I think that the actions taken by the Thai authorities are unjust considering that Ajahn Brahm is simply trying to bring the monastic order back to the way that the Buddha intended it to be.

How do you mean 'reduce stress'?

Your personal stress or stresses within the group?

decline

I tend not to pay much heed to football. I do watch the world cup though, I can't help but be sucked in.

Most of the time I find football boring to watch, and I resent the amount that they are being paid for kicking a ball around!

In the "sutta jhanas" the senses are not shutted off. It is in the "comentarial jhanas" that the senses are shutted off. As far as I know, the "vipassana jhanas" (of the Mahasi Sayadaw tradition) do not have the senses shutted down _ and thus are similar to the "sutta jhanas" _ and can be attained ...

Today!

Happy Uposatha Day everyone.

This is actually the first Uposatha day in which I've decided to observe. If I manage it I would like to observe more in future.

Take care all.
Laurens

I don't think it's possible to attain jhana it walking meditation because one's is up and moving, eyes open, and this, I understand makes it quite impossible to attain jhana. I see it as a possibility. There are people who have mastered jhana to the extent of being able to enter it at will. It woul...

I don't see why it wouldn't be possible to attain jhana whilst lying down, although for the umteenth I shall mention the sleepiness issue, the trouble is we associate laying down with going to sleep, so this makes it easier for us to fall asleep in this posture. I would say if you can't sit upright ...

Dhamma

Tea

(ok that wasn't so much related to 'abstain' but I saw the word 'drinking' and I've got a cup of tea in my hand... And I probably drink too much tea anyway so what the hey... )

Buddhism is the art of being kind and letting go.

Haha it is indeed, a lot of their stuff can be quite deceiving too. My brother learnt Rain recently, then just gave up, realising how little the guitar has to do compared to McCartney's brilliant bassline. Here's a little snippet that I recorded of the first segment of A Day In The Life. It took me...

Well as Ajahn Brahm says if the greater vehicle (Mahayana) is like the bus, then the lesser vehicle (Hinayana) is like a bicycle, so we're simply doing our bit to reduce our carbon footprint :rofl: His intentions in making this joke may be good. But by accepting the erroneous translation "the lesse...

feet