Following on from yesterday’s blog ‘Default Dreaming’ …. Humans and animals like to drift off. We like to swap awareness and attention, for inattention. Like any cat’s favourite passtime is snoozing, we all like to drift off into the unconscious. Look around any long distance bus, and you see the moment the journey is underway, every …
Author Archives: Pandit
Our Own ‘Littlebang’ Meditation Weekend
Our Little Bangkok Sangha will take advantage of the visit of Abbot and meditation teacher Ajahn Pannyavaro to arrange a weekend meditation retreat in the beautiful Hua Hin Blue Mountain resort. There will be three Western monks – Ven. Pannyavaro leading, Ven. Pandit and Ven. Appicchato. While we’re lucky to have a beautiful and comfortable location …
Calling all Zen Singers!
Saturday May 1st The next, rather special, meeting of the English-language Bangkok Seon (Zen) Club will be on May the 1st: 7 to 9pm sharp. As well as the usual meditation practice, Dharma teaching, and Dharma discussion, there will also be the first rehearsal of the Club “Choir”! The English-language Seon Club is preparing to sing a Korean Dharma song …
Default Dreaming
According to a new book by Barbara Strauch called The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain as we get older, so we are more and more liable to lapse into unmindful daydreaming. From an article on the book: One of the most troublesome parts of growing older, says Strauch, is that humans grow more distracted as …
Short and Sharp Four Noble Truths
While paradoxical Zen masters are cool, and Tibetan refugee Bodhisattva monks warm nations, there has always been a steady stream of really great Thai masters right here in the towns and forests of Thailand. One of them was Luang Phor Doon (also spelt ‘Dun’), a close follower of Luang Phor Mun who reinvigorated the Thai …
Kathmandu Healing Meditation April 11
This month’s Kathmandu meditation will be on Sunday April 11th. April’s Healing Meditation workshop will comprise of light chi kung warm up exercise bringing instant energy into the body (especially beneficial for a long flight on the plane), Tibetan’s calm abiding Shamatha meditation and vajrasattva practice of purifying negative emotions and illnesses in the body. …
Sayadaw U Jotika on Praise and Blame
MP3 download Praise and Blame Sayadaw U Jotika January 2010 Sayadaw U Jotika, a much respected and loved Monk from Myanmar, gave a talk in the jam packed offices of DMG to an audience of about 600+. ( Click here for photos from the event ) ( Click here for the Report on the event ) The topic was “Praise and …
Monk’s have opinions too
Several days ago there was an article in Channel News Asia about the Thai government upset at monks joining the ongoing Red Shirt Rally in Bangkok. Apparently the Prime Minister has warned monks to stay away from the protests. In fact monks are like any other Thai – they have opinions too. The reason Thailand …
Why you should not gossip:
Keep this in mind the next time you are about to repeat a rumour or spread gossip. In ancient Greece (469-399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, “Socrates, do you know what I just heard about Diogenes?” “Wait a moment,” Socrates replied, “Before …
April 4th Sunday WBU Forum
Programme : WBU SUNDAY FORUM Topic : “From Wealth To Well – Beings and Nibbanas Eventually” Date & Time : April 4, 2553(2010), 12:00 – 13.30 : P.M. Speaker : Dr. Apichai Puntasen Personal Data Of Speaker : Dr. Apichai Puntasen Date of Birth : Sept. 25, 1942 Place of Birth: Nakhonrajasima Thailand Academic …
Making others happy
The quality of your action depends on the quality of your being. Suppose you’re eager to offer happiness, to make someone happy. That’s a good thing to do. But if you’re not happy, then you can’t do that. In order to make another person happy, you have to be happy yourself. So there’s a link …
Genie in a Bottle
[Summary: Blog on the precepts and drinking alcohol – how much do you have to give up?] I work out on the road all week, and get home on a Friday evening. Why can’t I share a bottle of wine with my wife, and enjoy the weekend, asked Ryan. He was a keen Buddhist, and …
Report: Ajahn Tiradhammo 2010
March 19th, 2010, Canadian Bhikkhu Ajahn Tiradhammo, abbot of Bodhinyanarama Temple of the Ajahn Chah lineage gave two talks for us at the Tawana Hotel, Bangkok. He should need little introduction – many of his talks are available on the internet and he is well known. Somehow keeping his Thai in shape despite many years away from Thailand, the first talk …
Wat Thamkrabok – at the Telegraph
The Telegraph UK has a gallery of Wat Thamkrabok – the temple famous for more than 20 years for its controversial, but often effective drug rehabilitation scheme. This temple was founded by a Mae Chee, not a monk, though it was many years before it was given official ‘temple’ status. While many temples have risen …
Detachment, Dispassion, Disenchantment – Dhamma talk with Jeff Oliver
Due to family sickness this talk has been cancelled. Best wishes to Jeff’s mother. Our weekly group meditation will go ahead as normal though. Monday 22nd Australian meditation teacher Jeff Oliver will be in Bangkok and give a dhamma talk on the topic of ‘Detachment’ at the beautiful Ariyasom Villa. Jeff is a well known meditation …
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Summer Course in Jain Philosophy. From April 19th on..
There have been a few revisions to the announcement below – this is a very interesting course for anyone with the time, who has an interest in Indology, and the contextual Indian background in which Buddhism grew: updates to the original information are pasted underneath…..in red This year’s Course in Jain Philosophy will run from …
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Working Work with Dhamma – Sayadaw U Jotika
Following is a meassage from our honoured teacher and good friend Sayadaw U Jotika for those lay people (and monks!) who are working, and trying to integrate dhamma into their work-life. Sayadaw U Jotika is a Myanmar monk, whose words have been compiled into several books that have been extremely well received, including ‘Snow in …
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This is a Happy Moment
Plum Village, the community based around revered Vietnamese teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, is announcing two retreats in Thailand. Tagline is This is a Happy Moment First retreat April 13 – 17, 2010 at Nakorn Nayok – Wangree Resort Family retreat for 6 – 14 year olds (must be accompanied by an adult) Adults 4200 THB, …
Ajahn Brahm in Thailand
While the following retreat is not in or around Bangkok, the teacher, Ajahn Brahm, is certainly well known around here. Please follow the links and contacts provided to follow up for more information: The most talked about annual retreat with Ajahn Brahm will be in Le Meridien Chiang Rai, Thailand organised by Buddhist Fellowship Singapore …
Dhammapada Verse 13
The way that Buddhism is taught these days is not always exactly how it appears in the original. Therefore it is always beneficial to go back to the original source from time to time. Here is a nice verse from the Dhammapada, which is the most translated book of the Buddhist canon. The verses in …