Bhante Sujato left a career as a musician to become a Buddhist monk in 1994. He took higher ordination in Thailand and lived there in forest monasteries and remote hermitages. He spent several years at Bodhinyana Monastery in Western Australia before founding Santi Forest Monastery in New South Wales in 2003. Following Bhante Sujato’s wishes, Santi became a nun’s monastery in 2012, and he returned to live in Bodhinyana. In 2019, Bhante Sujato moved to Sydney to establish Lokanta Vihara (the Monastery at the End of the World) with his long term student, Bhante Akaliko, to explore what it means to follow the Buddha’s teachings in an era of climate change, globalised consumerism, and political turmoil.
Guided meditation of awareness of the messy mind, being aware of consciousness brings fearlessness. Dhamma talk on papañca with reference to The Honey Cake sutta MN18 and Concept and Reality by Ven. Ñāṇananda's analysis of MN18 16.1. How venerable Kaccāna presents a sequence where the self slowly emerges, creating the person who then is beset by papañca; nouns turn to verbs.
Guided meditation on sīlanussati. Dhamma Talk: SN22.1 Nakula's Father. Discussion of Sāriputta's analysis of what is meant by the Buddha's statement on coping with old age: “Even though I am afflicted in body, my mind will be unafflicted.”
Guided mettā meditation. Dhamma Talk: The ghost is not in the machine. The question of robots and the soul. The Buddha's views on the soul versus others at the time e.g. Brahmanism's atta and Jainism's jiva. Understanding things through relations and processes rather than substances or a soul. Self-awareness and purpose in robots, AI.
Guided breath meditation on the ease of thoughts stopping. Dhamma talk on Right Speech in the context of Twitter collapsing, the rise and fall of authoritarians and fraudsters, current large positive changes taking place. How might we use social media with Right Speech.
Guided mettā meditation to develop positive emotions, directed towards self and all beings. Dhamma talk on dependent origination in simple terms. Dependent origination answers the question: How does rebirth happen without a soul? We are neither completely fixed or completely fluid in how we are - we are conditioned; a continuity that connects past, present, and future. The Buddha’s great insight was that everything is conditioned. Daily life, high states of meditation, rebirth, and all kinds of experiences all follow the same processes. Ignorance and craving are the drivers of these processes.
Meditation on the arising of desire, the drivers of thought rather than getting caught in thought. Dhamma talk Part 4 on Satipaṭṭhāna: Principles (dhammā). The 5 hindrances and 7 awakening factors common to all versions of Satipaṭṭhāna. The novelty of this section builds on the previous sections and introduces causality; where the arising of things like desire come from, as well as how they come to end, and how they don't arise again using both observation and inference. Dhamma as natural principles that describe how the world works.
Meditation on awareness. Dhamma talk Part 3 on Satipaṭṭhāna: Mind (citta). The power of awareness. Movement towards subtlety, like an echo or an animal. Focussing on how greed, hate or delusion effect the mind; the mind with or without these. Awareness emerging from contemplation of the body and feeling. Discussion of wanting and not wanting, noticing when hate is reduced. How to see delusion in meditation; moha as thinking you know, delusion as a destraction from knowing often by way of greed and hate.
Meditation on the elements inside ourselves. Dhamma talk Part 2 on Satipaṭṭhāna: Feelings (vedana). Satipaṭṭhāna as a "samādhinimitta", use of nimitta vs. descriptions of lights during meditation in the suttas. Anapanāsati as a another way to do Satipaṭṭhāna. Vedana as present in the breath. Pain during meditation. How the Buddha emphasised happiness during meditation (often a synonym for meditation!). Equanamity is the final stage in major lists such as the seven awakening factors, brahmavihāras.
Meditation on presence of mind. Beginning of dhamma talks on Satipaṭṭhāna. Part 1: The Body. The meanings of Satipaṭṭhāna; explicitly means meditation. The four Satipaṭṭhāna meditations are body (kāyānupassī), feelings (vedanānupassī), mind (cittānupassī), principles (dhammānupassī). The body as something simple to ground oneself on. Mindfulness as "presence of mind", related to time, to keep on remembering and being conscious with firmness and steadiness.
Chanting. Guided meditation on the breath as a simple kind of abiding; Audience Q&A: Q: How to overcome the body restricting the breath? ~A: 1. Patience. 2. Slight shift to focus on the out-breath 4. Contemplate non-self 5. Focus on pleasure in the breath. Q: How to let go of worry? ~A: Uddhacca-kukkucha one place to look, 'like conditions like' so to be happy tomorrow, do something good now. Q: Is mindfulness different to concentration? ~A: 'Concentration' term can convey controlling solutionism but concentration fine as a word. Q: Technique of being without your breath for 20 minutes by telling the breaths you love them? Q: What did the Buddha say about monarchism? Q: Meditation during lucid dreaming?
Chanting. Guided meditation on the breath; ways to avoid instrumentalising meditation. Dhamma talk on leadership. Comparing the Queen and the Buddha, qualities of leadership the Buddha promoted, as well as leadership in the sāngha.
Chanting. Guided meditation focused on pairs of contrasting ideas to encourage contemplation on wholesome and unwholesome qualities in the mind. Dhamma talk on the Dvayatānupassanāsutta from Sutta Nipāta 3.12 (Contemplating Pairs). Detailed analysis of this sutta of contrasting pairs with correlation to dependent origination; of which one pair aspect leads to the origination of suffering, and the other pair aspect leads to the cessation of suffering. Brief discussion on the history, organization, and grouping of numbers in the suttas.
Guided meditation on the breath; peace of mind as a natural state. Dhamma talk on the disruptive and mysterious figure of the 'dark sage' with reference to three people in the suttas: Nālaka, Asito Devala, Ambaṭṭha. Discussion of this archetype, racism in the suttas, the three figures and their attempts to problematise caste.
Guided meditation on death: 'Life is uncertain, death is certain'. Dhamma talk on death; how the Buddha talked about death as something knowable, and what happens after death.
Guided meditation on the five khandas (constituents / groups). Dhamma talk on the five khandas: rupa (body / appearance), vedana (feeling / experience), saññā (perception), saṅkhāra (choices), citta (consciousness). Discussion of how in the EBTs, the 5 khandas were often what people already identified with, and their impermanence was what the Buddha emphasized. Discussion of how other disciplines and near-death-experiences implicitly invoke the five khandas.
Meditation and dhamma talk on the four iddhipādas (feet/powers): enthusiasm (chanda), energy (viriya), awareness (citta), inquiry (vīmaṁsā). Discussion on the four iddhipādas and vibhava-tanhā (the desire to not exist) and its antidote, the wish to know. The basis of psychic powers as expansions of things we know already. Ideas on how to develop the iddhipādas.
Guided mettā meditation for a loved one with focus on feelings, noticing and sensations inside the body. Dhamma talk on war, with discussion of the first precept, 'just war theory' and peace. Discussion of peace and the work people do to maintain peace.
Meditation talk on reducing a sense of self. Guided meditation on sense of self and gentle awareness of mood. Dhamma talk on hopelessness. Losing hope/living without hope, and how we can commit without a sense of emotional investment to something in the future. Differences between hope, faith (sadha) and enthusiasm (chanda).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta (reference: MN 26).
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.
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Meditation and Dhamma talk on cessation by Bhante Sujato. Cycles of life: cessation is bliss. The ending of things makes new things possible. The story of the long-lived arahant. Q+A: The top ten suttas. Psychic powers.
Meditation on the earth element led by Bhante Sujato. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on the relationship between humans and environment / earth. Gilgamesh. Climate conference, the cost of change, economy as a system that should support human life instead of vice versa. Q+A: Tibbarāga. Jataka tale of "The Golden Deer". Mulapariyāya Sutta.
Breath meditation by Bhante Sujato. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on "Dune" by Frank Herbert. AI and consciousness. The Buddha's concept of "subtle materiality" as physical properties of internal experiences (sukhuma vs oḷārika).
Breath meditation led by Bhante Sujato. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on letting go and finding peace: identify wants, understand suffering, take small and doable steps, experience your progress, gain wisdom.
Joyful meditation on spiritual friendship guided by Bhante Akāliko (during which internet connection was temporarily lost). Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato: how to kiss "Saṃsāra" goodbye?
Meditation guided by Bhante Sujato. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on desire and contentment, the four Noble Truths, and how meditation can lead to deeper contentment.
Meditation on letting go guided by Bhante Akāliko. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato about sisters: Mahāpajāpati and Māyā – the Buddha's mother and aunt/stepmother. Bhaddā as the first nun.
Mettā meditation led by Bhante Sujato. The difference between therapy and the spiritual path. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on creativity versus papañca. Question on the experience of movement and stillness in meditation.
Breath meditation led by Bhante Sujato: developing qualities of softness, gentleness. Q+A: how to stay focused. About sadness. Talking about deep experiences. Nibbānadhātu. History of decline of Buddhism in India. Love and impermanence. Upanishads and suttas. Deductive and inductive logic.
Meditation on generosity, guided by Bhante Akāliko. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on his translation of the Sutta Nipata. Story of Bāvari from the Pārāyanavagga (Snp 5): The Way to the Beyond.
Bhante Sujato on meditation – "citta bhāvanā" – leading towards independence, responsibility, wisdom – "khema", safety, a sanctuary. Breath meditation guided by Bhante Sujato. Bhante Akāliko on how to deal with those parts of us we don't like. Q+A: two different meanings of 'paṭigha'. Vipassana. Pain in meditation. Awareness conditioned by hindrances, or their absence. Puthujjana.
Breath meditation guided by Bhante Akāliko. Upakkilesa Sutta: how to hold a bird. Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on the meaning of the Pali chanting at the beginning of each Friday session.
Breath meditation guided by Bhante Sujato. Simile of the cops chasing kids in stolen cars. Dhamma talk by Bhante Akāliko: how to listen to the Dhamma, and its benefits (Dhammassavana Sutta, AN 5.202). Q+A: Bhante Sujato on today's epistemological crisis.
Bhante Sujato on wisdom and peace arising from meditation and on the conditioned nature of the mind. Stillness meditation led by Bhante Sujato. Short Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on meditation as part of the way to the end of suffering. Q+A session together with Bhante Akāliko.
Bhante Sujato on the concept of time, then guiding a breath meditation. Dhamma talk presenting a new translation project in a cooperation of Sutta Central and the Oxford Center of Buddhist Sudies: all the still missing canonical texts – suttas and commentaries – from Pāli into English.
Calm meditation / body scan led by Bhante Akāliko; Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on how the Buddha's concept of impermanence relates to concepts in science, e.g. the speed of light. Upcoming bhikkhuni ordination in Australia!
Mettā meditation and Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato at the beginning of the rains retreat: brief introduction to the Buddha's first teaching which marks the establishment of the sangha. The original role of rains retreats as a community event. Rains today during the present Covid lockdown.
Calm meditation led by Bhante Akāliko, Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on the vulnerability of our systems and ourselves – structure, energy and chaos. The Buddha: see things as they really are – burning, falling apart, impermanent. Can we be happy, content, equanimous with what is?
Mettā meditation led by Bhante Sujato, "fireside chat" in celebration of Bhante Akāliko's 6th anniversary of going forth! Book link: wiswo.org/#featuredbook
Bhante Akāliko on the joy of meditating together; Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on reflecting on our values during quarantine (desires, needs, independence, freedom); Q + A on sense restraint, independence vs. interdependence, wholesome desires, and meaningful work.
At Harris Park with Bhante Sujato – Breath meditation. Dhamma talk on history, facts, and stories: how Buddhism evolved into different schools as a response to the needs and challenges of the respective times and places.
At Harris Park – Mettā meditation guided by Bhante Akāliko; Q + A session: eg. Bhante Sujato on stream-entry in lay life, Bhante Akāliko on being joyful
At Harris Park – Mettā meditation guided by Bhante Akāliko; Q + A session with Bhante Sujato on translating "sankhārā" and on conversations with members of other religions
At Harris Park – Meditation on impermanence led by Bhante Sujato, Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato, last part of the series on the life of the Buddha: Mahāparinibbāna sutta
At Harris Park – no chanting due to Covid restrictions. Death contemplation led by Bhante Akāliko, Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato: Vesak series, "What did the Buddha get wrong?"
At Harris Park – Therigāthā Festival - breath meditation guided by Bhante Sujato. Bhante Sujato interviewed by Bhante Akāliko about translations of the Therigāthā
At Harris Park – breath meditation guided by Bhante Sujato, Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on the life of the Buddha: the Buddha as a leader who empowered the Sangha right from the start.
At Harris Park – inquiry meditation guided by Bhante Sujato, Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on the life of the Buddha: suttas that show the Bodhisatta's struggles on his way to awakening. MN 4 - Fear and Dread - Bhayabherava sutta. MN 19 - Two Kinds of Thought - Dvedhāvitakka sutta. MN 128 - Corruptions - Upakkilesa sutta.
First hybrid event in Harris Park – breath meditation guided by Bhante Sujato, Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on the life of the Buddha: the man behind the myth. On renunciation and the moment of decision. Attadanda sutta (Sutta Nipata)
Meditation on anicca, dukkha, anatta guided by Bhante Sujato, Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on these three characteristics, good method, translation of sankhārā and dhammā, perception and conceptualization in relation to training the mind
Mettā meditation guided by Bhante Akāliko, Dhamma talk by Bhante Sujato on Jedi knights, Orcs, binary opposites and balance between dark and light forces
