā: not two kinds of meditation, but aspects of mental development: letting go of desire and ignorance. "Māra is always one step ahead!" Q+A: Being afraid of peace. Resources: Ayyā Suvirā's book on Ranjani da Silva and the revival of the Bhikkhunis
2022-03-11 from Harris Park. Bhante Sujato: Mettā as an experience vs. a philosophical idea; found inside rather than outside, independent rather than grasping. Brāhmā vihārā. Guided mettā meditation. Dhamma talk: background on the mettā meditation method as taught by Ajahn Mahā Chatchai. Patience as a warm-up. Grounding the experience of mettā firmly in the body. Explanantion of "nimittā". Resource: Ajahn Chatchai, "A Flower of Mettā"
2022-03-18 from Harris Park. Sīla - a life in the Dhamma as foundation for meditation. Mettā meditation guided by Bhante Sujato. Q+A: gratitude as an aspect of mudita. The role of mettā when dealing with trauma.
2022-03-25 from Harris Park. Meditation on the five "aggregates" (khandā), guided by Bhante Sujato. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on the five aggregates. Subtle (sukhuma) rūpa perceived by the mind. The aggregates as inseparable aspects of experience. Perception recognizes and puts details together to meaningful wholes. Sankhārā in this context: volition. Meaning of "upadāna khandā"; metaphor of the hand. Q+A: Contemplation of khandas in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. Why such brief introduction of the concept of khandas in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (reference: MN 26).
2022-04-08 from Harris Park. Bhante Sujato on the four iddhipādās: chanda (desire, zeal, enthusiasm), viriya (energy), citta (awareness, clarity, knowing), vimamsa (inquiry). Included in the 37 factors that sum up the teaching and are the backbone of structure of the Samyutta Nikaya. Dhamma chanda: desire to get rid of desire. viriya: keeping going, not giving up. citta: mind; synonymous with samadhi and jhana = citta bhavana. vimamsa: reflecting, looking back, curiosity leading to wisdom.
2022-04-15 with Bhante Sujato, from Harris Park. Mettā meditation towards oneself. Discussion of types of investigation/insight assessment of one's wisdom; vīmaṁsa (investigation), paccavekkhana (reviewing/reflection). Expertise and how you might know that you know.
2022-04-22 with Bhante Sujato, from Harris Park. Meditation on mindfulness of the breath. Dhamma talk about Mahasi techniques e.g. noting, where to watch the breath, influence of Japan in early twentieth century Buddhism, Satipattana Sutta parts, Mahasi and the evolution of the stages of insight.
2022-04-29 with Bhante Sujato, from Harris Park. Mettā meditation towards one's skeleton using both visualisation and feeling. Discussion of corporeality and the mind, the sentient body, the role of the breath, the senses. Awareness and peace as a continuum.
2022-05-06 with Bhante Sujato, from Harris Park. Meditation on the joyful, soothing breath. Dhamma talk on the three characteristics in historical context and their practical relationship to liberation: anicca (impermanence/not-regularity-ness), dukkha (suffering), anatta (non-self). Why are all conditions suffering but all dhammas non-self? The three characteristics as doors to dhammas of the great teachers.
2022-05-13 with Bhante Sujato, from Harris Park. Meditation on the qualities of the Buddha (Buddhānussati), taken from Itipiso chant. Dhamma talk on the life of the Buddha and how suttas will have likely been interpreted mythologically, with meaning constructed differently, often metaphorically and symbolically rather than as a purely historical description.
2022-05-20 The Two Bhantes, from Harris Park. Death contemplation guided by Bhante Akāliko. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato: Carrion sutta (Snp 2.2) Amaganda: literally "raw stench". A (presumably) hard-core vegan ascetic challenges the Buddha about his eating a cooked meal with meat. The Buddha's response: a conduct of practicing the four Brahma Viharas is what a monastic / ascetic lifestyle is about. Resource: Carrion sutta (Snp 2.2)
2022-05-27 Bhante Sujato, from Harris Park. Unboxing the Malaysian edition of Bhante's translations of the Sutta Pitaka. Breath meditation. Dhamma talk on the Uluru Statement of the Heart, by Aboriginal people. The wisdom of first nations people and Buddhism. Resources: The Uluru Statement. - Dr Noel Nannup —Living in a Land That Demands Movement. Religious leaders support constitutional referendum.
2022-06-03 Bhante Sujato, from Harris Park. Guided gratitude meditation. Dhamma talk on the topic Why am I always right? Discussion on ahankāra (I-making), thinking, truth, and views.
2022-06-10 Bhante Akāliko, from Harris Park. Dhamma talk about meditation.
2022-06-17 Bhante Akāliko, from Harris Park. Why there's a ceremony at the beginning of a meeting. Creating space for meditation. Breath meditation and letting go. Bhante is now a "Middle Monk", time to move on and go out into the world, and the letting go that's involved in that. Link: Little Dust Buddhist Community
2022-06-22 Bhante Akāliko's last time as a Monk In Cyberspace. Dhamma talk on the community aspect of spiritual practice: be responsible for developing your own practice and give back to the community. Growing together again after times of lockdown and isolation, restoring help, support, growth. Bhante's plans for the future.
2022-07-01 Bhante Sujato: meditation on mindfulness of breathing. Bhante's trip to Sri Lanka. Q+A: Buddhist view on the body. Spiritual sadness (nirāmisa domanassa). Buddhist view on the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Facts about first bhikkhuni ordination at Ajahn Brahm's monastery. Meditation and difficult emotions.Link: Changemakers
2022-07-08 Bhante Sujato. Guided mettā meditation for a loved one with focus on feeling. Dhamma talk an entry-to-rains discussion on giving (cāga/dana), drawing from the Dhammacakkappavattana sutta and the four noble truths. Cāga as one of the metaphors for nibbāna and how it fits into the four noble truths. Discussion of suffering and its relationship to letting go.
2022-07-15 Bhante Sujato. Guided meditation on letting go and meditating in the present. Talk about the rains retreat tradition and its origin stories, various traditions, events and rules around the rains period, possible commitments laypeople can make.
