Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
Alino
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

=A 50 dollar bill=

"May 1977. I'd just crossed over the Khyber Pass between Pakistan and Afganistan, and was standing at the side of the road trying to hitch a ride to Kabul when a taxi stopped. In its back seat were sat a couple of well-dressed Westerners. I guessed from their pony tails that they must be Hare Krishna devotees. Get in, they said with warm smiles, and I did.

They said they was businessmen from San Francisco. They'd been buying up handicrafts in Peshawar and were returning to their base at the Kabul Hilton. I think I was as exotic a figure to them as they were to me, but nevertheless we chatted almost non-stop on the long journey. By the time we reached the outskirts of Kabul we were good friends. To them my life seemed unimaginably austere and so we parted one of them insisted I accept a small gift. It was a 50 dollar bill - a treasure for me at that time.

As the taxi pulled away I made a vow. If that day I met another traveller who needed this money more than me, I would give it to them. I sat down in a teashop and within minutes a young Englishman entered. He looked worried and drawn. When I asked him if he was okay he told me that he had just been robbed of his money and all his possessions. I gave him the bill without regret.

We're all done things we're proud of. The memory of them and the emotions they evoke can become a powerful meditation technique. The Buddha said that bringing to mind one's acts of generosity brings gladness to the mind. Gladness leads to rapture, rapture to a deep physical ease and mental bliss. Bliss leads to the samādhi that forms the foundation for seeing things in their true life. It is wonderfull to see how every act of goodness can contribute to the Buddha's path of practice."

Ajahn Jayasāro
19.03.22
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We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Alino
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

In the end is not "true life" but "true light".
🙏
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We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
sunnat
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Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2019 5:08 am

Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by sunnat »

:anjali:

Reminds me of a day I was walking down the main street in the city CBD and a guy came up to me and asked for some money because he needed a pair of shoes. No worries says I and grabbed a handful of coins from my pocket and then I took off my shoes and gave them to him. He looked a bit stunned and I walked on barefoot and it was as if a starburst went off in my heart and I couldn't stop smiling. I still smile and chuckle about it when remembering. I look for opportunities to give things away. But, as lord Buddha said, the greatest of all gifts is a finger-snap moment of awareness of Anicca.
Alino
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

sunnat wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 6:48 am :anjali:

Reminds me of a day I was walking down the main street in the city CBD and a guy came up to me and asked for some money because he needed a pair of shoes. No worries says I and grabbed a handful of coins from my pocket and then I took off my shoes and gave them to him. He looked a bit stunned and I walked on barefoot and it was as if a starburst went off in my heart and I couldn't stop smiling. I still smile and chuckle about it when remembering. I look for opportunities to give things away. But, as lord Buddha said, the greatest of all gifts is a finger-snap moment of awareness of Anicca.
Amazing story !!🙏🙏🙏😊
Saadhu saadhu saadhu !!

In Russia we have a Venerable Pannavudho who once during the winter saw a homeless man without jacket, so he gave him the one he weared 🙏🙏🙏😊
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Alino
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

European talks of Venerable Ajahn Jayasāro 🙏🙏🙏
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We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Alino
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

=Death meditation=

"In death meditation we do not reject the thinking mind but use it in a disciplined way. We allow the mind to reflect upon a list of themes, one-by-one. Here, the coherent train of directed thought is the meditation object. We begin the meditation with more general reflections and then move the focus to ourselves. It is in applying the truth of death to ourselves that the practice becomes profound. Through it we gain a new cooling perspective on our personal dramas and can let go of distractions and procrastination. We realise: "Death is coming to me, to this very life, and there is no escape".

Here are some general themes to begin the meditation:

Everyone hase to die. Every being that has ever been born and even will be born has died or will die.
The human body is so fragile; there are so many causes of death.
Death can come at any age, at any time, at any moment.

As we focus on ourselves:

My lifespan decreases with every breath.
Death is coming to me. Without doubt.
When death comes none of my possessions or achievements will be able to help me.
When death comes, my loved ones will be unable to help me.
When death comes, only Dhamma can help me."

Ajahn Jayasāro
22.03.22
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YPT - 2022.03.22.jpg
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Alino
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

=Sanghānussati=

Sanghānussati, recollecting the virtues of the enlightened ones, can suppress the hindrances and bring joy to the mind. One great monk well worthy of such reflection is Ven. Sāriputta.

It is well-known that Ven. Sāriputta was the Buddha's disciple foremost in wisdom and as such may seem a rather austere figure. But in the commentaries other aspects of his personality are revealed. It is recorded, for exemple, that he would often spend the early morning, while the other monks were on the almsround sweeping, picking up rubbish and tidying up. Then he would go to visit the sick monks in the infirmary to encourage them and also check whether they needed more medicine. If they did he would procure the necessary items' from supporters who had offered the formal invitation for medicine.

On long walking tours Ven. Sāriputta would rarely take his place at the head of the group. He would prefere to stay at the back with the elderly and infirm. He was often known to be the one who would apply oils to the weeping sores of sick monks.

Ven. Sāriputta was known for his kindness in visiting the sick and for the uplifting Dhamma talks he would give on such occasions. On one occasion he gave an instruction on the contemplation of feeling to Ven. Samitigutta, a monk suffering from leprosy, that was so profound that the patient realized arahantship. On another occasion the excruciating pains being experienced by Anathapindaka ceased completely after hearing Ven. Sāriputta teach him the Dhamma. Finally, when Anathapindaka lay on his death bed Ven. Sāriputta gave him a stirring discourse on non-attachment. After death, Anathapindaka was reborn as deva in Tusita realm and returned to the Jeta Grove to pay homage and express gratitude. In the presence of the Buddha he recited the following verse:

Sāriputta is truly endowed with wisdom
With virtue and with inner peace
Even a monk who has gone beyond
At best can only equal him"

Ajahn Jayasāro
26.03.22
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YPT - 2022.03.26.jpg
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Alino
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Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2020 3:15 pm
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

=The taste of bread=

Yesterday evening I was sitting in the small Dhamma Hall of a Thai Buddhist monastery in the midst of the Swedish countryside. A number of Thai women together with a few of their Swedish husbands were asking questions. Then, out of the blue came a most profound question : 'Please discribe Nibbāna'. I replied that I could not. It is not possible to capture in words something that lies beyond language. The woman did not seem satisfied with my answer. So I made my own request : 'Please describe to me the taste of bread'. She said she couldn't. I said that if she couldn't even discribe something as mundane as the taste of bread it was unfair to expect me to discribe the taste of Nibbāna.

I explained that the Buddha avoided talking about Nibbāna. He preferred to emphasize the path leading to its realization. I said it is like telling somebody about bread. You tell them what ingredients they need : flour, water, yeast, salt and so on. Then you explain how to make the dough, and how long to put it in the oven and at what temperature. 'Then', you say to the person, 'put some in your mouth and you will know for yourself the delicious taste of fresh bread'.

Ajahn Jayasāro
29.03 22
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YPT - 2022.03.29.jpg
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Alino
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Alino
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Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2020 3:15 pm
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

=My uncle=

"Yesterday, I arrived in England and went to visit my only surviving uncle. He is 93 years old and his mind is still very bright. Although he lives alone, his daughter's house is visible from his kitchen, and he has many friends. Every wall in his house and every shelf is covered with family photos. He says that counting grandchildren and great grandchildren and their children there are 51 altogether. When he goes for a walk and his leg hurts, he goes through their names one by one. It takes his mind off the pain and keeps his memory sharp.

My uncle's daughter belongs to a Christian group. He has not joined it but once a week for the past ten years he has attended one of their meetings. He says that what he appreciates about this group is how they are trying hard to lead lives according to their beliefs, and that they care for each other. He said that after his wife died he thought that they were the kind of people he wanted to be around. 'In the end', he said simply, 'it's all about love.'

Two days ago my uncle had a small operation to remove a growth on his neck. He is waiting for the results of a biopsy. He seems completely unperturbed. As we parted he said with a smile, 'I've got nothing to complain about. I've had a good life.'

For the rest of the day, the purity of heart that had revealed itself so beautifully during our conversation was my meditation object."

Ajahn Jayasāro
02.04.22
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YPT - 2022.04.02.jpg
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
sunnat
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Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2019 5:08 am

Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by sunnat »

saadhu saadhu saadhu

___

I like the idea of the present as a classroom one enters to learn about anicca. To me it's a place where learning to stay is the training to be in a state of continually letting go of everything while training to be aware of everything. I think that's what Ajahn means by everything matters and nothing matters, all at the same time.

In the present there is awareness of the world as a continually changing flux or flow of phenomena, all of which, thoughts, feelings and so on, are let go of, not clung to, as they arise.
Alino
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

=Norwegian forest=

"A few days ago I was sitting in the abbot's kuti in a forest monastery in southern Norway. It was a bright and windless day. Through the plate glass window of the kuti the forest appeared utterly still and I sat quietly watching the stillness. After some time, I became conscious of a most subtile movement. I realised it was a leaf in a tree high to my right. Moments later, to my left, another small leaf quivered. With a relaxed awareness I became aware as time passed of more very slight, almost invisible tremors. Some time later a gentle breeze swept through the forest and a myriad of leaves responded.

Days later, in England, meditator said to me that her mind attained stillnes easily, but what, she wondered, should she do next. I said that the mind is like a Norwegian forest. Keep watching."

Ajahn Jayasāro
05.04.22
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YPT - 2022.04.05.jpg
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Alino
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »



We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Alino
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2020 3:15 pm
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

=Right Effort=

"Right Effort is the sixth constituent of the Eightfold Path. The Buddha explained it as consisting of:

(i) the effort to prevent the arising of as-yet unarisen unwholesome mental states
(ii) the effort to abandon arisen unwholesome mental states
(iii) the effort to arouse as-yet unarisen wholesome mental states
(iv) the effort to maintain and perfect arisen wholesome mental states.

In daily life we must be flexible and adapt appropriately to the challenges and opportunities offered by each situation we find ourselves in. Here, 'wholesome and unwholesome' mental states covers the entire spectrum of virtues and defilements. Our effort might be, for example, to guard against anger in a difficult conversation, or to cultivate right speach.

In meditation practice, we choose our environment and the object of focus. Here, 'unwholesome mental states' refers more specifically to the five hindrances (nivārana) 'wholesome mental states' to the seven enlightenment factors (bojjhanga).

These four kinds of effort summarize Buddhist cultivation. They constitute the principle that unifies formal meditation practice and practice in daily life. Looking at practice in terms of effort rather than external form, we can find a continuity underlying the apparent gulf between what we do during our meditation sessions and what we do during the rest of the day."

Ajahn Jayasāro
09.04.22
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YPT - 2022.04.09.jpg
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Alino
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Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2020 3:15 pm
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Re: Yellow Page Teachings - Ajahn Jayasāro

Post by Alino »

=Five kinds of reaction on a good action=

"If you do a good action and it is widely known, you may expect five kinds of reaction:

1) Genuine appreciation and praise
2) Insincere appreciation and praise
3) Indifference
4) Jealousy
5) Anger and aversion

Being prepared for a variety of possible reactions we vaccinate ourselves against disappointment and hurt feelings. Rather than feeling depressed at how little of the first kind of reaction we encounter, we teach ourselves: This is the human realm. It's like this. How fortunate it is that the world is not filled with good, kind, wise people. If it was, how would we ever find the motivation to be liberated from it?"

Ajahn Jayasāro
12.04.22
Attachments
YPT - 2022.04.12.jpg
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
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