Ajahn Chah books

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jackson
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Ajahn Chah books

Post by jackson »

Hey everyone,
I currently own only one Ajahn Chah book, "Food for the Heart", but I'm interested in getting more of his teachings. The thing is though that "Food for the heart" has the subtitle "The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah", so I was under the impression that this might be a complete collection in itself. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has the books "Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away", or "Being Dhamma: The Essence of the Buddha's Teachings" and if they are indeed different talks from the ones in "Food for the Heart", or if I'd just be buying the same talks in a different book. Thanks!
Metta, :smile:
Jackson
"The heart of the path is quite easy. There’s no need to explain anything at length. Let go of love and hate and let things be. That’s all that I do in my own practice." - Ajahn Chah
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Bhikkhu Pesala
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Re: Ajahn Chah books

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

You can find some more on Access to Insight
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mikenz66
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Re: Ajahn Chah books

Post by mikenz66 »

If you're willing to print it yourself you can get a collected volume that, as I understand it, contains almost everything from all the translated collections:
http://ajahnchah.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Right now the site isn't working too well for me, so I can't be more specific...


Metta
Mike
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bodom
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Re: Ajahn Chah books

Post by bodom »

Everything arises falls away is basically just short excepts from talks given by Chah that are already included in Food for the Heart. There's not a whole lot of new material. Same goes for Being Dharma.

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
jackson
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Re: Ajahn Chah books

Post by jackson »

Thanks for your replies!
Metta, :smile:
Jackson
"The heart of the path is quite easy. There’s no need to explain anything at length. Let go of love and hate and let things be. That’s all that I do in my own practice." - Ajahn Chah
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retrofuturist
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Re: Ajahn Chah books

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Jackson,

This is the direct link to the PDF file Mike was referring to.

http://www.ajahnchah.org/pdf/the_teachi ... ah_web.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very good it is too.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
PeterB
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Re: Ajahn Chah books

Post by PeterB »

Always worth remembering I think that Laung Por Chah did not write books, and he was ambivilent at best about books. What is available are transcriptions of talks and conversations delivered extempore. and that to extrapolate a fixed view on any given subject is problematic. They were time. place, and person, specific.

:anjali:
jackson
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Re: Ajahn Chah books

Post by jackson »

PeterB wrote:Always worth remembering I think that Laung Por Chah did not write books, and he was ambivilent at best about books. What is available are transcriptions of talks and conversations delivered extempore. and that to extrapolate a fixed view on any given subject is problematic. They were time. place, and person, specific.

:anjali:
Yes, that is very true. Sometimes I read his talks and they are so inspiring because of how much effort he talks about putting into the practice, but then I realize that it's pretty much impossible to do as a layperson. Still though, I can't help but marvel at his teachings, I rank them as among the finest talks I've ever read or heard, they're so straight to the point and simple and yet very deep, and I always delight when I hear one of his students tell a story about him, because they always show his great wisdom. On the topic of his attitude towards books, an interesting story I heard from one of Ajahn Viradhammo's talks was that Ajahn Chah told him to not read a book for five years! I get the impression that Ajahn Chah was not so much against books but that he felt westerners in particular depended too much on intellectual understanding and not enough upon the practice, or "reading their minds", as Ajahn Chah would say.
Metta, :smile:
Jackson
"The heart of the path is quite easy. There’s no need to explain anything at length. Let go of love and hate and let things be. That’s all that I do in my own practice." - Ajahn Chah
Northernbuck
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Re: Ajahn Chah books

Post by Northernbuck »

Thank you all so much. I downloaded "the teachings" and am having a great time reading it.
But if this neutral feeling that has arisen is conditioned by the body which is impermanent, compounded and dependently arisen, how could such a neutral feeling be permanent? - SN 36.7
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bodom
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Re: Ajahn Chah books

Post by bodom »

Ajahn Chah :anjali: :bow: :anjali: :bow: :anjali: :bow:

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
PeterB
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Re: Ajahn Chah books

Post by PeterB »

At Chithurst there is a small eclectic collection of books that regulars can borrow. It used to reside in a small book case in the shrine room. Before a planned visit from Laung Por Chah, Ajahn Sumedho pointed to it and said with a grin " I thought about hiding it ! ".
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