Clear Mountain Monastery Project

In this talk, Ayya Suvijjana and Ayya Niyyanika speak about the 4 aspects of sati-sampajañña, or mindfulness and clear comprehension, outlined in the commentarial teachings. By considering actions in terms of purpose, suitability, domain, and non-confusion, we can see reality more clearly, and let go of ignorance. To learn more about Ayya Suvijjānā & Ayya Niyyānika, visit www.passaddhivihara.org.

Ayya Suvijjānā's Bio:

Ayyā Suvijjānā started with Zen meditation in 1976. After discovering Vipassana in 1998, she visited Abhayagiri where she became a disciple of Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasa...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Venerable Chandaratana about Ven. Matara Srī Ñāṇārāma Maha Thero, the way of practice at Na Uyana and Nissarana Vanaya Forest Monasteries, the practice of the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness, finding joy in meditation, the benefits of memorizing Pāḷi, and more. Learn more about Ven. Chandaratana at https://www.nissarana.lk/

Ven. Chandaratana's Biography:

Venerable Panadure Chandaratana Thero ordained as a Buddhist monk at Na Uyana Forest Monastery in 2008 under the guidance of the Most Venerable Na Uyane Ariyadhamma Mahā Thero. Over the ne...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about several Buddhist triads:

- 1) radical introversion; 2) radical extroversion; and 3) the Middle Way

- 1) interoception; 2) proprioception/kinesthesia; 3) exteroception

- 1) Buddha; 2) Dhamma; and 3) Saṅgha.d

And proposes a "Nine Breath Challenge" - taking one minute to recite the 3-fold refuge:

Breaths #1-3) "Bud-dhaṃ sara-ṇaṃ gacchā-mi." OR "To-Buddha for-peace I-return."

Breaths #4-6) "Dham-maṃ sara-ṇaṃ gacchā-mi." OR "To-Dhamma for-peace I-return."

Breaths #7-9) "Saṅ-ghaṃ sara-ṇaṃ gacchā-mi." OR "To-Saṅgha for-peace I-return." Duration: 00:46:56

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Zen meditation teacher and founder of Awakening Dharma, Stephen Mugen Snyder, Roshi. Subjects discussed include the Pau Auk meditation system, techniques for deepening jhāna, and the concepts of Cessation, Awakening, and the Deathless across Zen and Theravāda traditions. To learn more about Mugen Roshi, visit https://awakeningdharma.org/.

Bio

Stephen Mugen Snyder, Roshi began practicing daily meditation in 1976. Since then, he has studied Buddhism extensively—investigating and engaging in Zen, Tibetan, Theravada, and Western non-dual traditions. He was authorized to te...

In this session, Ven. Thubten Chodron, founder of Sravasti Abbey, visits Clear Mountain's Saturday gathering and shares insights into the self-centered mind and how not to fall for its tricks. Sharing insights from nearly 50 years in robes, she speaks about how we can learn to consider others' wellbeing as of equal importance to our own, and cultivate a heart as broad as the world. Also included: a very good story about a horse in Tibet and giving up anger!

For more information about Venerable Chodron, visit: https://thubtenchodron.org/

Thubten...

This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's interview with Sam Harris. Watch PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/cYamzDDJR8w?si=v5O0YrlBS0zT7g9r

00:00:07 Introduction

00:01:30 The Details of Sam's spiritual biography & the paradox of meaning?

00:19:49 Who else was on the trip with Sam to see Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche?

00:26:22 What preliminaries enabled the Dzogchen pointing out instruction to be effective?

00:49:20 The moment of pointing out? A guided meditation.

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho...

In this talk, Bhante Sumitta, joining Clear Mountain on a special occasion with 13 other monastics, speaks about the power of mettā, or loving-kindness, in developing the 11 benefits described by the Buddha in the Mettā Sutta (AN 11.15 - https://suttacentral.net/an11.15/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none¬es=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin). Apart from helping one feel confident in any group, the practice can help one find forgiveness, and even approach death with serenity.

Bio

Bhante Sumitta is the founder of “Dhamma USA”, a community-based charity organization to laun...

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Sam Harris. Watch PART TWO on Wednesday, Nov. 26th.

00:00:07 Introduction

00:01:50 Is it okay to choose what one takes from Buddhism?

00:12:25 Is Sam a Buddhist? What is Sam's relationship to faith in the Triple Gem?

00:30:03 Faith in the Sangha? Is there value in living a monastic life?

00:43:02 The advantages of monastic baldness and robes?

00:44:06 Belief in rebirth? What was Sam's past life relationship with Joseph Goldstein?

00:50:31 Does Sam know Bhante...

In this talk, Ayya Ānandabodhī speaks about

Bio

Ayya Ānandabodhī was born and raised in Wales, UK. Ayya first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while reading about the Four Noble Truths. This was life-changing and from that moment she experienced a deep confidence in the Buddha’s insight and a wish to understand his teachings more deeply. At the age of 24, Ayya began monastic training at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England under the guidance of Ajahn Sumedho. Seventeen years later she moved to the USA...

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with revered Buddhist monk and longtime yogi Bhante Yogavacara Rāhula of Lion of Wisdom Meditation Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland about his wild journey from the hippie trail into Buddhist monastic life. Topics discussed include details about his early hippie days, glimpses into his book "One Night's Shelter: From Home to Homelessness", portraits of his life with Bhante G. (Gunaratana), the story of his name, his finding Buddhism through meditation, his finding yoga to support meditation, insights from stillness, his connection with Brazil and the Himalayas, and much more!
Duration: 00:59:18

Clear Mountain Upāsakā Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GtgmYKj-XrBaqLDhTeHP32TZe4PpHkLHSajrZyrgVj8/edit?usp=sharing

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho describe the Upāsakā lay Buddhist form in 13 (optional but awesome) moves:

Introduction to the Upāsaka form

(1) Take Refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha (The Essential Foundation)

(2) Keep the Five Precepts

(3) Meditate at Least 4 Hours Each Week

(4) Keep a Weekly Uposatha ("Observance Day") Emphasizing Practice

(5) Engage in a...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview scholar and practitioner Dr. Sarah Shaw about Buddhism in academia in general and about breathing mindfulness in particular.

Dr. Shaw's biography:

Dr. Sarah Shaw is a faculty member and tutor at the University of Oxford, a fellow of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, and a visiting contemplative mentor at Brown University. She has taught and published numerous works on the history and practices of Buddhism, including "The Art of Listening: A Guide to the Early Teachings of Buddhism", "Mindfulness: Where It...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto (his mother's home congregation) about his own history being raised in the Unitarian Church and its effect on the trajectory of his life. Topics explored include Henry David Thoreau's essay "Life Without Principle", the intersection of Buddhism and Unitarian Universalism, how a Unitarian might begin to understand the Buddha's teaching, and much more!

Join Other Clear Mountain Events:

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)

- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Co...

In this talk, Ajahn Sādaro, visiting from Melbourne, Australia, speaks about the benefits and risks of using Large Language Models (LLMs) for Dhamma guidance. We may use these tools with wisdom, but knowing their limitations is essential.

Bio

Ajahn Sādaro ordained in the forest tradition in Thailand in 2005. After practicing throughout SE Asia, he returned to Australia in 2015 and now currently resides at the Buddhist Society of Victoria’s Buddhaloka vihara in Melbourne. To find our more, visit https://www.bsv.net.au/ajahn-sadaro/

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how he personally cultivates compassion (karuṇā), means of counteracting smartphone and internet addiction, the upāsakā form and wearing white in Buddhist spaces, the protective power of loving-kindness (mettā), stories of demons, devas, and elephants, how to practice seclusion and renunciation, and lay practice for Stream Entry (sotāpanna).

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The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

Tune in...

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the relationship between dukkha (suffering, or stress) and time. Invoking the Christian concepts of chronos (choronological time) and kairos (sacred time), and orienting by the Buddha's description of a liberated state outside of time, we can navigate towards a greater spaciousness. Of special import is the ability to notice and dismantle the "clock" of Dependent Origination's (paticca-samuppada), whose twelve links lead to suffering.

The twelve links of Dependent Origination may be found here: https://suttacentral.net/sn12.1/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false
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In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Prof. R. Bogdan Staszewski about the intersection between Buddhist thought and quantum mechanics, focusing on the observer effect and the primacy of consciousness in shaping reality.

Two other lectures by Prof. Bogdan on the subject:

- "Is Consciousness in the Universe or Is the Universe in Consciousness?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_ld5TdXRX0

- "Can Quantum Physicists and Buddhists Agree on Consciousness? (Part Two)": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxlqH4_hRXA

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In this talk, Ajahn Munissara describes the power of diversity in Dhamma communities and teachers, particularly in elevating female articulations which have been absent for so much of Buddhist history. She speaks about the fragility of unawakened views, the power of remaining open to other articulations of truth, the history of the bhikkhuni order, and also the Dhamma of butlers!

Bio

Munissara Bhikkhuni was born to Thai parents in Manila, Philippines, in 1978. After living in the Philippines, Bangladesh, and the United States, she returned to Thailand in 2003. She went forth...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Narindo about lessons learned from the various phases of a modern monastic life.

Biography of Ajahn Narindo:

Ajahn Narindo was born in 1981 in the Netherlands, where he studied and worked in marketing and law. In his twenties he encountered Buddhism, began practicing the precepts, and eventually turned toward monastic life. In 2012 he received full ordination at Amaravati Monastery in the UK. Since that time, he has practiced and trained at monasteries in Thailand, America, and Portugal - where he is...

In this talk, Ayya Santussika, visiting with Ayya Cittananda from Karuna Buddhist Vihara (https://www.karunabv.org/) addresses the unease many feel with about the current state of the world, emphasizing how Dhamma practice and non-hatred can provide refuge.

Ayya Santussika Bhikkhuni:

Born in Illinois in 1954, Ayya Santussika began exploring meditation in the late seventies. She received BS and MS degrees in computer science while being a single mother. After working as a software designer and developer for fifteen years in the Bay Area, she trained as an interfaith minister...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview renowned meditation teacher Guy Armstrong about his time as a monk with Ajahn Buddhadasa, the relationship between sense consciousness (viññana) and a deeper awareness, the Mahāyāna concept of Buddha nature, emptiness, and remaining grounded in the modern world.

Guy's Biography:

Guy Armstrong has been leading insight meditation retreats since 1984 in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. His training included living as a monk for a year in the Thai forest lineage. Guy is a member of the Spirit Rock...

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.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Dan Thiracitto about his experience as a Western forest monk in Thailand: living with Thai Krooba Ajahns, walking tudong, and living close to the earth.

Resources mentioned in this conversation:

- Luangta Maha Bua: Shedding Tears of Dhamma - https://youtu.be/iI5TQnYcFn8?si=yUJb3t2e4d_cscAV

- Arahattamagga Arahattaphala: The Path to Arahantship by Luangta Maha Bua - https://www.abhayagiri.org/media/books/maha_boowa_arahattamagga_arahattaphala.pdf

...

In this talk, Ayya Brahmavara speaks about the 4 vipallāsa or distortions of perception, described in the Vipallāsasutta AN 4.49 (https://suttacentral.net/an4.49/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=sidebyside&reference=none¬es=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin), and how our clinging causes us to suffer. The Buddha's teachings, though counter to how much of the world thinks, lead to a sense of lightness and peace.

Bio

Ayyā Brahmavarā learned Vipassana meditation from age 24, under the guidance of SN Goenka, after hearing about meditation retreats from a fellow student at Sheff...

In this session Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Ayya Santussika and Ayya Cittananda live at Kuruna Buddhist Vihara.

Ayya Santussika Bhikkhuni:

Born in Illinois in 1954, Ayya Santussika began exploring meditation in the late seventies. She received BS and MS degrees in computer science while being a single mother. After working as a software designer and developer for fifteen years in the Bay Area, she trained as an interfaith minister and received a Masters of Divinity degree in 2002. She visited monasteries in the US, Europe, and Asia, learning from...

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tan Ajahn Asoko, a senior monastic at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK and the primary attendant to Luang Por Sumedho. The focus of the interview was the ins-and-outs of serving as an attendant and caregiver.

Biography of Tan Ajahn Asoko:

Ajahn Asoko grew up in a village near Geneva in Switzerland. His mother brought Buddhism into the family life. As a teenager, he visited Amaravati Monastery, where he first met Luang Por Sumedho and was fortuitously able to attend a...

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tara Brach about her advice for practitioners dealing with fear and anger over the current state of the world, her relationship with faith and the Triple Gem, the R.A.I.N. approach to metabolizing difficult emotions, taking a "u-turn" in navigation of relationship, halos, unitarians, and more!

00:00:57 What's currently alive for you in the Dhamma?

00:02:45 What was a dark time for you, and how did you move out of it?

00:06:51 Could you speak about your own spiritual...

A document describing how to honor the dead may be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13H0UzWa73aLS1y6vVSANftAxZRjho76aozhZ5Tcjp2E/edit?usp=sharing.

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about maraṇasati, or recollection of death, as a path towards gratitude and heedfulness. He then describes how we can honor those who have passed, in ritual, spirit, and practice.

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wedn...

In this session, Ajahn Nisabho interviews Steven Hayes, clinical psychologist and co-developer of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and process-based therapy (PBT). They speak about the panic attack that catalyzed Dr. Haye's path of healing, Relational Frame Theory, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, modern culture's lack of a transcendent articulations, and even get Dr. Haye's to sing! You may find the official version of "Leaves from My Tree" here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wpr9czppjkuuc1emhqmtl/Leaves-from-my-tree.mp4?rlkey=3pjxv1uq4onvzhewolhahxmj0&dl=0

BIo

Dr. Steven C. Hayes is Emeritus...

In celebration of Labor Day, in this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about Buddhist work ethics, addressing such questions as "What do Buddhist do anyways?" and "How well am I spending my time?"

Suttas Addressed:

(AN 1.324-327)

- “Bhikkhus, whoever arouses energy in a badly expounded Dhamma and discipline dwells in suffering. For what reason? Because that Dhamma is badly expounded.”

- “Bhikkhus, whoever is lazy in a well-expounded Dhamma and discipline dwells in suffering. For what reason? Because that Dhamma is well expounded.”

...

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Mudito, a monk of the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest Tradition and abbot of Suddhavāri Monastery in Brazil (https://suddhavari.org/). The theme of discussion was "Blunt, Unpopular Dhammic Truths for Westerners": the need for a teacher; "confronting" defilements; blindsponts for moderns; and rebirth.

Ajahn Mudito's Biography:

Ajahn Mudito's first contact with Theravada Buddhism came through the Dharma House. After finishing college, he considered ordaining as a monk, but wanted to find an environment where the monastic rules, as created b...

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how to work with the mind's craving for material objects, bringing up joy on the path, what's let go of after Stream Entry, the initial stage of Enlightenment, how to work with the news, and cold showers.

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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 Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Onli...

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tan Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto about the Sotāpanna, or Stream Entry, the first stage of Enlightenment. They delve into how one knows such an experience is real, the fetters released through the experience, and the route of practice which most quickly leads to such insight.

Tan Ajahn Suchart's biography:

Tan Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto was born in Thailand in 1947 and received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Civil Engineering from California State University before returning to Thailand to manage a sma...

In this talk, Ayya Ānandabodhi, founder of Pārāyana Vihara (https://parayanavihara.org/), speaks about using metta, or loving-kindness practice, to loosen the knots that bind us to suffering, desire, and limited notions of self. Reflecting with insight on the transpersonal nature of life, and our good fortune in encountering the Dhamma, can help soften and brighten the heart as we walk the Buddha' path.

Ayya Ānandabodhī's Biography:

Ayya Anandabodhi was born and raised in Wales, UK. Ayya first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while r...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Āyasmā Ariyadhammika, spiritual director of Sāsanārakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS), on the broad topic of monastic training in its various expressions in Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and their synthesis in Malaysia at SBS. Specifically, the conversation delves into the fourteen courses of monk trainings at SBS (See https://sasanarakkha.org/monastery/):

(1) Meditation theory and practice, which includes experimenting with and gaining proficiency in different meditation techniques which can then be skillfully applied for different purposes, times & situations

(2) Dhamma knowledge and prop...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo suggests a 5-part taxonomy of the sukhas (happinesses & pleasures) taught by the Buddha:

1) pleasure like fire - kāma-sukha (sensual pleasures not to be pursued);

2) pleasures like fresh air - kusala/nekkhamma-sukha (wholesome/healthy pleasures to develop);

3) pleasures like space - vipassana/upasama-sukha (the pleasures of clear seeing to be made much of);

4) pleasures like water - jhāna/paviveka-sukha (the pleasures of absorption/jhāna meditation - a trainable, uncomplicated, blameless, profound mental ease);

5) pleasures like earth - mag...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Bhante Joe Atulo, curator of www.dhammavinayapatipada.com. Subjects touched upon include: the Sri Lankan Forest tradition - its history and present, the happiness of respect, Bhante Ñāṇadīpa, and other relevant topics.

You can find more of Bhante Joe's teachings at www.dhammavinayapatipada.com or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@DhammaVinayaPatipada

Bhante Joe's Biography:

Born in London, Ontario in 1983, Bhante Joe’s interest in Buddhism began in high school after reading about the Fou...

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about looking at flavors of energy spoke of in Taoist tradition, a speculative overlay of some Taoist principles onto the traditional four Buddhist foundations of mindfulness, the meaning of sankhara (mental formations) and viññana (sense consciousness) in the five aggregates of clinging, Buddhist sleep advice, metta (loving-kindness), khanti (patient endurance), and more.

You can access more teachings from Jason Bartlett, the source of the speculative overlay of jing, qi, and shen onto the four foundations of mindfulness, at of http://www.luminousdharma.org/ .

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Khemarato Bhikkhu, creator of The Open Buddhist University - https://buddhistuniversity.net/.

Khemarato's Bio:

Khemarato Bhikkhu is a former software engineer from Silicon Valley where he worked on AI systems at Google and Facebook. He ordained in the Dhammayut Tradition in Thailand in 2019 and has lived in a tent in the Thai jungle ever since. He is the creator of the digital resource "The Open Buddhist University" and is an occasional contributor to SuttaCentral.

Tune...

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the role of emptiness (suññata) in Buddhism, specifically referencing the image of an extinguished flame described in MN 72 ("To Vacchagotta on Fire" - https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN72.html ), and elaborated on in Ajahn Thanissaro's "Mind Like Fire Unbound" (https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/likefire/index.html). Further questions delved into how to deal with fear arising in response to peace, translations of "metta", and how to work with our human failings.

The session ended with an exercise where pa...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview their friends Jin Chuan Shi and Jin Wei Shi of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, & Redwood Vihara. Discussion touches upon embodiment, loving-kindness, non-violent communication, and restorative practices.

Find out more about Jin Chuan Shi, Jin Wei Shi, and the Redwood Vihara at https://www.redwoodvihara.org/

Biographies:

Bhikshus Jin Chuan Shi and Jin Wei Shi both found their spiritual calling early in life and now serve as monastics in the Dharma Realm...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about what to do when it seems like you've reached a wall in practice or in life. He specifically touches on six psycho-physical meditational movements for freedom found in the definition of the Third Noble Truth – the Cessation of Dukkha and mirrored in the framework of Loch Kelly's "Shift Into Freedom":

(1) virāga - fading away - unhooking

(2) nirodha - cessation - dropping

(3) cāga - relinquishment - opening

(4) paṭinissagga - letting go - seeing

(5) mutti - releas...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ayyā Sucittā about her path into the Theravāda, Koan practice, her encounters with nature, Natural Law, and other aspects of her teaching and path.

To learn more or support Ayya Sucitta's hermitage, contact her steward, Jason Bartlett, at info@luminousdharma.org, Jason.c.bartlett@gmail.com, or through his website, luminousdharma.org, noting that dāna given should be given to Ayya Sucitta's project.

Ayyā Sucittā's Biography:

Ayyā Sucittā grew up in South Korea, s...

In this talk, Ayyā Sucitta, visiting from South Korea, speaks about her path into Theravāda robes, her love of the early texts, and lessons learned from her pre-dawn pilgrimagse to a mountain stream during her thirteen years of retreat.

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 Teac...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Guṇavīro Bhikkhu on the topic of "tudong" - wandering on faith. They speak about his learning in the Goenka tradition, advice for would-be wanderers, & experiences with hardship and blessing.

Gunaviro Bhikkhu's Biography:

Gunaviro Bhikkhu (Jeffrey Hancuff) is a Buddhist monk. He began practicing Buddhism in 2001, began monastic training in 2015, and received full ordination in 2018 with Luang Por Pasanno as his preceptor. Since 2022 he has been travelling independently, primarily in California, trying to follow the rules the Buddha laid down as...

In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the power of habit in a Buddhist context and speaks about specific ways we can upgrade our practice of generosity, integrity, and meditation during the upcoming 3-month Rains Retreat (vassa). The "habit-loop" framework of "cue-routine-reward" from Charles Duhigg's "The Power of Habit" is introduced as a methodology for cultivating healthy habits for this "Buddhist Lent" period of intensified practice based on the Buddha's foundational teaching on "faith" (saddhā) that:

"It is possible to abandon the wholesome ... It is possible to abandon the unwholesome." (Anguttara Nikāya 2.19)

Duration: 00:47:19

00:09 Thai Original Talk

22:41 English Translation

In this talk - in Thai with English translation - Luang Por Damrong Siribhaddho, abbot of Wat Pah Nam KamGeung, Thailand speaks of

Luang Por Damrong Biography:

Luang Por Damrong Siribhaddo has been a bhikkhu for 56 years. He acts as the preceptor for many of Luang Por Chah’s disciples in Thailand.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wedn...

00:10 - Thai Original Talk

21:07 - English Translation

In this talk - in Thai with English translation - Luang Por Khoon Aggadhammo, abbot of Wat Pah PoSuwan, Thailand speaks about the power of the Triple Gem, the Five Precepts, Three Types of Wisdom, the Eight Worldly Winds, and the Eightfold Noble Path.

Luang Por Khoon Biography:

Luang Por Khoon Aggadhammo has been a monk for 59 years. Having lived and studied for years under Luang Por Chah and having trained with Luang Por...

In this interview - in Thai with English translation - Ajahn Kovilo speaks with and translates the teachings of Luang Por Damrong Siribhaddho, abbot of Wat Pah Nam KamGeung.

Luang Por Damrong Biography:

Luang Por Damrong Siribhaddo has been a bhikkhu for 56 years. He acts as the preceptor for many of Luang Por Chah’s disciples in Thailand.

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)<...

In this interview - in Thai with English translation - Ajahn Kovilo speaks with and translates the teachings of Luang Por Khoon Aggadhammo, abbot of Wat Pah PoSuwan.

Luang Por Khoon Biography:

Luang Por Khoon Aggadhammo has been a monk for 59 years. Having lived and studied for years under Luang Por Chah and having trained with Luang Por Sumedho for many years, Luang Por Khoon is currently the abbot of Wat PhoSuwan in Piboon Mangsahan district, Ubon Province.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for...

In this video, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ven. Jigme, Ven. Ngawang, Ven Gyatso, & Thubten Chodron on the subject of the Sravasti Abbey Prison Dharma Project. For more information about Sravasti Abbey and the Prison Dharma Project, visit: https://sravastiabbey.org/who-we-are/how-we-help/

Short Description of the Prison Dharma Project:

The Prison Dharma Outreach supports over 1,000 incarcerated individuals by sending Dharma books, videos, newsletters, and offering spiritual guidance, including through prison visits by Abbey monastics. Around 200 inmates participate annually in the Abbey’s Retreat from Afar, engaging in daily pr...

In this session from the Clear Mountain June 28th, 2025 Alms Giving Ceremony, Ayya Ānandabodhī of Pārāyana Vihāra (https://parayanavihara.org/) speaks about allowing the Seven Factors of Enlightenment to unfurl.

Ayya Ānandabodhī's Biography:

Ayya Ānandabodhī was born and raised in Wales, UK. Ayya first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while reading about the Four Noble Truths. This was life-changing and from that moment she experienced a deep confidence in the Buddha’s insight and a wish to understand his teachings more deeply. At the age of...

In this talk, given at the 2025 Clear Mountain Almsgiving Ceremony, Luang Por Sona speaks about his early days as a monk, and the lessons he learned about humility, agility, and keeping a warm heart and cool head.

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 P...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Sona of Birken Monastery on the topic of his recent video "Greek & Persian Influence On Early Buddhism" (https://youtu.be/UDZK_V2wnt4?si=uz7ZQxr_t8CLU_dO).

Ajahn Sona's Bio:

Ajahn Soṇa is the founder and abbot of Birken Forest Monastery. Born in Canada in 1954, Ajahn Soṇa's background as a layperson is in classical guitar performance. His encounter with Buddhist wisdom as a young man initiated a spiritual journey that led him to become a lay herm...

In this talk, Bhante Rahula, visiting from Paññabhumi monastery in Guadalajara, speaks about how conscious gratitude and recollection of one's virtue can serve as a cure for the various ailments of the mind. Carefully documenting the goodness in one's life represents an important task for practitioners hoping to cultivate a bright heart. To find out more about Bhante Rāhula or Paññabhumi, visit https://dhamma-pb.org/

Bhante Rāhula's bio:

Bhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has pra...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Marjorie Woollacott about the research behind the Telepathy Tapes (https://thetelepathytapes.com/) and the phenomenon of near-death lucidity.

For more information about Dr. Woolacott and her work, visit: https://marjoriewoollacott.com/

Marjorie Woollacott's Biography:

Marjorie Woollacott Ph.D., is an Emeritus Professor of Human Physiology, and member of the Institute of Neuroscience, at the University of Oregon. She was chair of the Human Physiology Department for seven years. In addition to teaching courses on...

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about Māra, the Buddhist embodiment of death and that which hinders liberation, and how we can overcome his influence through clear knowing.

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...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ayyā Jitindriyā & Samaneri Jayasāra of Viveka Hermitage about how to relate to current events, non-dual practice, psychotherapy advice for the world, dealing with tragedy, and Dzogchen.

BIO

On Samaneri Jayasara and Ayya Jitindriya's YouTube channel, you'll find ancient Buddhist teachings next to the words of Christian saints and sufi mystics speaking to perennial truths. It is rare to find the common threads of wisdom so clearly laid out.

Ayya Jitindriyā trained as a monastic in t...

In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo reflects on 6 of the “Universal Beautiful” mental factors (sobhana-sādhāraṇa-cetāsika) – 1) settledness (passaddhi); 2) softness (mudutā); 3) lightness (lahutā); 4) suppleness (kammaññatā); 5) savviness (pāguññatā); and 6) uprightness (ujukatā) – suggesting the following poem as a memory aid:

Settled softness space-that’s-light,

Supple savvy mind-upright.

The image of an anchor (one’s meditation object of focus) in the ocean (the big mind that exhibits all the “Universal Beautiful” mental factors) is given as an aide to keep the mind both collected and open.

Tune in with fellow...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Luang Por Puṇṇadhammo of Arrow River Hermitage.

Ajahn Puṇṇadhammo Bio:

Ajahn Punnadhammo is the abbot of Arrow River Forest Hermitage in Northern Ontario, Canada. Born in Toronto in 1955, at the age of 23, he began studying Buddhism under Kema Ananda, the founder and first teacher of the Arrow River Center. In 1990, at the age of 35, Ajahn Punnadhammo ordained into the Ajahn Chah forest tradition in Thailand and stayed there for the next five years largely based at Wat Pah Nanachat, the Inte...

In this "Q&A and Community Stories" session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho answer questions about love and Saṅgha, the flame of awareness, merit, and how to relate to grief. In the "Community Stories" section, Clear Mountain community members Alejandro, Lynne, and Louis share how they came to the Dhamma and what it's meant to them.

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...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview the author and Performance Whisperer, George Mumford about his journey into mindfulness and his experience of its utility and function in expert performance. To learn more about George, visit: https://georgemumford.com/

George's Bio:

George Mumford, a.k.a. The Performance Whisperer, is a globally recognized speaker, teacher, and pioneer in sports psychology and performance. Since 1989, he’s been honing his groundbreaking performance and mindfulness techniques with people from locker rooms to board rooms, Yale to jail — as Phil Jackson’s ‘Secret W...

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the workings of kamma, and how we can apply appropriate attention, or yoniso manasikara, to cultivate the kamma for the ending of kamma.

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)

CHAPTERS

0:00:00 – Intro

0:00:09 – Welcome

0:00:24 – Bio of Yuval Noah Harari

0:01:12 – How Yuval’s First Meditation Retreat Changed His Life, and What a Goenka Retreat Looks Like

0:06:36 – Going Beyond Goenka’s Teachings: Exploring the Pāḷi Canon and Buddhism (Does Yuval Consider Himself a Buddhist?)

0:12:18 – Yuval’s Take on the Noble Truths: The Cause and Cessation of Suffering, and Transcending It Through the Noble Eightfold Path

0:15:53 – Hackable Humans: The Importance of Meditation in the Age of Data and Algorithms

0:24:27 – How to Beco...

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.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

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.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo discusses the Thai Forest Tradition and what he terms the "Thai Forest Effect" - the insights, inner brightness, and eventual transcendence that can come from living a life apart but not separate.

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)<...

In this interview, Luang Por Jundee, a senior disciple of Luang Por Chah and abbot of Wat Pah Ampawan, speaks about Luang Por Chah's strategies of training, advice on giving, and how we can be near to a teacher we've never met.

Biographies

Luang Por Jundee

Venerable LP Jundee Kantasāro who was ordained by Venerable Luang Por Chah in 1975, was born in one of the neighbouring villages to Wat Pah Pong in 1953. He is a part of the first group of monks to be ordained by L...

In this talk, Ajahn Kaccana, ordained at Abhayagiri Monastery and currently residing at Chithurst Monastery in England, speaks about how we can balance the cultural proclivity towards individualism and idealism by developing awareness of the body, coming into community, and cultivating virtue, concentration, and wisdom.

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)

- Su...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ven. Dhammadinnā, an expert in the various canonical languages of early Buddhist traditions. They speak Ven. Dhammadinna's love of Pāli, her path to robes, her attempt to bridge the scholastic-practice divide, and more!

Ven. Dhammadinnā's Biography:

Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā was born in Italy in 1980 and went forth in Sri Lanka in 2012. She studied Indology, Indo-Iranian philology and Tibetology at the University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’ and at the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University in Tokyo. She obtained he...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the value of chanting as a way to give rise to wholesome mental states.

The main chant referenced is the "Suffusion with the Divine Abidings", featured here:

- I will abide pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with lovingkindness; likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above and below, around and everywhere; and to all as to myself. I will abide pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness; abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill-will.<...

In this compelling dialogue, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Amma Thanasanti about what’s missing from traditional Dharma when it comes to trauma, attachment, and nervous system regulation. They explore how trauma-informed tools, the window of tolerance, and developmental wounding intersect with meditation practice—and why understanding these dynamics can open the door to real healing and freedom.

To learn more about Amma Thanasanti and the Integrated Meditation program, visit https://awakeningtruth.org/integrated-meditation/.

Amma Thanasanti Biography:

Amma Thanasanti has been practicing medi...

In this session, Ajahn Nisabho and Ajahn Kovilo interview brother and sister Ajahn Cunda and Rabbi Sydney Mintz.

Bio of Ajahn Cunda:

Ajahn Cunda was raised in a warm and loving family in the Northern suburbs of Chicago and moved to California in 1996. Ajahn Cunda moved to Abhayagiri in late 2005, and after two years training as an Anagārika and Sāmaṇera, ordained as a Bhikkhu on May 22, 2008. Under Luang Por Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, he trained at Abhayagiri for eight and a half years. In 2014, Ajahn Cunda moved to T...

Ayyā Suvijjānā & Ayya Niyyānika of Passaddhi Vihara (https://passaddhivihara.org/) speak about developing the Five Indriyā, or Mental Faculties in our practice. The five, including saddhā (faith), viriya (energy), sati (mindfulness), samādhi (concentration), and pañña (wisdom) must be developed in a balanced manner for practice to progress. The Buddha's description of the Five Faculties may be found here: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN48_10.html

Ayya Suvijjānā's Bio:

Ayyā Suvijjānā started with Zen meditation in 1976. After discovering Vipassana in 1998, she visited Abhayagiri where she beca...

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho talks about the Mahānāma Sutta (AN 11:12) (https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN11_12.html), and the six recollections recommended by the Buddha as ways of tuning to the quiet note of Dhamma, and to finding refuge.

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 Evenin...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview psychiatrist Dr. Judson Brewer MD PhD about the confluence between neuroscience and Theravāda Buddhism.

For more information about Dr. Jud, visit:

- https://www.mindshiftrecovery.org/

- https://drjud.com/

Dr. Jud's Bio:

Dr. Judson Brewer, MD, PhD (aka Dr. Jud), is a New York Times best-selling author and pioneering psychiatrist blending cutting-edge neuroscience with 20+ years of mindfulness training. A leader in the science of habit change, he's d...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Rodney Smith, author and founder or the Seattle Insight Meditation Society, about resting in an ever-present silence, his work in hospice, how to be with the dying, and more. For more on Rodney, visit: https://seattleinsight.org/teacher/rodney-smith-founding-teacher/

Rodney's Bio:

Rodney Smith spent eight years in Buddhist monastic settings, both at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Massachusetts and several years as a Buddhist monk in Asia. He ordained with Mahasi Sayadaw in Burma then practiced for three years with...

In this talk, Ajahn Kaccāna, ordained at Abhayagiri Monastery but currently residing at Chithurst Monastery in England, speaks about finding refuge in the quality of knowing rather than the objects of awareness.

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)

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview renowned meditation teacher Shaila Catherine about the practice of jhāna, the breath nimitta, digital hygiene on retreat, and more.

To learn more about Shaila, visit: https://shailacatherine.com/

You may access more of her teachings at Insight Meditation South Bay (https://www.imsb.org/) and Bodhi Courses (https://bodhicourses.org/).

Bio:

Shaila Catherine is the founder of Insight Meditation South Bay, a meditation group in Silicon Valley, and also Bodhi Courses, a...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo relates his experience being assaulted in downtown Seattle on March 30th, 2025.

Suttas Referenced:

- Dhammapada vv 3-5:

https://www.digitalpalireader.online/_dprhtml/index.html?loc=k.1.0.0.0.0.0.m|ati://kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html

- Dhammapada vv 197-200:

https://www.digitalpalireader.online/_dprhtml/index.html?loc=k.1.0.0.14.0.0.m|ati://kn/dhp/dhp.15.budd.html

- Puṇṇovāda Sutta (MN 145)

https://suttacentral.net/mn145/en/sujato?lang=en

- Fou...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Venerable Ayyā Mārajinā about her experience creating Saṅgha in Cuba. Learn more at https://www.theravadacuba.org or at the links below.

Ayyā Mārajinā's biography:

Ayyā Mārajinā Bhikkhunī received pabbajja (2010) and upasampadā (2012) at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, California, with Venerable Tathālokā Maha Therī as pavattinī. She has practiced meditation for over 15 years, initially to manage bipolar disorder, now seeing the Dhamma as the highest blessing. Dedicated to practicing and teaching the Satipatthāna and Brahmavihāras, she shares the tran...

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho describes the 5 khandhas, or "aggregates" onto which we posit a self: 1) form (rūpa) 2) feelings (vedanā) 3) perception (sañña) 4) mental formations (sankhara) and 5) consciousness (viññāna). He further describes how we can skillfully use each as a factor on the path rather than clinging to it as a locus of self.

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...

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about body contemplation, monastics' apolitical stance, dispassion (virāga), benefits of the holy life, and more.

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/.

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, & Coffe...

In this session, Ayyā Santacittā of the Āloka Earth Room visits and shares reflections on the hummus-ness of humans.

Ayyā Santacitta's Biography:

Santacitta Bhikkhuni was born in Austria and did her graduate studies in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on dance, theatre and ritual. She also worked in avant-garde dance theatre as a performer and costume designer. In 1988 she met Ajahn Buddhadasa in southern Thailand, who sparked her interest in Buddhist monastic life. She trained as a nun in England and Asia from 1993 until 2009, primarily in the lineage of Ajahn Chah. Since 2002, she...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Jotipālo about the practice of loving-kindness, "Sauntering Into Silence", and a mention of Buddhist iconography.

- Visit Ajahn Jotipālo's YouTube channel - "Sauntering Into Silence" here: https://www.youtube.com/@UC66r5NBcFDf4opY0PAPHdrw

- Watch Ajahn Sujāto's Metta series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HREe6phLMpU&list=PLTcGMzIEhlsa0maPxIduPyYSNonn0_umT&ab_channel=SamitaASBL

- Watch videos in Thai of Ajahn Mahā ChatChai here: https://www.youtube.com/@%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A3%E0%B...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo asks the question: What is your inner governing-principle (ādhipateyya)? Is it a "Dhamma-cracy" (based on a solid foundation of truth, morality, and wisdom) or a "Māra-tocracy" (based on the shaky foundation of craving)? Further, he asks which of the "four P's" (Pleasure [vs Pain]; Profit [vs Loss)]; Praise [vs Censure]; or Prestige [vs lowliness]) is your primary idol obsession (i.e. inner autocrat).

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!

- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Disc...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview the Chinese-born, Thai Forest Maechee Paññāsirī about her life and practice.

Maechee Paññāsirī's Biography:

Sister Maechee Paññāsirī is a Chinese-born, Thai forest nun in the tradition of Ven. Ajahn Chah.

Born in 1967 and grew up in Shanghai, China, Sister has worked many years as a writer/creative director, a teacher of yoga, pranayama and meditation, as well as travelling the world, with a deep spiritual pursuit which she was born with. Finally this lifelong inner quest...

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.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Dhammasīha, abbot of Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage in Brisbane, Australia. To learn more about Ajahn Dhammasīha and Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage, visit: https://www.dhammagiri.net/

Ajahn Dhammasiha's Biography:

Born in West Germany in 1966, Ajahn Dhammasīha studied Business Administration in West Berlin during the fall of the Berlin Wall. After encountering the Dhamma during extensive travels in India, he ordained as a Theravada Buddhist monk in 1995 at Nissarana Vanaya, Meetirigala in Sri Lanka, with most Ven Pandita K. Jinavamsa as...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo examines the refrain from the Foundations of Mindfulness Sutta (https://suttacentral.net/dn22/en/sujato?lang=en) in light of the slang-based meditation instructions: "Stop Frontin'!"

That refrain is as follows:

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāsati?

“And what, bhikkhus is Right Mindfulness?

(1) Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati

Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body,

Ātāpī sampajāno satimā,

Ardent, fully aware, and mindful...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview author, psychologist, and meditator Rick Hanson Ph.D. For more information about Rick Hanson, visit: https://rickhanson.com/

Rick Hanson Bio:

Rick Hanson, Ph.D. is a psychologist, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His seven books have been published in 33 languages, and include Making Great Relationships, Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Just One Thing, Buddha’s Brain, and Mother Nurture – with over a million copies in English alone. He's the founder of the...

In this Community Stories session, we hear from Clear Mountain community members about their path to Dhamma and how it's impacted their life in this past year.

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 http...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Luang Por Anan, abbot of Wat Marp Jan monastery in Thailand, about "the One Who Knows", practice at various stages of Awakening, artificial intelligence, body contemplation, and the nature of the Enlightened Mind.

Bio

Ajahn Anan Akiñcano was born in Saraburi, central Thailand, in 1954 and received ordination under the renowned monk, Venerable Ajahn Chah, in 1975. Residing at Ajahn Chah’s main monastery of Wat Nong Pah Pong for his first four years, Ajahn Anan had the opportunity to serve frequently as A...

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.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Kalyano, abbot of Buddha Bodhivana Monastery in Australia, about the practice of meditating all night, long sits, vegetarianism, spirits, training with a teacher, Abhidhamma study, and... tigers!

Bio

Ven. Ajahn Kalyano (Daniel Jones) was born in London in 1962. His interest in Buddhism awakened while still a student. After completing his university degree at Bristol University, he travelled to Thailand. In 1985 received ordination in the forest tradition of Ajahn Chah.

He has trained for many years with Venerable...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the balancing reflections of the "Ten Subjects for Frequent Recollection" (Pabbajita Abhiṇha Sutta - AN 10.48 - https://suttacentral.net/an10.48/en/sujato?lang=en):

“Bhikkhus, there are 10 dhammas which should be reflected upon again and again by one who has gone forth. What are these 10?

(1) ‘I am no longer living according to worldly aims and values.’ …

(2) ‘My very life is sustained through the gifts of others.’...

(3) ‘I should strive to abandon my former habits.’...

(4) ‘Does regret over my conduct...

In this conversation, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho discuss their favorite suttas in the Majjhima Nikāya and suggest ways you can do the same!

Useful Resources:

Access to Insight: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/index.html

Reading Faithfully Index: https://index.readingfaithfully.org/

Discuss & Discover on SuttaCentral: https://discourse.suttacentral.net/

Norbu AI: https://norbu-ai.org/

The link to the 6:45-7:30 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at h...

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about some of the more fraught issues in the Sangha today, including the different conceptions of bhikkhunis in the Theravāda Buddhist world, the place of affinity groups in Buddhist spaces, and how to hold change alongside harmony.

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)

- Sunda...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Jonas Mago, PhD candidate at McGill University, about his research dealing with the neuroscience of jhāna meditation.

BIO

Jonas Mago is a cognitive neuroscientist and wellbeing aficionado, deeply invested in understanding the cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms underlying human flourishing. His research explores contemplative practices designed to cultivate wholesome states of mind—spanning meditation, prayer, collective cultural rituals, and psychedelic therapies. I approach these topics from an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating cognitive science, neurobiology, computational modeling, and phenomenology to investigate mechanisms of sel...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo examines prayer and its potential use in Buddhist practice - exploring such issues as a possible place for prayer in a Buddhist contemplative life, specifics of how one might pray in a Buddhist sense, and offering reflections on the Serenity Prayer:

May there be the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things that I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly on...