Clear Mountain Monastery Project

This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's interview with Jack Kornfield. Watch PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/selbulve5z0

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:35 - Early Years: From Dartmouth to Haight-Ashbury to Peace Corps to the Thai Forests

00:05:28 - Meeting Ajahn Sumedho

00:07:26 - Meeting Ajahn Chah and Being the Second Western Monk at Wat Nong Pah Pong

00:10:00 - Life in Caves (Wat Tam Saeng Pet), Walking alms barefoot

00:12:25 ...

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...

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Jack Kornfield. PART TWO is scheduled to air March 4th: https://youtu.be/Bi7XYeCVOrY

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:29 - How many times did you ordain, and what were those circumstances?

00:05:39 - Jack asks the Ajahns about Clear Mountain

00:08:05 - What's the purpose of this podcast?

00:09:84 - Is Enlightenment a permanent end to greed, anger, and delusion, or is it temporar...

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 medit...

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Phillip Moffitt, founder of Dharma Wisdom (https://dharmawisdom.org/), Life Balance Institute (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 offeri...

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...

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 Bha...

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 ...

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 food

2) contact

3) intention

4) consciousness

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, &am...

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/@Maggasekha

Biography of Bhante Jayasāra:

Bhikkhu Jayasara, or "Bhante J" for ...

You can find the guided death meditation referenced in the Q&A here: https://www.youtube.com/live/tTAidK4aK9U?si=kwEvgYTE8u1Ct0KV&t=1310

In 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!

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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mounta...

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 Bio

Bhante Rāhula was born in Mexico. Originally a musician and composer by profession, he lived the last 20 years in Asia w...

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 M...

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/

Chapters

00:00...

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 a...

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 ...

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 ...

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), approache...

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/ .

Bio

Both Willa Thāniyā Reid and Elizabeth Day were trained in the monastic lineage of the Tha...