Clear Mountain Monastery Project

A conversation with Debbie Stamp, upāsaka steward and founding force of Abhayagiri Forest Monastery (www.abhayagiri.org)00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction00:02:36 Debbie's Role at Abhayagiri00:03:13 Moments of Faith Leading to Monastery Life00:06:29 Early Faith Experience in Catholicism00:07:38 Transition from England to Rural California00:09:22 Meeting and Connecting with Luang Por Pasanno00:15:37 Navigating the Space Between Monastery and Lay Life00:18:10 Working Internally with Belonging and Suffering00:25:05 Advice for Women Considering Ordination00:27:23 Understanding What It Means to Follow the Heart00:39:27 Working with Anger and Perspective Shifts00:41:46 Thriving as a Female Layperson in a Male Monastic Space00:48:08 Personal Relationship to the Triple Gem00:51:29 Meaning and Reflection on "Anicca Vata Saṅkhāra"00:54:23 Influential Teachers and Expressions of Gratitude00:58:15 The Dhamma of Caregiving and Family End-of-Life Support01:07:10 Gratitude and Reflections on 30 Years of Abhayagiri---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 Q&A session, Ajahn Sona speaks about how to hold the fraught political landscape of the present, the significance of our daily actions and intentions as "political" acts, the karma of voting (or not!), the cultivation of deep concentration, and more. For more information about Ajahn Sona and Birken Forest Monastery, visit: https://birken.ca/Ajahn Sona Biography:Ajahn Sona is a first-wave Western Theravada-ordained monk and the Abbot of Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery (‘Birken’). With over thirty years in the robes, he is now referred to as ‘Luang Por’ (‘Venerable Father’) by his closest disciples – a traditional honorific for senior monks of the Thai Forest Tradition.After several years of practice as a lay hermit, the young Bhikkhu Sona took full monastic ordination in 1989 with Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Mahathera at the first Theravada forest monastery in the United States (The Bhavana Society, West Virginia). He later switched to the Thai Forest Tradition and trained at Ajahn Chah’s monasteries in northeastern Thailand for several years. Ajahn Sona now draws on both the Sri Lankan and Thai scholastic and meditative traditions in his teachings, in addition to his modern western sensibilities. His pre-monastic education in philosophy, humanities, and classical Western music have aided him in understanding the Western psyche and in establishing paradigm bridges between East and West.Ajahn Sona is also deeply interested in the ecological movements of this environmentally critical time, both at the practical and philosophical levels. The off-grid monastery, which he has carefully curated over the last two decades, employs the latest in green design technologies and principles-----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 Q&A, done with the Pali Canon - Majjhima Nikaya - Book Club (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69n9ObQ6zIo), Ajahn Nisabho answers questions regarding truth as revealed in three Suttas, the Cāṅki Sutta (MN 95), the Subha Sutta (MN 99), and the Dhammacetiya Sutta (MN 89). Using the three discourses as a framework, we see how the Buddha taught us to protect, realize, and honor truth. To find out more about the Pali Canon - Majjhima Nikaya - Book Club, visit https://majjhima.club/en/.- Cāṅki Sutta (MN 95): https://suttacentral.net/mn95/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false- Subha Sutta (MN 99): https://suttacentral.net/mn99/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin- Dhammacetiya Sutta (MN 89): https://suttacentral.net/mn89/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latinYou can find summaries of these Suttas, and more, on Clear Mountain's Mission Majjhima Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLomY-Sp4p5YsIVG0DmvJhUcR6YaXR_3wfChapters00:00 - Introduction & Ordination Story07:47 - Living a Life Worthy of Death11:44 - Why the Majjhima Nikaya?14:46 - MN 95: Epistemic Humility & Knowing the Truth44:20 - MN 99: Intention & Lay Practice54:40 - MN 89: King Pasenadi & Monuments to the Dhamma58:34 - Q&A: Do You Need Jhanas for Enlightenment?01:04:40 - Q&A: Navigating Difficult Sutta Passages01:08:58 - The Rare Opportunity of the Dhamma & Closing Blessing----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 conversation with Venerable Robina Courtin (https://robinacourtin.com/):00:00:00 Introduction00:02:13 Meaning of the saying "Everything exists on the tip of a wish."00:03:08 Wish that brought Venerable Robina into robes00:05:52 Inspirations that sparked faith in Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa00:08:10 Concept of the guru as a fourth jewel in Tibetan Buddhism00:08:52 Reasons for feeling safe with two male Tibetan teachers00:12:08 Evolution and deepening of the relationship with teachers over decades00:17:15 Origins and physical experience of prostration practice00:21:55 Recitations/commitments accompanying prostrations in different traditions00:22:54 Working with inmates through the Liberation Prison Project00:28:48 Parallels between incarcerated individuals and the four heavenly messengers00:30:42 Transitioning from feminism into a male-dominated monastic hierarchy00:31:09 Navigating monasticism and advice for women entering spiritual traditions00:36:20 Differences between ordination and lay life across Buddhist schools00:40:09 Central role of karma and addressing concerns about victim blaming00:43:34 Explaining karma in relation to innocent suffering and everyday good fortune00:45:40 "Hinayāna"?00:46:24 Comparing the scope and levels of different Buddhist Vehicles00:52:14 Nature and reality of deities, Bodhisattvas, and Green Tara00:57:11 Relating to diverse, wrathful, and peaceful deity manifestations00:59:24 Meaning, mechanics, and karmic benefits behind water bowl offerings01:02:29 Applying Dharma to world news without falling into depression or panic01:05:25 Practical morning intentions and simple daily vows for lay practitionersBiography of Venerable Robina Courtin:Ordained since the late 1970s, Ven. Robina has worked full time since then for Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Over the years she has served as editorial director of Wisdom Publications, editor of Mandala Magazine, executive director of Liberation Prison Project, and as a touring teacher of Buddhism. Her life and work with prisoners have been featured in the documentary films Chasing Buddha and Key to Freedom. -----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 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Bhante Rāhula, visiting from Paññabhumi Monastery in Jalisco, Mexico, speaks about the danger of expectation, and how attachment to our desires inevitably leads to suffering. By seeing this dynamic with wisdom, replacing expectation with aspiration, and cultivating gratitude, we can escape from the vicious cycle. Sadhu! Visit https://www.bhanterahula.com/ or https://dhamma-pb.org/en to learn more.BioBhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has practiced and studied the Dhamma.He was ordained in Myanmar by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, who is his preceptor. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya. For 6 years, Bhante studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau. In 2019, he completed a course on Buddhist scriptures from Harvard University. He underwent monastic Vinaya training for 2 years in Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary in Malaysia under the guidance of Ven. Ariyadhammika, where he also led retreats and Dhamma activities for the local community. Currently, Bhante is constructing the Mexican Buddhist Center (Paññābhūmi) to introduce and propagate the Buddha’s teaching in South America. He is also actively involved in diverse programs to aid parts of the society in overcoming drug addiction and alcoholism, as well as supporting educational campaigns for children and teens to prevent such problem in this region. Visit bhanterahula.com or https://dhamma-pb.org/en to learn more.-----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!

A conversation with Ajahn Pavaro, senior monastic and teacher at Tisarana Buddhist Monastery in Perth, Ontario (https://tisarana.ca/) and sometimes Anandagiri Monastery, Thailand (https://www.peacebeyondsuffering.org/anandagiri.html) 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:01:51 Early Faith and Path to Ordination00:09:44 Philosophy Studies and Existential Wonder00:15:07 Creative Outlets and Joy in Monastic Life00:20:49 Woodworking and Crafting at the Monastery00:24:28 Jungle Practice, Metta, and the Viper00:36:14 The Decision to Ordain00:49:44 Daily Intentions and Unseen Agencies00:53:43 Practical Intentions and Chants for Lay Practitioners01:00:06 Living in the World of Devas and Other Realms01:15:33 Final Benediction and Words of EncouragementAjahn Pavaro's Biography:Ajahn Pavaro is a Canadian-born bhikkhu who brings with him a wealth of experience and wisdom from both his academic and monastic journeys. Before entering monastic life, he was a university lecturer in Calgary, Alberta, teaching comparative religion—a field that deeply reflects his lifelong interest in understanding the spiritual paths of humanity. Ajahn Pavaro began his monastic training in 2001 under the guidance of his teacher, Ajahn Sona, at Birken Forest Monastery in British Columbia. Over the years, his practice and training have taken him across the globe. He spent his seventh year as a monk with his preceptor, Luang Por Pasanno, at Abhayagiri Monastery in California. Later, he moved to Thailand, where he spent nearly a decade at Anandagiri Forest Monastery with Ajahn Achalo, benefitting from the teachings of renowned elders of the Wat Nong Pah Pong Sangha, including Luang Por Liam and Ajahn Anan. Several years ago, Ajahn Pavaro returned to Canada to reside at Tisarana Monastery in Perth, Ontario. This Rains Retreat, however, Ajahn is back in Thailand at Anandagiri.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!

https://www.clearmountain.org/https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monasteryhttps://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land-development/CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction & Setting the Intention02:15 Day 1: Beginning the Pilgrimage Journey05:30 Day 2: Reflections, Community, and the Trail09:45 Day 3: Arrival and The Vision Lands12:10 Conclusion & Reflections on the MountainVISIONClear Mountain Monastery is a Buddhist forest monastery. In Theravāda Buddhism and within the Early Buddhist Texts, the forest tradition represents a return to the simple way of life taught by the Buddha. Monastics aspire to live as the early disciples did: dwelling in the forest, studying the teachings, and devoting themselves to meditation. Monastics and laity exist in a relationship of mutual generosity, in which they support one another on the Buddha’s path towards complete liberation of the heart—Nibbāna.From 2021 to 2026, Clear Mountain’s first monastics, Ajahn Nisabho and Ajahn Kovilo, generally lived on the quiet periphery of Seattle, going for alms most mornings at Pike Place Market. On Saturday mornings, those interested gathered at Amistad School next to Saint Mark’s Cathedral for meditation and teaching, and a community based on mutual generosity took root.In mid-2026, after years of searching, Clear Mountain acquired 90 acres of forested land in North Bend, Washington, only 40 minutes from Seattle. The property, both close enough to remain accessible to those in the city and secluded enough to allow monastic retreat, represents an ideal location for the monastery to grow.Clear Mountain envisions a flourishing home for up to 20 monastics—a sanctuary rooted in nature, quiet simplicity, and traditional monastic discipline (Vinaya). From this peaceful foundation, the monastery will warmly welcome the lay community to join in a rich variety of shared spiritual activities, including: daily meal offerings; chanting and meditation (pūjas); Sutta and Pāli scriptural study; online and public teachings; observance of the Buddhist holy days; visits from guest monastics; and retreats. Apart from a large temple able to hold several hundred people on celebration days, the monastery vision includes a multi-purpose hall, residence for visiting bhikkhunis, gardens, and forest paths—a refuge of peace for generations.To learn more about or support the vision, visit https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land-development/VIDEO CREDITS *Clear Mountain rejoices in the generosity of the wonderful volunteers who gave their time and expertise to create this video. Sadhu!*Producer & Editor: Kyle Seago Videography: Jen McGowan, Michele Gomes, & Jenny Ting Audio Editing: Tyler Dennis

In this talk, Bhante Rahula, visiting from Paññabhumi Monastery in Jalisco, Mexico, speaks about joy as an essential spiritual tool which we may access by appreciating all the good we've done. To pause now, and appreciate the great care that's gone into finding Clear Mountain a home, can serves a cause for great wellbeing, and a happiness that outlasts the world. Sadhu! Visit bhanterahula.com or https://dhamma-pb.org/en to learn more.BioBhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has practiced and studied the Dhamma.He was ordained in Myanmar by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, who is his preceptor. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya. For 6 years, Bhante studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau. In 2019, he completed a course on Buddhist scriptures from Harvard University. He underwent monastic Vinaya training for 2 years in Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary in Malaysia under the guidance of Ven. Ariyadhammika, where he also led retreats and Dhamma activities for the local community. Currently, Bhante is constructing the Mexican Buddhist Center (Paññābhūmi) to introduce and propagate the Buddha’s teaching in South America. He is also actively involved in diverse programs to aid parts of the society in overcoming drug addiction and alcoholism, as well as supporting educational campaigns for children and teens to prevent such problem in this region. Visit bhanterahula.com or https://dhamma-pb.org/en to learn more.---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, Ayya Sudhamma, abbess of Charlotte Buddhist Vihara (https://www.charlottebuddhistvihara.org/), joins Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho for a conversation. Read her renderings of the Therigatha at: https://therigatha.org/Ayya's biography:Venerable Sudhammā is one of a handful of Theravada Mahātherīs born in the West. After receiving her initial monastic training under the renowned teacher Bhante Gunaratana of the Bhavana Society, West Virginia, Ayyā Sudhammā has since gone on to become a beloved Buddhist teacher and pioneer of Buddhism in America. She was the first Western women to become fully ordained in Sri Lanka, she co-founded the North American Bhikkhuni Association, and hosted the first-ever Theravada Bhikkhuni Sangha proceeding in the USA. In 2013 Ayya founded the Charlotte Buddhist Vihara in her hometown of Charlotte, NC, where she continues to offer regular Dhamma programs.-----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 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo discusses various skilful means—specifically ones related to a felt sense of spaciousness—for relating to the 5 hindrances of:00:00 Introduction to unbounded mind vs little mind 08:12 (1) sensual desire11:45 (2) ill-will17:21 (3) sloth and torpor20:35 (4) restlessness and worry24:50 (5) doubtAn overarching relationship is drawn between: (a) the Buddha's comparison of a vast, lakelike mind with a constricted, confined, salty mind (https://suttacentral.net/an3.100/en/sujato) and (b) the Buddha's comparison of the mind afflicted with the five hindrances to various types of unclean water (https://suttacentral.net/an5.193/en/sujato).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!

This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's interview with Bhante Sujāto, co-founder of SuttaCentral.net and abbot of Lokanta Vihara. Watch PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/dJvntE6aw-s00:00:00 Introduction & Textual Curiosity Across Buddhist Genres00:16:51 Comparative Studies of the Creation of the Bhikkhuni Order00:24:59 The Trojan Horse Simile of Picking and Choosing & How to Hold Varrying Views00:31:51 The Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Arahant Awakenings00:38:18 The Buddha as Distinct From Arahants?00:41:08 Maintaining Inter-Tradition Epistemological Humility?00:47:00 A Buddhist Perspective on Artificial Intelligence - "Start Generating"01:01:22 What Mendicant Would Grace the Gosinga Sal Tree Grove?Bhante Sujāto's Biography:Born in Perth in 1966, Bhante Sujato left a career as a musician to become a Buddhist monk at Wat Nanachat in 1994. Some years later, he returned to Perth to study with Ajahn Brahm at Bodhinyana Monastery, before going on to found Santi Forest Monastery in New South Wales in 2003. In 2005 he, together with Rod Bucknell and John Kelly, founded SuttaCentral which has become the unchallenged juggernaut of Early Buddhist Textual Study. In 2015, seeing the need for a complete, accurate, plain English translation of the Pali texts available entirely for free, he undertook the task, spending nearly three years in isolation and completing the four main Nikāyas in 2018, and the early books of the Khuddaka Nikāya by 2021. In 2019, Bhante Sujato moved to Sydney to establish Lokanta Vihara (the Monastery at the End of the World) to explore what it means to follow the Buddha’s teachings in an era of climate change, globalised consumerism, and political turmoil. 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_mona... for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the definitions of "dukkha", and the importance of understanding its various meanings in order to practice skillfully towards its ending. To truly embody the directive of the First Noble Truth is to initiate the alchemy of release. Chapters00:00 - Understanding Dukkha (Translations & Etymology)02:11 - The Malunkyaputta Sutta & Leaves in the Hand04:33 - The Four Noble Truths as a Path of Practice10:10 - The Two Types of Dukkha: Characteristics vs. Clinging16:44 - Suka, Dukkha, and Nibbāna19:50 - Turning Towards Suffering with Gratitude & Khanti31:02 - Pain Meditation as a Direct Practice33:45 - Rumi Poem: Fire and Water36:17 - Q&A SessionTune 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!

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Bhante Sujāto, co-founder of SuttaCentral.net and abbot of Lokanta Vihara. Watch PART TWO being premiered next Wednesday here: https://youtu.be/h1RotjMuH_M00:00 Introduction01:56 Bhante Discovers the Suttas07:01 The Origin Story of SuttaCentral13:52 How Comparative Agama Study Supports Pāli Sutta Practice20:59 Key Insights Uncovered Through Comparative Text Studies29:45 Navigating the Impact of Text-Critical Studies on Faith36:38 The Necessity of Jhāna and Its Role on the Path to Awakening48:00 Layering Text-Critical Study with Traditional Pāli Canon StudyBhante Sujāto's Biography:Born in Perth in 1966, Bhante Sujato left a career as a musician to become a Buddhist monk at Wat Nanachat in 1994. Some years later, he returned to Perth to study with Ajahn Brahm at Bodhinyana Monastery, before going on to found Santi Forest Monastery in New South Wales in 2003. In 2005 he, together with Rod Bucknell and John Kelly, founded SuttaCentral which has become the unchallenged juggernaut of Early Buddhist Textual Study. In 2015, seeing the need for a complete, accurate, plain English translation of the Pali texts available entirely for free, he undertook the task, spending nearly three years in isolation and completing the four main Nikāyas in 2018, and the early books of the Khuddaka Nikāya by 2021. In 2019, Bhante Sujato moved to Sydney to establish Lokanta Vihara (the Monastery at the End of the World) to explore what it means to follow the Buddha’s teachings in an era of climate change, globalised consumerism, and political turmoil. 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!

The Key of Compassion (Free Download): https://sravastiabbey.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The_Key_of_Compassion_v2026-04-09_ClearMtn_Secured.pdfIn this interview, Ven. Chodron speaks about the new book, "The Key of Compassion: Finding Meaning where In The Key of Compassion, incarcerated men articulate how they landed in prison, the reality of life behind bars, the benefits of educational programs, and how the Buddha’s teachings on nonviolence and compassion changed them. Through evocative stories, poetry, and artwork, they show us that compassion is possible, no matter where you are. Buddhist nun Thubten Chodron shares her experience of introducing inmates to these teachings and the revolutionary effect it has had on their lives.You can find out more about the Sravasti Abbey prison project at https://sravastiabbey.org/who-we-are/how-we-help/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 talk, Bhante Buddharakkhita, visiting from Uganda, speaks about his journey from Africa into Buddhism, and how the first four blessings described by the Buddha in the Maṇgala Sutta (Discourse on Blessings - https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/ChantingGuide/Section0051.html) can help keep us on the path. Learn more at https://bhantebuddharakkhita.org/ and https://ugandabuddhistcenter.org/BioBhante first encountered Buddhism in 1990 while studying and living in India. He was ordained as a Buddhist monk by the late Most Venerable U Silananda in 2002 at the Tathagata Meditation Center in San Jose, California. He then spent eight years under the guidance of Bhante Henepola Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society, West Virginia. He is the founder and Abbot of the Uganda Buddhist Center in Uganda. Learn more at https://bhantebuddharakkhita.org/ and https://ugandabuddhistcenter.org/Chapters00:00:00 - Chanting & Opening Blessings00:01:08 - The 4 Wheels of Success (Mangala Sutta)00:02:49 - Early Journey: Discovering Buddhism in India00:06:29 - Traveling to Dharamshala to Meet the Dalai Lama00:08:57 - Private Audience with the Dalai Lama & "Find Friends"00:11:08 - Returning to Uganda & Scuba Diving in Thailand00:13:33 - Finding Meditation Teachers & Starting the Uganda Buddhist Center00:14:47 - 1. Associating with the Wise vs. Unwise00:17:22 - Meeting Difficult People & Compassion in Action00:21:44 - 2. Staying in a Suitable Place00:23:20 - 3. Meritorious Deeds Done in the Past00:26:46 - 4. Establishing Oneself in the Right Path (Kusala)00:32:01 - VISA, Mastercard & American Express: Remembering the Noble Eightfold Path00:36:56 - Story of the Uganda Monastery, Forgiveness & Bullet Hole00:41:02 - Q&A: Key Friends & Early Spiritual Influences (Mother, Teachers, Animals)00:49:16 - Q&A: 5 Techniques to Overcome Unwholesome States of Mind----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 speak with Luang Por Pasanno about dukkha (suffering & unsatisfactoriness), in its personal, social, physical, and psychological aspects.BioLuang Por Pasanno is one of the most senior disciples of Luang Por Chah. He is the former abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, and founder of Wat Poo Jom Gom, Wat Dtao Dum, and co-founder of Abhayagiri Monastery in California. https://www.abhayagiri.org/CHAPTERS00:00 - Introduction & Welcome to Ajahn Pasanno00:45 - What is Dukkha? (The Simile of Canadian Tires in Winter)04:40 - The Two Kinds of Dukkha: First Arrow vs. Second Arrow07:47 - "Hello Dukkha, My Old Friend": Developing Early Insights09:31 - Finding Faith in the Cessation of Suffering through Luang Por Chah10:40 - A Classic Wat Pah Nanachat Story: Sitting Through Patimokkha20:30 - Dealing with Physical Pain & The True Meaning of Patient Endurance (Khanti)26:18 - Facing Mental Pain & Becoming Abbott During Luang Por Chah's Illness32:33 - Seeking Spiritual Friendship (Kalyāṇamittatā) & Support38:12 - Luang Por Dune’s Reframing of the Four Noble Truths40:40 - Navigating Worldly News, Politics, & Modern Anxiety45:11 - Plant Seeds for Good: Lessons from Nature Care47:43 - The Paradox of Living in Community50:16 - The Heartwood of the Dhamma (Unshakable Deliverance of Mind)53:29 - American Patterns of Dukkha & Absorption into Self57:15 - Where to Reside When Free From Suffering: Stillness and Awareness58:12 - Final Advice for Clear Mountain Monastery---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 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's interview with Andrew Holecek—scholar, practitioner, and "student of the night" (https://www.andrewholecek.com/). Watch PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/9wqSc5M1z-Q00:00:00 Introduction00:01:31 Definition of Nocturnal Meditation00:04:24 The Value of Waking Consciousness00:15:58 Exploring the Liminal State00:16:07 Historical Context of Early Wakefulness Teachings00:29:03 The Role of Beliefs and Intentions in Sleep00:35:21 Distinguishing Lucid Dreaming from Dream Yoga00:43:35 Transforming Fear and Nightmares in Dreams00:51:32 Deity Yoga and the Plasticity of IdentityAndrew Holecek's Biography:Dr. Andrew Holecek is an author, concert pianist, and interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner of Vajrayāna Buddhism. A member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, he holds degrees in music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery, in addition to having completed a traditional Tibetan three-year meditation retreat under the guidance of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. He serves as Resident Contemplative Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, is a research consultant for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University, and is actively involved in scientific research on dark retreat with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Tiny Blue Dot Science Foundation. He is also the author of 10 books including: Preparing to Die; Dream Yoga; The Lucid Dreaming Workbook; and his latest book Total Eclipse of the Mind: Unleashing the Power of Darkness for Creativity, Healing, and Transformation.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_mona... for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho engage in a conversation with poet David Whyte (https://davidwhyte.com/). 00:00:00 Introduction & Spiritual Background00:09:48 David Recites "The Bell and the Blackbird"00:12:35 Marshaling Art for Spiritual Growth00:19:16 Overcoming Acedia & Finding Joy00:24:55 David Recites Blessing for the Morning Light00:26:24 David Recites "The Well of Grief" & Metabolizing Suffering00:31:43 Facing the Conversation You Don't Want to HaveDavid Whyte's biography:David Whyte grew up with a strong, imaginative influence from his Irish mother among the hills and valleys of his father’s Yorkshire. He now makes his home in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The author of twelve books of poetry and five books of prose, David Whyte holds a degree in Marine Zoology and has traveled extensively, including living and working as a naturalist guide in the Galapagos Islands and leading anthropological and natural history expeditions in the Andes, Amazon and Himalaya. He brings this wealth of experience to his poetry, lectures and workshops.David’s life as a poet has created a readership and listenership in three normally mutually exclusive areas: the literate world of readings that most poets inhabit, the psychological and theological worlds of philosophical enquiry and the world of vocation, work and organizational leadership.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 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Andrew Holecek—scholar, practitioner, and "student of the night" (https://www.andrewholecek.com/). Watch PART TWO here: https://youtu.be/mGqZDbIVK0c00:00:00 - Introduction & Andrew Holecek's Background00:01:44 - Lunar Spirituality Bio & Background00:07:01 - Overview & Significance of Dark Retreat00:10:34 - Physical Setup and Environments00:12:03 - Sutra vs. Tantra Approaches00:18:26 - Comfort, Challenge, and Danger Zones00:24:03 - Testing Personal Limits and Session Duration00:25:34 - Preparing for Total Darkness00:33:17 - The Perception of Light and Openness00:34:24 - Home Simulations vs. Retreat Centers00:39:42 - Psychotherapy and Contemplative Practice00:40:43 - Indications and Contraindications00:53:34 - Signs of Dissociation and Knowing When to Stop01:03:55 - Time Perception and Circadian Rhythms01:07:22 - Egolocation and Boundaries of the SelfAndrew Holecek's Biography:Dr. Andrew Holecek is an author, concert pianist, and interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner of Vajrayāna Buddhism. A member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, he holds degrees in music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery, in addition to having completed a traditional Tibetan three-year meditation retreat under the guidance of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. He serves as Resident Contemplative Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, is a research consultant for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University, and is actively involved in scientific research on dark retreat with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Tiny Blue Dot Science Foundation. He is also the author of 10 books including: Preparing to Die; Dream Yoga; The Lucid Dreaming Workbook; and his latest book Total Eclipse of the Mind: Unleashing the Power of Darkness for Creativity, Healing, and Transformation.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_mona... for details. Welcome!

00:00 Chanting Together00:52 Ayyā Ānandabodhi — Walking Right Here08:04 Ajahn Kovilo — Walking With Stillness: The World Moving Through Us16:58 Ajahn Nisabho — Path as Duty: Monastery as Container26:59 Question: Navigating Career Transitions31:53 Question: Managing Boredom in Relationships37:25 Question: Balancing Duty and PresenceIn this session, directly preceding their three-day pilgrimage from St. Mark's Cathedral in Capitol Hill, Seattle to the new Clear Mountain property in North Bend, Ayyā Ānandabodhi and Venerable Satima join Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho in reflecting on the why and how of Buddhist pilgrimage ("tudong") and walking meditation more broadly.To learn more about Ayyā Ānandabodhi and Venerable Satima, visit www.parayanavihara.orgTune 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!

ESSAYSReturn to Simplicity Through Wuwei: https://luminousdharma.org/return-to-simplicity-through-wuwei/Returning to Nature: https://luminousdharma.org/returning-to-nature-advanced-dharma-practice/PAIRED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/qlU00qmHq1EDESCRIPTIONReturning to Simplicity is an approach to Buddhist practice based on radical surrender. What we set down is the whole apparatus of impulse, obsession, discriminating, ruminating, and holding concepts about how the world should be. We are not setting down the arising of these things, but our investment in them. What we take up instead is feeling the world as it actually is.The Buddha encouraged exploring body, mind, and environment as "not I, not me, not mine." In this discussion we look at how that seeing may be uncovered and directly experienced, and how life can open into freedom when things are entrusted back to natural function. To learn more, visit https://luminousdharma.org/.BIOJason Bartlett teaches a practical, cross-traditional approach to Buddha Dharma centered on "returning to nature" — a method of releasing the sense of self by entrusting whatever arises spontaneously and uncontrolled to nature itself, drawing on prajñāpāramitā, tathāgatagarbha, and early Taoist teachings. He began meditating in 1993 at age 17, and his practice expanded over the years to include Chan, Korean Seon, and Theravāda traditions, along with study of the Pāli suttas and Mahāyāna sūtras. Following his brother's death in 2019, he founded Luminous Dharma to offer teachings freely. His mentors include Venerable Sucitta Mahātherī, Santikaro Upāsaka, Leigh Brasington, and Venerable Wu Kai Shīfù. To learn more, visit https://luminousdharma.org/.CHAPTERS0:00 – Opening & Bio Introduction3:08 – "How would you describe returning to simplicity?"9:34 – "How would you speak about people embodying this in daily life?"13:33 – "Can you give listeners practical ways to embody the skill of release?"18:05 – "How would you suggest cultivating this on the cushion?"21:45 – "Do you want to quickly speak to the sailing analogy?"27:20 – "How would you speak about moments where it's not easy to turn off the motor?"32:24 – "Would you speak to big mind and small mind?"35:20 – "What other methods do you have for people stepping into big mind?"37:19 – "Do you have an example of returning to simplicity while doing the dishes?"46:59 – "How do you teach this in meditation? How do you sit to develop these skills?"51:30 – "Can you give a practical technique to sit with this — breath or mantra?"54:54 – "What's different about returning to nature vs. returning to simplicity?"1:01:19 – "How is returning to nature different from returning to simplicity?" (trust/wholehearted wish)1:09:00 – "What's the practical way to sit and develop the returning to nature method?"1:17:14 – "How do people make the leap to piti, rapture, and nourishment?"1:21:43 – "How does one know if a breakthrough is authentic?"1:25:08 – "How does the Awakening Alchemy method fit into this paradigm?"1:28:42 – "Do you consider yourself Buddhist?"We are especially grateful for the work of Chetan Raj in filming and editing. Sadhu!---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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Brother Pháp Lưu, the eldest non-Vietnamese American monk in the Plum Village tradition who is currently at Deer Park Monastery (https://deerparkmonastery.org/).Biography of Brother Pháp Lưu:Ordained as a monk since December 13, 2003, Brother Chân Pháp Lưu (Brother Stream) received Transmission of the Lamp from Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh to teach in 2011. He helped start Wake-Up, the international movement for young people, as well as the Happy Farm, Plum Village’s organic farming community, and has been working with Wake-Up Schools since its inception in 2012 to bring mindfulness to schools. He has served as a monastic editor several of Thích Nhát Hạnh’s books including Happy Teachers Change the World, Stepping Into Freedom, Cracking the Walnut, The Admonitions and Encouraging Words of Master Guishan, and How to Focus. Brother Phap Luu leads mindful backpacking retreats in nature around Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California and recently co-authored a book with Brother Phap Xa called Hiking Zen.Brother Stream has been working lately with scientists at Dartmouth College and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to develop research on the effect of Plum Village mindfulness practices on children. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Thích Nhát Hạnh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.He is the 201st disciple of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and belongs to the 43rd generation of the Lâm Tế lineage and the 9th generation of the Liễu Quán school.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 talk, Ajahn Nisabho the Buddha's directions towards developing jhāna through mindfulness of breathing, as articulated in the Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 18 - https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false). Taoist articulations of how to refine the body's energies provide practical tools for practitioners looking to refine the mind through these stages. Specifically, Jason Bartlett's "Awakening Alchemy" methodology, described in the talk and essay below, give in-depth guidance about the approach.Video: Buddhist Lotus, Taoist Roots: An Ancient Blueprint for Modern Practice | Jason Bartlett Q&A: https://youtu.be/qlU00qmHq1EAwakening Alchemy Essay: http://Luminousdharma.org/awakening-alchemy/------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!

ESSAY: http://Luminousdharma.org/awakening-alchemy/PAIRED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/_GUvwlg8bHIDESCRIPTIONAwakening Alchemy is a system of body, breath, energy, and spirit practices that cultivate and transform our being on multiple levels. Its concepts and approach are rooted in principles found within East Asian medicine, Taoist cultivation, and Buddhism. In this discussion we establish the principles and working points that serve as the foundation for this style of practice.As with all techniques, these practices affect each person differently. If you experience problematic symptoms or stress while trying them, please discontinue the practice and consult a skilled practitioner of traditional East Asian medicine as needed. To learn more, visit https://luminousdharma.org/.BIOJason Bartlett teaches a practical, cross-traditional approach to Buddha Dharma centered on "returning to nature" — a method of releasing the sense of self by entrusting whatever arises spontaneously and uncontrolled to nature itself, drawing on prajñāpāramitā, tathāgatagarbha, and early Taoist teachings. He began meditating in 1993 at age 17, and his practice expanded over the years to include Chan, Korean Seon, and Theravāda traditions, along with study of the Pāli suttas and Mahāyāna sūtras. Following his brother's death in 2019, he founded Luminous Dharma to offer teachings freely. His mentors include Venerable Sucitta Mahātherī, Santikaro Upāsaka, Leigh Brasington, and Venerable Wu Kai Shīfù. To learn more, visit https://luminousdharma.org/.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and guest biography01:59 How did the Awakening Alchemy approach develop?05:35 What are the Three Treasures (jing, qi, shen)?09:29 How do the Three Treasures map onto satipatthana and the four jhanas?11:58 How do heaven, earth, person and fire and water map onto the body?16:26 How do we practically work with the Three Treasures?18:44 Phase one: how do we settle into yin until yang is born?26:06 How do you find the dantian by feel?32:40 What is bellows breathing and how is it practiced?35:33 Phase three: what happens when we "steam the medicine"?41:10 What are the microcosmic orbit and the magpie bridge?44:27 How do the three phases cycle together (the firing cycle)?48:51 How do we use dantian awareness with difficult emotions in daily life?51:29 What are warrior fire and scholar fire?53:21 How do the three dantians wire together?58:52 What is the postural shift that opens the heart center?1:03:08 Which phase does the wiring of the dantians belong to?1:04:34 What happens when the dantians connect into an "antenna"?1:09:41 How would one know they've touched this antenna phase?1:11:04 What is the "ball of medicine" that gathers with practice?1:16:05 How should practitioners handle setbacks, timelines, and support?1:21:00 Can you demonstrate the opening and closing practices?1:28:19 What about standing meditation (zhan zhuang) and shaking practice?1:32:21 Why does ethical restraint (sila) matter for this practice?1:38:05 How does this system map onto the Anapanasati Sutta's 16 steps?1:44:33 Where does jhana fit into this framework?1:51:16 How do the jhana similes describe these body experiences?1:54:03 What is the nada sound (the "sound of silence") and how do you find it?1:56:17 How does this practice fuel metta and the Brahmaviharas?2:00:16 How do capacity and merit affect spiritual development?We are especially grateful for the work of Chetan Raj in filming and editing, and of Alex Haynes in creating the instructive imagery. Sadhu!----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_m

In this session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks with Kim Grose Moore and Tommy "Shakur" Ross from the GRIP (Guiding Rage Into Power) Training Institute (https://grip-traininginstitute.org/) about their work in prisons teaching inmates to transform trauma and anger into meaningful internal change. The program, inspired by Dhammic principles and practices, has helped almost 2000 graduates move towards genuine freedom of heart, even while behind bars.To learn more about GRIP and support, visit https://grip-traininginstitute.org/To sign up for their newsletter, visit https://secure.everyaction.com/pDQIgRHaHUaPNnI5Xurq-A2Biography of Kim:Kim Grose Moore is the Executive Director of the GRIP Training Institute, where she leads transformative restorative justice programs across California. By guiding incarcerated individuals through a deep process of trauma healing, and learning mindfulness and emotional intelligence, Kim works to break cycles of violence and develop Peacemakers in the most unlikely of places: prison.Her leadership is informed by 15 years of faith-based community organizing in the San Francisco Bay Area, focusing on housing, immigration, and criminal justice reform. A Buddhist chaplain in the Theravada tradition and a former Rhodes Scholar, Kim anchors her activism in the principle that "the first revolution is internal." She views the Dharma and mindfulness as the essential foundations for both personal transformation and the broader pursuit of a more just and equitable society.Biography of Tommy:Tommy “Shakur” Ross was paroled in 2022 after serving 37 years of incarceration. During that time, he committed himself to personal transformation and achieved extensive growth through education, training, and service. His experience includes work as a peer health educator, circle keeper, group facilitator, podcaster, mentor, event planner and organizer, and restorative justice practitioner.In 2013, Shakur officially participated in the GRIP Program at San Quentin. He graduated from GRIP and signed the Peacemaker Pledge. Shakur went on to become GRIP facilitator, facilitating Tribes at San Quentin as both an inside and outside facilitator, and at Soledad as an outside facilitator. Many people ask Shakur, why does he go back inside prison after serving so much time there? His reply is, " because I know the way out, and the way out is sitting in the fire, burning clean, leaving nothing but ashes!" He remains deeply committed to accountability and restoration, dedicating his life to honoring those he has harmed by giving back to the community and being of service to others.-----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 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about four doors to entering into the perception of space (ākāsa-saññā or ākāsānañcāyatana-saññā):1) transcending form (rūpasaññānaṃ samatikkamā);2) setting down resistance (paṭighasaññānaṃ atthaṅgamā);3) unhooking duality (nānattasaññānaṃ amanasikārā);4) resting in space (‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati).Bhikkhu Sujato Translation:"With the...surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, one enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space."Bhikkhu Bodhi Translation:"With the...surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite,’ some bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of infinite space."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 & Ajahn Nisabho speak with Mingyur Rinpoche (https://tergar.org/)00:00 Introduction03:29 Monastic Background and Biography06:22 Motivation for the Wandering Pilgrimage10:30 Utility and Traps of the Self-Image15:36 Near-Death Experience in Kushinagar24:48 Dynamic Between Effort and Non-Effort30:36 Innate Qualities of Awareness, Love, and Compassion40:56 Pointing-Out Instructions and Lineage Transmission46:05 Nature of Mind as Mundane vs. Transcendent52:20 Preparing for the Process of Dying58:03 Closing Blessing and RemarksMingyur Rinpoche Biography:Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche (born 1975) is a Tibetan Nepali master of the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, a bestselling author, and the leader of the international Tergar Meditation Community. Raised by his father, the prominent Dzogchen and Mahamudra meditation master Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, he began studying meditation at age nine, entered formal training at Sherab Ling Monastery in India at age eleven, was recognized by the 16th Karmapa and by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche as a tulku-incarnation of historical Adept Meditation masters at age twelve, began his first 3-year retreat at age 13, became functioning abbot of Sherab Ling at age twenty, and received full monastic ordination at age twenty-three. In addition to completing the construction of Tergar Monastery in Bodhgaya and overseeing Tergar Osel Ling Monastery in Kathmandu, Rinpoche embarked on a transformative four-year wandering retreat/pilgrimage in 2011 recounted in his book _In Love with the World: A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying. He is also well-known globally for his accessible approach to meditation, detailed in his international bestselling books The Joy of Living (2007) and Joyful Wisdom (2009), and through his stepwise online courses available through Varjrayana Online (https://vajrayana.tergar.org/)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 talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks the importance in practice of directing attention and intention to shape our path and experience. The word "adhiṭṭāna" ("determination" or "vow") describes such training, as does the Buddha's frequent admonishment to his discples, "Evañhi vo … sikkhitabbaṃ" ("Thus you should train yourselves...").Some Suttas where the Buddha speaks about this setting of intention include the Mahāgosiṅga Sutta (MN 32 - https://suttacentral.net/mn32/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false), AN 2.5 (https://suttacentral.net/an2.5/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin)Ajahn Kovilo and others have compiled an anthology of the Buddha's other encouragements towards training in "Thus Should You Train Yourselves" (https://www.clearmountain.org/2024/06/11/thus-should-you-train-yourselves/)-----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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Brahm, abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery (https://bswa.org/). The discussion delves into Ajahn's path to ordination, advice for achieving deep samādhi, thoughts on Stream Entry, stories of devas, tales of Luang Por Chah, and more.00:00:00 Introduction and Greetings00:00:27 Humor in Meditation and Teaching00:01:50 Key Moments and Faith leading to Ordination00:02:43 Joining the Cambridge University Buddhist Society00:05:15 Psychic Research and Hunting Ghosts00:07:18 The Impact of Deep Meditative Experiences00:07:52 Instructions for Mindfulness of Breathing00:10:29 Frequency of Deep Experiences in Students00:11:34 Guiding Students Through the "Beautiful Breath"00:13:35 The "Cheshire Cat" Simile for Deep Meditation00:14:54 Addressing the Fear of Attachment to Bliss00:15:35 Advice for Those Struggling to Reach Deep States00:18:16 Reflections on Cultural Advice and Identity00:19:44 Defining "Nibbidā" (Disenchantment or Disgust)00:21:41 Teaching Mindfulness in Prisons00:23:51 The Story of the Imprisoned Thai Monk00:26:26 Avoiding Overwhelm in Monastic Administrative Roles00:26:49 Lessons from a Monastery Bushfire00:29:12 The Story of the Nine Bottles of Pepsi00:36:41 Rational Belief in Devas and Making Determinations00:38:21 The Story of the Winning Horse in Singapore00:41:58 Thoughts on Bodhisattvas and Enlightened Beings00:44:27 Comparing the Bodhisattva Ideal and the Theravada Path00:46:47 Addressing Skepticism Toward Rebirth and Devas00:49:00 Recalling Early Life and Past Life Memories00:52:03 Ending Doubt and the Experience of Stream Entry00:53:39 Reflecting on a False Experience of Enlightenment00:59:29 Advice for a Younger Self at Key Junctures01:02:18 Finding Hope Amidst Suffering and World Events01:04:09 Lightning Round: Cleaning vs. Meditation01:04:57 Lightning Round: The Biggest Test of Patience01:05:27 Lightning Round: On Sitting Quietly Alone01:05:49 Lightning Round: Favorite Sutta01:06:15 Lightning Round: Most Influential Teacher After Ajahn Chah01:09:45 Final Reflection: A Favorite Memory of Ajahn Chah01:14:52 Closing Advice for Young MonasticsAjahn Brahm's Biography in Brief:Ajahn Brahm (Ajahn Brahmavamso Mahathera), born in London in 1951, is a Theravada Buddhist monk. Ajahn Brahm grew up in London and earned a degree in Theoretical Physics from Cambridge University. Disillusioned with the world of academe, he trained as a monk in the jungles of Thailand under Ajahn Chah. A monk for over thirty years, Ajahn Brahm is the abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery, in Serpentine, Western Australia—one of the largest monasteries in the southern hemisphere; and he has also been influential in establishing Dhammasara Nuns' Monastery northeast of Perth. He is the Spiritual Director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, and spiritual adviser for various Buddhist centers throughout Asia and Australia. His books include "Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator's Handbook", "Who Ordered this Truckload of Dung", "The Art of Disappearing," and "Don't Worry Be Grumpy".------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 Kovilo speaks about the Four Noble Truths and the Discourse on Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dhamma in honor of Āsāḷha Pūjā.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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho celebrate Āsāḷha Pūjā by speaking about the Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma Sutta (SN 56.11 - Dhammacakkappavattanasutta), and its articulation of the Four Noble Truths. They they take questions dealing with topics ranging from the difference between Bodhisattvas and Arahants, to the nature of Nibbāna, to the benefits of memorization. Sadhu!An article by Ajahn Kovilo on memorizing long Dhamma may be found here: https://www.clearmountain.org/2020/08/01/article-a-fun-way-to-memorize-long-dhamma-with-a-special-focus-on-the-dhammapada/A recording and text for chanting the Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma Sutta (SN 56.11 - Dhammacakkappavattanasutta) may be found on page 2 of the Amaravati Chanting Book: https://amaravati.org/dhamma-books/chanting-book-volume-two/The full Sutta text may be found here: https://suttacentral.net/sn56.11/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=falseA recording may be found here: Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_FNHIPiTns--------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 session, Ajahn Vinita, longtime attendant and student of Luang Por Sumedho, speaks with deep devotional warmth and sweetness about his affection and love for his teacher, the "simplest, most ordinary human" he's ever met. The talk, given on the Saturday preceding Luang Por Sumedho's 93rd birthday, is made especially poignant in that it was given at Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral where Luang Por served as alter boy while growing up in Seattle.Ajahn Vinita Biography:Born in Sri Lanka, Ajahn Vinitha ordained as a novice at age 17 in the tradition of Mahasi Sayadaw. After ten years training in Sri Lanka, he had the opportunity to attend to (upaṭṭhāk) Luang Por Sumedho on one of Luang Por's visits to the island. Before returning to England, Luang Por invited Ajahn Vinita to come to England to ordain under him at Amaravati Monastery. Since that time, Ajahn Vinita has diligently lived and trained with Luang Por Sumedho and served the Western Sangha for over 20 years. Ajahn Vinita is currently staying at the Alberta Insight Meditation Centre in Canada.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!

Gratitude Retreat Part 1: https://youtu.be/Bs-ymolbjqsIn this second portion of the daylong gratitude retreat given in June of 2026, Bhante Rahula speaks about the essential practice of cultivating gratitude for the blessings in our life, and the blessings we give to others. Such recollections represent a great support in practice, and our lives, and can be cultivated through practical means. Bring a pen and paper! Special thanks to Luis Navarro (Memo) for inserting the wonderful visuals. To learn more, visit www.bhanterahula.com.BioBhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has practiced and studied the Dhamma.He was ordained in Myanmar by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, who is his preceptor. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya. For 6 years, Bhante studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau. In 2019, he completed a course on Buddhist scriptures from Harvard University. He underwent monastic Vinaya training for 2 years in Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary in Malaysia under the guidance of Ven. Ariyadhammika, where he also led retreats and Dhamma activities for the local community. Currently, Bhante is constructing the Mexican Buddhist Center (Paññābhūmi) to introduce and propagate the Buddha’s teaching in South America. He is also actively involved in diverse programs to aid parts of the society in overcoming drug addiction and alcoholism, as well as supporting educational campaigns for children and teens to prevent such problem in this region. To learn more, visit www.bhanterahula.com.00:00 – Introduction: Working with the Mind After a Meal00:26 – The Three Inner Enemies: Desire, Aversion, and Not Knowing06:29 – Desire vs. Attachment: The Hummus Story10:12 – Aversion, Pessimism, and Fear Is a Liar15:03 – Introducing Gratitude as the Antidote16:41 – Gratitude List Exercise Begins20:00 – Group Sharing: What Gratitude Uncovers42:15 – Warrior Breathing and Body Awareness48:32 – Silanusati: Recognizing Our Own Goodness1:03:05 – Worthy and Capable: Overcoming Self-Doubt1:13:47 – How to Use This Practice Against the Inner Bully1:17:16 – The Plane Story: Gratitude in the Face of Death1:30:05 – Group Reflections: Bringing This Practice Home2:04:52 – Words of Appreciation for Bante Rahula2:17:16 – Closing Blessing and Dedication-----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!

Gratitude Retreat Part 2: https://youtu.be/RJ1mAYVhJ-YIn this first talk of the daylong gratitude retreat given in June of 2026, Bhante Rahula speaks about how to use practice to take stock of our moment in life, and use it skillfully to cleanse the mind and heart. To learn more, visit www.bhanterahula.com.BioBhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has practiced and studied the Dhamma.He was ordained in Myanmar by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, who is his preceptor. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya. For 6 years, Bhante studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau. In 2019, he completed a course on Buddhist scriptures from Harvard University. He underwent monastic Vinaya training for 2 years in Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary in Malaysia under the guidance of Ven. Ariyadhammika, where he also led retreats and Dhamma activities for the local community. Currently, Bhante is constructing the Mexican Buddhist Center (Paññābhūmi) to introduce and propagate the Buddha’s teaching in South America. He is also actively involved in diverse programs to aid parts of the society in overcoming drug addiction and alcoholism, as well as supporting educational campaigns for children and teens to prevent such problem in this region. To learn more, visit www.bhanterahula.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!

00:00 Intro & THAI Part-1: On Merit, Meditation, Impermanence, and Karma15:10 ENGLISH TRANSLATION Part-124:25 Question: Expressing Gratitude and Asking About Sitting Together25:24 Ayya Anandabodhi Gratitude and Luang Por Damrong Sucitto Response29:43 ENGLISH TRANSLATION Part-232:38 Question: Requesting a Monastic BlessingIn this talk, Luang Por Damrong Siribadaddho, one of the most senior disciples of Ajahn Chah, teaches that material wealth and physical health are impermanent, urging the community to find true happiness by cultivating inner peace through generosity, morality, and meditation. Biography:Luang Por Damrong SIribaddho, or Phra Khru Bhaddadhammasiri, is a direct disciple of Luang Por Chah who has been in robes for 57 years. He is the is abbot of Wat Pah Nam Khamgeung (วัดป่าน้ำคำเกิ่ง) in Ubon, Thailand.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 Kovilo will be interviewing Ajahn Nyaniko—abbot of Abhayagiri Monastery in California—about the Thai Forest methods of training the heart as found in the teachings of Luang Por Chah, Luang Por Baen, and in his own experience leading a monastic community of sincere seekers. The interview is organized around the teachings and "korwat" (monastic training protocols) found in the book "The Way Forward" by Luang Por Baen (as translated by Ajahn Nyaniko). "Training Thai Style"- pdf of "The Way Forward": https://dn710703.ca.archive.org/0/items/TheWayForwardLuangPorBaen/The%20Way%20Forward%20-%20Luang%20Por%20Baen%20.pdfAjahn Nyaniko's Biography:Ajahn Nyaniko was born and raised in California. In 2001, at the age of 20, he visited Abhayagiri and decided to request anagarika ordination. In 2002 he took novice ordination, and in July 2003 he was ordained as a bhikkhu. He received his basic training from Luang Por Pasanno and Luang Por Amaro at Abhayagiri, and has also spent over six years training in Thailand. Since Ajahn Pasanno stepped back from his leadership role in 2018, Ajahn Nyaniko has guided the Abhayagiri community first as co-abbot with Ajahn Karunadhammo and now as sole abbot.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 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

00:00 Intro and THAI Part-1: On Taking Precepts07:13 ENGLISH TRANSLATION Part-1 10:28 THAI Part-2: Main Talk21:47 ENGLISH TRANSLATION Part-2In this talk, Luang Por Damrong Sucitto, one of the most senior disciples of Ajahn Chah, speaks about the importance of keeping sīla, or virtue, and of finding the deeper truths of the heart through observing the breath.BioLuang Por Damrong Sucitto (หลวงพ่อดำรงค์ สุจิตโต - พระครูภาวนาสารคุณ)Luang Por Damrong Sucitto (Phra Khru Bhāvanāsāraguṇa), direct disciple of Luang Por Chah and monk for over 50 years, is abbot of Wat Pah Pluem Phatthana (วัดป่าปลื้มพัฒนา) in Buriram, Thailand. ----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!

00:00:00 THAI - Luang Por Jandee on Three Types of Drunkenness00:15:46 ENGLISH TRANSLATION00:32:40 Q1 - Practicing Right View as a layperson00:33:31 THAI - Right View00:34:36 ENGLISH TRANSLATION00:36:08 THAI - Luang Por Chah on Right View00:36:44 ENGLISH TRANSLATION00:37:48 Q2 - Cultivating good health vs. getting drunk on health00:39:06 THAI - Good Health00:41:03 ENGLISH TRANSLATION00:42:38 Q3 - A surprising teaching from Luang Por Chah00:43:31 THAI - Surprising Teaching00:45:35 ENGLISH TRANSLATION00:48:41 Q4 - Finding encouragement during monastic suffering00:49:43 THAI - Answer on Monastic Suffering00:51:32 ENGLISH TRANSLATION00:54:32 THAI - Final Summary and Inspiration01:03:54 ENGLISH TRANSLATION01:09:54 THAI - Concluding Remarks01:12:39 ENGLISH TRANSLATION01:14:27 THAI - Closing BlessingIn this talk, Luang Por Jundee, one of the most senior disciples of Luang Por Chah, expands on two original poems speaking to the brevity of life and need to be heedful. To see things with Right View, we must understand their nature to arise and pass away, and understand ourselves as subject to the same forces. As it becomes accustomed to these truths of nature, the heart may find peace. Also, it will learn, in the words of Luang Por Chah, to see ducks and ducks, chickens and chickens, and the papaya salad of practice as irresistible. Luang Por Jundee's talk was followed by a Dhamma teaching from Luang Por Damrong Sucitto, another of Ajahn Chah's most senior disciples, on finding truth in one's own breath and practice.BioLuang Por Jundee (หลวงพ่อจันดี กันตสาโร)Luang Por Jundee Kantasāro, direct disciple of Luang Por Chah and monk for almost 50 years, is the abbot of Wat Pah Ampawan (วัดป่าอัมพวัน) in Chonburi, Thailand.Luang Por Damrong Sucitto (หลวงพ่อดำรงค์ สุจิตโต - พระครูภาวนาสารคุณ)Luang Por Damrong Sucitto (Phra Khru Bhāvanāsāraguṇa), direct disciple of Luang Por Chah and monk for over 50 years, is abbot of Wat Pah Pluem Phatthana (วัดป่าปลื้มพัฒนา) in Buriram, Thailand. ----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 Q&A session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho discuss seclusion of body (kāya-viveka) and seclusion of mind (citta-viveka), how to apply the fourth establishment of mindfulness (mindfulness of dhammas) in meditation, ways of dealing with aversion, skillful means of nonviolent communication, and the benefits of retreat versus stays at monasteries.-----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 talk—given on July 4th, 2026—Ajahn Kovilo speaks about dependence (nissaya, paccaya), interdependence (aññāmaññapaccaya), and independence (anissita) in their various Theravāda Buddhist contexts.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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Kaira Jewel Lingo, teacher, author, and former nun whose work integrates the traditions of Zen and Vipassana with a focus on social, racial, and environmental justice (http://www.kairajewel.com/).00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:38 Discussion on the dichotomy of softness and directness in teaching00:02:35 Personal history: Growing up in spiritual and international communities00:03:05 Key moments leading to Buddhist faith and ordination00:07:41 The search for spiritual community after leaving childhood home00:08:22 First encounter with Plum Village and Thich Nhat Hanh00:09:53 Early inspirations from Catholic nuns in Kenya00:10:33 Specific resonances of Buddhist teachings compared to Christianity00:12:37 Transition from yoga and meditation to practical Buddhism00:13:54 Mindfulness as a common language for international community00:14:05 Impact of reading Old Path White Clouds and learning about Thich Nhat Hanh00:16:38 The practice of curiosity and mindfulness in daily activities00:20:09 Building trust through shared practice in diverse groups00:22:32 Overview of the Five Mindfulness Trainings and gatha practice00:24:44 A portrait of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's life and work00:26:12 The origin and application of Engaged Buddhism00:28:12 Thich Nhat Hanh's commitment to peace and nonviolence despite exile00:30:10 Foundations of the Plum Village lineage and core sutras00:31:44 Interfaith respect and the unification of spiritual traditions00:33:40 Adapting mindfulness for secular contexts and specific groups00:36:48 Advice on finding and building community in a modern age00:40:20 Creating a sangha in families and local groups00:41:51 Deep dive into the Five Mindfulness Trainings as a North Star00:45:19 Why Thich Nhat Hanh reframed precepts as Mindfulness Trainings00:48:29 Navigating ethical dilemmas and nourishing compassion00:52:49 Addressing race, privilege, and inclusion in Buddhist spaces00:56:46 Understanding privilege as part of the spiritual path01:01:18 The path of downward mobility and perspective of monastics01:01:47 Sharing daily gatas for waking, mirrors, and sweeping01:03:32 Reflecting on the end of the day and diligence in practice01:04:11 Closing remarks and future connectionsKaira Jewel Lingo's Biography:Kaira Jewel Lingo is a senior Dharma teacher in the Plum Village Zen lineage and a Vipassana teacher, and a member of the Plum Village North American Dharma Teachers Council of Elders. Her work continues the Engaged Buddhism developed by Thich Nhat Hanh, drawing inspiration from her parents’ lives of service and her father’s work with Martin Luther King, Jr. After living as an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastic community, Kaira Jewel now teaches internationally in the Zen and Vipassana traditions, as well as in secular mindfulness contexts. Her teaching focuses on the intersection of racial, climate, and social justice, with particular care for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, as well as activists, artists, educators, families, and youth. Based in New York, she offers spiritual mentoring and is faculty in a Buddhist Eco-Chaplaincy training, and one of the guiding teachers of One Earth Sangha. She is the author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons in Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption, and co-author of Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy, and Liberation. More information about Kaira's teachings and events can be found at http://www.kairajewel.com/Mindfulness Training Gathas: https://mindfulgatha.wordpress.com/gathas/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,

In this interview, Ahahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with early Google engineer and author Chade-Meng Tan (https://chademeng.com/). He is also the founder of Buddhism.net (https://buddhism.net/).00:01:21 Meng's early life and path to Buddhism00:06:21 Integrating Buddhist inspiration into Google00:16:15 Scaling transformation and transcendence in society00:23:15 The accessibility of joy and its training methods00:32:42 Inspiring spiritual depth in world and business leaders00:40:21 Meditation strategies for computer programmers00:45:27 Corporate management principles for monastic delegation00:49:22 Managing digital devices and mental distractions00:55:03 Skillful leadership, resilience, and systemic recoveryChade-Meng's Biography:Chade-Meng Tan (Meng) is an award-winning engineer, international bestselling author, movie producer and philanthropist. He is Co-founder of Buddhism.net (https://buddhism.net/) and Co-chair of One Billion Acts of Peace (https://chademeng.com/about/bio/billionacts.org), which has been nominated by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and seven other Nobel Laureates for the Nobel Peace Prize. He was also Executive Producer of the movie Walk With Me (https://walkwithmefilm.com/), and Adjunct Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in the National University of Singapore. He co-founded the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI, pronounced “silly”). He retired from Google as its Jolly Good Fellow at the age of 45. Meng led the creation of a groundbreaking mindfulness-based emotional intelligence course at Google called Search Inside Yourself, which was also the title of Meng's first New York Time's bestselling book. 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 Kovilo speaks about bringing loving-awareness and creativity to one's practice of the Five Subjects for Frequent Recollection:1) "I am of the nature to age. I have not gone beyond aging."2) "I am of the nature to sicken. I have not gone beyond sickness."3) "I am of the nature to die. I have not gone beyond dying."4) "All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, will become separated from me."5) "I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related through my kamma, abide supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall do, for good or for ill, of that, I will be the heir."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 series of five talks given on June 20 for Clear Mountain's fourth annual Almsgiving Ceremony, we hear from 5 monastics:00:00:00 - Ayya Niyyānika on how practice begins now, rather than when the monastery is finished;00:02:45 - Ajahn Pandit on the story of Anaruddha, and the relentlessness of worldly life;00:09:38 Ajahn Cunda on the wisdom of finishing work internally every day;00:13:43 Bhante Rāhula on the joy of seeing the four Buddhist communities gathered together;00:19:15 Maechee Paññāsiri on how a monastery is a mirror for our own minds.Ayya Niyyānika's:Ayya Niyyānika trained for eight years in California bhikkhunī communities before traveling throughout the West and Asia to deepen their understanding of renunciation, Saṅgha, and global Buddhist practice. Now part of Passaddhi Vihara in the Pacific Northwest, they center their monastic practice on embodiment rooted in kindness and wise compassion.Ajahn Pandit's:Ajahn Pandit is a British monk and founder of the Little Bangkok Sangha. Ordained in Thailand in 1996, he holds degrees in psychology and Buddhist Studies from Mahā Chulalongkorn University.Ajahn Cunda:Raised in Chicago, Ajahn Cunda moved to California and ordained as a bhikkhu at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in 2008, training there for over eight years under Luang Por Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. After practicing widely at various international forest monasteries across Canada, Australia, England, and Italy, he returned to Abhayagiri in 2022 and will begin a one-year retreat at Birken Monastery in this July.Bhante Rāhula:Born in Mexico, Bhante Rāhula ordained in Myanmar under Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa and spent over two decades in Asia studying scripture and meditation under prominent masters, including a course at Harvard University in 2019. He now runs the Mexican Buddhist Center (Paññābhūmi) to spread the Buddha's teachings in the region while actively leading addiction recovery and youth prevention programs.Maechee Paññāsiri:Born and raised in Shanghai, Maechee Paññāsirī worked as a writer, creative director, and yoga teacher before fulfilling a lifelong spiritual quest by ordaining in Thailand under Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro in 2020. She currently resides at a nuns' hermitage near Khao Yai, Thailand, where she practices in the Ajahn Chah forest tradition and teaches Clear Mountain community members via Zoom.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 talk given on June 20 on the occasion of Clear Mountain's fourth annual Almsgiving Ceremony, Ayya Ānandabodhi—abbess of Pārāyana Vihara in Port Townsend, WA—speaks about the joy of spiritual community, the danger of letting an untethered mind wander into modern-day 'hell realms,' and how to anchor ourselves in the present moment through the dual foundations of ethical living (sīla) and somatic awareness of the breath. For more information about Ayya Ānandabodhī or Pārāyana Vihara, visit: https://parayanavihara.org/Ayya Ānandabodhī's bio:Ayya Ānandabodhī 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.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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Steve James, meditation teacher & host of the Guru Viking Podcast (https://www.guruviking.com/).00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:01:32 Formative faith moments and vocation00:06:18 Life on an English canal boat00:08:40 The rhythm of travel and interviewing00:10:59 Interviewing the same guest over time00:14:20 Most moving and luminous conversations00:17:21 Handling negative reactivity in conversation00:22:24 Balancing internal and external awareness00:23:50 Advice for engaging with teachers and mentors00:29:50 Finding beauty in people on different paths00:34:45 Questions that bring out conversational depth00:41:06 Personal frameworks for organizing experience00:48:15 Belief alignments and the "pie chart" of faith00:55:30 Personal relationship to the Buddha00:59:44 Navigating dual vs. non-dual teachingsSteve James' Biography:Steve James is an international educator specializing in somatic practices, meditation, and contemplative inquiry. Through public workshops and private consultancy, he facilitates deep explorations into mystic traditions and relational dynamics. He is the creator of the Movement Koan Method and the host of the Guru Viking Podcast, a platform through which he interviews a wide range of Buddhist and non-Buddhist spiritual teachers and adepts, and through which we first came to know of Steve. To learn more about Steve, visit https://www.guruviking.com/ or tune in to his YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GuruVikingTune 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 talk given on June 20 on the occasion of Clear Mountain's fourth annual Almsgiving Ceremony, Ajahn Sudanto—abbot of The Pacific Hermitage in White Salmon, WA—speaks about moving past the initial "romantic phase" of spiritual life into a resilient commitment. Celebrating Clear Mountain Monastery's new land, he warns that longing for flawless conditions is a delusion, reminding us that true practice requires anchoring faith with determination, rising above liking and disliking to weather the inevitable ups and downs of the journey. For more information about Ajahn Sudanto and the Pacific Hermitage, visit: https://pacifichermitage.org/Ajahn Sudanto's bio:Born in Portland, Oregon in 1968, Ajahn Sudanto discovered Buddhism while earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Oregon, sparking an open-ended spiritual journey through India and Southeast Asia. He eventually traveled to Thailand for intensive study and meditation at Wat Pah Nanachat, where he took full ordination as a bhikkhu in 1994 under Ajahn Pasanno. After five years of training within the Ajahn Chah forest tradition, he relocated to California to live and train with the emerging sangha at Abhayagiri Monastery. Following a successful summer retreat in the Columbia River Gorge in 2007, the Abhayagiri community tasked him with leading the establishment of the Pacific Hermitage in White Salmon, Washington, in 2010. Later, he took a year-long sabbatical spanning 2021 and early 2022, which he spent residing at Abhayagiri and Birken Forest Monastery in British Columbia before returning to his teaching duties.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 Cunda—Abhayagiri-ordained senior monk and good friend of Ajahns Kovilo and Nisabho—speaks about cultivation as a garden and a tool kit ... and how to use a shovel and washing machine!Ajahn Cunda's Bio:Ajahn Cunda was raised in a warm and loving family in the Northern suburbs of Chicago and moved to California in 1996. His interest in Buddhism began in high school, continued in college, led him on a spiritual search to Asia, and eventually drew him towards Theravāda meditation practices. It was not until he first came into contact with the monks of Abhayagiri, however, that he understood how monastic training could lead to a life of wisdom and peace. Ajahn Cunda moved to Abhayagiri in late 2005, and after two years training as an Anagārika and Sāmaṇera, ordained as a Bhikkhu on May 22, 2008. Under Luang Por Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, he trained at Abhayagiri for eight and a half years. In 2014, Ajahn Cunda moved to Tisaraṇa Monastery in Canada, to practice under the guidance of Luang Por Vīradhammo. In 2017, he began living in several western monasteries, including Bodhivana and Dhammagiri in Australia, Chithurst in England, and Santacittārāma in Italy, before returning to Abhayagiri in early 2020. In 2021, Ajahn Cunda spent a year at the Pacific Hermitage and returned to Abhayagiri in 2022. In July of 2026 Ajahn Cunda plans to begin a stay at Birken Monastery (Canada) for a one year retreat.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 Nisabho speaks with Amanda Knox, who was falsely convicted of murder in 2009, about her journey to find meaning in prison and forgiveness afterwards. The conversation delves into Amanda's practice of meditation, loving-kindness (metta), and advice for those struggling to forgive.BioAmanda Knox is an exoneree, journalist, public speaker, author of the New York Times best-selling memoir, Waiting to Be Heard, and host of the podcast Hard Knox. Her second book, FREE: My Search for Meaning came out in 2025. Between 2007 and 2015, she spent nearly four years in an Italian prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit. She has since become an advocate for criminal justice reform and media ethics. She sits on the advisory council for the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, serves as an Innocence Network Ambassador and is on The Innocence Center Board of Directors. And she is the recipient of the 2024 Innocence Network Impact Award and the 2025 Catalyst of Change Award from the Washington Innocence Project. To find out more, visit https://www.amandaknox.com/.00:00 Introduction01:48 Amanda Knox's background and bio03:06 What led to the Italian prison05:22 Wishing for a meditation practice during the darkest times05:49 The moment of conviction — an existential crisis08:27 Accepting "this is my life"10:14 Surviving day by day without a practice12:44 Life after prison: who am I now?13:32 The Vipassana retreat disaster15:56 What brought her back to practice18:48 Don Salo: the Catholic priest who became her lifeline22:31 Plagued by "why" questions — and metta practice24:50 The idea of reaching out to her prosecutor27:28 Questioning her own motives29:33 Showing up to give, not to get32:16 The Four Noble Truths and turning toward suffering35:44 Reaching out to the prosecutor38:01 Finding common ground with the man who imprisoned her40:59 The meeting in Perugia — arriving without attachment41:28 Delivering her message: "I see you"43:37 His unexpected response: "I love you"45:25 Advice for those who can't forgive46:52 The distinction between forgiveness and understanding50:11 Has the forgiveness settled in the heart?51:16 The ongoing splinter: society, not just one man52:25 Buddhism's joyfulness in the face of darkness53:24 The Puget Sound Zen Center and building a practice54:30 The sangha's card after her grandfather died56:19 Meditating as a family with young children58:37 Closing reflections-----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 three-way talk, Ajahn Kovilo, Ajahn Nisabho, and Maechee Paññasiri speak about the Three Characteristics/Perceptions (tilakkhaṇa), or perceptions:00:00:00 Introduction & Ajahn Kovilo on Dukkhatā - Pain/Suffering/Unsatisfactoriness00:11:58 Maechee Paññāsiri on Anattatā - Not-Self00:27:51 Ajahn Nisabho on Aniccatā - Impermanence00:43:14 Questions and Answers By contemplating these skillfully, one can bring the heart to full liberation. The talk also features a surprising number of references to mayonnaise.Maechee Paññāsirī's Biography:Sister Maechee Panyasiri is a Chinese-born, Thai forest nun in the tradition of Ven. Ajahn Chah.Born in 1967 and grew up in Shanghai, China, Sister has worked many years as a writer/creative director, a teacher of yoga, pranayama and meditation, as well as travelling the world, with a deep spiritual pursuit which she was born with. Finally this lifelong inner quest tuned her into the path of Dhamma. In 2018 She became a student of Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro and started the training in various forest monasteries in Thailand as a eight precept Upāsikā.In 2020 she became a Maechee with Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro as her preceptor and was instructed to go on almsround and not to receive or use money. Sister Maechee Paññāsirī currently remains in a nuns’ hermitage near the Khao Yai mountain in Thailand.----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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Paul Harrison, professor of religious studies at Stanford University (https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/people/paul-harrison).00:00:00 Introduction00:01:23 Balancing academic scholarship and personal spiritual practice00:04:09 Exploring the spiritual dimension of studying Buddhist texts00:05:55 How early Mahayana Buddhism emerged00:08:56 The timeline and setting where Mahayana began to diverge00:12:54 Explanation of the Lokaksema Corpus and early ascetic Mahayana traditions00:15:21 The cultural motivations and societal forces that drove the Mahayana movement00:18:11 Why early texts lack questions about attaining full Buddhahood00:21:29 The tension between historical scholarly development and traditional faith views00:25:11 Blind spots in the Theravada and linguistic distances from Pali00:30:59 The validity of an early Buddhist text conceit vs radical doctrinal differences with Mahayana texts00:34:48 The implications of written transmission versus oral recitation, and what the Gandhari scrolls reveal about it00:38:00 Do modern scholars actively practice text memorization?00:45:59 The historical evidence for ancient Greek and Persian cross-cultural influences on early Buddhism00:49:57 The polemical framing of Sariputta and the sectarian put-downs of the Shravakas in texts like the Vimalakirti Sutra00:54:06 The most fascinating current realms of research in Buddhist academia00:56:13 The key historical and doctrinal insights gained from the Gandhari scrolls00:57:28 The utility and drawbacks of using AI for translating sacred Buddhist textsBiography of Paul Harrison:Paul Harrison is the George Edwin Burnell Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University. Educated in his native New Zealand and in Australia, he specializes in Buddhist literature and history, especially that of the Mahāyāna, and in the study of Buddhist manuscripts in Sanskrit, Chinese and Tibetan. He has edited and translated a number of Buddhist texts, including the Pratyutpannabuddhasaṃmukhāvasthitasamādhisūtra, the Vajracchedikā, and (with Luis Gómez) the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, and is also one of the editors of the series “Buddhist Manuscripts in the Schøyen Collection.”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 talk, Maechee Paññasiri, visiting from Thailand, speaks about the urgency and profundity of the path of practice, and how the mundane moments of life, such as washing a robe, can catalyze the deepest insights. By purifying our sila (virtue) and relying on spiritual friends, we can see what stains remain in the heart and devote ourselves to their purification. When we understand the truth of mortality, only one task remains: that of Awakening.Maechee Paññāsirī's Biography:Sister Maechee Panyasiri is a Chinese-born, Thai forest nun in the tradition of Ven. Ajahn Chah.Born in 1967 and grew up in Shanghai, China, Sister has worked many years as a writer/creative director, a teacher of yoga, pranayama and meditation, as well as travelling the world, with a deep spiritual pursuit which she was born with. Finally this lifelong inner quest tuned her into the path of Dhamma. In 2018 She became a student of Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro and started the training in various forest monasteries in Thailand as a eight precept Upāsikā.In 2020 she became a Maechee with Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro as her preceptor and was instructed to go on almsround and not to receive or use money. Sister Maechee Paññāsirī currently remains in a nuns’ hermitage near the Khao Yai mountain in Thailand.----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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Ajahn Achalo, abbot and founder of Ānandagiri Monastery in Pechabun, Thailand (https://www.peacebeyondsuffering.org/)00:00:00 Welcome and introduction of Ajahn Achalo00:01:27 Connection with the local village and global uncertainty00:07:53 Advice for navigating dark or distressing times00:08:36 Internal practices for holding the heart in a good space00:13:06 Correlation between renunciation and letting go of hindrances00:16:43 Contemplating the law of karma during difficult periods00:19:38 Skillful means for brightening an anxious or upset mind00:23:52 Concept and relationship to shared group karma00:28:43 Dealing with the general trajectory of a degenerating world00:35:45 Daily devotional acts and determinations00:40:40 Invocations of deities and devas in practice00:48:55 Planning for rebirth and suitable environments01:01:00 Personal experiences and the reality of subtle realmsAjahn Achalo's Biography:Ajahn Achalo was born in Brisbane Australia in 1972. He developed a keen interest in meditation at the age of twenty and a year later left for Thailand to study Buddhism more intently.  After a two year period practising in various centres and monasteries, in 1996 Ajahn Achalo ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu under Ajahn Liem at Wat Nong Pah Pong, the monastery founded by venerable Ajahn Chah. Although most of his training has taken place in Thailand, Ajahn Achalo has also lived in several international Forest Monasteries in the Ajahn Chah lineage.  During his years of training, he has received personal guidance from many remarkable teachers, among them, Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Kalyano. For most of his Bhikkhu life, he has considered Tan Ajahn Anan, abbot of Wat Marp Jan, to be his principal mentor. In addition, he has found the Dalai Lama's instructions and example to be of tremendous value. Ajahn Achalo is the founder and abbot of Anandagiri Forest Monastery in Pechabun, Thialand. Much of his time - several thousand hours - has been spent meditating at Bodhgaya (where the Buddha was Enlightened).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, Ayya Niyyānika explores how we can discover true inner security and cultivate a 'smiling heart' of endless kindness, even when navigating an overwhelming and messy world. Grounding in the Maṅgala Sutta, they challenge us to move beyond the illusion of perfectly guaranteed external 'safe spaces' and instead build brave communities where we can hold our vulnerabilities, challenges, and identities with wisdom and curiosity.Ayya Niyyanika's Biography:Ayya Niyyānika grew up on Whidbey Island, Washington, and worked as an ontology consultant in Minnesota before entering monastic life. They began their formal training in 2014 at Dhammadharini Monastery in California, where they received full bhikkhunī higher ordination on December 3, 2017. After subsequent training at Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery and a period of independent travel through Asia and the West, they co-founded Passaddhi Vihara (www.passaddhivihara.org) in Olympia, Washington, in May 2024 alongside Ayyā Suvijjānā. Ayya Niyyānika focuses their practice on embodiment and open kindness, integrating early Buddhist teachings and monastic discipline into modern, lived experience.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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Terry Real, therapist, author, and creator of Relational Life Therapy (RLT) (https://terryreal.com/).00:00:00 Introduction00:02:49 Coming out of the closet as a long-term meditator00:04:46 Three parts of the brain and the psyche in RLT00:05:42 Explaining the survival instincts of fight, flight, and fawn00:06:22 Defining the "wounded child" and the nature of trauma00:07:18 The role and function of the "adaptive child"00:08:40 How trauma triggers reactivity in current relationships00:11:41 The neurobiology of getting flooded and going offline00:12:48 Introducing the concept of "relational mindfulness"00:14:15 Moving from the reactive mind to the responsive mind00:16:43 The importance of performing trauma work with partners00:19:02 How the Buddhist Eightfold Path relates to reactivity00:19:26 Integrating spiritual friendship with the need for seclusion00:19:40 The framework and the "Ten Commandments of Timeouts"00:20:25 Skillful distance and the dance of intimacy00:21:20 Establishing healthy self-esteem and God-given worth00:22:50 Balancing abandonment wounds versus intrusion wounds00:25:31 Correcting the epistemological mistake of individualism00:26:49 Waking up to ecological wisdom and relationality00:30:01 A Zen story about treating others while "saving the world"00:32:02 Releasing conceit and the movement from me to we00:34:28 Common pairings of wounded and adaptive children00:35:13 The five losing strategies of the adaptive child00:36:59 Examples of how adaptive strategies reinforce each other00:38:04 A story of recovery and relational heroism regarding lying00:41:36 Understanding accountability and the "second consciousness"00:43:53 Distinguishing between blame, victimhood, and responsibility00:45:46 The risks of "parental determinism" and cutting off parents00:46:50 Carl Jung and the necessity of a religious outlook00:47:54 Spirituality as a cure for the disease of addiction00:50:05 Einstein's question on whether the universe is friendly00:52:24 Healing through relaxing into something bigger than oneself00:54:37 A conversation with Jack Kornfeld on spiritual teaching00:55:47 Final reflections on basic trust and nature looking backTerry Real's Biography:Terry Real is a family therapist, author, and teacher particularly known for his work on male psychology and relationships. His work has been featured in numerous academic articles as well as in The New York Times and Psychology Today; And he has appeared in conversation with Oprah, Esther Perel, Gabor Mate, and with our friend Rick Hanson, to name a few. Terry is the founder of The Relational Life Institute, and the author of "I Don't Want To Talk About It" on the topic of male depression, "How Can I Get Through To You?" on the role of patriarchy in relationships, "The New Rules of Marriage," and most recently, "Us: Getting Past You & Me and Building a More Loving Relationship". Ten Commandments of Timeouts:1. Use as a Circuit Breaker2. Take Your Time-Out from the "I"3. Take Distance Responsibly4. Use Short Abbreviations5. Don’t Let Yourself Be Stopped6. Use Check-Ins at Prescribed Intervals7. Remember Your Goal8. Return in Good Faith9. Observe a 24-Hour Moratorium10. Know When to Get HelpTune 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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Loch Kelly - meditation teacher, author, and founder of the Effortless Mindfulness Institute (https://lochkelly.org/).00:00:00 Introduction to Loch Kelly00:02:14 Introduction to Effortless Mindfulness for Theravāda Listeners00:12:14 Mapping Effortless Mindfulness to Samādhi and the Unborn00:14:12 Resonance of Loch's Teachings with the Theravāda Tradition00:19:40 Defining "Glimpses" and "Local Awareness"00:27:35 Experiencing a Glimpse: What is the Nature of this Awareness?00:29:03 Understanding the Capabilities of Local Awareness00:30:08 Loch’s Personal Experience and the "Clear Light" of Rigpa00:32:00 Determining the Relationship Between Awareness and the Deathless00:39:06 Navigating the Conflict Between Dualistic and Non-Dualistic Teachings00:45:52 Demonstrating a Second Skillful Glimpse00:50:08 Distinguishing Types of Awareness: Attention vs. Mindful Awareness00:53:11 Shifting the Location of Identity and the Mindful Witness00:56:58 Identifying the Detours: Spiritual Bypassing, Psychological Overpassing, Cognitive Underpassing01:02:40 Guiding the Seven Steps: Unhook, Drop, Open, See, Include, Know and Let Be01:04:41 Implementing Effortless Mindfulness for Different Personalities01:11:53 Paradoxes in Buddhism: Mundane vs. Super-Mundane Right View01:15:12 Applying Mindfulness Tools to Deep Suffering and Trauma01:25:19 Helping Students "Unstuck" from the Mindful Witness Position01:28:30 Integrating Flow Consciousness into Everyday Life01:32:11 Risks and Ethics of Sharing Direct Pointing InstructionsLoch Kelly's Biography:Loch Kelly is a meditation teacher, psychotherapist, and is the founder of the non-profit Effortless Mindfulness Institute. A graduate of Columbia University and Union Theological, he has, since the late 1970s, studied in multiple lineages of Buddhism: with such Theravāda elders as Professor Lily de Silva and Godwin Samararatne; with the Tibetan masters Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and Anam Thubten among other greats; and with modern teachers such as Adyashanti, Tara Brach, and Shinzen Young. Loch synthesizes ancient nondual wisdom, neuroscience, and contemporary psychology–especially Internal Family Systems–into a unique experiential teaching style focused on "small glimpses" many times. Loch is recognized for his collaborative research with neuroscientists at Yale and NYU, and is the author of "Shift Into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness" and "The Way of Effortless Mindfulness." 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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Sukhito, Israeli-born abbot of Poo Jom Gom Forest Monastery in Ubon, Thailand and (https://ketkamala.org/).00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction of Tan Ajahn Sukito00:00:26 Biography: Early Life and Journey to Buddhism00:01:04 Service at Wat Phu Chong Gom and the Gamala Foundation00:01:38 Personal Connection and Reflections on Practice00:02:27 Ajahn Sukito’s Experience in Northern India00:04:21 Favorite Suttas and Precious Teachings00:07:07 The Five Faculties as a Framework for Life00:09:32 A Holistic Approach to the Dhamma00:11:46 The Five Dimensions: Relationship, Action, and Supervision00:16:37 The Five Dimensions: Inner Life and Continuous Learning00:18:59 Tracing the Development of Faith (Saddha)00:21:53 Meeting the Dhamma: A Powerful Shift in Perspective00:27:56 The Faculty of Energy (Viriya) and the Path to Thailand00:32:51 Discovering the Thai Forest Tradition and Its Teachers00:35:51 Stepping into the Role of Abbot at Wat Phu Chong Gom00:40:46 Managing a Forest Monastery for Holistic Practice00:44:40 The Importance of Community in the Ajahn Chah Lineage00:47:07 Balancing Aesthetic Seriousness with Lightness00:48:49 Physical Work and Simplicity as Spiritual Practice00:52:49 Cultivating Noble Friendship on the Path00:55:19 The Faculty of Wisdom (Panna) and Education00:59:48 The Vision of the Kate Gamala Foundation01:03:40 Applying Dhamma to Global Challenges and Education01:06:48 Guiding Hearts Through World Upheaval and Conflict01:13:47 Closing Words and GratitudeAjahn Sukhito's Biography:Ajahn Sukhito - born in Israel in 1970 - is a Theravāda Buddhist monk in the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah. In his early twenties, he traveled to the East, where he first encountered Buddhism in Northern India - an experience that profoundly shaped his life. He went on to study and practice within several Buddhist traditions before ordaining as a monk in the Ajahn Chah lineage. For over 30 years, Ajahn Sukhito has lived and practiced as a monk primarily in Thailand. For approximately 14 years, he has served as abbot of Poo Jom Gom (วัดป่าภูจ้อมก้อม) Forest Monastery in Northeast Thailand. In recent years, he has also spent extended periods in Israel at the invitation of his students, supporting the development of the local community of practitioners in the Ajahn Chah tradition. Also in recent years, Ajahn Sukhito has taken on the role (along with Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Dton) of "Spiritual Advisor" to the Ket Kamalā Foundation มูลนิธิเกตุกมลา (https://ketkamala.org/), which provides Holistic Buddhist Education in the form of weekend camps at various monasteries and with a vision is to establish a Holistic Buddhist Bilingual School in Ubon Province.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, we speak with Luang Por Khemadhammo OBE (https://foresthermitage.org.uk/), abbot of The Forest Hermitage & founder of the Angulimala Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy program.00:00:00 — Introduction00:01:45 — Key moments of faith leading to monasticism00:06:45 — Transferable skills between acting and meditation00:11:18 — Personal perspectives on the "Dharma of Shakespeare"00:11:44 — Specific gems of wisdom found in Shakespeare's works00:12:16 — Experiencing the qualities of genius and love in Ajahn Chah00:17:48 — Specific anecdotes or stories from time with Ajahn Chah00:23:44 — The genesis and nature of the Angulimala prison project00:30:57 — Inspiration for dedicating decades to prison work00:35:00 — Transmuting rage and anger in incarcerated individuals00:37:31 — Most relevant Buddhist teachings for inmates00:38:50 — Practical means and methods of the prison program00:42:04 — Relating to and appreciating diverse Buddhist schools00:49:33 — Stories of personal transformation among inmates00:52:17 — Handling worldly accolades and honors as a monk00:55:06 — The quintessential ingredient for staying in robes00:58:29 — Evolving perspectives on monks using modern media01:01:15 — Advice for interacting with those "down and out" or unseenAs you can see, the conversation was wide-ranging touching on many fascinating aspects of Luang Por Khemadhammo's unique life as a Shakespearean actor turned Buddhist monk. Such topics include meditation lessons from the theatre, the initial meeting and life with Luang Por Chah, the beginnings of the Western Sangha in England, the birth of the Angulimala Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy program, insights from teaching prisoners, and perspectives gained from 55 years in robes. For more information about Luang Por, visit: https://foresthermitage.org.uk/Luang Por Khemadhammo's Bio:Luang Por Khemadhammo (Chao Khun Bhavanaviteht) OBE was born in England in 1944. After training and practising as a professional actor and working at the Royal National Theatre with Laurence Olivier, in 1971 he travelled to Thailand via the Buddhist holy places in India. In December 1971 in Bangkok he became a novice and about a month later moved to Ubon to stay at Wat Nong Pah Pong with Ajahn Chah with whom he received bhikkhu ordination. In 2003, he was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to prisoners and for his creation of the Angulimala Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy (https://angulimala.org.uk/) program. The following year at His Majesty the King of Thailand’s birthday in December he was made a Chao Khun with the title, Phra Chao Khun Bhavanaviteht. He is the founder and abbot of The Forest Hermitage and one of the most senior Western Disciples of Luang Por Chah. 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 talk, Ajahn Nisabho recounts the Buddha's life and Enlightenment, emphasing both his relatability as a historical figure who lived 2500 years ago, and the transcendent aspect which we can contact today. By more deeply understanding his humanity, we understand that we too have the potential to Awaken as he did.----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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Brahmali, elder monk at Bodhinyana Monastery, advisor to the Buddhist Society of Western Australia (https://bswa.org/), and frequent contributor to and translator at SuttaCentral.net.Biography of Ajahn Brahmali:Ajahn Brahmali was born in Norway in 1964. He first became interested in Buddhism and meditation in his early 20s after a visit to Japan. Having completed degrees in engineering and finance, he began his monastic training in England at Amaravati and Chithurst Buddhist Monasteries. After hearing teachings from Ajahn Brahm, he decided to travel to Australia to train at Bodhinyana Monastery. Ajahn Brahmali has lived at Bodhinyana Monastery since 1994, and was ordained as a Bhikkhu, with Ajahn Brahm as his preceptor, in 1996. Ajahn Brahmali’s knowledge of the Pali language and of the Suttas is excellent. A regular contributor to discourse.suttacentral, he has also published two essays on Dependent Origination, a book called “The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts” with Bhante Sujato, and has translated the entire Buddhist Monastic Code.Ajahn Brahmali Previous CMM Interview on Early Buddhist Texts: https://youtu.be/FznHXTboSJs?si=44Mc8X9sSSZGRyshNine Principles of Translationfrom: https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/principles-of-translation/194851. Translating (nearly) everything2. Translating transparently and meaningfully3. Principle of the least meaning4. (Partially) transforming the oral nature of the text into literary form5. Using simple language and vocabulary6. Avoiding Buddhist hybrid English7. Using American spelling and vocabulary8. Sometimes using multiple renderings for each Pali term or expression9. Principle of [[lectio difficilior potiorThe 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!

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, Randima Fernando, co-founder of Center for Humane Technology (https://www.humanetech.com/) joins Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho for a conversation.Randima's Biography:Randima has presented on the intersection of technology, mindfulness, and social impact to the world’s leading technology companies, NGOs, and government agencies. He is a Co-Founder and former Executive Director of Center for Humane Technology, which has helped over 100 million people globally understand the harms of extractive technology through the documentary film The Social Dilemma, the podcast Your Undivided Attention, and many other initiatives. Randima started his career at NVIDIA, where he led many award-winning projects and authored three #1-ranked books on 3D graphics over seven years. Additionally, he was a founding Board Member of the NVIDIA Foundation. Randima then served for seven years as founding Executive Director at Mindful Schools, a nonprofit that has taught mindfulness to millions of kids and over 70,000 educators worldwide. He is also a former board member of Spirit Rock Meditation Center.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!

https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monasteryhttps://youtu.be/ElxEuHRiolIhttps://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak about the long-term vision for Clear Mountain, as well as the timeline and immediate steps towards its realization. Addressing frequently asked questions and comments from the audience, the session describes the process for creating a refuge of Dhamma in the Northwest on the newly acquired land.-----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 Kovilo speaks about Nibbidā - disenchantment, disillusionment, and enoughness as one practices the path at getting better at pleasure, happiness, and peace.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 dual talk describing their recent three-month Winter Retreat, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak about key tools, take-aways, and the particular dukkha and sukha, of sitting in quiet for 90 days… with 9 hours a day of sitting meditation on Zoom.------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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Indo-Tibetan Buddhist scholar Dr. Jay Garfield (https://jaygarfield.org/).00:00:00 – Introduction00:00:25 – Biography of Professor Jay Garfield00:01:48 – Prof. Garfield's Start Studying Buddhist Philosophy00:06:14 – The Origin of the "Third World Expectation" Requirement00:08:34 – Why Study at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies?00:09:15 – Shared Experiences at Hampshire College00:10:18 – Defining Indo-Tibetan Buddhism00:12:13 – Comparing Theravada and Indo-Tibetan Traditions00:17:17 – Explaining the Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma00:26:24 – Authenticity and the Definition of "Word of the Buddha" (Buddhavacana)00:33:44 – The Story of the Academic Exchange Program00:36:48 – Distinguishing the Three Vehicles (Yānas)00:39:50 – Common Misunderstandings of Tantra00:40:38 – Overview of the Four Major Schools of Tibetan Buddhism00:45:35 – The Role of Ethics (Sīla) in Buddhist Study00:50:06 – The Guru: Fourth Jewel of Tibetan Buddhism00:51:17 – Exploring Dzogchen and "Pointing Out" Instructions00:59:18 – Which Languages Would You Prioritize Learning?01:00:06 – Top Book Recommendations for Beginners01:00:31 – Which Western Philosopher Should a Buddhist Read?01:00:47 – Whose Mind Would You Like to Experience?01:01:13 – Which Realm of Being Would You Inhabit?01:01:45 – Have You Ever Considered Ordination?Dr. Garfield's Biography:Jay L. Garfield is Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Smith College, visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School, Professor of Philosophy at Melbourne University, and adjunct professor of philosophy at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies. His work has focused on Buddhist philosophy, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, ethics, and cross-cultural work, addressing topics in cognitive science, modern Indian philosophy, epistemology, and Indo-Tibetan Madhyamaka and Yogācāra Buddhism in particular. He is the author or editor of over 30 books including "Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live without a Self," "Buddhist Ethics: A Philosophical Exploration," "Engaging Buddhism: Why Does Buddhism Matter to Philosophy?," and "How to Lose Yourself: An Ancient Guide to Letting Go" in addition to nearly 200 articles, chapters, and reviews. He is also the Professor of the Great Courses Series on "The Meaning of Life."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 talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how we can create true spiritual community, referencing the the six principles of harmony taught by the Buddha in the Kosambiya Sutta (MN 48 - https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN48.html). Understanding kalyāṇa-mittatā, or spiritual friendship, as relationship predicated on mutual support of shared spiritual values rather than resonance of personality, we can cultivate a truly inclusive and safe refuge for all.----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 speak with Ajahn Mahā Dam (https://www.facebook.com/buddhakhanti/), who was handicapped during the Walk For Peace.00:00:00 – Introduction00:01:27 – Early Faith and Becoming a Novice00:03:24 – Moving to Thailand at Age 1400:04:03 – Ajahn's "Second Birth" as a Buddhist00:05:41 – Challenges of Language and Adaptation00:07:07 – Sustaining Monastic Life as a Youth00:09:34 – Transitioning to Pāli Studies in Bangkok00:11:38 – The Technique of Pain Meditation00:14:03 – Recollections of the Accident00:17:00 – Duration of the Peace Walk00:21:27 – Breath Meditation vs. Mantras00:22:25 – The Importance of Mindfulness at Death00:25:11 – Advice on Loss and Mindfulness Without the Breath00:26:38 – Sensations Immediately After Impact00:30:17 – Processing the News of Amputation00:33:08 – Offering the Leg as Buddha Pūja00:37:31 – Hopes for Future Service to the Dhamma00:39:36 – Experiences with Racism and Being a Stranger00:41:10 – Favorite Teachers of the Thai Forest Tradition00:42:38 – Listening to Ajahn Chah in Isaan/Lao Language00:44:01 – Hopes for Pilgrimage in India and Nepal00:44:36 – The Core Purpose of the Walk for Peace00:48:07 – Practicing with Loss and Avoiding Resentment00:50:55 – Forgiveness and the "Second Arrow" of Anger00:54:13 – Reflections on the Community’s Support00:56:37 – Current Recovery and Future Hopes00:58:54 – A New Companion: The Peace DogAjahn Mahā Dam's Biography:Ajahn Mahā Dam Prommasan (พระอาจารย์มหาดำ พรหมสาร) was born in Savannakhet, Laos and ordained as a novice monk at age nine. At age fourteen, he traveled to Ubon, Thailand to further his studies at Wat Phitsopārām (วัดพิชโสภาราม), later continuing his studies in Bangkok where he would complete the eighth of nine levels of Pāli Proficiency. In 2016, he moved to Wat Lao Buddha Khanti in Snellville, Georgia, where he now serves as head monk. At the end of last year, Ajahn Maha Dam joined Bhante Paññākāra's Walk for Peace tudong. While on this walking pilgrimage near Houston, Texas, he was struck by a vehicle, resulting in injuries so severe that his leg had to be amputated. Despite the profound physical trauma and the loss of his limb, he continues his life as a monk with a heart free of grievance, embodying the very peace he set out to share with the world.To learn more about Ajahn Mahā Dam, visit: https://www.watlaobuddhakhanti.org/ OR https://www.facebook.com/buddhakhanti/- Interview with the Walk for Peace leader, Bhante Paññākāra here: https://youtu.be/vgo0mhBAotM- And Part Two of that interview here: https://youtu.be/r_AhRfLJJNw#walkforpeace #alokathepeacedog #buddhistmonks ----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 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo takes a cue from the Christian Calendar, speaking to the symbolism of Holy/Glorious/Low Saturday–the day after Christ's Crucifixion and before his Resurrection–as a metaphor for being with and understanding dukkha, suffering. 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!

This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's two-part interview with Bhante Paññākāra. You may find PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/vgo0mhBAotM00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:51 - Encounters with Suffering on the Road00:09:14 - Walking Meditation and Mindfulness of Breath at the Edge00:18:55 - Ajahn Mahā Dham's Accident and Amputation00:24:32 - "Protest" and Police Encounters00:38:40 - Personal Relationship to the Triple Gem: Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha00:41:48 - Engaging with Christian Protesters - "No Religion"00:50:30 - A Message for the WorldIn this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Bhante Pannyakara (https://dhammacetiya.com/), the Vietnamese-born Theravāda monk who led the recent "Walk for Peace" from Texas to Washington DC and who founded the Dhammacetiya Project in Fort Worth, Texas. This second part of the interview details the miraculous rescue of the 'ambassador dog' Āloka from India, the transformative impact of the 2,300-mile 'Walk for Peace' on those contemplating suicide or facing deep grief, the tragic yet transcendent accident of Ajahn MahāDham, the unique integration of law enforcement and protesters into a singular field of mindfulness, and how the internal discipline of watchin the breath can allow a practitioner to maintain a 'peaceful day' amidst the noise of the world.To learn more, visit https://dhammacetiya.com/ or https://www.youtube.com/@walkforpeaceusa Bhante's Biography:Bhante Paññākāra is a Theravāda Buddhist monk and former IT engineer who transitioned from a corporate career to a life of mindfulness and service. Born in Vietnam and educated at the University of Texas at Arlington, Bhante Paññākāra immigrated to the U.S. in 1997 and took full ordination in 2010 in the lineage of the Most Venerable Ratanaguna, the last direct disciple of His Holiness the Venerable Vamsarakhita, founder and first Sangharaja of the Vietnamese Theravāda Buddhist Sangha. In 2020, he launched the Dhammacetiya Project to preserve the Tipiṭaka in a monumental marble stupa complex, a vision furthered by his 112-day, 2,100-mile ascetic Dhutanga pilgrimage across India and Nepal. That journey, chronicled in his memoir, The Footsteps of a Buddhist Monk, laid the foundation for his most recent undertaking: leading the only-very-recently-completed 2,300-mile, 108-day 'Walk for Peace' from Texas to Washington, D.C. He currently serves at the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhāvana Center in Fort Worth, Texas.To learn more about Bhante Paññākāra, visit: https://www.facebook.com/walkforpeaceusa/ or https://dhammacetiya.com/#walkforpeace #alokathepeacedog #buddhistmonks ----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 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the quality humility in Buddhism, and how to let go of pride and conceit. Though anattā, or "not-self", can seem like an abstract concept at first, Buddhist practice teaches us over time the embodied sense of what means to let go of a sense of self and ensuing suffering. In humility we find true majesty of spirit.-----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!

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's two-part interview with Bhante Paññākāra. PART TWO is scheduled to air April 1st here: https://youtu.be/r_AhRfLJJNw00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:23 - How is Āloka?00:04:00 - Key Moments of Faith and Ordination00:14:51 - Choosing Theravāda00:23:12 - Making Vows00:30:52 - Āloka Sighting00:31:55 - Daily Vows and the Practice of Tudong Pilgrimage and Wearing Rag-robes00:39:54 - How Bhante Met Āloka00:47:26 - Social Justice Peace Walks vs. Renunciate Peace WalksIn this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Bhante Pannakara (https://dhammacetiya.com/), the Vietnamese-born Theravāda monk who led the recent "Walk for Peace" from Texas to Washington DC and who founded the Dhammacetiya Project in Fort Worth, Texas. This first part of the interview explores Bhante Paññākāra’s transition from a disillusioning IT career to the monastic life, the profound 'system-reboot' sparked by the simple sight of a falling leaf, the persistence required to secure his parents' and teacher's permission to ordain, the seven-year silent incubation of his vow to build the marble Dhammacetiya Project, and the physical rigors of a 2,100-mile ascetic pilgrimage through India and Nepal in hand-stitched rag robes.Bhante's Biography:Bhante Panyakara is a Theravāda Buddhist monk and former IT engineer who transitioned from a corporate career to a life of mindfulness and service. Born in Vietnam and educated at the University of Texas at Arlington, Bhante Paññākāra immigrated to the U.S. in 1997 and took full ordination in 2010 in the lineage of the Most Venerable Ratanaguna, the last direct disciple of His Holiness the Venerable Vamsarakhita, founder and first Sangharaja of the Vietnamese Theravāda Buddhist Sangha. In 2020, he launched the Dhammacetiya Project to preserve the Tipiṭaka in a monumental marble stupa complex, a vision furthered by his 112-day, 2,100-mile ascetic Dhutanga pilgrimage across India and Nepal. That journey, chronicled in his memoir, The Footsteps of a Buddhist Monk, laid the foundation for his most recent undertaking: leading the only-very-recently-completed 2,300-mile, 108-day 'Walk for Peace' from Texas to Washington, D.C. He currently serves at the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhāvana Center in Fort Worth, Texas.To learn more about Bhante Paññākāra, visit: https://www.facebook.com/walkforpeaceusa/ or https://dhammacetiya.com/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 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/00:00 Introduction02:13 Monastics speak15:45 Board & Land Development Team speak44:18 Audience sharing with Q&AOn Sat. March 21, 2026, Clear Mountain's monastics, Board, and Land Development team announced to the community that the Friends of Clear Mountain Board had taken a final vote to approve acquisition of the 90-acre North Bend land for Clear Mountain Monastery. By doing so they met the March 22 deadline for the due diligence process. Community support for the land acquisition reflects the incredible generosity of the Clear Mountain community around the world, and the final donations for the purchase came through to Friends of Clear Mountain for the full $4.93 million purchase of the two North Bend parcels, the future home of Clear Mountain Monastery!We rejoice in all those who contributed to this beautiful aspiration being realized! Sadhu!To learn more, visit https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/----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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Bhante Sumitta, founder of “Dhamma USA” (https://www.dhammausa.org/). Topics discussed include Bhante Smnitta's going-forth at eleven, the benefits of loving-kindness, cultivation of metta, teaching Dhamma to children, the emerging bhikkhuni order in Sri Lanka and the US.Bhante Sumitta's Biography:Bhante Sumitta is the founder of “Dhamma USA”, a community-based charity organization to launch his community care and spiritual care activities. Bhante is actively engaged in social welfare and spiritual care activities in California and other states by conducting Dhamma Talks, Sutta Discussions, Meditations and Pali Language Classes apart from helping many under privileged families and children in Sri Lanka. Dhamma USA is also helping children education projects in India. Bhante Sumitta is currently a PhD Research scholar at the University of the West and is pursuing his research thesis on “Philosophy of Arahanta Ideal as Depicted in Mahaniddesa”. At his school, University of the West, Bhante Sumitta started “UWest Pali Society” to promote Pali studies and Buddhist Art & Culture. A weeklong Budart Exhibition was co-organized by Bhante Sumitta along with Budart. He works as an Adjunct Faculty at the University of the West in several Departments teaching Ethics in Buddhist Ministry; Fundamentals of Buddhism; Introduction to Buddhist Psychology and more. He works as a prison care volunteer for Engaged Buddhist Alliance in Southern California apart from teaching at Home Boys Industries in Los Angeles from time to time. Prior to arriving at United States, venerable has been working at the Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka as a Senior Lecturer in English. He has completed 2 Bachelor Degrees and 3 Master Degrees prior to pursuing his doctoral Degree at the University of the West.To learn more, visit https://www.dhammausa.org/------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!

The 4-Part guided meditation on "sharing merit" that preceded this talk can be found here: https://youtu.be/cK__2ma48vsIn this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks to the practice of "sharing merit" (pattidāna-mayā puññā) based on the "Verses of Sharing & Aspiration" chant on page 33 of the Chanting book (https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/30/Chanting-Book-Vol-1-Web.pdf):"Through the goodness that arises from my practice, May my spiritual teachers & guides of great virtue,My mother, my father, & my relatives,The Sun & the Moon, & all virtuous leaders of the world,May the highest gods & evil forces,Celestial beings, guardian spirits of the Earth, & the Lord of Death,May those who are friendly, indifferent, or hostile,May all beings receive the blessings of my life.May they soon attain the threefold bliss & realize the Deathless.Through the goodness that arises from my practice, & through this act of sharing,May all desires & attachments quickly cease & all harmful states of mind.Until I realize Nibānna,In every kind of birth, may I have an upright mind,With mindfulness & wisdom, austerity & vigor.May the forces of delusion not take hold nor weaken my resolve.The Buddha is my excellent refuge,Unsurpassed is the protection of the Dhamma,The Solitary Buddha is my noble guide,The Sangha is my supreme support.Through the supreme power of all these,May darkness & delusion be dispelled."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!

Ratthapala was a wealthy young man who heard the Buddha teach and immediately wanted to ordain. His parents refused - he was their only son, raised in privilege. So he lay on the floor and declared he would die there if not permitted. After seven days of fasting, they relented. He quickly attained arahantship and later returned home. His father tried to lure him back with piles of gold and his former wives, but Ratthapala was unmoved. When King Koravya asked why someone with youth, health, and wealth would renounce the world, Ratthapala taught the famous "Four Dhamma Summaries". The Buddha declared Ratthapala foremost among disciples who ordained on "pure conviction" - not from misfortune, but from profound insight into the nature of existence.To learn more or join via Zoom for the Sunday "Mission Majjhima!" discussion group from 5:10 - 6 pm PT following the video premier, visit Clear Mountain Monastery's website and click on the link for the "Mission Majjhima! – Sunday Evening Sutta Teaching & Discussion" (https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/sunday-sutta-study/).THIS SUTTA:The Ratthapala Sutta (About Ratthapala) - https://suttacentral.net/mn82/en/sujatoTHE FULL MISSION MAJJHIMA PLAYLIST & SERIES:- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLomY-Sp4p5YsIVG0DmvJhUcR6YaXR_3wf- https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/sunday-sutta-study/SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES:- Reference Notes - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GbSQaD5VJr3oVkoOXQZOP23NeysBTsY9u5h4O8wub_E/edit- SuttaCentral Translations and Parallels - https://suttacentral.net/mn82- Bhikkhu Bodhi Translation - https://suttacentral.net/mn82/en/bodhi- Thanissaro Bhikkhu Translation - https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN82.html- Bhikkhu Bodhi Lecture - Syllabus for a Systematic Study of the Majjhima Nikāya: -- https://bodhimonastery.org/a-systematic-study-of-the-majjhima-nikaya.html#:~:text=MN%2082%2E%20Ra%E1%B9%AD%E1%B9%ADhap%C4%81la%20Sutta,-V -- (audio) https://scdd.sfo2.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/uploads/original/3X/d/3/d3c0aa5d75be1472abc9000e329bc671942d09a5.mp3- Bhikkhu Analayo - A Comparative Study of the Majjhima-nikaya - MN 81 - Page 477 - https://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/pdf/5-personen/analayo/compstudyvol1.pdf#page=477- Venerable Ekaggata - MN 82 - https://bswa.org/teaching/mn82-ratthapala-sutta-12-december-2012/- Dharmata - Ratthapala Sutta Analysis - https://palisuttas.com/2015/12/06/ratthapala-sutta-mn-82-r/- The Four Dhamma Summaries (Chanting Guide) - https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/ChantingGuide/Section0013.html- "The World Is Swept Away" (Thanissaro Bhikkhu) - https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/Meditations2/Section0039.htmlTune 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 session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho converse with Bhante Rahula, founder of Paññabhumi Monastery in Guadalajara, Mexico (https://dhamma-pb.org/ and https://www.bhanterahula.com/). They talk about how the monastery served as a refuge during recent political upheaval, the role of monastics in times of tumult, favorite hidden gems in the Suttas, reasons for ordination, and more! Bhante Rāhula BioBhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has practiced and studied the Dhamma.He was ordained in Myanmar by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, who is his preceptor. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya. For 6 years, Bhante studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau. In 2019, he completed a course on Buddhist scriptures from Harvard University. After living for several years at Sāsanārakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS) in Malaysia, he returned to Mexico to found Paññabhumi Monastery in Guadalajara. To find out more about Bhante Rāhula or Paññabhumi, visit https://www.bhanterahula.com/ or https://dhamma-pb.org/-----------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 talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how we can use Buddhist cosmology to understand the mind and its refinement. Where the standard lists of mental factors and contemplations taught by the Buddha often provide the necessary language for practice, the variegated world of Buddhist cosmology contains great wisdom as well.-----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!

This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's interview with Jack Kornfield. Watch PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/selbulve5z000:00:00 - Introduction00:02:35 - Early Years: From Dartmouth to Haight-Ashbury to Peace Corps to the Thai Forests00:05:28 - Meeting Ajahn Sumedho00:07:26 - Meeting Ajahn Chah and Being the Second Western Monk at Wat Nong Pah Pong00:10:00 - Life in Caves (Wat Tam Saeng Pet), Walking alms barefoot00:12:25 - Visiting Ajahn Chah with Ram Dass and Joseph Goldstein00:13:04 - Returning to the West and the poignant decision to disrobe00:16:28 - The Birth of IMS: Lay Practice and Unexpected Karma00:17:39 - Founding Spirit Rock: Sacred Land and Generous Benefactors00:20:45 - Asian Origins of Western Teachings00:22:15 - Modernizing the Dharma: Lay Teachers and Team Teaching00:26:21 - Integrating the Feminine00:27:35 - Right Effort for Westerners Moving Beyond "Cowboy Style"00:31:20 - Inviting Asian Teachers to America: Ajahn Chah, Mahāsi Saydaw, the Dalai Lama,00:33:50 - Teacher Conversations for Mutual Growth and Respect00:39:40 - Ethics and Sexual Misconduct: Precepts for Teachers00:42:11 - Psychology and the Path00:44:15 - The "Insight Tradition" and Teacher Training and Curricula00:49:35 - Addressing Trauma and Seeing SufferingIn this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Jack Kornfield, a pioneering bridge between Theravāda Buddhism and Western psychology, and a key architect of the mindfulness movement currently flourishing in the United States. Jack brilliantly summarizes a life devoted to bringing the Dharma West, touching on such topics as Kornfield’s early encounters with Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho in the Thai forests, the serendipitous karmic origins of major American centers like IMS and Spirit Rock, and the deliberate evolution of Western Dharma through team teaching, female leadership, and secular teacher training. Kornfield highlights the vital "middle path" of adapting ancient monastic medicines—such as mindfulness and Metta—to address modern issues like trauma and psychological striving, while preserving the core essence of the Four Noble Truths.Jack's Biography:Jack Kornfield has been a pioneering force in bringing Theravāda Buddhism – and mindfulness more broadly – to the West. After serving in the Peace Corps in the late 1960s, Jack trained as a monk under our teachers' teacher Ajahn Chah, and - for varying lengths of time – also met and trained with such other monastic luminaries as: Mahasi Sayadaw, Ajahn Jumnien, Taungpulu Sayādaw, Ajahn Buddhadāsa, and Ajahn Maha Boowa. As a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in 1975 and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in 1987, Jack has spent decades bridging Eastern tradition with his background in clinical psychology. He is the author of several modern Spiritual classics, including: "Living Dharma" (formerly "Living Buddhist Masters", "A Path with Heart", "After the Ecstasy the Laundry", and "The Wise Heart". His most recent book is a collection of stories: "All in This Together". To learn more about Jack, visit: https://jackkornfield.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!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks to the Buddha's teaching of 36 kinds of feelings (vedanā) as alluded to in "The Many Kinds of Feelings Sutta" (MN 59 - https://suttacentral.net/mn59/en/sujato?lang=en) and elaborated upon in "The Analysis of the Six-Sense Fields" (MN 137 - https://suttacentral.net/mn137/en/sujato?lang=en). Ajahn Kovilo summarizes these feelings down to three pairs ... with illustrations:1. Householder/Carceral Joy (Gehasita Somanassa) & Renunciate/Liberative Joy (Nekkhammasita Somanassa);2. Householder/Carceral Grief (Gehasita Domanassa) & Renunciate/Liberative Grief (Nekkhammasita Domanassa);3. Householder/Carceral Equanimity (Gehasita Upekkhā) & Renunciate/Liberative Equanimity (Nekkhammasita Upekkhā).The essence of Renunciate Grief is the wish: "Oh, when will I enter and remain in the same sphere/expanse/dimension that the noble ones now enter and remain in today?"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!

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Jack Kornfield. PART TWO is scheduled to air March 4th: https://youtu.be/Bi7XYeCVOrY00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:29 - How many times did you ordain, and what were those circumstances?00:05:39 - Jack asks the Ajahns about Clear Mountain00:08:05 - What's the purpose of this podcast?00:09:84 - Is Enlightenment a permanent end to greed, anger, and delusion, or is it temporary?00:23:38 - Is Enlightenment unshakable?00:25:34 - What changes have been made in bringing the Dharma West?00:26:41 - Shared practice? Democritization? Feminization? Integration?00:26:51 - Your life is your practice.00:27:49 - Bodhisattva Vows and Engaged Buddhism?00:28:14 - Democritization00:31:06 - How has your personal relationship with the Buddha changed over the years?00:36:50 - What is your one message for listeners dealing with political fear and global anxiety?00:43:34 - What is the one thing you miss most about monastic life?00:44:22 - What is the one thing you miss least about monastic life?00:45:13 - Would you re-ordain for one week if Dan Harris and Sam Harris did it with you?00:45:59 - If you rewrote your book today, who would you name as the "Modern Buddhist Masters"?00:48:15 - Which specific teaching of the Buddha has resonated with you the most?00:49:29 - What type "spiritual bypassing" should American Buddhists watch out for?In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Jack Kornfield, a pioneering bridge between Theravāda Buddhism and Western psychology, and a key architect of the mindfulness movement currently flourishing in the United States. The interview touches on such topics as Kornfield’s varied ordinations in Asia, the integration of psychology into modern Buddhist practice, perspectives on enlightenment, "democratization" of the Dharma, the necessity of compassion in a suffering world, and how the essence of non-clinging transcends traditional lineage boundaries.Jack's Biography:Jack Kornfield has been a pioneering force in bringing Theravāda Buddhism – and mindfulness more broadly – to the West. After serving in the Peace Corps in the late 1960s, Jack trained as a monk under our teachers' teacher Ajahn Chah, and - for varying lengths of time – also met and trained with such other monastic luminaries as: Mahasi Sayadaw, Ajahn Jumnien, Taungpulu Sayādaw, Ajahn Buddhadāsa, and Ajahn Maha Boowa. As a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in 1975 and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in 1987, Jack has spent decades bridging Eastern tradition with his background in clinical psychology. He is the author of several modern Spiritual classics, including: "Living Dharma" (formerly "Living Buddhist Masters", "A Path with Heart", "After the Ecstasy the Laundry", and "The Wise Heart". His most recent book is a collection of stories: "All in This Together". To learn more about Jack, visit: https://jackkornfield.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!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho describes how the Buddha's Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing (MN 118 - Ānāpānassatisutta - https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false) can help provide us wiht a roadmap for how the mind can sublimate into increasingly refined states of samādhi, or meditative calm. Just as machine learning uses self-play to attain mastery over domains, our approach to meditation can be one of playfulness as we pit the Enlightenment Factors agains the 5 Hindrances.-----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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Phillip Moffitt, founder of Dharma Wisdom (https://dharmawisdom.org/), Life Balance Institute (https://www.lifebalance.org) and co-founder of Dharma Ground (https://www.dharmaground.org). For more from Phillip, check out his 52-week teaching series: https://dharmawisdom.org/signup-for-weekly-teachings/.Biography of Phillip Moffitt:Phillip Moffitt is a longtime Buddhist meditation teacher and writer whose work is rooted in the Theravada tradition. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he has spent more than 25 years offering teachings and guidance to students and served as co-guiding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center from 2010 to 2018. His own path has been shaped by his primary teachers—the Venerable Luang Por Sumedho, the Venerable Bhikkhu Anālayo, Joseph Goldstein, and Sharon Salzberg. Out of decades of practice and study, he developed the Naturally Arising practice method and helped establish the online retreat center Dharma Ground. In addition to his dharma teaching, Phillip is the founder of Life Balance Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people cultivate the inner skills needed to meet life’s transitions with clarity and intention. Phillip is the author of three books: Dancing with Life: Buddhist Insights for Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering; Emotional Chaos to Clarity; and Awakening through the Nine Bodies.The Nine Bodies:(A) Manifest Bodies (Sthūla)1. Physical Body: Sthūla Śarīra (स्थूल शरीर) / Pāli: Thūla Sarīra 2. Vital Body: Prāṇamaya Śarīra (प्राणमय शरीर) / Pāli: Pāṇamaya Sarīra 3. Emotional Body: Bhāvanātmaka Śarīra (भावनात्मक शरीर) / Pāli: Bhāvanāttaka Sarīra (B) Subtle Bodies (Sūkṣma)4. Etheric Body: Ākāśamaya Śarīra (आकाशमय शरीर) / Pāli: Ākāsamaya Sarīra 5. Astral Body: Antarātmā Śarīra (अन्तरात्मा शरीर) / Pāli: Antarātta Sarīra 6. Intuitional Body: Vijñānamaya Śarīra (विज्ञानमय शरीर) / Pāli: Viññāṇamaya Sarīra (C) Causal Bodies (Kāraṇa)7. Spiritual Body: Ātmika Śarīra (आत्मिक शरीर) / Pāli: Attika Sarīra 8. Divine Body: Divya Śarīra (दिव्य शरीर) / Pāli: Dibba Sarīra 9. Cosmic Body: Kāraṇa Śarīra (कारण शरीर) / Pāli: Kāraṇa SarīraThe 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 Valentine's Day session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the Metta Sutta (https://suttacentral.net/kp9/en/amaravati?lang=en), detailing three methods for practice:1) the Who-Method - focusing on who on spreads metta to,2) the What-Method - attending to what phrase or words one uses to practice metta, &3) the Where-Method - noticing from where and to where one radiates of feels metta.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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ayya Sobhanā, former vice-abbot of Dhammadharini Monastery and current abbot of Empty Cloud Monastery.Biography of Ayya Sobhana:Ayya Sobhana is a Harvard graduate and trained with master Dhamma and meditation teacher Venerable Dr. Henepola Gunaratana Nāyaka Mahāthero (known as "Bhante G") since 1989. She “went forth” into monastic life as a Sāmanerī in 2003 at the Bhavana Society of West Virginia with Bhante Gunaratana as her teacher, and obtained full Bhikkhuni ordination at Dambulla, Sri Lanka in 2006, with the Most Venerables Padukke Sumithra Mahātherī and Sīri Sumangala Mahāthero as her bhikkhunī and bhikkhu preceptors. Her primary practice is the Eightfold Noble Path, that is, integration of meditation with ethical living and compassionate relationships for the sake of liberation.-------The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm PT 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 talk given on New Year's Eve 2025, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about finding a healthy and mature relationship to taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha; further discussing the Eight Streams of Merit discussed in Anguttara Nikāya 8.39 (https://suttacentral.net/an8.39/en/sujato?lang=en) that are "overflowing merit, overflowing goodness, [that] nurture happiness and are conducive to heaven, ripening in happiness and leading to heaven, [that] lead to what is likable, desirable, agreeable, to welfare and happiness" namely:1) taking refuge in the Buddha2) taking refuge in the Dhamma3) taking refuge in the Saṅgha4) refraining from killing5) refraining from stealing6) refraining from sexual misconduct7) refraining from lying8) refraining from intoxicants.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 Kovilo speaks a bit about the Buddhist monastic alms bowl and the four times of nutriment/food (āhārā) spoken of by the Buddha:1) physical food2) contact3) intention4) consciousnessTune 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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Bhante Jayasāra on the subjects of convert Buddhism, rebirth, the "Burden", Maggasekha Discord server, Dhammapalooza, the connection between metta and anicca, and life with Bhante G at Bhavana Society.For more information on Bhante J visit: https://maggasekha.org/or https://www.youtube.com/@MaggasekhaBiography of Bhante Jayasāra:Bhikkhu Jayasara, or "Bhante J" for short, was ordained in 2016 at the age of 38 by Bhante Gunaratana of Bhavana Society. Bhante shares the Dhamma and leads retreats online and in person across the country. He specializes in showing how the ancient teachings of the Buddha are practical, pragmatic, and able to be put into practice by modern people in the modern world, just as he did as a professional person in the world before becoming a monastic to more deeply pursue the path. He is the founder of the Maggasekha Discord Community and YouTube Channel and, after several years as a "nomad monk" is now in the process of nurturing in-person community in Colorado.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!

You can find the guided death meditation referenced in the Q&A here: https://www.youtube.com/live/tTAidK4aK9U?si=kwEvgYTE8u1Ct0KV&t=1310In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho answers question regarding the effect of the final moment before death on rebirth, Buddhist last sacraments, the nature of the citta, the relationship of metta and emptiness, and more!--------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 and Bhante Rahula, joining from Paññābhūmi Monastery in Guadalajara, Mexico (https://www.bhanterahula.com/), answer a wealth of questions, including if grief is a Buddhist emotion, how to use self-acceptance to counteract aversion, and how to deal with boredom.Bhante Rāhula BioBhante Rāhula was born in Mexico. Originally a musician and composer by profession, he lived the last 20 years in Asia where he immersed himself in the study and practice of the Dhamma. He was ordained in Myanmar with the Most Venerable Sayadaw Dr. U Nandamālābhivaṃsa as his preceptor. to learn more, visit https://www.bhanterahula.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 this talk, Ajahh Nisabho speaks to how we can approach the political upheavals of the modern world with loving-kindness.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 renowned Buddhist teacher Roshi Joan Halifax about her path to Buddhism, finding "compassion in the charnel ground" of the world, balancing compassion towards oneself and towards others, the difference between healthy and unhealthy empathy, and many other subjects. It was a joy! To learn more, visit https://www.joanhalifax.org/ and https://www.upaya.org/Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:30 - What moments of faith led you to Buddhism?12:35 - Tell us about finding compassion in a charnel ground on Mount Kailash24:40 - How do you balance compassion for yourself with compassion for others?31:50 - Tell us about how your experience caring for a burnt girl at the Nomad clinic taught you about the difference between emotionally-regulated empathy with unhealthy empathy.45:20 - Tell us about the "edge states" of altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, and engagement, and what can they tell us about internal and external work.57:03 - How can we be good friends to women in the Dhamma world, and what is your relationship with the Buddha like now?1:03:00 - Farewell and blessings!BioRoshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D., is a Buddhist teacher, Founder of Upaya Zen Center, social activist, and author. A pioneer in end-of-life care, she has lectured globally and received honors like the Pioneer Medal for Health Care Leadership. She worked with dying cancer patients (1972-75) and continues teaching caregivers about end-of-life care. She directs the Project on Being with Dying, founded the Upaya Prison Project and Nomads Clinic in Nepal. Her books include _The Human Encounter with Death_ and _Being with Dying_, and *Standing at the Edge*. She has been involved with the Mind and Life Institute since its inception and is founder of the Varela International Symposium. To learn more, visit https://www.joanhalifax.org/ and https://www.upaya.org/----In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Roshi Joan Halifax of Upaya Zen Center.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!

https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/We found land! These video updates serve to keep Clear Mountain's wider community informed about the ongoing process of Due Diligence—a 3 month period, ending March 22, 2026, where where we assess if the land is suitable for a monastery and the community gathers in support. Please feel free to dedicate the goodness of your practice towards the realization of this dream; a refuge for all sentient beings! You may add to our "Recitations of Refuge" page at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/recitations-of-refuge/ and learn more about the land at https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/-----------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 Kovilo speaks about the "Ten Subjects For Frequent Recollection" (AN 10.48 - Amaravati Chanting book page 57 - https://suttacentral.net/an10.48/en/sujato?lang=en AND https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/30/Chanting-Book-Vol-1-Web.pdf):1) ‘I am no longer living according to worldly aims and values.’2) ‘My very life is sustained through the gifts of others.’3) ‘I should strive to abandon my former habits.’4) ‘Does regret over my conduct arise in my mind?’5) ‘Could my spiritual companions find fault with my conduct?’6) ‘All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, will become separated from me.’7) ‘I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to my kamma, abide supported by my kamma; whatever kamma I shall do, for good or for ill, of that I will be the heir.’8) ‘The days and nights are relentlessly passing; how well am I spending my time?’9) ‘Do I delight in solitude or not?’10) ‘Has my practice borne fruit with freedom or insight so that at the end of my life I need not feel ashamed when questioned by my spiritual companions?’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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview James Baraz about his extensive meditation experience, his passion for climate and engagement, and his teachings on awakening joy in the face of difficulty. To learn more about James' work, and upcoming "Awakening Joy" course, visit https://www.awakeningjoy.info/.Biography of James Baraz:James Baraz has been a meditation teacher since 1978 and is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. James started the Community Dharma Leader program, the Kalyana Mitta Network, the Spirit Rock Family Program and helped create the Heavenly Messengers Training Program. James has been leading the online course "Awakening Joy" since 2003. He serves as a guiding teacher to One Earth Sangha, a Virtual EcoDharma Center devoted to Buddhist responses to Climate Change. He co-authored Awakening Joy and Awakening Joy for Kids.---The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm PT 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 session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Santikaro Upāsaka, student and translator of Ajahn Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu and international Dhamma teacher for over 35 years. In this conversation, Santikaro discusses his time living with and translating for Ajahn Buddhadāsa, the scope of saṃsāra, the reality or rebirth, Santikaro's experiences with cancer (twice!), the importance of people of integrity (sappurisa), approaches to mindfulness of breathing, socially engaged Buddhism, "The Four Noble Truths of Dhammic Socialism", and more!For more information about Santikaro, visit: https://www.kevalaretreat.org/.Santikaro Biography: Santikaro Upāsaka studied with Ajahn Buddhadasa during the last nine years of his life, became his primary translator, and continues to share his “naturalist” approach to Buddha-Dhamma. Ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu in 1985, Santikaro spent most of his monastic life at Suan Mokkh (สวนโมกข์). During this time he also led Dawn Kiam (ดอนเคี่ยม), a small monastic community for foreigners and was active among socially engaged Buddhists in Asia. He returned to the USA in 2000 and left monastic life in 2004 to found Kevala Retreat (then Liberation Park). He continues to teach nationally and internationally, and to translate the work of his teacher. He has led meditation retreats for more than thirty-five years, with a special fondness for mindfulness with breathing. Books edited, contributed to, and translated by Santikaro include: "Seeing With the Eye of Dhamma: The Comprehensive Teaching of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu", "Under the Bodhi Tree: Buddha's Original Vision of Dependent Co-arising", and "Mindfulness with Breathing: A Manual for Serious Beginners."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 Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Willa Thaniya and Eliza Day about their key moments of faith which guided them to the path, using Dhamma to deal with heartbreak and loss, stories of devas and the supernatural, the Dhamma of Gestalt therapy, and more. To learn more, visit https://kihikihi-meditation-yoga.org/ .BioBoth Willa Thāniyā Reid and Elizabeth Day were trained in the monastic lineage of the Thai Forest Tradition, in which teachers offer Dhamma reflections in response to the present moment (_the ‘here and now’ Dhamma_). They speak informed by the graduated teachings of the Buddha, drawing on primary texts relevant to the unfolding inquiry of Dhamma.  They live in Kihikihi where they have established a practice community. They teach locally in Aotearoa NZ and internationally, primarily in the Pacific Northwest.Elizabeth works as a professor of psychotherapy, and also offers individual therapy and Dhamma guidance. Willa is currently in the process of retiring, allowing her to further orientate to providing Dhamma guidance. They are intending to spend next year offline, in meditation retreat. Appreciating that time is short, they will be cultivating what is most precious. To lean more, visit https://kihikihi-meditation-yoga.org/--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 talk, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho describe the 10 pāramis, or spiritual perfections, as priorities for the New Year. In these qualities, we find a rich language to describe the growth of heart daily practice brings..The Pāramī include:1) Generosity — Dāna;2) Morality — Sīla;3) Renunciation — Nekkhamma;4) Discernment or Wisdom – Paññā5) Energy —Viriya;6) Patience — Khanti;7) Truthfulness — Sacca;8) Resolve — Adhiṭṭhāna;9) Kindness — Mettā;10) Equanimity — UpekkhāYou may read more about the pāramī here: https://ajahnsucitto.org/articles/parami-1-crossing-the-floods/----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 talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about using the traditional eight Tibetan Mind Training verses (https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/geshe-langri-thangpa/eight-verses-training-mind) to relinquish the self and find the deeper peace of humility.Eight Verses of Training the Mindby Geshe Langri Thangpa1. By thinking of all sentient beingsAs more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewelFor accomplishing the highest aim,I will always hold them dear.2. Whenever I’m in the company of others,I will regard myself as the lowest among all,And from the depths of my heartCherish others as supreme.3. In my every action, I will watch my mind,And the moment destructive emotions arise,I will confront them strongly and avert them,Since they will hurt both me and others.4. Whenever I see ill-natured beings,Or those overwhelmed by heavy misdeeds or suffering,I will cherish them as something rare,As though I’d found a priceless treasure.5. Whenever someone out of envyDoes me wrong by attacking or belittling me,I will take defeat upon myself,And give the victory to others.6. Even when someone I have helped,Or in whom I have placed great hopesMistreats me very unjustly,I will view that person as a true spiritual teacher.7. In brief, directly or indirectly,I will offer help and happiness to all my mothers,And secretly take upon myselfAll their hurt and suffering.8. I will learn to keep all these practicesUntainted by thoughts of the eight worldly concerns.May I recognize all things as like illusions,And, without attachment, gain freedom from bondage.--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!