It has been in my mind for a long while to learn video editing. The idea came originally after a Sayadaw U Jotika talk which I thought, should be enhanced in some ways, and published. Particularly, I wanted to add subtitles in several languages, and also some slides illustrating what he is talking about – …
Category Archives: blogs
Interview with Bhikkhuni Dhammananda
In 2007 myself and Buddhist teacher David Holmes interviewed Bhikkhuni Dhammananda, Thailand’s leading ordained Buddhist nun. This was just before she gave a talk for our group. Since then little has changed, except that her temple has grown somewhat, and there have been more ordinations of women, especially in the US. Since the interview was …
Bhikkhuni Ordination in Buddhism
Next week we will be hosting in Bangkok a UK/US lady who has ordained as a Bhikkhuni, a female monk, in the Tibetan tradition. You will have 2 chances to come and meet with her, in a formal setting, and in an informal format with our ‘Cappuccino Club’. Coincidentally this week has seen a couple …
Dharma Diet
Recently I was talking to a man from Chicago who was eating lunch. He asked about how monks don’t eat after midday. I mentioned that these days, I actually do a fair bit of fasting – the so-called 5/2 fast where while 5 days a week you eat what you like, 2 days a week …
More on Rebirth
Further to the upcoming topic for Cappuccino Conflict, here’s some segments of a debate published in Trycycle in the Summer edition of Trycycle (Buddhist Magazine); a read suggested by Dr Will: Comments in red are from Pandit Bhikkhu Trycycle Summer 1997 Reincarnation: A Debate Batchelor v. Thurman The following debate took place in New …
Rebirth in Hindu and Buddhist Eyes
Below is an excerpt from an interesting book called Hinduism and Buddhism, by Sir Charles Eliot, written just before WWI, on the topic of rebirth in the eyes of Indian philosophy. Rebirth is the topic of conversation/discussion/arguement/fisticuffs at our informal meeting April 20th (see Calendar).l The book as a whole, while written in a slightly …
The Expositor: what makes a ‘good’ dhamma talk?
A couple of days ago I talked with Ajahn Tiradhammo as we saw him off to the airport, on the topic of giving Dhamma talks. We shared a few points of interest that are worth mentioning. I first met Ajahn Tiradhammo when he was abbot of a temple in Switzerland. I was a layman, and …
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Addressing Monks
A quick guide to speaking to, about and calling monks: [div class=’content-2-col-left’] This is a question that arises frequently so it is worth writing up in full. People are afraid of being impolite or doing things the wrong way. Of course, if you are trying to be polite that is enough to be polite – …
Universal Morals
Article on the precepts in Buddhism: To what extent are the 5 precepts universal, and to what extent are they just cultural judgements? Most Thai teachers will claim that the precepts – not to kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct, wrong speech or take drink/drugs are in fact universal laws. If you break precepts you are …
Buddhist Education
Over the last couple of decades Thai schooling has moved from control of the temples, on whose land many Thai schools have been built, and into the hands of trained teachers and boards of lay governers. And it is probably a good thing. However, education can still incorporate the principles from Buddhism, especially non-violence and …
Ageing
Reflecting on age, sickness and death is a central practise in Buddhism – so that you arouse urgency for the practise, not so you become depressed. In fact, the older you get, hopefully, the wiser you become. It becomes easier to practise, as you have more patience. Hopefully. George Carlin, who died june 2008, had …
More about Meghiya
Meghiya was the Buddha’s own attendant, before the position was taken over by Ananda. He was the closest to the Buddha, but nonetheless found that his mind was beset with unproductive thoughts. He asked to retire to the forest for the afternoon to meditate, but was refused permission three times. After the third time asking …
Starting the year with a Little Bang
Thanks for all the New Year wishes. One Thai message from DTAC (phone company) reads a little quirky in translation: May you have good life Good love Good health A good face and happy all year long. Late US columnist Bill Vaughan quips: An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year. A …
Mind of Brain
Buddhism in Bangkok, Thailand: reflections on the topic of mind and brain in advance of mindfulness meditation events: One cornerstone of Buddhism, and probably all religion, is that something survives death. The fact that all religions, and many psuedo religions, teach this implies there is some truth to the matter. The fact they all disagree …
The Ruin of Xmas
Christmas in Bangkok is not what it is in cold countries. Is it an event worth remembering here? Christmas is here again, though it is hard to get into the spirit of things in Thailand. In the West most people feel that Christmas has become too commercialised, and has lost its original values. What are …
Can Karma be Explained?
Thursday 10th Nov 2008 we enjoyed a dhamma talk by Thai monk and clear thinker Phra Bhasakorn. The topic was Karma, a subject he has written a lively little handbook on in English. Was Karma Explained? Karma is probably the most slippery of all the topics in Buddhism. The Buddha himself taught that even the arahants, those with …
Playing with Karma
Karma is ‘imponderable’ according to Buddhist teachings. But that does not stop us from speculating. A specualtory exercise is to pick figures from history and guess about karmic forces in their lives: Barak Obama got elected to the universal sigh of relief from the free world. It should have been a shoo-in but you never …
Mind and Mind Stuff
Next Saturday our Bangkok meditation group for Buddhism and meditation will be looking at questions of the brain and meditative experiences, in the Nirvana Neuron– presented by Dr Holly . So this is a good time to revisit some of the models we use in meditation for analysing the mind. Mind or Mentality In Pali Buddhism …
Right to Wrong Speech
Right Speech in Buddhism – the Bangkok blog for meditation and Buddhist Vipassana meditation: Do you have a right to Free Speech in your own house? Woman charged with swearing at toilet A Pennsylvania woman is facing a jail sentence after she was arrested for shouting profanities at an overflowing toilet. Dawn Herb was inside …
Beer and Meditation
No – this is not an admonishment … a note on the excellent online magazine Tree Hugger which is running a story on a Buddhist temple in Thailand that is made from Beer bottles. head over to tree hugger for the full details and lots of pictures: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/temple-built-from-beer-bottles.php One wonders if the bottles are actually …