Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts

On occasion of Asalha Full Moon, Ajahn Dhammasiha offers reflections on the Four Noble Truths.

Whenever we experience pain and disappointment; when we feel hurt, offended, depressed, upset; we usually search for some EXTERNAL cause for all this suffering.

Maybe we come to the conclusion that our boss, or our mother in law, or our spouse, or the kids, or the politicians and those in power are to blame for the fact that we are hurting...

Ajahn Dhammasiha recently spent at few days in Bodh Gaya, India, to visit and mediate at the Mahabodhi Temple.

This is the very spot where the Buddha attained supreme awakening. In fact, it is said that the 3 previous Buddha's in our aeon, also realized Sambodhi in this same spot.

Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about the amazing strength of the spiritual energy one can experience at the 'Vajirāsana' ('Diamond Throne'), ...

Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked about supportive conditions to make our Metta Meditation (Loving Kindness) stronger and more successful:

1. Loving Kindness to Oneself! Make sure you really include yourself when you extend Mettā to all beings
2. Compassion (Karuna). Use other Divine Abidings (Brahmavihāra) as appropriate, in particular Compassion/Karunā. If we struggle to extend metta to anyone, we may be more successful with Karuna. The mos...

In our meditation, we usually hope to find calm, happiness, bliss and enlightenment. But what we often encounter instead are all kinds of challenging and highly disagreeable mindstates. Defilements and distractions of all sorts assail the heart.

Ajahn Dhammasiha reminds us that these negative states are very normal to encounter in meditation. Unless we're someone with great pāramī, like Venerable Sāriputta, who's heart w...

The Buddha has given us the following amazing promise:

"In the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus, which is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork, those who have sufficient faith in me, sufficient affection for me, are all going to be reborn in heaven."

(The Buddha, Majjima Nikāya/Middle Length Discourses, #22 'Alagaddāpama Sutta'/'The Simile of the Snake)

Even if we can not attain full Nibbāna yet, and do ...

Ajahn Dhammasiha explains how to contemplate the Four Noble Truths ('Cattāri Ariyasaccāni') within the framework of Breath Meditation ('Ānāpāṇasati'):

1. We start by mindfully observing, feeling and experiencing every inbreath and outbreath
2. We allow our mind to gradually settle down, simply being mindful of each and every breath
3. We mindfully observe when Craving ('Taṇhā') arises in our mind
4. We notice that i...

This is the story of the Buddha's greatest miracle presented by Ajahn Moneyyo: The Fire Sermon (Adittapariyaya Sutta) and the conversion of the three Kassapa brothers and their 1000 disciples. Chapters:0:00 Let's start...0:24 The three Kassapa Brothers6:23 The Buddha arrives at Uruvela Kassapa's ashram09:04 The fiery battle with the Naga King14:22 Sakka and Brahma come to visit the Buddha16:07 Spending an afternoon in the Himalayas...

Ajahn Dhammasiha encourages us to give more importance to developing forms of wholesome joy. Like muditā, rejoicing in other beings good actions and accomplishments.

However dark the world sometimes may appear to us, if we look carefully, we can still find countless acts of goodness, kindness and beauty occurring all around us. Rather than focussing on problems, and indulging in the faultfinding mind, we can discover so many admirab...

Ajahn Dhammasiha provides some advice for those who are just starting their meditation practice:

• If sitting crosslegged is too difficult, just sit on a chair or stool
• Do lots of walking meditation, if you feel restless or struggle with the posture
• Try to maintain mindfulness ('sati') not only in formal meditation, but throughout the day
• Purify your practice of virtue ('sīla') by keeing the five precepts consistently
• Do act of kindne...

This talk gives an overview of the Anattā-Lakkhana Sutta, the Buddha's second discourse and how we can use the Buddha's teaching on Non-Self (Anattā) to free our hearts from clinging to what is impermanent, decaying and inherently unsatisfactory and suffering.

For a complete playlist of "The Life of the Buddha" series on YouTube, click on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbxbuMjfRsvxKRNGf2OpxFD322oyZzfWk

Chapter...

After the Buddha realized awakening he remained for several weeks meditating at Bodhgaya to fathom his realization in all aspects. Hear more about how the Buddha reflected, how he saw the cosmos and who were the beings who met the Buddha first after his awakening.

0:00 The first week after awakening: The Buddha reflects about dependent origination.

15:54 The second week after awakening: The Buddha surveys the cosmos and sees all bein...

The account of the Buddha's awakening according to the most ancient sources, the Sutta and Vinaya Pitaka told by Ajahn Moneyyo. Hear how the Buddha was striving and succeeded in his quest to realize awakening - the deathless, ultimate liberation.Chapters:0:00 Introduction and the practice of the Budhisatta before awakening30:33 The first true knowledge - remembering his previous lives37:41 The second true knowledge - seeing how bei...

Hear about the spiritual quest for awakening of the Buddha - His noble search for peace & liberation beyond birth, ageing and death. What motivated the Buddha to leave behind his life in luxury as prince and his family and kingdom and become a spiritual seeker?

A few discourses where the Buddha himself relates his life story that are quoted in the Dhammatalk:Middle Lenght Discourses of the Buddha (Majjhima Nikaya) Sutta No. 26 a...

The story of the birth of the Bodhisatta (the being who would become the Buddha) in Lumbini told by Ajahn Moneyyo.

The appearance of a Buddha, a perfectly awakened one who teached the path to liberation is the rarest event in the universe. The Buddha says from his recollection of previous lives that sometimes for 30 or 60 eons no Buddha will arise in the universe. So it is not surprising that his conception and birth was accompanie...

Before his supreme awakening, the Bodhisatta tried to reach enlightenment by extreme self mortification. He becomes so emaciated and weakened that he collapses and almost dies.

At this crisis moment, he remembers how he attained the first jhāna as a child, and recognizes that the rapture and bliss of samādhi are actually the way to enlightenment.

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Ajahn Dhammasiha leads a guided Buddhist meditation on the subject of Buddhānussati, recollection of the Buddha and his unique qualities.

Ajahn suggests to use his favourite Buddha-mantra, silently repeating:

"Bhagavā, Araham, Buddho - Buddho Araham Bhagavā"

Ajahn explains that it's not about the words that we're repeating, but that it's really about the emotion of faith / confidence / devotion / conviction that the words are meant...

On occasion of the consecration of our Saddhamma Cetiya and Relic Enshrinement Ceremony, Ajahn Kalyano shares the story how Buddha Relics appeared in Ajahn Anan's shoulder bag while meditating on top of Sri Pada (Adam's Peak), the famous pilgrimage site in Sri Lanka with a footprint of the Buddha on top of a steep mountain.

Luang Por Kalyano very kindly offered nine of these precious Buddha relics to Dhammagiri for enshrinement in ...

Ajahn Dhammasiha leads our community on Vesak Day in asking forgiveness from Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha;

and in reciting the passage in Anguttara Nikaya / Numerical Discourses, Book of Ones, extolling the uniqueness of the Buddha:

"There is one person, who arises in the world, for the welfare or the multitude..."

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Today is the most important day in the Buddhist calendar: Vesak / Visakha Puja, celebrating the birth, Supreme Awakening, and final Parinibbāna of the Buddha.

As it's also Mother's Day in the Western calendar, Ajahn Dhammasiha speaks about the birth of the Bodhisatta, and the marvellous qualities of the Bodhisatta and his mother.

Strictly speaking, we shouldn't refer to him as the 'Buddha' at his birth, but rather as the 'Bodhisatt...