Clear Mountain Monastery Project

In this session Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Ayya Santussika and Ayya Cittananda live at Kuruna Buddhist Vihara. Ayya Santussika Bhikkhuni: Born in Illinois in 1954, Ayya Santussika began exploring meditation in the late seventies. She received BS and MS degrees in computer science while being a single mother. After working as a software designer and developer for fifteen years in the Bay Area, she trained as an interfaith minister and received a Masters of Divinity degree in 2002. She visited monasteries in the US, Europe, and Asia, learning from master teachers mostly in the Ajahn Chah lineage. In 2012, she received full ordination as a bhikkhuni and founded Karuna Buddhist Vihara, a neighborhood Theravada Buddhist monastery for bhikkhunis. Ayya Cittananda Bhikkhuni: Ayya Cittananda was inspired to follow the Buddhist path in 2005 after a college philosophy class. After completing a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and working as a registered nurse in Texas, she lived as a monastic at a small Pure Land/Chan monastery in Florida. She spent time practicing at monasteries in England and Scotland, and at Aloka Vihara in Placerville, California. She took Anagarika precepts at KBV in March of 2015, Samaneri ordination in April of 2016, and Bhikkhuni ordination in May of 2018 at Buddhi Vihara in Santa Clara, California. Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events! • Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom) • Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) • Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://linktr.ee/clea... for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tan Ajahn Asoko, a senior monastic at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK and the primary attendant to Luang Por Sumedho. The focus of the interview was the ins-and-outs of serving as an attendant and caregiver. Biography of Tan Ajahn Asoko: Ajahn Asoko grew up in a village near Geneva in Switzerland. His mother brought Buddhism into the family life. As a teenager, he visited Amaravati Monastery, where he first met Luang Por Sumedho and was fortuitously able to attend a ten day retreat with Luang Por Sucitto. At 19 years old, he decided to take a sabbatical year off and spend it at Wat Nanachat, Luang Por Chah's branch monastery for Westerners in Thailand, under the guidance of Luang Por Pasanno. After 9 years back in lay life, it seemed time to return to Thailand, and was ordained as a bhikkhu by Luang Por Liem. He spent 18 years in Thailand, the last 8 years as Luang Por Sumedho's attendant and secretary. He came to stay at Amaravati Monastery in January 2021 as Luang Por Sumedho returned to live there. Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events! - Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tara Brach about her advice for practitioners dealing with fear and anger over the current state of the world, her relationship with faith and the Triple Gem, the R.A.I.N. approach to metabolizing difficult emotions, taking a "u-turn" in navigation of relationship, halos, unitarians, and more! 00:00:57 What's currently alive for you in the Dhamma? 00:02:45 What was a dark time for you, and how did you move out of it? 00:06:51 Could you speak about your own spiritual biography? 00:08:42 Could you speak about your faith in Buddhism? 00:15:20 Could you describe R.A.I.N. and lead us in a guided meditation? 00:26:01 Other skillful means for protecting the sacred in life? 00:34:03 Is there a place, not for "allowing", but for saying "no". 00:37:37 How to balance equanimity with action, and maintain a birds-eye view of the situation. 00:43:16 How much should we use AI on our spiritual path? 00:50:41 Skillful means to work with relationship difficulties? 00:57:33 How broadly should a practitioner search for spiritual guidance? 01:00:23 One prayer for yourself, and for those listening? Tara Brach's bio: Tara Brach is a Buddhist meditation teacher, psychologist and author of several books including international bestselling Radical Acceptance, Radical Compassion, and Trusting the Gold. Her popular weekly podcast on emotional healing and spiritual awakening is downloaded over 2 million times a month. She is founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and has been active in bringing meditation into schools, prisons and underserved populations. Along with Jack Kornfield, Tara leads the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP), serving participants from more than 75 countries around the world. For more info, visit: http://www.tarabrach.com/ Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events! - Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

A document describing how to honor the dead may be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13H0UzWa73aLS1y6vVSANftAxZRjho76aozhZ5Tcjp2E/edit?usp=sharing. In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about maraṇasati, or recollection of death, as a path towards gratitude and heedfulness. He then describes how we can honor those who have passed, in ritual, spirit, and practice. ------ Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events! - Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Nisabho interviews Steven Hayes, clinical psychologist and co-developer of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and process-based therapy (PBT). They speak about the panic attack that catalyzed Dr. Haye's path of healing, Relational Frame Theory, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, modern culture's lack of a transcendent articulations, and even get Dr. Haye's to sing! You may find the official version of "Leaves from My Tree" here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wpr9czppjkuuc1emhqmtl/Leaves-from-my-tree.mp4?rlkey=3pjxv1uq4onvzhewolhahxmj0&dl=0 BIo Dr. Steven C. Hayes is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, and President of the Institute for Better Health. He developed Contextual Behavioral Science, originating its philosophical foundation (Functional Contextualism), basic science of human cognition (Relational Frame Theory, or RFT), and its therapeutic application (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training, ACT). He co-developed Prosocial for group cooperation, advanced the Psychological Flexibility Model of suffering and well-being, and more. Dr. Hayes’ contributions have been recognized with awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the Impact of Science on Application Award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis. Author of 47 books, including "The Liberated Mind", and nearly 700 scientific articles, he is among the world’s most cited psychologists and continues to influence the field through his research and innovation. To learn more, visit https://stevenchayes.com/ --- The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/. Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events! - Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In celebration of Labor Day, in this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about Buddhist work ethics, addressing such questions as "What do Buddhist do anyways?" and "How well am I spending my time?" Suttas Addressed: (AN 1.324-327) - “Bhikkhus, whoever arouses energy in a badly expounded Dhamma and discipline dwells in suffering. For what reason? Because that Dhamma is badly expounded.” - “Bhikkhus, whoever is lazy in a well-expounded Dhamma and discipline dwells in suffering. For what reason? Because that Dhamma is well expounded.” - “Bhikkhus, whoever is lazy in a badly expounded Dhamma and discipline dwells in happiness. For what reason? Because that Dhamma is badly expounded.” - “Bhikkhus, whoever arouses energy in a well-expounded Dhamma and discipline dwells in happiness. For what reason? Because that Dhamma is well expounded.” Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events! - Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Mudito, a monk of the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest Tradition and abbot of Suddhavāri Monastery in Brazil (https://suddhavari.org/). The theme of discussion was "Blunt, Unpopular Dhammic Truths for Westerners": the need for a teacher; "confronting" defilements; blindsponts for moderns; and rebirth. Ajahn Mudito's Biography: Ajahn Mudito's first contact with Theravada Buddhism came through the Dharma House. After finishing college, he considered ordaining as a monk, but wanted to find an environment where the monastic rules, as created by the Buddha himself, were truly observed. After hearing an interview with Ajahn Sumedho, he felt that this search was over, and upon contacting the monk, he was suggested to visit the Thai monastery Wat Pah Nanachat. Thus, in 2002, at the age of 25, he began his path to monastic life. In 2004, he received ordination as a Bhikkhu at Wat Nong Pah Pong monastery (the head monastery of Ajahn Chah), with Luang Por Liem as his upajjhaya (a preceptor monk who has the authority to confer full monastic ordination). After a few years of residing at that monastery, he decided to move to Wat Pah Cittabhavana in Pathum Thani province to practice under the guidance of Luang Por Piak, who remains his teacher to this day. He is currently the abbot of Sudhavāri Monastery in São Lourenço, Brazil. The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/. Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events! - Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how to work with the mind's craving for material objects, bringing up joy on the path, what's let go of after Stream Entry, the initial stage of Enlightenment, how to work with the news, and cold showers. ---- Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events! - Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

Ajahn Suchart, a seasoned monk who trained under Luangta Maha Bua, shares profound insights on the first stage of Enlightenment, known as Sotāpanna. He discusses how one can recognize this transformative experience and the vital qualities it involves. The conversation explores the importance of embracing impermanence, understanding the mind's nature, and the distinction between self-view and reality. With a focus on meditation and acceptance, Ajahn Suchart emphasizes the path to inner peace and spiritual fulfillment.

In this talk, Ayya Ānandabodhi, founder of Pārāyana Vihara (https://parayanavihara.org/), speaks about using metta, or loving-kindness practice, to loosen the knots that bind us to suffering, desire, and limited notions of self. Reflecting with insight on the transpersonal nature of life, and our good fortune in encountering the Dhamma, can help soften and brighten the heart as we walk the Buddha' path. Ayya Ānandabodhī's Biography: Ayya Anandabodhi was born and raised in Wales, UK. Ayya first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while reading about the Four Noble Truths. This was life-changing and from that moment she experienced a deep confidence in the Buddha’s insight and a wish to understand his teachings more deeply. At the age of 24, Ayya began monastic training at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England under the guidance of Ajahn Sumedho. Seventeen years later she moved to the USA with a wish to create more opportunities for women monastics. In 2011 she took full Bhikkhunī Ordination, joining the worldwide revival of the Theravāda Bhikkhunī Order. Ayya Ānandabodhī loves to share the Dhamma. Ayya’s practice is guided by early Buddhist scriptures, living in community, and through nature’s pure and immediate Dhamma. She's currently founding a Pārāyana Vihara in Port Townsend, Washington. To learn more or offer support, visit https://parayanavihara.org/ --- Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events! - Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!