Ajahn Achalo was born in Brisbane Australia in 1972. He developed a keen interest in meditation at the age of twenty and a year later left for Thailand to study Buddhism more intently. After a two year period practising in various centres and monasteries, in 1996 Ajahn Achalo ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu (monk) under Ajahn Liem at Wat Nong Pah Pong, the monastery founded by venerable Ajahn Chah. Although most of his training has taken place in Thailand, Ajahn Achalo has also lived in several international Forest Monasteries in the Ajahn Chah lineage. Ajahn Achalo is deeply grateful for his many opportunities to study with well-practiced monks as well as for having been able to train in several traditional contexts, including meditation monasteries, remote forests, and periods on pilgrimage. During his years of training, he has received personal guidance from many remarkable teachers, among them, Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Kalyano. For most of his Bhikkhu life, he has considered Tan Ajahn Anan, abbot of Wat Marp Jan, to be his principal mentor. In addition, he has found the Dalai Lama's instructions and example to be of tremendous value.
00:44 Q1: I am interested to learn Sattipathana Sutta from Tan Ajahn, a perspective from a monk's. I'm following your talks for some time now and your talks inspire me. I have recently done Sattipathana course from Goenka tradition. Would you please teach us as Vassa is also just around the corner. Will be highly grateful. 42:51 Q2: Sila is generosity. In the retreat Q&A, it says sila is for the abandoning of the 3 fetters in order to gain wisdom. Please elaborate. I do not know what the 3 fetters are. I have not finished reading all the literatures of Buddhism. Thank you. 55:11 Q3 Dear Ajahn, currently I am facing some obstacles and fear because there is a violent Vajrayana fighter nun who cannot rejoice in my daily dana to Buddha and Bodhi tree. She is trying to harm me by kicking my bag when I am chanting, disturbing me...etc. How can I protect myself from these types of circumstances? With metta. See also this video: Four Foundations of Mindfulness - Part 2 - Aug 10, 2022
40:19 Q&A (questions are précised) 40:33 Q1 History and geography teach us that ten thousand years ago people were living in filth, like animals. Yet the scriptures speak of many thousands of eons of lives. How are these [two very different time frames] possible? 43:00 Q2 Could you please give more tips and advice for real beginners in meditation? 50:08 Q3 Regarding the four foundations of mindfulness, is there one which is more important? 53:57 Q4 I have come to see doubt as a most important hindrance in my practice. I even doubt the existence of that thing called enlightenment. How can I get rid of that? 58:46 Q5 Regarding sense restraint, can you say more about practicing with sound here. 1:07:54 Q6 How can householders go deeper into vipassana with the limited time in their lives? 1:12:31 Q7 Could you clarify how we would do the Buddho mantra in our daily tasks
Four Brahma Vihara as a support to developing mindfulness and wisdom. A talk given to students of the Mahachula International Buddhist College Nov 29, 2021.
A talk spurred by two questions: 00:49 Q1: How can we find meaning and purpose in the worldly life if we have aspirations to live a monastic life but have to be in the worldly life for family? 22:23 Q2: Since I began meditating, I have become very emotional. I am very quickly moved to tears and I start crying, either when seeing something ordinary and negative, like people arguing in the street or something painful, when I witness the suffering of people, children or animals. I sometimes start crying when reading or hearing a dhamma talk. In my chest, negative emotions like anger and frustration feel even heavier and more dense than before. Is this normal? What can I do to deal skillfully with these emotional states? I am deeply grateful!
