Dharma Seed - Ajahn Sucitto's Dharma Talks

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2016-03-12 Food for the Heart 28:36	Download Listen
Impermanence of sense contact Shift to a more reliable refuge Embracing the cascade of self with goodwill Things have to arise before they can pass away Non-self as base to see self The only way out is kindness & mutuality
Dharmagiri : Healing the Cracks: Generosity and Interdependence

2016-03-12 Body Meditation 31:16	Download Listen
Being embodied, sitting and standing meditation
Dharmagiri : Healing the Cracks: Generosity and Interdependence

2016-03-12 Generosity is Enlightenment 57:50	Download Listen
Giving from the Heart Generosity expects no results Being made into an "it" Mutuality - from "you" to "we" Differentiated consciousness - and beyond Softening and mercy
Dharmagiri : Healing the Cracks: Generosity and Interdependence

2016-03-11 Sitting on Potential Found in Body-Mind 66:28	Download Listen
Arriving Potential Guided meditation (with rain) Posture No past, no future, rhythmic breathing, Trust breath Refuge and Precepts
Dharmagiri : Healing the Cracks: Generosity and Interdependence

2016-01-10 Closing Talk 52:07

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moving out of the retreat form; honouring others; unresponsive cittas and microphones; recognizing and using the underlying foundation with confidence; empathy and sympathy for ourselves and others from a confident citta; connections to others; story of the calm and loving peace activist; recommending skillful means: using the 5 precepts to bear the welfare of others in mind and to cultivate respect for oneself; offering value to each other; cultural themes – intention and convention; using the pause; top down morality; guilt and confession, unskillfulness of some religious forms ; sila - being clear about intention to help the citta; finding balance and clarity; skillful use of the restful aspects of meditation; common social behaviours, gossip and fuzziness of intention; ongoing attunement of attention to what really counts; your citta has the capacity for great well being and clarity; respecting and gladdening the citta and spending time each day listening to the citta; reflection on the triangular mural in the hall; the earth touching mudra; dealing with mundane busyness in life; using the 10 second pause to touch your own earth element and call on the earth mother

2016-01-10 Morning Chanting in Pali and leading to guided meditation 50:36

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2016-01-09 Suffusion with the Divine Abidings – Pali chanting 4:06

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2016-01-09 Q and A 44:55	Download Listen
Please give examples of how to cultivate right view within and outside meditation

2016-01-09 Evening guided meditation on death 42:08	Download Listen
Using citta to cultivate citta with experience; using the imagination / the world of the citta to help steer the citta; using the Five Subjects of Frequent Recollection; taking it up at least at the end of each day; cleaning up at the end of the day

2016-01-09 Group D Interview 2 33:12

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1. On good will as an object; 2. On moving away from the breath; barriers or obstacles 3. On being more “extroverted” 4. On mudita, energy and tension in the head 5. On cultivating blamelessness, in a busy life 6. On planning for the end of the retreat and post-retreat practice 7. On feeling not good enough, and self doubt. 8. On reacting very strongly to other people’s noise and movement 9. On recollections and daily life practice.

2016-01-09 Group C Interview 2 37:30	Download Listen
1. On being a bored Buddhist 2. On feeling tight and uncomfortable 3. On body tension 4. On grasping and “I am”. 5. On benefits of nature 6. On letting wandering thoughts arise and pass. 7. On noticing states of mind; 8. On investigating "self"; 9. On suffering as a teacher; 10. On inner lights during meditation 11. On "nimmita".
Wongsanit Ashram, Thailand : UNK 2016-01-05 Ajahn Sucitto January 2016 Bangkok retreat (code:TPXT, 6 days)

2016-01-09 Q and A 34:01	Download Listen
What’s the difference between sense consciousness and citta awareness? When making a decision, to what extent should we follow the mind or the heart?

2016-01-09 The Four Noble Truths 43:46	Download Listen
[sound quality poor due to removal of background noise. This talk is truncated by 7 minutes due to excessive noise.]

2016-01-08 Q and A 53:33	Download Listen
Should eyes be open or closed? When? Can you assist with overcoming dullness? What can I do when I lose the breath? How to cultivate loving kindness? When investigating emotion, how deep should we dig?

2016-01-08 Q and A 23:49	Download Listen
What is the difference between vedena and citta? Can we control or direct citta? Or just observe it? [sound quality poor due to removal of background noise]

2016-01-08 Group B Interview 2 67:30	Download Listen
1. On daily life: dealing with anger and hatred, and calming down. 2. On a balanced approach? 3. On overwhelming thoughts 4. On negativity towards others 5. On rapture 6. On being attracted to samsara. Renunciation? 7. Do I need to get more disenchanted? 8. On stress in spiritual friendship 9. Does the citta connect to other cittas? 10. What to do with the unknown? 11. Is the citta “the self”? 12. On “awareness” and “citta”.
Wongsanit Ashram, Thailand

2016-01-08 Group A Interview 2 25:00	Download Listen
1. On trust; 2. On “acceptance”?; 3. On developing strong will; 4. On disadvantages of being a householder?; 5. On citta and mind
Wongsanit Ashram, Thailand

2016-01-08 Standing meditation 37:38	Download Listen
vitaka, vichara; assessing the feelings; breathing and lengthening

2016-01-08 Morning talk - Guided meditation 32:01

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the intelligence of citta responding to the needs of the puja; noticing (vitaka) and getting into the flow (vichara) sampling, assessing, appreciating, snuggles in - like trying on new clothes; the result is piti (a refreshing lifting up) and the citta appreciates this; these are the factors and not the object(s) of Samadhi; how does your citta fit in your body?; posture and balance can trigger it; feel it and adjust the two experiences – adjusting to it and sensitivity to it; can be sensed (a visual sense) and feel it (tactile) and can adjust between the two of these to be with it; thoroughly sensitive to it; calming any excitement or over eagerness with the breath; noticing the experience and noticing the noticing; sensitive to the mind consciousness, its objects; we are aware that we are aware; objects releasing by themselves

2016-01-08 Morning Chanting – English 10:58

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2016-01-07 Group D Interview 1 66:37	Download Listen
1. Noticing subtler states of mind 2. On citta and how we can feel it. Understanding the concept of citta; 3. On investigating states of the citta; 4. On being drawn into objects in the subtle mind; 5. On noting, planning and thinking; 6. On getting overwhelmed with thinking and going into dullness; 7. On forgiveness

2016-01-07 Group C Interview 1 40:09	Download Listen
1. The Wandering Mind; 2. Dealing with physical pain; 3. Dealing with fear, 4. Energy; 5. Moving into Daily Life, open eyes ad normal mode

2016-01-07 Guided meditation on the sense of touch and commentary 45:13

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the sense of space/ distance; responding tonalities / intensities and the effect on awareness and the citta; appreciating body sensitivities to pressure, vibration, intensity, tension; the experience of noticing the body and appreciating the apparent sensitivities on the citta; returning to a mildly agreeable sensation; direct felt experience and its qualities; handing mental inclinations with a similar sensitivity; effects on the citta of the background pressure to “get it right”; the citta’s obsession to become something; learning the art of sensitivity; using discomfort as vehicle to attend internally to sensitivity and physical and emotional pain; widening the emotional lens

2016-01-07 Guided meditation 37:38

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Developing the skill of recollection and the experience on the citta; where does the meaning sit?; the arising of citta to meaning; cultivating the immeasureables; the experience comes first; what is the quality of being touched by others’ suffering? Being willing to stay present with that is the movement of compassion; mudita; appreciating a feature or lucky moment for another, for oneself; appreciating the absence of physical pain; learning, sustaining and enriching the experience

2016-01-07 Characteristics of mindfulness 51:29

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the doors to the deathless; right view the essential reference; that which can arise and be gladdened; 11 doors or entry points –4 jhanas, 4 bhrama-viharas and three immaterial states; the Buddha advised meditators to “absorb”, rather than concentrate / tightening up; a sponge must absorb to open up, not contract; need to drench ourselves in withdrawal; viveka, vitaka, vichara, piti and sukka; in the body; using wise (rather than hard or tight) attention; withdrawal from unwise attention; intention (the inclination of the heart) comes before attention and replaces immature lunging in or irresolute attention; make the intention one pointed as the mind settles down and the attention will follow; necessary wise preparation; a wise cow in the mountains; shortcoming of language; tracking the breath through the body, its beginnings and endings; a careful and deliberate enjoying is to be encouraged; open and soften; spread it through the body by directing it; first jhana; seeing the presence and absence of hindrances and learning though the simplicity of the experience of it; it’s like THIS now; not rushed , not biased or corrupted by the mind turning things upside down/ getting things wrong; appreciate the comparative slowness of the dawning quality on the citta; the open moments; pausing at the end of things; what’s helpful now?

2016-01-07 Morning talk 45:15

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coming out of self view; bringing forth energy; recalling the spiritual faculties; applying wise energy regardless of the system used; calm as a consequence of faith and confidence; two recollections; don’t let the citta be bound by historical or domestic considerations; willingness to do the work; feeding the citta; mindfulness of the body, the inevitable decay of the body; what is it that evades or finds truth uncomfortable; differing views of Samadhi; the” I-am” looking for support; learning to push away the hindrances through experience; noticing craving, ill will and resistance; using metta, compassion, mudita, upekkha to approach unification of the citta by removal of the 5 hindrances; now is the time to rise up to it; restlessness, boredom, doubt; know them as they are not as myself; this is not worthy of this citta; using the wisdom factor to find appropriate attention; who is that?; feel how it is; going beyond thought; discernment of the release of grasping; the shift moment and the growth of confidence in it; noticing the struggle to find something; what about the measurelessness/ the sign-less?

2016-01-06 The Measureless States/ The Divine Abidings (the Brahma-viharas) 58:28

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metta (good will/ loving kindness –the experience of the lovability of beings), karuna (compassion – sees the vulnerability of beings), mudita (sympathetic joy - experience of the enjoyment of one’s own and others’ good states)and upekkha (equaminity – the ability to be present with the ups and downs of phenomena); the citta has 2 inputs – feelings(from body or mental perception) and associations/ images/ impressions; skillful intention and the associated joy; volition and sustaining volition as a characteristic of the citta; to others as to myself; the citta adopts various clothes, one of which is “me”; the citta is abundant, rich, calm, exhaulted, measureless/ suffusing, free from hostility and ill will; the significance of the metaphors of language; the measureless empathy of the Buddha; “just like me”, we are all like this as a source of the volition; it’s not so much object oriented as cultivating states of mind and freeing the citta from any state of ill will; identifying the signs that lead to the bonding with / settling of the citta and unification of the mind; find one that works for you; the object one chooses to facilitate this is not important; pitfalls and sidetracks to be avoided in the cultivation – the story of other particular people and of the self, thinking of the past and the future ; finding satisfaction and comfort; the wisdom faculty sees it has been identified and sustained and not owned personally

2016-01-06 Group B Interview 1 57:42	Download Listen
1. On energy and breathing; 2. On 'traffic lights' 3. Moderating the practice 4. On dealing with rapture; 5. On world-weariness & death; 6. On choiceless awareness; 7. Mindful responses to sense contact; 8. On 'not being good enough'; 9. On fatigue
Wongsanit Ashram, Thailand

2016-01-06 Group Guidelines for Interviews 1:13	Download Listen
Ajahn suggests how to prepare a question

2016-01-06 Group A Interview 1 41:02	Download Listen
1. Ache, pains, and aging 2. “Choiceless awareness”; 3. Is intensity necessary? 4. How to let go; 5. The nature of the citta 6. Benefits of each the four main postures; 7. Progress in terms of abandonment?
Wongsanit Ashram, Thailand

2016-01-06 Reactions to adjustments to a retreat form 50:18

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need to take a long view of spiritual development; caution with idealism; moving from head to heart; the importance of checking in with yourself; listening sympathetically internally; trusting the retreat form; taking it steady to steady the citta; patience; recalling, it’s like “this” now; dukka is not personal, not ‘mine ‘; good will points to the exit; Christian sin /guilt and Buddhist “bap”/ bad karma; going into the head closes down the heart; gestures and offerings of courtesies to others; dana – the spirit of the heart; sila – manufacturing mutual harmlessness; metta, karuna, enjoying gladness and goodness; anumodana; dissolving the boundaries of self and other; seeing what the citta responds to; equanimity – it’s like this now; the citta can be bigger than the conditions it meets; the measurelessness of awareness; living in the wide sphere; thanking mistakes as a necessary way of learning

2016-01-06 Suffusion with the Divine Abidings – English chanting 3:38

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2016-01-06 Morning talk 37:32	Download Listen
Wanting and not wanting it like this; What’s helpful now without finding a word; the essential stepping back; conditions that change; good will towards oneself; waking up the citta from its numbness; pausing and checking in; what’s helpful now? [sound quality issues]

2016-01-05 Evening Chanting – English 13:32

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2016-01-05 Standing guidance 14:27

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2016-01-05 Q and A 36:40	Download Listen
early group issues; dealing with energies; developing and using awareness of the body; pausing; concentrating and noting; taking only the “oh yeah!” from talks and instructions; guidelines for investigating traumatic experience; allowing energy to rest and come back; reclining meditation

2016-01-05 Standing and walking 16:09	Download Listen
a standing taster - posture basics and refinements of attention; healing processes; walking – composed. flowing, balanced movement

2016-01-05 Right view 43:40	Download Listen
Right view; qualities of the citta; recognizing awareness and attention; the mutual support of body and mind; difficult mind states /letting go; using the internal body sense to deal with “this”; tuning into incremental subtleties

2016-01-05 Orientation 51:26	Download Listen
Orientation to chanting; suggestions for sitting; importance of posture; using pause moments

2016-01-02 It’s Like This Now 58:51	Download Listen
This one slogan can be a reminder of how to sustain mindfulness as we leave the retreat. What we’ll notice is that most of the time, right now there is dukkha caused by the underlying ‘me’ sense. Meditation is an essential part of our spiritual training, but not the only part. Working in community is an invaluable aspect of spiritual training – it provided a context where we can get past the ‘me’ sense and get to the ‘we’ sense.
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

2016-01-02 Swapping Out Clinging for Sati 29:44	Download Listen
Grasping occurs when the citta is not comfortable. It gets overwhelmed by feeling and experience. The difference between sati and clinging – they both apprehend things – is sati is very patient. It simply bears things in mind with no particular goal. Sati can spread and expand to include the grasping, clinging reflex when it arises in the experience of embodiment. This is the place for realization.
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

2016-01-01 Q&A: Tortuous Suffering of Sexual Desire 49:29	Download Listen
How to work with sexual desire/energy; self-guilt; what does ‘body in the body’ mean; mindfulness while sleeping; stepping back is a precursor to meditation; is inner chatter harmful; doing without tanha; what to do when mind becomes quiet; balancing doubt and faith
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

2016-01-01 The Ongoing Practice of Withdrawal 51:02	Download Listen
The retreat setting is structured to support our practice of restraint and withdrawal. As we re-enter our daily lives, we can consider what structures and practices to put into place to keep these going. Our ability to withdraw allows for the unification and strength needed for discernment, to know how to counteract the hindrances.
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

2016-01-01 The Good, The True, The Beautiful 45:01	Download Listen
Meditation can be thought of as a process of rewilding. The unnatural, toxic ‘me’ sense is removed so that what is natural – good, true and beautiful – can arise. Sometimes conventional life isn’t so beautiful, but we can find conventions and systems that help us practice – sila and recollection of death for example. Take the convention and feel it in the heart. Enjoy it, steady it, extend it.
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

2016-01-01 Early Morning Chanting 12:58	Download Listen
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

2015-12-31 Look Near, Look Far 60:04	Download Listen
[Begins 3:25] On this eve of New Year’s Day, Ajahn Sucitto recommends a Buddhist resolution: Look near, look far. We can use this to work with the hindrances. Look near: look right into your heart, into how the body and breathing are affected. Look far: consider the consequences, where contentment and happiness actually come from. The hindrances can help us adjust our lives, they tell us where we’re off track. [Ends58:45]
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

2015-12-31 Evening Chanting 14:40	Download Listen
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

2015-12-31 Q&A: A Brief Pocket-Map to Jhana 43:24	Download Listen
Wandering mind; sleepiness; unpleasant body sensations; steps to first jhana; where to place attention when walking meditation; taking on practice in wilderness as a lay woman; chanting
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

2015-12-31 The Buddha’s Discourse on Emptiness 51:05	Download Listen
Introducing the Buddha’s lesser discourse on emptiness, Ajahn Sucitto refers to his own experience on sabbatical for a year. He describes ‘uninventing’ himself, tuning into the signless – anicca and anata. Whatever we think, conceive, generate has been generated by mind and is subject to change. How to cultivate recognition of what’s not there, emptiness.
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

2015-12-31 Picking Up a Sign and Making Much of It 18:54	Download Listen
When starting meditation, begin with balancing and calming the body and breathing, but just getting it good enough. This is something that is gained through direct practice over time. Bring certain signs (nimita) to mind to aid in calming. The mind’s tendency is to focus on negative things. Practice bringing the beautiful to mind and make much of it.
Uttama Bodhi Vihara : Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto in Uttama Bodhi Vihara (UBV)

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