Factors of Enlightenment

0:00 And for the talk this evening, it's my again joy to give a nice present to somebody who wrote an email to me saying that they could never find any talk that I'd given on Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:24 the list of talks which were recorded of mine on the seven bojangas. Seven enlightenment factors. I said, why not? It's a beautiful subject. Do you remember who wrote that email, Nicole? Report an error in the passage at 0:24 Highlight the passage at 0:24

0:47 Yes, thank you. I like to take suggestions if it's something I missed out for one reason or another. And that particular talk is kind of beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 0:47 Highlight the passage at 0:47

1:02 Sometimes I give talks because they're simple. Sometimes I don't give the talks because they can be too complicated. But that subject is really, really interesting and inspiring. I hope I can do it justice. This is what, in Buddhism, just to put it one way where you can describe it and make it meaningful, the Buddha talked about like five enemies of meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:02 Highlight the passage at 1:02

1:38 An enlightenment of kindness, peace, simplicity and being a beautiful person. The five enemies of those are what's usually called the five hindrances. Report an error in the passage at 1:38 Highlight the passage at 1:38

1:52 Things like wanting, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse and doubt. Things which keep the world running very, very fast. They're called hindrances. Report an error in the passage at 1:52 Highlight the passage at 1:52

2:10 They're kind of looked upon as enemies, for one way of looking at it. And when they're overcome, the antidote is the enlightenment factors. I'll just say them in brief, first of all. The first one is mindfulness, awareness. I don't mean forced awareness, natural awareness, beautiful mindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 2:10 Highlight the passage at 2:10

2:42 And then from that, you can start investigating things, to know things, not by thinking too much, because people think way too much. You don't get wisdom through thinking. At university, you get the knowledge to pass exams through thinking, but in actually real life, the real wisdom gets from silence and being able to see things clearly. Report an error in the passage at 2:42 Highlight the passage at 2:42

3:14 And I say that as a graduate in theoretical physics from Cambridge University. But I didn't know how to know in those days. Report an error in the passage at 3:14 Highlight the passage at 3:14

3:27 Instead of actually just thinking and remembering stuff, it's much better to see things. So you investigate stuff, not by thought, but something much more powerful than that. I don't know how many times I've... Given this example, what's this? Report an error in the passage at 3:27 Highlight the passage at 3:27

3:54 What is it? It's a stick which I use usually to bang the gong. But it's not just a stick. With wisdom, this is just an example. You can see other uses for this. The one I really like is if my back gets itchy. It's actually very effective. That's really nice. Give me another moment, please. That's Report an error in the passage at 3:54 Highlight the passage at 3:54

4:31 a good example of wisdom, seeing something. And seeing more uses in it than you've ever seen before. And once you get this ability to see deeply into things, not the normal way they exist or they're used, but to see much more fully what they are and how they can be employed, then deeper than that, you get energy. Report an error in the passage at 4:31 Highlight the passage at 4:31

5:05 And that's, I don't know how many people complained, They're tired. Honestly, are you tired? Are you worn out? Admin offices? Report an error in the passage at 5:05 Highlight the passage at 5:05

5:19 Are you tired out? All the work you do? Report an error in the passage at 5:19 Highlight the passage at 5:19

5:28 If you really do lots of meditation, you get so much energy, then we have to reduce your salary. The Buddhist Society of West Australia pays you because they take one look at you and think, oh, you know, you're too peaceful. You can't be working hard enough. Report an error in the passage at 5:28 Highlight the passage at 5:28

5:44 That's not what happens. What happens is when you really meditate, you know, you really get some energy up. Oh, yes. And you just, that energy is kind of fantastic. No tiredness, you can engage in life. Report an error in the passage at 5:44 Highlight the passage at 5:44

6:05 And I'm just giving a quick rundown of these enlightenment factors. The next thing which you have, which develops naturally, Report an error in the passage at 6:05 Highlight the passage at 6:05

6:17 It's bliss. And I like just emphasizing this point. This is the enlightenment factors. This is what happens if you start to get enlightened or get close. You bliss out. Isn't that a wonderful kind of reward? And I love that aspect of these positive things which grow when people meditate. Report an error in the passage at 6:17 Highlight the passage at 6:17

6:48 They get joy and you can't hide it. Please don't hide it. Don't be embarrassed that you're feeling really, really, really happy. Report an error in the passage at 6:48 Highlight the passage at 6:48

6:58 I have to give examples of this, obviously. One example of that is one of these execs from Sydney who came on one of my retreats here in Perth. and so... The first couple of days, my goodness, she slept most of that time, the first two days. She was exhausted, poor girl. You know, she was an executive, working really hard for her boss, and she was following my instructions. Report an error in the passage at 6:58 Highlight the passage at 6:58

7:30 I said, yes, that's what I asked you to do. Be mindful enough to let go and relax to the max. For the first three days, she was mostly sleeping. Report an error in the passage at 7:30 Highlight the passage at 7:30

7:45 then she Got her sleep deficit overcome. I like that word which psychologists use, sleep deficit. Most of us are too tired. What happens when we get tired? We get irritable, angry, it's just nature. So one of the best ways to overcome much of the anger in our world is take a nap. Report an error in the passage at 7:45 Highlight the passage at 7:45

8:18 Look at the kids. They're so smart. Yeah, I'm talking about you. Really smart. You lie down and take a nice rest. Good on you. You're the only disciple which I have here, I think. I know in the back over there as well. Well done in the back. So what that means is that you understand what the problem is and you deal with it. Report an error in the passage at 8:18 Highlight the passage at 8:18

8:45 And then you can get very happy, very energetic. Anyway, this lady, she couldn't help apparently by sending me an email, I think on the Monday when she went back to work after the retreat. And I loved that email because that email said, you know, when I got back to work, I never said anything. But my boss just took one look at me and he said to me, I had to... Report an error in the passage at 8:45 Highlight the passage at 8:45

9:18 I had to beg and just promise and just grovel in front of him to get permission to go away for a week to go on this retreat. But after all that groveling, he took one look at me and he said, what is that Buddhist monk Ajahn Brahm, what drug is he giving you? I'm not complaining, he said, but next time please bring me back some. Report an error in the passage at 9:18 Highlight the passage at 9:18

9:47 Because that's the only way he could actually contemplate so much happiness and energy in one of his workers, one of his secretaries. And it was kind of amazing. But she wrote that. She told her, it's no drug. It's just a natural form of what happens when you really start getting peaceful. And you really get peaceful and understand things. You get this thing, it's called pīti. Report an error in the passage at 9:47 Highlight the passage at 9:47

10:16 It's a beautiful thing. This is a path of joy. And after that, pīti, the next thing we get is pasadi, which is like tranquility. It's not just boring tranquility, with a higher form of happiness. It always comes with sukha, this great happiness. Do you know what happiness is? Report an error in the passage at 10:16 Highlight the passage at 10:16

10:46 Sometimes people haven't got a clue what happiness is. Watch a movie. Or watch some game. Or, you know, watch, apparently soccer is on right now. They watch a soccer game and they go, oh, wonderful. Report an error in the passage at 10:46 Highlight the passage at 10:46

11:04 Honestly, is that real happiness? I used to be into soccer when I was young. And how many teams are playing in these tournaments? I think I'm going to get into trouble with somebody. I think it was 64. I think it was 64. Or was it 48? I don't know. But anyway, say it was 64 teams. How many succeed? One. And only succeed once. They never win it twice. Report an error in the passage at 11:04 Highlight the passage at 11:04

11:44 At least not in the same year. So you've got a 63 to 1 chance of ending the tournament disappointed. And it's the team which lose in the final. Report an error in the passage at 11:44 Highlight the passage at 11:44

12:06 match, we lost. Report an error in the passage at 12:06 Highlight the passage at 12:06

12:15 it is to follow those six, just following suffering, guaranteed. in meditation, wow, everyone is a winner, everyone gets blissed out. Report an error in the passage at 12:15 Highlight the passage at 12:15

12:31 If they follow what they're supposed to do and just let go a lot. You know, sometimes people say it's appetizing, everyone's a winner. Report an error in the passage at 12:31 Highlight the passage at 12:31

12:42 Would you like it like that? Everyone is a winner. They come here and after a retreat, it's great. Sometimes the last day of retreats you see people and look at them, look at their smile. Report an error in the passage at 12:42 Highlight the passage at 12:42

13:01 The corner of their mouth are never down, they're up here somewhere. So anyway, that's what happens, the passadi comes with sukha, the stillness, tranquility. Report an error in the passage at 13:01 Highlight the passage at 13:01

13:16 I never said anything less than usual during the instructions of the meditation this afternoon, this evening, kind of on purpose, because I wanted you to feel what that tranquility is like. Report an error in the passage at 13:16 Highlight the passage at 13:16

13:32 You're sitting here and I'm not adding to the noise. You can feel peace. You know, there are some places in this world you can go which are incredibly peaceful. I know sometimes some people said, oh, by the ocean. No, the ocean's a noisy place to go to. But you go to like, even forests can be much more still than the ocean. Report an error in the passage at 13:32 Highlight the passage at 13:32

14:02 You go to deserts, it's very still. But you know the most still place I've found in my monastic life? The external stillness, cave. I love it. I've got a cave, okay? That's where I live. I live in a cave. That's why I always feel jealous of bears. Because bears live in caves. And if you don't believe me, one day you can come and visit Bodhinyana Monastery and have a look in my cave. It's got two doors. I don't allow any... Report an error in the passage at 14:02 Highlight the passage at 14:02

14:44 Sound inside my cave. No IT system at all is allowed in that cave. So you try and email me. There's nothing in there to email. It's perfectly silent. You know what that feels like, the silence? That's absolutely gorgeous. It's the best sound in the world. I used to like music when I was young. First of all, rock music. Report an error in the passage at 14:44 Highlight the passage at 14:44

15:16 Yeah, it's exciting, but then some classical music and then no music, silence, which is the most beautiful sound in the whole world. It just makes your mind become silent. And in that silence, what does it feel like? You kind of soak it in. And I feel it's disrespectful to disturb any silence with your own thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 15:16 Highlight the passage at 15:16

15:52 Or comments. Silence to me is something which is sacred. And in that word sacred, something you should respect. And you feel it, you see it, you can hear it, you allow it to go into you. And how beautiful that is. Silence, you can't add to it, you can only take away from it. Silence is full. And silence, you never have to argue with silence. Report an error in the passage at 15:52 Highlight the passage at 15:52

16:27 Just drink it in as much as you can. And then after that silence, we get what we call... I'm rushing ahead way too far. When you get into interesting subjects like this, you know, sometimes I talk too much. Sorry, but I can't help it. But that's the samādhi. And that samādhi now, we really go in places. Report an error in the passage at 16:27 Highlight the passage at 16:27

16:57 The samādhi is the... Stillness, real stillness, stillness of the mind. And that's where you get into the great states of the jhāmas. Report an error in the passage at 16:57 Highlight the passage at 16:57

17:16 Those are beautiful. We've already started with the thing called pity, the joy. And then you go into the pasadhi, the tranquility, which always comes with another joy of sukha. And then from there, We get into samādhi. And these are the amazing states of mind which you can experience. Sometimes I call it deep meditation. And sometimes... I like giving some examples of this. Report an error in the passage at 17:16 Highlight the passage at 17:16

17:55 How people experience these stages without ever thinking it's possible. You can kind of fluke these deep meditations of samādhi. When it happens, your mind is fully aware. Report an error in the passage at 17:55 Highlight the passage at 17:55

18:18 Sometimes we think we know what awareness is. Do you? Here you can see all the different aspects of something. That's why sometimes if you get some samādhi, you can see so much in everything. I've given some examples before. Report an error in the passage at 18:18 Highlight the passage at 18:18

18:43 And one of those examples, one of the first times I got into some nice samādhi, this big, brilliant, powerful stillness, was afterwards, it was on a meditation retreat when I was still a layperson, and I was allowed, part of the routine was to be able to go for a walk, exercise every morning. For one hour before breakfast. And this was, I knew the area so well. This was in my university at Cambridge in UK. Report an error in the passage at 18:43 Highlight the passage at 18:43

19:21 And I went to the botanical gardens. I thought it would be a great place to have a walk. Not many people around that time of the morning because it was cold. But I went to the back gate. Went into that back gate. That was so many years ago, I was only 18 at the time. I can still remember it perfectly. Went into the back gate and you just saw this clump of bamboo which they planted there. Report an error in the passage at 19:21 Highlight the passage at 19:21

19:56 It's the wrong kind of plant to actually grow in a place like Cambridge. It was very cold and windy. Report an error in the passage at 19:56 Highlight the passage at 19:56

20:08 I saw it and it was so beautiful. That's what I was really surprised with. How beautiful can a clump of bamboo grown in the wrong place look? Report an error in the passage at 20:08 Highlight the passage at 20:08

20:22 Have you ever noticed bamboo is in so many Chinese watercolors? The reason is because its colors are not bombarding you. They're soft yellows and greens and they taper to the Report an error in the passage at 20:22 Highlight the passage at 20:22

20:41 They might always call it the place where the stems of bamboo join together. And even the leaves are tapered, a beautiful green color. And the whole thing is so sensuous, just one strand of bamboo. And then it just dances in the wind when the wind blows. And I was kind of enchanted is the right word. With watching that clump of bamboo, it's the most beautiful clump of bamboo I've ever seen in the whole world. And later on, of course, I did go to Asia and to see this healthy bamboo. Report an error in the passage at 20:41 Highlight the passage at 20:41

21:24 This was bamboo which was not healthy. But my goodness, it was so gorgeous. And when I looked at it, I was staring at it. In other words, these days, gobsmacked. Oh, look at that! Report an error in the passage at 21:24 Highlight the passage at 21:24

21:42 And I had enough self-awareness, even though it was early in the morning, hardly anybody was there. If I carried on looking at this clump of bamboo for minutes after minutes after minutes, I would expect an ambulance to come and think, this guy, and the police as well, this guy must be on some sort of drugs. Report an error in the passage at 21:42 Highlight the passage at 21:42

22:04 He's the only sort of guy who would actually stare at a clump of bamboo. No one else would. So I did see a bench where I could sit down and then, you know, people would leave me alone. And I did that every day for eight days. Report an error in the passage at 22:04 Highlight the passage at 22:04

22:26 Go there and sat for about 50 minutes, never exhausting what I could see in that beautiful Krampa Bamba. That's what happens when you get into that deep sense of stillness. You can see things which other people can't see. The beauty, the depth. But just to disappoint you, that after the retreat was over, and I went back to the studies and messing around as young guys would do, you know, parties and girlfriends and all that sort of stuff. Report an error in the passage at 22:26 Highlight the passage at 22:26

23:08 But then, when I went to, I had an afternoon free, so I went to go and visit the most beautiful clump of bamboo in the whole world. Report an error in the passage at 23:08 Highlight the passage at 23:08

23:20 On a bicycle, going through traffic, maneuvering, and then getting to that clump of bamboo, it wasn't there anymore. They hadn't taken it out. It's my mindfulness could not see it anymore. I'd lost my stillness, the ability to watch something and not move. Report an error in the passage at 23:20 Highlight the passage at 23:20

23:50 The longer you look at something without moving, just peacefully, It starts to open out to you. You start to see so much more beauty. To this day I always feel the great artists, they're not born with the ability to see. It's what they develop through what we call samādhi, the deep meditation stillness. It's amazing what you can see in this world which most people miss. Report an error in the passage at 23:50 Highlight the passage at 23:50

24:30 To give you another example, which I haven't said for such a long time now, that, you know, I live down in Serpentine, at Bodhinyana Monastery. I hope many of you have been there. But for so many years, especially when I was building that place, I go up the hill called Kingsbury Drive. It's about 2.1, 2.2 kilometers in a car. And honestly, one day, I forget exactly what I'd been doing but I got to the bottom of the hill early and I decided I'm going to walk up the hill today alone. Report an error in the passage at 24:30 Highlight the passage at 24:30

25:15 So I sat in the car with the driver up ahead and I'm going to walk. And that kind of really shocked me. I didn't get much exercise I must admit because I did walk so slowly. Report an error in the passage at 25:15 Highlight the passage at 25:15

25:35 And every now and again I'd turn to the left to see the valley, turn to the right and see the hillside. And my goodness, often I had to ask myself, where am I? I could not recognize my location. I'd been living up the top of that hill for about five or six years by that time. The first time I actually walked up that hill. It looked totally different than what I could remember. Report an error in the passage at 25:35 Highlight the passage at 25:35

26:17 How can that be? I soon sort of, you know, used my science training. What is happening? If you look through the window of a car, maybe only going 30 kilometers an hour, 40 kilometers an hour, I don't know. But when you look through the window of a car, what happens? The light hits the retina. In the back of your eye, you don't have time to appreciate it, see everything, all the beauty there. Report an error in the passage at 26:17 Highlight the passage at 26:17

26:49 You move a little bit and more light hits your eye, dislodges the first image and you've got to attend to something new. Report an error in the passage at 26:49 Highlight the passage at 26:49

26:59 Really, if you walk fast or you run or you're in a car, you simply don't see what's around you. Even the mind doesn't have a chance. To really understand what you're looking at. But when you start going slowly, or even now and again stop, you see so much more of life. Report an error in the passage at 26:59 Highlight the passage at 26:59

27:27 Do you understand that simile? Try it. I don't know where you live, but try the next time you go home, get out of the car, park it, tell your husband to drive along, and you just walk the last... Report an error in the passage at 27:27 Highlight the passage at 27:27

27:48 Sometimes you can't recognize the street in which you live. You see so much more and look so much more beautiful because you are more aware, more mindful. Report an error in the passage at 27:48 Highlight the passage at 27:48

28:04 It's gorgeous when you do things like that. I'm privileged to live in a nice place like this monastery and sometimes Even this time of the year, but maybe a bit later, we have these, they call them stupas. They're monuments. They're based on the stupas which are built on the big Buddhist monument, Bodh Pador, in Indonesia, in the central Java. Report an error in the passage at 28:04 Highlight the passage at 28:04

28:41 The same sort of design. And when we were building Jhāna Grove, This wonderful monk, the head monk over in Indonesia, he wanted to help. He donated these two monuments for us. Report an error in the passage at 28:41 Highlight the passage at 28:41

29:03 Exactly the same stone as they made the original monuments. And he asked, he said, what size would you like them? And I do know that the number 108. Report an error in the passage at 29:03 Highlight the passage at 29:03

29:19 It's like a holy number in Buddhism. I don't know if they have some holy numbers, why not? So I made them 108 % the size, in other words, 8 % bigger than the real ones in Boa Pador. Report an error in the passage at 29:19 Highlight the passage at 29:19

29:35 And one of the reasons I love those little statues is because sometimes when you're on a retreat, it's soaked up the warmth of the sun during the day and you can lay down on them. Report an error in the passage at 29:35 Highlight the passage at 29:35

29:53 And just look at the stars in the heavens above. It's like you've never seen the stars in the heavens before. Because your mindfulness is so improved, so increased, and they're gorgeous. Report an error in the passage at 29:53 Highlight the passage at 29:53

30:11 Here we all know looking at the stars at night is beautiful, but you've never seen them that beautiful ever before. And that's all for free. That shows you what is happening with mindfulness, awareness, and the beautiful stillness, how that enhances. Report an error in the passage at 30:11 Highlight the passage at 30:11

30:27 Your visual apparatus, how that enhances even your hearing. Everything is much more full. You hear much more. And it's incredible just how everything you see and hear is way more beautiful than you've ever expected to be. Report an error in the passage at 30:27 Highlight the passage at 30:27

30:53 That's why you just lay back there and just enjoy it for hours, like a free show. And it's warm underneath. It's like grey stone so it does absorb the heat. And you can just lay down there for a long time and just enjoy. So any of you ever go on one of those retreats over in Jhāna Grove, don't forget if it's warm enough, lay back and just look at the Milky Way. Report an error in the passage at 30:53 Highlight the passage at 30:53

31:23 You've never seen them like that before. Simply because you've trained your mind to be able to see. And then, From that samādhi, that stillness, then you have what they call like upeka. Many of you have heard me say this so many times before. Sometimes it's translated as equanimity. I just really don't like that translation at all. A few places, I know my Pāli, I know my suttas, they do actually mention, The bliss of equanimity, where you just see it so gorgeously, because all of the reactions and reflections get so still, so peaceful, and nothing is moving at all. Report an error in the passage at 31:23 Highlight the passage at 31:23

32:27 And that becomes so incredibly blissful. Every stage where you develop the factors of enlightenment, the fact you called it, the factors of enlightenment, He's telling you, this is beautiful things which you're seeing, really inspiring. You see so much more in them than you've ever seen before. You wouldn't know what beauty is. And this just blows your mind, literally. And you realize that there's so much of our time when people say we are half asleep. Report an error in the passage at 32:27 Highlight the passage at 32:27

33:06 It's so true. All your sensory faculties, you're not really sort of... Learning how to make use of them the best. And that causes so much suffering in our life. And it all starts, it's a sequential process, you know, from mindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 33:06 Highlight the passage at 33:06

33:30 Sometimes, how do you develop that mindfulness? It needs some stillness, first of all, to really see things. That's why that sometimes, I was a school teacher for one year, only for, what, a year and a half. Report an error in the passage at 33:30 Highlight the passage at 33:30

33:46 But why is it that sometimes kids can't understand, they can't see, they can't feel properly? Have you ever had any difficulties with a close associate? It could be a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a husband, a wife. Why is it they can't see? Report an error in the passage at 33:46 Highlight the passage at 33:46

34:08 A lot of times it's because they're forcing, they're tired, their mind is tired. And they're so tired, they create so many mistakes, and they don't know how to let go and be really still and peaceful, and seeing beauty where they never thought it could exist. Report an error in the passage at 34:08 Highlight the passage at 34:08

34:30 That hillside, I saw things in that hillside when I was walking up it slowly. I had all the time in the world. I didn't have an appointment up the top for lunch. I knew they would always wait for me. I was a boss monk. All I needed to do was take my time and I did. And I saw little trees or patches of grass. In the valley you could see the creek running. Report an error in the passage at 34:30 Highlight the passage at 34:30

35:01 It was gorgeous. How could I have missed that for so many years? How could you miss the beauty in the street in which you live? Report an error in the passage at 35:01 Highlight the passage at 35:01

35:13 How could we miss the beauty in that park which is opposite us? And all the amazing things which are happening in it. You learn how to see much more. You're not told, this is a weed, this is a rare plant, this is all quirky. They're all rare plants. Because you're seeing them for the first time. And they're incredibly beautiful. Incredibly beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 35:13 Highlight the passage at 35:13

35:44 What do I know about plants? Physics, yes. Show me a Milky Way and say, yeah, that's beautiful. But plants? You can see them for the first time. And they're actually amazingly beautiful and gorgeous. Report an error in the passage at 35:44 Highlight the passage at 35:44

36:03 You know sometimes some people ask me, Ajahn Brahm, you're a male. Don't you ever see a beautiful girl and get some lust? I say actually no. I see an old woman and see beauty. I'm not weird. I see beauty in places you're not supposed to see beauty. Report an error in the passage at 36:03 Highlight the passage at 36:03

36:28 Just, you know, in the way that they relax or sit. You find beauty where you never expect to find it. And you're just there. Because you're very still and peaceful. You can see so much gorgeous stuff where it's not supposed to be. Report an error in the passage at 36:28 Highlight the passage at 36:28

36:51 And I always feel, you know, I did do some painting when I was young, some drawing. I even did some poetry when I was young. I should actually not throw it away because I'm sure that some of it was learning how to see beauty where other people couldn't and just how wonderful that would be. Report an error in the passage at 36:51 Highlight the passage at 36:51

37:19 That's one of the reasons why when you learn about enlightenment factors, mindfulness and investigation. There's so many interesting things you can look at. Other people think it's boring. You just look at it and, crikey, there's so much going on there. Report an error in the passage at 37:19 Highlight the passage at 37:19

37:42 And then you can go even deeper and you get energy. A real loss of energy. That's why, you know, sometimes our life, people get tired, worn out. Report an error in the passage at 37:42 Highlight the passage at 37:42

37:54 That's a great shame. Those of you who know me, do I work too hard? Report an error in the passage at 37:54 Highlight the passage at 37:54

38:05 Do I work too hard? Report an error in the passage at 38:05 Highlight the passage at 38:05

38:12 Look. Ksenia, you know, you were the president last year for three years. Do I work hard? Where do I get my energy from? Great, thank you. Did you say that because you're supposed to say that, or was that honest? Report an error in the passage at 38:12 Highlight the passage at 38:12

38:34 Sometimes, you know, you should be, I'm 75 next week, not next week, next month. Oh, sorry, 300, no, 900 months. Report an error in the passage at 38:34 Highlight the passage at 38:34

38:47 You're supposed to be totally worn out, but instead you get... Energy, beautiful energy. And when you get that beautiful energy, wow, it's so nice. And of course, what's my first reaction when I get these surges of gorgeous energy? I want to share it with you. Give it to you. Take some, I've got too much. Why? This is the nature of the mind. Report an error in the passage at 38:47 Highlight the passage at 38:47

39:18 When we don't know how to make the best use of it, we get tired. We force ourselves. Please don't force yourself. Report an error in the passage at 39:18 Highlight the passage at 39:18

39:32 Neha, you've got many years to work as admin officer, so enjoy it. Get a beautiful entity. Sometimes you get some letters or some comments, they really inspire you. Listen to some of the letters you showed me today. Wow, they're gorgeous, amazing. You actually get into people. Report an error in the passage at 39:32 Highlight the passage at 39:32

39:57 Uplifting them. And they're seeing ways out of problems which should never have happened to them. But afterwards they say sometimes it was worth it. An enormous problem but the way out of it was even more valuable. To see how you can find peace and meaning and energy and joy. How you can understand this thing we call life. Report an error in the passage at 39:57 Highlight the passage at 39:57

40:25 And get so gorgeously blissed out. And that's how you can... Okay, somebody, they're not here, thank goodness. They're asking, can we please replace the carpets in the monks' quarters here? What for? They look gorgeous. To me, she never asked me. I say, why are they gorgeous? And I really mean that. They look beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 40:25 Highlight the passage at 40:25

40:58 Look at this carpet here. This is what will happen to you if you keep listening to me. Sometimes we sit meditation here, and then after the meditation is finished, just a half an hour, you get very peaceful, very still, and you open your eyes and, wow, look at that pattern, all the colors in that carpet. Report an error in the passage at 40:58 Highlight the passage at 40:58

41:25 How many colors can you see in that carpet right in front of you? Report an error in the passage at 41:25 Highlight the passage at 41:25

41:33 Goodness gracious. The longer I look, the more I see. And after a while, you look at the patterns. And the patterns are gorgeous. I haven't said this story yet. I'm kind of resisting it. But I think it's a nice story to finish up on. Report an error in the passage at 41:33 Highlight the passage at 41:33

41:57 Many of you know it. It's a classic Ajahn Brahm story. I don't think anyone else has had the nerve to tell it on Report an error in the passage at 41:57 Highlight the passage at 41:57

42:11 one retreat. which I was teaching at Jhāna Grove. I also have to meditate, not because I have to, I can't resist it. I'm addicted. I don't mind saying I'm addicted to meditation, I really enjoy it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do this every Saturday morning, many times a day. But this time, after meditating, I had to go to the toilet. Report an error in the passage at 42:11 Highlight the passage at 42:11

42:47 How many have not heard the toilet story? Report an error in the passage at 42:47 Highlight the passage at 42:47

42:53 You've all heard it. Well, I'm going to tell it anyways. To do a number two. You know what a number two means, don't you? Report an error in the passage at 42:53 Highlight the passage at 42:53

43:06 So, I remember where it was. I should put a plaque. Over in Australia, in UK, they put a plaque where famous things happen. Report an error in the passage at 43:06 Highlight the passage at 43:06

43:20 So I went into that toilet, did a number two. My mistake was, it was in the male toilets at Jhāna Grove, on the middle toilet, not the one on the left or the right. There were three toilets in the right, the middle one. That's how your memories are so amazing. When I sat on there, I did my number two. Report an error in the passage at 43:20 Highlight the passage at 43:20

43:41 My mistake was looking in the bowl. Sometimes it's a good thing to do in case there's something wrong with your feces. At least you can inspect it. But it wasn't anything wrong at all. Report an error in the passage at 43:41 Highlight the passage at 43:41

43:56 What really struck me was how beautiful it was. Now you may laugh, but this was actually true. Just the way those balls were all put together. It was a work of art, honestly. Have you had any training in artwork, especially sculpture? Just the way the big balls and the small balls related together. Report an error in the passage at 43:56 Highlight the passage at 43:56

44:29 And it was done by a Michelangelo or Rodin. It was really, really artistic, honestly. And then came the interaction of the different shades of brown. It's not just one shade of brown. Honestly, next time you go to the loo, check me out and see if I'm correct or not. Different shades. And that was like, I couldn't believe that such a great artwork had been created. And then, of course, I'm rushing through this. Report an error in the passage at 44:29 Highlight the passage at 44:29

45:07 Then, of course, the fragrance. Okay, I'm a monk, you know, you don't sort of meet people with too many scents or odors on them. But this was actually, you know, the odor of this piece of faeces floating in the toilet bowl, it was like earthy. It was real, it was not fake. And that made it really gorgeous. Report an error in the passage at 45:07 Highlight the passage at 45:07

45:41 Standing there and going, wow, wow, wow, look at that. And honestly, I tell the monks when I tell them this story, and the retreatants as well, I thought, no way in the world can I flush that down the pipes. Report an error in the passage at 45:41 Highlight the passage at 45:41

46:02 I'm going to take that out and put it in a case so I can preserve it for eternity so people can have a look what beauty really is. Report an error in the passage at 46:02 Highlight the passage at 46:02

46:12 And I'm being honest with you, that really did look gorgeous. And it smelled incredibly fragrant. Report an error in the passage at 46:12 Highlight the passage at 46:12

46:24 And you always laugh and grin because you think, I'm crazy. But it's not craziness. That's what happens when you get some deep meditation. Those enlightenment factors start to build up. And what you see is always incredibly beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 46:24 Highlight the passage at 46:24

46:49 Wouldn't you like to add more beauty to your life? More natural happiness? But if you do that, if it's our public toilets, please don't look at the contents. Flush it quickly and then go, otherwise we'll never have enough vacant toilets available at the BSWA. But that's not just describing truth to you, that's what happens. Report an error in the passage at 46:49 Highlight the passage at 46:49

47:16 Enlightenment factors. You see so much beauty. And so it's the last factor, I didn't explain it perfectly there, the upeka. It's not just equanimity. It's just you don't want to ever change anything. You see gorgeous beauty everywhere. You want to share that beauty. Report an error in the passage at 47:16 Highlight the passage at 47:16

47:41 Why change this carpet? Or why change the carpet in the monk's quarters? It's gorgeous. So if ever you want to change it, please wait until I'm... at a different monastery somewhere overseas, so I can't comment. Report an error in the passage at 47:41 Highlight the passage at 47:41

48:02 Otherwise, they say, what are you doing? It's beautiful as it is. you like old stuff? Sometimes, why is that we think? Just because it's old, it needs to be changed. Report an error in the passage at 48:02 Highlight the passage at 48:02

48:18 Ajahn Brahm is old. Do I need to be changed? Report an error in the passage at 48:18 Highlight the passage at 48:18

48:25 many people have taught you the insight seeing a A piece of faeces is one of the most beautiful things in the whole world. Report an error in the passage at 48:25 Highlight the passage at 48:25

48:36 And I mean that. So anyway, that's what happens when you get into this meditation. Have a beautiful time. You start to appreciate this world in a way you've never appreciated it before. Report an error in the passage at 48:36 Highlight the passage at 48:36

48:53 You can actually just poke through the fabric of suffering and get beyond it. And see beauty where you never expected to see it. All for free. Report an error in the passage at 48:53 Highlight the passage at 48:53

49:07 No one will believe you unless they've actually come and heard a talk like this. Thank you all for listening. Report an error in the passage at 49:07 Highlight the passage at 49:07

49:21 And thank you for giving me that suggestion. Okay, so now, questions. Report an error in the passage at 49:21 Highlight the passage at 49:21

49:34 They're coming over there. You got any questions over there on the computer? Okay. Okay. Have we got any? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 49:34 Highlight the passage at 49:34

49:52 got the microphone. Report an error in the passage at 49:52 Highlight the passage at 49:52

50:01 Okay, go on. Yes, you're the president this year, so he comes first. He's the president! Ajahn, the seven enlightened factors and the bhajanga paritta, the paritta that is chanted for healing, including Buddha himself. I had it chanted for him when he was not well. What is the connection Ajahn? How does it work? Because those chants, when you understand what you are chanting, what the meaning is, it inspires you. Report an error in the passage at 50:01 Highlight the passage at 50:01

50:34 When I was giving that talk, there was no pressure on me at all. I really enjoyed giving that talk, explaining it and its meaning, the happiness it gives me. Report an error in the passage at 50:34 Highlight the passage at 50:34

50:49 It's a happiness and I'm in good shape at the moment. I've got no diseases that I know about. And if I did have any, those diseases would soon just have to run away somewhere else. Because when you understand the power of that joy that some enlightened being years ago could understand that and you could see it for yourself, it's gorgeous, it's beautiful, it's wonderful. Report an error in the passage at 50:49 Highlight the passage at 50:49

51:18 To know that what other people say is suffering, it's just like the Milky Way. It's like an old carpet. You see, it's beauty. You don't want to actually change it or get rid of it. Just leave it alone. Much less work to do. So just the inner happiness, I guess. Oh, yeah. Happiness overcomes suffering, especially sicknesses. Report an error in the passage at 51:18 Highlight the passage at 51:18

51:48 Thank you, Ajahn. Report an error in the passage at 51:48 Highlight the passage at 51:48

51:51 have a question quickly. Actually, I'm over here. I had a similar experience when I was a child on LSD that you talk about. My teacher, my spiritual teacher said it was cheating but I was okay with that at that time as a novice. Report an error in the passage at 51:51 Highlight the passage at 51:51

52:14 I just wanted to quickly say that every winter I collect blankets and camping equipment for people experiencing homelessness and if anybody wants to any, they could see me here or they could contact me or I can let you know where you can take them to. One place is next to the police station in Northbridge on James Street, place called the Ruah Centre. Report an error in the passage at 52:14 Highlight the passage at 52:14

52:37 That's all I wanted to say. It's really cold out there and there's a lot of people sleeping, including groups of women, in Northbridge and in the city. Report an error in the passage at 52:37 Highlight the passage at 52:37

52:46 What's it called again? centre is called RUA, R-U-A-H. Excellent. They're next to the police station on James Street? Yeah. Thank you so much. That's great. You know, sometimes I'm amazed at homeless people. They can be so kind to others. Years and years ago when we were holding some conference over in the convention hall over in the centre of Perth. Report an error in the passage at 52:46 Highlight the passage at 52:46

53:21 We had food prepared for everybody but one of the monks took his bowl and went on alms round instead and no one knew he was coming and one of the people who gave him a sandwich was this homeless guy and I brought tears not just to his eyes but the kindness the homeless guy showed totally unexpected and beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 53:21 Highlight the passage at 53:21

53:55 Even homeless guys with no money at all could find the joy in giving a sandwich to a monk on alms round. I felt a bit jealous that I wasn't that monk who went out to actually give that opportunity for joy. Report an error in the passage at 53:55 Highlight the passage at 53:55

54:20 So many beautiful things can happen and sometimes they are homeless people. One of the stories which I also remember is that The Franciscan story of this monk who in the early days when he went out on alms run because they weren't allowed money in those days, the Franciscans, they had to go begging for food. Report an error in the passage at 54:20 Highlight the passage at 54:20

54:50 He went out to beg for food and one of the very poor people said, why are you asking me for food? You've got beautiful clothes you're wearing, a nice robe. Report an error in the passage at 54:50 Highlight the passage at 54:50

55:03 Can you give me the robe, please? I'm asking from you. And the Franciscan monk said, well, you got a point there. So he gave him his clothes to this homeless man. So when he got back to his monastery, he was totally naked. Report an error in the passage at 55:03 Highlight the passage at 55:03

55:23 And so the person who was guarding the door of the monastery said, we don't allow weirdos into this monastery. This is a Franciscan monastery. Get out! Report an error in the passage at 55:23 Highlight the passage at 55:23

55:35 And when this monk started talking, they recognized it was you. They said, yeah, what happened to your robe? Were you attacked? Was it stolen? And he said, I gave it away. And so, they said, that's a nice thing to do. You're a monk, you should give things away as well. Report an error in the passage at 55:35 Highlight the passage at 55:35

55:55 And then, the same thing happened the next day. The word went around, the poor people, this guy's, they thought he was a bit dumb. But then somebody else asked for his robe the next day and he gave it away again. This time they knew who it was. So the next time he had to go and be interviewed by the abbot of the Franciscan monastery. Report an error in the passage at 55:55 Highlight the passage at 55:55

56:24 And the abbot said, you can't give away your robes, you've only got so many robes, people are taking advantage of you. And he talked like this for an hour. He really scolded this This young monk who had given away his robes. And then, half an hour later, this monk who was scolded was knocking on the abbot's door to give him a cup of soup. Report an error in the passage at 56:24 Highlight the passage at 56:24

56:57 Why are you rewarding me? I've just been scolding you for an hour. Yes, said the monk. And I thought, your throat must be so sore by an hour of scolding. So please take some soup. Report an error in the passage at 56:57 Highlight the passage at 56:57

57:12 That really was a kind monk. Instead of just saying, I'm supposed to be generous as well, the scolding monk said, no, have some soup. Report an error in the passage at 57:12 Highlight the passage at 57:12

57:28 That's really beautiful. Okay, next question. Can I? Yeah, go on. Ajahn Brahm, thanks for the wonderful, really wonderful talk tonight on Bajangas, a real healer. My question is the same as Prem. Brahm's question, I'm going to ask you more in more detail. You know, it is said that when the Buddha was sick, you know, Junda recited the Bojangas and he got well. Report an error in the passage at 57:28 Highlight the passage at 57:28

57:58 So it was when the monks in Buddha's time were sick, Buddha recited the Bojangas, that is the seven factors of enlightenment, and the monks got well. But question to ask you, you know, how do they, you know, the chanting, the power from the chanting. How does it work, you know? Does it work, like, for example, you know, the factors, seven factors, investigation of when Buddha was chanting, and then the, that's my, you know, and then the monks, the monks, oh, you know, seven factors. Report an error in the passage at 57:58 Highlight the passage at 57:58

58:34 investigation of dharma you know things are impermanent you know yeah you know let go this thing okay things like that and the monks become mindful these things and we become mindful these things that is the uh um bliss comes out like tranquility to finally is equanimity you know and then they feel oh you know and also the power from the Buddha too you know both ways is that this way like that yeah it's just the blessing of the joy Report an error in the passage at 58:34 Highlight the passage at 58:34

59:03 Remember when you're really sick, and I remember the sicknesses years ago, that sometimes just all your kind of happiness kind of disappears. You've really got no energy, you feel hopeless, you can't even go to the toilet in time, everything starts to fall apart. And imagine that somebody comes along, please excuse me, and they tell you a joke. Report an error in the passage at 59:03 Highlight the passage at 59:03

59:31 A funny story. That's a sign. Just a joy you get from a funny story. That starts to forget about the pain or the tiredness. And you get, and somebody comes to see you. Wow. And then they start talking dharma to you. And you get really sort of inspired. And it's the inspiration is exactly what I was trying to talk about. Report an error in the passage at 59:31 Highlight the passage at 59:31

1:00:02 Imagine just the power of inspiration. These days, what's inspiring in your life? What inspires you? You know, there's sometimes some of the teachings of the Buddha, like the Bojanga. There's other things which can inspire you as well. Some of those, like that homeless guy who gave a sandwich to a monk, you know, in... Report an error in the passage at 1:00:02 Highlight the passage at 1:00:02

1:00:29 What's that street outside the... Convention Center? Wellington Street, is it? Anyway, right in the center of town. The kindness that guy had. Wow! And that just made my eyes watery. Have you seen inspiring people in this world? Report an error in the passage at 1:00:29 Highlight the passage at 1:00:29

1:00:53 They do it just because it's a beautiful thing to do. If ever you see that, just remember it. And that's much better than a panadol. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:53 Highlight the passage at 1:00:53

1:01:07 Ajahn Brahm, you know the highest of the seven factors is equanimity. So as the Buddha was chanting, so he went through all the stages, to finally, equanimity, no problem. It's the highest happiness. Happiness. Happiness, so they get Well, you know, just one more. This is the bojangga, seven factors, okay, equanimity. The next one is your expert, okay, that is the highest jhāna, is equanimity. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:07 Highlight the passage at 1:01:07

1:01:41 The fourth jhāna, yes. Yeah, the equanimity, the thing, you know. So it works, yours is more like the chanting, you know, when you reach samādhi, you know. Maybe you can tell us about that, Ajahn Brahm. You know what you're talking about. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:41 Highlight the passage at 1:01:41

1:01:56 of inspiration, joy, stillness, and the power of it. You feel that power. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:56 Highlight the passage at 1:01:56

1:02:05 Honestly, that's why when I teach meditation retreats, that's why I like talking about all the examples of deep meditation, things like Jhāna's. I ask people the first couple of days, sleep a lot. Get your energy back up, just physical energy. Find inspiration. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:05 Highlight the passage at 1:02:05

1:02:26 Go out at night to see the stars at night. You can sleep later on. You don't have to always be there for the talks which I give and the blessings which you give. Yeah, nice to be around for that, but find your body, feel it, and grow with it in the day. And if you don't feel like sleeping, no need to. Just go out there and just look at the stars or look at the animals. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:26 Highlight the passage at 1:02:26

1:02:55 Just sit there meditating. We're going to have that retreat with the Hong Kongies and the Indonesians, come in a week or two's time. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:55 Highlight the passage at 1:02:55

1:03:15 And the last year, it shows it does actually happen. There was one lady. She was meditating on the day we were celebrating the beginning of the rains. And it was Della came up to me and said, you know, she's sitting, oh, she's sitting meditation on the stupa in the early morning. She'd been sitting there most of the night, hours, on the stupa. And Della, who was organizing the retreat, asked her, please come out of the meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:15 Highlight the passage at 1:03:15

1:03:54 You've got to do the ceremony. You know, in a few minutes. And also that later on today we've got to go to the airport to go back to Hong Kong. You know, we can't leave you here in Perth sitting on a stupor. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:54 Highlight the passage at 1:03:54

1:04:09 And then she came and told me, Della, the lady didn't move. And it's one of those important things to know. If they are still warm, they're not dead. Don't call ambulance. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:09 Highlight the passage at 1:04:09

1:04:28 To get them out of meditation, be incredibly kind. And I say to add, so that the importance of what you say, say as kindly as you can, Ajahn Brahm asks you to come over to Bodhinyana Monastery. It's a 15-minute walk, that's all. And Della came back in her car and said it didn't work. Yes, it does. And she waited. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:28 Highlight the passage at 1:04:28

1:04:57 And then she walked over. That's how you get a person out of deep meditation. Just one, sorry, please one more, okay? Just one more. Only one. One more, yeah, yeah, yeah. We have one more. No, important enough. You see, here us BSWA, under you, okay? Ours is more towards the meditation, you know? Oh, yeah. You know? You are the expert here, and you are the one to speak, you know? And whereas the Bojangas, we don't do that here, isn't it? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:57 Highlight the passage at 1:04:57

1:05:28 They're the Sri Lankan monks, you know? The Malaysian I come from, oh, there's all these bujangas, they do the chanting, you know. Whereas we don't do much of this here, isn't it? Mark still, I do. You do too? Yeah, of course. Oh, I didn't know, I didn't hear you. Maybe you should give more. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:28 Highlight the passage at 1:05:28

1:06:12 I left out the upeka. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:12 Highlight the passage at 1:06:12

1:06:19 Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. Of course we do that. That's healing, Ajahn Brahm. Yeah. Yeah. So there's the things which you grow up with. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:19 Highlight the passage at 1:06:19

1:06:32 But a lot of times people don't understand what it means. I know what I'm chanting, but if you don't understand what it means, it doesn't have the same power. I know, power, that's right. Maybe you should have one more talk on self-righteousness of enlightenment. Yeah, well that was... Because of Nicole over there. She asked me a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't find a talk on that subject. So that's why I did it today. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:32 Highlight the passage at 1:06:32

1:06:57 Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay. I've got some questions over here from internet. Dear Ajahn, how to overcome emotional stress? Mettā to all. Thank you. That's how to get rid of emotional stress. Giving mettā to all. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:57 Highlight the passage at 1:06:57

1:07:21 Emotional stress. I must be an expert on emotional stress because I don't have any. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:21 Highlight the passage at 1:07:21

1:07:31 Why do we get stressed out about? Anyway, so ask another monk that question. Aditya. Dear Ajahn, how to distinguish between being kind and being unskillful? See how people react to it. I try to be kind and I land in trouble due to lack of mindfulness and discretion. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:31 Highlight the passage at 1:07:31

1:07:59 A lot of times if you have friends who are also Buddhists, they understand what you're up to. Like there was one person who came and saw me today, I'm just making sure they're not here because I might embarrass them, and they said they were trying to be kind to others, but they were getting burnt out. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:59 Highlight the passage at 1:07:59

1:08:21 Sometimes you must always remember to be kind to yourself as well as to others. You know, you count as well. You know, how many people are in this room now? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:21 Highlight the passage at 1:08:21

1:08:34 70, 80. Each one of you count. So don't just think you have to sacrifice yourself totally for others. You just treat yourself as you would treat somebody else. There's times when you have to be kind to yourself as well as kind to others. When you balance it correctly, then you realize it works. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:34 Highlight the passage at 1:08:34

1:09:00 Question from U.S. Dear Ajahn, what is a healthy marriage? I feel anxious with some of my... partner attitude, I'm not able to prioritize my parents' work. You don't prioritize anyone's work. You just see what is the best way at all times to look after your partner in life, look after your own practice, look after your parents and everybody else you meet. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:00 Highlight the passage at 1:09:00

1:09:34 Who is the most important person in the world? Not yourself, no. The most important person in life is the one right in front of you. Those are the emperor's three questions. Beautiful answers. And what's the most important thing to do? To care. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:34 Highlight the passage at 1:09:34

1:10:01 The most important person is the person right in front of you, whoever that happens to be. A lot of the times, you know, you're alone. Then you are right in front of you. You're the most important person sometimes. When I go to my room, my cave and not the cave door, the only person I see. I guess it's really important then. Yeah, I look after myself. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:01 Highlight the passage at 1:10:01

1:10:31 the most important thing to do is to care. the third emperor's question, what's the most important thing to do? now what's the most important time? That's the easy one, now. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:31 Highlight the passage at 1:10:31

1:10:43 think the most important time, like some kids were telling me today, Report an error in the passage at 1:10:43 Highlight the passage at 1:10:43

1:10:51 It's not the most important time. The most important time is right now. Whatever you're doing right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:51 Highlight the passage at 1:10:51

1:11:01 OK. Is that enough? Any other questions? Going... Oh no, you've got one over there. Go on. I Report an error in the passage at 1:11:01 Highlight the passage at 1:11:01

1:11:16 actually had two questions and my first one was you were talking about when you were at uni and you were cycling back and you saw the bamboo plant and it just... It didn't have that same significance for you anymore. How did you go back to kind of maintaining that again? Because I feel I had something similar in the past and I've really never been able to get back because of the busyness of life. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:16 Highlight the passage at 1:11:16

1:11:43 You're always busy this evening. Are you busy this evening? You're here in this temple right now. You give importance to this moment and then you find... The mind gets very strong again. And yeah, you may be very busy, but tomorrow is Saturday and Sunday soon. You do have holidays. Number one, if you do feel tired, sleep a lot. Don't worry about what other people think. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:43 Highlight the passage at 1:11:43

1:12:16 They get up, you've been sleeping all day. No, sleep a bit longer. Look after yourself, you're important. And after a while, when you are awake, don't get worried about things. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:16 Highlight the passage at 1:12:16

1:12:29 Don't waste the mind's energy by getting negative. So and then after a while you kind of slightly wake up and you see so much beauty in anything. These old plastic chairs, have you had a look at them? They're gorgeous. You see the shape of them? Who figured that out? They're geniuses. Just the fact that you can buy them in a shop for hardly anything, that doesn't count for anything. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:29 Highlight the passage at 1:12:29

1:13:04 Sometimes you see so much, are these things good? Little tablets. They allow you to ask a question from overseas, wherever you are. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:04 Highlight the passage at 1:13:04

1:13:18 If you can see them in a positive light, wow, it's amazing. And I can just press something, I better not yet, and then the whole thing vanishes and you can use it again tomorrow. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:18 Highlight the passage at 1:13:18

1:13:31 It can be a great invention if you know how to use them wisely, which is not all the time. We know who to give it to, so they'll never give it back to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:31 Highlight the passage at 1:13:31

1:13:48 So that's actually how we can live in our life. Oh yes, one question. Yes, thank you so much. And then my second question was, the people around us, how can we navigate our relationships with more mindfulness and kind of bring that into our, again, kind of chaotic lives? We've got kids and things going on. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:48 Highlight the passage at 1:13:48

1:14:13 yeah yeah like how can we help to navigate um relations Oh yeah, with kids, especially young kids. But never underestimate the wisdom of young kids. You know, say, Mummy's tired. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:13 Highlight the passage at 1:14:13

1:14:28 And then just take and close your eyes and take a little break. I remember one mummy. She used to be in our Armadale group years ago and I was teaching over there regularly. And she said that one day... You know, she wanted to do a meditation and her two kids would not let the mother go for half an hour. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:28 Highlight the passage at 1:14:28

1:14:56 So what she did, she sat down on a nice cushion and then her little boy and little girl would climb all over her and pull her hair. Mummy, mummy, mummy, I need to go to the toilet. Well, just go. Mummy, mummy, I need a glass of water. Mummy, mummy, mummy. And then I told her, just don't respond. It's your time. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:56 Highlight the passage at 1:14:56

1:15:18 And then it's amazing just how innovative kids can be. You may know this if you've got young kids. Don't underestimate them. They started crawling all over her, pulling her hair. Mummy, mummy, mummy, mummy, mummy, mummy. And so they realised that wasn't working on this occasion. Mummy, mummy, mummy. Janet's got the kitchen knife out from the drawer, the sharp one. Mummy, mummy. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:18 Highlight the passage at 1:15:18

1:15:49 Billy's turned on the gas and got them. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:49 Highlight the passage at 1:15:49

1:15:57 When this mother told me this, I was laughing my head off because she never moved. If the kids want to cut themselves to pieces, she can clean up the blood at work afterwards. If they want to blow up the house, well, so what? And she just sat there. And after half an hour, when she opened her eyes, her meditation was finished. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:57 Highlight the passage at 1:15:57

1:16:23 The house was still there, so were her kids. They were just playing easily and calmly in the corner. They hadn't cut themselves, they hadn't blown up anything. It's just what we fear. Oh my goodness, they may kill themselves, they may kill me, they may blow up the house. Trust your kids. And after that incident, she had half an hour whenever she wanted for her own meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:23 Highlight the passage at 1:16:23

1:16:54 And the kids found they had a much nicer mummy as a result, as you can expect. She won her meditation time. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:54 Highlight the passage at 1:16:54

1:17:08 Okay, that's a true story. I really admired that girl for what she did. Hey, right on. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:08 Highlight the passage at 1:17:08

1:17:22 Poor old Billy gets so much exercise. Okay, I'll be really quick. Hi. Hello, I'm Cynthia. That's an exercise. It doesn't need to go to the gym. I know. Yeah, good. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:22 Highlight the passage at 1:17:22

1:17:37 Demanding job. Firstly, we were talking about Ruah before. It's a Hebrew word and it means like the breath of God. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Secondly, two years ago I was here crying about my son, the gaming addict. And so he's still gaming after four years, but he's completed his first semester at TAFE. Yay. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:37 Highlight the passage at 1:17:37

1:17:38 job. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:38 Highlight the passage at 1:17:38

1:18:04 So thank you for all of the encouragement. Yeah, it's very tough. He pulled out of school, so he didn't go to high school, basically. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:04 Highlight the passage at 1:18:04

1:18:16 Yeah, and the other thing is he started train surfing, like on the back of trains. Oh, yeah. So I heard once that perhaps within Buddhism wisdom that... encouragement Report an error in the passage at 1:18:16 Highlight the passage at 1:18:16

1:18:31 Actually, our children don't always belong to us as parents. I think I'm a bit desensitized, to be honest. What can I say to him? He won't listen. We have a very caring and loving relationship. You know that sometimes we think the kids don't listen, but they do. They just don't admit it. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:31 Highlight the passage at 1:18:31

1:19:02 If you say kind things, at least it's something positive. But don't expect results. Sometimes it's one person in the world who never criticizes them. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:02 Highlight the passage at 1:19:02

1:19:18 Imagine how beautiful that would be. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:18 Highlight the passage at 1:19:18

1:19:29 Okay, so we don't want to give Bill a heart attack. So let's just bow three times and then we can always go and have a rest. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:29 Highlight the passage at 1:19:29

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:20:29 -pa-ti-ta-no, ba-ga-wa-to, sa-wa-ka-san-go. Sankhya Namami Report an error in the passage at 1:20:29 Highlight the passage at 1:20:29