Guided Meditation

0:00 So I just popped into the introduction to meditation class. You know what I said there? I told them the coughing joke, because they hadn't heard it last night. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:17 Sorry, I'm incorrigible. So anyhow, meditation. In our meditation class, it's a beautiful opportunity to make ourselves nice and quiet, peaceful and still. And we have a longer time to do the meditation, 45 minutes, which is beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 0:17 Highlight the passage at 0:17

0:38 It gives us the time to get more and more quiet. And it gives me a time to relax from the excitement of telling the coughing joke. Report an error in the passage at 0:38 Highlight the passage at 0:38

0:52 You've heard it before, most of you. People in the next door never did. Next door is the class for the introduction to meditation. Those who are coming for the first times can actually learn some of the basics from... Report an error in the passage at 0:52 Highlight the passage at 0:52

1:10 One of our senior members has been around a long time. I don't think she's dead yet, so it's not really a coffin next door. It's a real woman and a very nice person. So she gives an introductory class to meditation, which is also important because we have to learn from the basics. And once we learn the basics, then we can come to this class and sit a bit longer. One of the things I wanted to talk about, You know, before we get into the meditation in quarter of an hour, is that somebody did ask me today at lunchtime that they heard, that they attributed it to Ajahn Chah, but I've never heard him say this at all. Report an error in the passage at 1:10 Highlight the passage at 1:10

1:55 And I was with him for nine years. They said to start the meditation by noticing the breath at the tip of the nose and then move it down to the throat, then move it down a bit lower down. And that's not how Ajahn Chah used to teach. It was more like wherever the breath happens to be, that's where you watch. Report an error in the passage at 1:55 Highlight the passage at 1:55

2:19 That gets only to the point where you start watching the breathing. Never start watching the breathing, you start by sitting down and relaxing to the max. Learning how to just allow life to become very simple, very easy, not controlling. Not expecting, not wanting, not having any negativity at all. This is against the way we usually live our life. Report an error in the passage at 2:19 Highlight the passage at 2:19

2:48 Whenever you go to work, you get your jobs to do and expectations when you're supposed to finish it by. If you go to many other jobs, you have like a history, who did what and what did what. And this is actually, our life is mostly in the past and the future. But when we start doing... Meditation. We let go of all of that. We're not concerned with what happened in the past. We should not be concerned with what's going to happen in the future. Report an error in the passage at 2:48 Highlight the passage at 2:48

3:20 We just learn to stay in this moment. Basically to let go. I often say this little simile. How heavy is my glass of water? Does anyone know? I gave this simile once in Imperial College in London to the Buddhist group there. You know, the smart arses said, sorry, I shouldn't say that, should I? The smart addict said, oh, that's about 250 grams. Report an error in the passage at 3:20 Highlight the passage at 3:20

3:53 And I said, that's not what I mean. How heavy does it feel? The longer you hold it, the heavier it feels. If I keep holding this for five minutes, then my arm starts to ache. After ten minutes it gets in great pain. Why? grams. Report an error in the passage at 3:53 Highlight the passage at 3:53

4:15 I've been holding it too long. And that's one of our problems, problems of life. We hold it too long. And that's why life hurts sometimes. So what should we do? When it starts to get too heavy to hold easily, we put it down. Report an error in the passage at 4:15 Highlight the passage at 4:15

4:36 Simple. Let it go. Don't worry about it. Put it down and relax to the max. You can try this for yourself if you wish at home. Hold something for long until your arm hurts and put it down. When you pick it up again, it always feels lighter. Why is it we don't know how to put things down? It's because of that that often if we start meditating and have some plan, we've got to do it this first and then that and then something else. Report an error in the passage at 4:36 Highlight the passage at 4:36

5:18 It just gets too complicated. So we want to see if we can make it so simple. You hardly have any instructions at all. The only instructions is making sure you follow no instructions. In other words, you do relax. You do let go. Report an error in the passage at 5:18 Highlight the passage at 5:18

5:41 And just to mention this to you, I was talking a few days ago to some of the monks. Why is it? That some people, they can meditate so easily. Or sometimes it is that some people, I have known these, they're not even Buddhists. And they have like spontaneous, like deep meditations. Hardly had any training. A good example of this is this Malaysian girl, no woman, she's in her fifties, I think. Report an error in the passage at 5:41 Highlight the passage at 5:41

6:18 And she had an experience. It was such a deep experience. She went to her doctor and tried to explain it to him. And the doctor couldn't understand what it was and thought it was some psychosis or something happened. And she said, no, I didn't have a psychosis. And she went to several doctors in Malaysia and they mostly said the same thing. Report an error in the passage at 6:18 Highlight the passage at 6:18

6:45 It wasn't satisfying her. And she came to see me. Some of my disciples advised her to come. And she was not relaxed at all. But then when she said, just describe what had happened. And she described what had happened to her. And then I looked at her and said, wow, that was what we call Ajahn experience. Report an error in the passage at 6:45 Highlight the passage at 6:45

7:12 What? And I said a few other things she would have experienced in that time. Yes! Yeah, that's it. And she was so happy. It's rare, but it does happen. I've seen that in my life a few times, that people have, for some reason or another, in several different causes, let go enough and let go so much that they get into this deep meditation experience where all your five senses Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, disappear. And they turn off. You just got your mind. And the mind is very, very beautiful and happy. Report an error in the passage at 7:12 Highlight the passage at 7:12

8:00 And that's what was happening to her. It wasn't a psychosis. It was a great sense of good fortune for her. And she came to see someone and knew what was going on. And so after that, she became a meditator. And she's still meditating over it. Malaysia somewhere. But I like that when sometimes these experiences, they can sometimes just happen. Report an error in the passage at 8:00 Highlight the passage at 8:00

8:28 You're in a certain type of mood and wham, there you go. That's one of the things which I want to imbue in each one of you, to take away the fear from any meditation. You may get into a deep meditation. And if you do, you've got absolutely nothing to fear. They're great experiences. I also said that in the introduction to the talk last night. Report an error in the passage at 8:28 Highlight the passage at 8:28

9:02 Do you remember those people who heard me say that there was a retreat which had not been announced? I'm surprised that it was announced. Because there were some people, they come from Hong Kong, And from Malaysia to do a retreat just before the rains retreat. And last year, I will never forget that we were just preparing for the alms round in Bodhinyana Monastery on just the opening of the rains retreat day. Report an error in the passage at 9:02 Highlight the passage at 9:02

9:39 And as I was there, one of the ladies came and said, one of her people from Hong Kong She'd been meditating on the outside most of the night for hours. She was on the stupa which we have at Bodhinyana Monastery. She'd been meditating there not moving for hours. And they checked on her. She wasn't dead. I'm going to tell you, each one of you, because you never know when you come across a person meditating. Report an error in the passage at 9:39 Highlight the passage at 9:39

10:19 This very, very deep meditation. And you know if they're alive or dead by touching them. If their body is still warm, they're just in a deep meditation. Report an error in the passage at 10:19 Highlight the passage at 10:19

10:34 If they're cold, then call the ambulance. But all the times I've seen it, they're still warm, like she was. But the person organizing this retreat said, this is the last day. We've got to go to the airport after our breakfast. We've got to fly back to Malaysia. What are we going to do? Shall we just take her like she's unconscious and check her in? What do you think the people in Australia would do? Report an error in the passage at 10:34 Highlight the passage at 10:34

11:09 We can't do that. We've got to get her out somehow. They were shouting in her ear. She wouldn't come out. What do you do? Report an error in the passage at 11:09 Highlight the passage at 11:09

11:20 It's nice having these little pieces of advice. Don't ever think it won't happen to you. You don't shout. You say as kindly as you can, please come out of the meditation and you give them some time. Please come out of the meditation after the count of ten. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, Three, two, one. You're in a deep state of meditation. It takes time to come out. And so I sent them back over there because I was busy arranging things for the ceremony. Report an error in the passage at 11:20 Highlight the passage at 11:20

12:06 And they did that. And they said it so kindly and then left her. Please come out soon. Ajahn Brahm calls you. And then they said it didn't work. Report an error in the passage at 12:06 Highlight the passage at 12:06

12:19 And I said, wait. And they were patient. And after a while, she came in the door. She was just waiting. It took her time to come out. Report an error in the passage at 12:19 Highlight the passage at 12:19

12:35 And then she came and saw me. She was fine. That's how you get somebody out of these deep meditations. And sometimes they've never done it before. All you have to do is make sure that people feel safe. Like each one of you. Safe enough to let go and know that We know what we're doing here. You'll be perfectly safe. Never had anybody who has been injured or hurt by meditation over in Bodhinyana or Jhāna Grove or here. Report an error in the passage at 12:35 Highlight the passage at 12:35

13:12 What we have had is many people get some amazing, beautiful, wonderful experiences of who they are and how they are. So this is one of the reasons why just learn how to... Not just control the meditation, but let go so much. You let go so much that it feels like all of those levers and buttons of control disappear from you, and there's no control left. Report an error in the passage at 13:12 Highlight the passage at 13:12

13:44 You're not dead. You're at peace, deeply at peace. And even though you may have some appointments or busyness, don't worry. I can get you out easy enough, kindly, beautifully. And it's inspiring for everybody to see what letting go actually means and how you can put the cup down. And the cup never falls over, never gets injured. You just have a beautiful time in your life when for a long time you don't hold on to anything. Report an error in the passage at 13:44 Highlight the passage at 13:44

14:25 You really understand what letting go means. Would you like to experience that? Sometimes we feel, oh, it's a bit scary. My goodness, it's not. You just go into a different experience in life and a beautiful experience and always has some amazing benefits. So actually that's how it works. So we're now going to do the guided meditation. Report an error in the passage at 14:25 Highlight the passage at 14:25

14:57 One of the reasons we do the guided meditation is because basically I'm trying to encourage you to let go of controlling your body. And I'm telling you how to do it. And many of you have trust in me, so you follow me and you let go. And it feels so beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 14:57 Highlight the passage at 14:57

15:19 And after a while, I just shut up. And you enjoy the peace and the quiet. Not just ordinary peace or ordinary quiet, deep peace, deep quiet. When you're sitting here, body mostly disappeared, past gone, thinking, not happening, and you feel totally at ease, totally. That becomes the deep and profound meditations. You just do that once, and then you feel just... Report an error in the passage at 15:19 Highlight the passage at 15:19

15:58 It's enormous benefits. Okay? So let's give it a try. Report an error in the passage at 15:58 Highlight the passage at 15:58

16:10 So, if you like to just sit comfortably, those who aren't, you'll soon get more and more comfortable. What about your posture? How should you be sitting? You discover through kindfulness the combination of mindfulness plus kindness. What is the best position for your own body? How it can relax to the max. And that trains you in how to relax your mind. Report an error in the passage at 16:10 Highlight the passage at 16:10

17:18 Sometimes I like it when it's like the sound of the wind blowing outside. I turn it into a positive perception. I kind of imagine that I'm on a mountaintop somewhere so far away. from any busyness nothing to do really free from all of these compulsions and duties which we have in our world sitting Report an error in the passage at 17:18 Highlight the passage at 17:18

18:03 alone safe Report an error in the passage at 18:03 Highlight the passage at 18:03

18:08 unburdened I'm free to feel my body and relax it as deeply as I can I start by please don't laugh Feeling my toes, the furthest part of my body from my brain. Report an error in the passage at 18:08 Highlight the passage at 18:08

18:41 And as I feel the position of my toes and any pressure on them, and there is, my right toes are too squashed. So I'm going to adjust my own posture. I do that out of kindness. Report an error in the passage at 18:41 Highlight the passage at 18:41

19:01 It's amazing how people can be so kind to others. They've forgotten how to be kind to themselves. Report an error in the passage at 19:01 Highlight the passage at 19:01

19:13 And having relaxed my toes, check them again, can feel them. The mindfulness is there, but together with the kindness. Report an error in the passage at 19:13 Highlight the passage at 19:13

19:30 Why are you kind to your toes? Because I'm kind to every part of my body. This is the start. And I go, as my toes are at ease, I go to the balls of my feet. Report an error in the passage at 19:30 Highlight the passage at 19:30

19:52 For my attention there, give them kindness. I can feel them. Because I add the kindness, it relaxes. I go to the instep, a bit further up my foot, and I can feel the sensations there. They are also at ease. To my heels, and they relax. To the uppers of my feet, the instep, and then the ankles. Report an error in the passage at 19:52 Highlight the passage at 19:52

20:36 The knowledge has been aware of every part of both feet that I can feel. And because of that kindness, I've relaxed them as much as I could. Report an error in the passage at 20:36 Highlight the passage at 20:36

20:52 I can feel them, sense them, and they're at ease. And my job now is to move that kindfulness further up my body. And if at any time... I need to adjust the body slightly, I will do. So I go up to the calves of my legs, feel even the bones inside, skin on the outside, the muscles of the back of my lower legs. Report an error in the passage at 20:52 Highlight the passage at 20:52

21:29 And as I move my attention upwards, always giving relaxation care, softness. Sometimes I even imagine those legs sinking deeper into the Report an error in the passage at 21:29 Highlight the passage at 21:29

21:46 So there's no stress on them at all. And eventually I get to my knees, and I feel the knees. That's all I know right now, focusing on them and relaxing them. So you feel there's no pain or ache anywhere in those knees. Report an error in the passage at 21:46 Highlight the passage at 21:46

22:19 They're at peace. And I can move from those knees up to my thighs, very big muscles. Report an error in the passage at 22:19 Highlight the passage at 22:19

22:32 And I relax and ease everything as I scan my attention further up the thighs so I get to my buttocks. When I get to my buttocks, I always feel that sensation of the weight of my body pressing against the cushion. That is a tension which I can always know. And how it disappears is when I find the most comfortable position, For that butt. Leave it and you find the sensations hardly change at all over many minutes until the brain figures out it doesn't need any more attention and the feeling of the buttocks disappears. Report an error in the passage at 22:32 Highlight the passage at 22:32

23:30 So my whole lower body from buttocks to toes relaxes totally. And I go to my waist and that's An important part I spend a bit of time on, making sure the position of my waist is the best I can possibly make. A few times in my life I've injured my back. I learned a lot how to heal it through a wise, comfortable waist position. Report an error in the passage at 23:30 Highlight the passage at 23:30

24:12 And Report an error in the passage at 24:12 Highlight the passage at 24:12

24:17 then once the waist is adjusted, I start scanning the body. Up the inside, just call that up the digestive tracts. And I can feel my digestive tracts are pretty healthy. Report an error in the passage at 24:17 Highlight the passage at 24:17

24:39 There's no ache or pain anywhere as I scan upwards. But I'm also interested in some of the little organs as I go upwards. Report an error in the passage at 24:39 Highlight the passage at 24:39

24:59 If I can find anything which is an ache or unpleasant or... No, not on the ordinary. What I usually do is pause and give it extra kindness. Report an error in the passage at 24:59 Highlight the passage at 24:59

25:16 The kindness is the medication. A lot of times if we have an injury, we stress, we don't relax. The kindness helps us relax and move all of the tightness, tension away so healing can happen. And Report an error in the passage at 25:16 Highlight the passage at 25:16

25:45 from... Scanning upwards, I soon get to my stomach, and there you give a lot of kind relaxation and ease. If there's anything undigested, I will digest next. I teach this to those who have cancer. You can feel that the body is working hard to try and heal anything which is being diagnosed as cancer. Report an error in the passage at 25:45 Highlight the passage at 25:45

26:26 You can feel it. Once you feel it, you can relax it. Relax it totally. I've had so much success in my life healing the body through awareness and kindness. Report an error in the passage at 26:26 Highlight the passage at 26:26

26:51 Eventually I get from my stomach up to my lungs. It's Report an error in the passage at 26:51 Highlight the passage at 26:51

27:02 amazing how peaceful you can become just in that one area of the body. Right now... The lower part of my body has kind of totally disappeared. I can't feel that pressure in my butt. All I can feel is the area where my lungs are, relaxing them to the max, at ease with them, not forcing them, not controlling them, letting them expand and dilate naturally. Report an error in the passage at 27:02 Highlight the passage at 27:02

27:46 It's pleasant. Sometimes Report an error in the passage at 27:46 Highlight the passage at 27:46

27:54 I surprise myself. By noticing how pleasant it is just to watch my lungs and Report an error in the passage at 27:54 Highlight the passage at 27:54

28:05 go further up to my heart. I don't get many feelings, physical feelings in my heart or around my heart, but I just give it kindness anyway. Report an error in the passage at 28:05 Highlight the passage at 28:05

28:20 So everything over there, all my main organs, have an opportunity to relax to the max until the whole body is not controlled. Report an error in the passage at 28:20 Highlight the passage at 28:20

28:37 This has its natural rhythms to it. And I just flow with those natural rhythms. And as I recognize, just especially with something like my lungs, as I relax, the feeling gets so easy. And Report an error in the passage at 28:37 Highlight the passage at 28:37

29:03 they go up above my heart to my shoulders. And Report an error in the passage at 29:03 Highlight the passage at 29:03

29:13 those are usually tense. Now as I'm watching the shoulders, they are so at ease. Report an error in the passage at 29:13 Highlight the passage at 29:13

29:26 I'm not holding anything tight. It's like I'm loosening off everything. No control. And it feels beautiful. And Report an error in the passage at 29:26 Highlight the passage at 29:26

29:42 I allow my sensations to be noticed as the mindfulness goes down my shoulders to my arms and down the arms to the elbows, the elbows to the forearms, forearms to the wrists. Report an error in the passage at 29:42 Highlight the passage at 29:42

30:08 Wrists to the hands and the hands to the fingers. Report an error in the passage at 30:08 Highlight the passage at 30:08

30:17 Often I move my fingers at this time for this afternoon. I can feel those fingers and they're comfortable, they're at ease. Report an error in the passage at 30:17 Highlight the passage at 30:17

30:29 So I leave them alone. Report an error in the passage at 30:29 Highlight the passage at 30:29

30:34 I've relaxed the whole body up to the neck starting from the toes. I've felt all parts of it and it's balanced and easy. It's happy to be there. I haven't told it what to do. I felt my body and it's at ease. Report an error in the passage at 30:34 Highlight the passage at 30:34

31:01 And I go up my neck and Report an error in the passage at 31:01 Highlight the passage at 31:01

31:08 I usually realize that any pressure on the neck is caused just by the head being too far forward or too far back. So I experiment with that and find the best way, the best position to hold my head. Report an error in the passage at 31:08 Highlight the passage at 31:08

31:32 To give the feeling of strength and relaxation at the same time. And Report an error in the passage at 31:32 Highlight the passage at 31:32

31:43 lastly I feel the face. I say the face because that's where stress, tightness, tension can be experienced. Around the eyes, mouth, nose. I make sure that those are all closed but not shut down tight. Report an error in the passage at 31:43 Highlight the passage at 31:43

32:09 This is the relaxation. I do know it's through fear, anxiety, wanting. That's why we put too much stress on our facial muscles. It's not necessary. I relax my face as much as possible. So all wanting, anxiety, fear is weakened. And lastly, I now join all the parts of my body which can be felt. Report an error in the passage at 32:09 Highlight the passage at 32:09

32:53 Together, see Report an error in the passage at 32:53 Highlight the passage at 32:53

32:58 the whole body, toes up to eyebrows. I Report an error in the passage at 32:58 Highlight the passage at 32:58

33:13 don't just say this to impress. It actually does feel beautiful. I Report an error in the passage at 33:13 Highlight the passage at 33:13

33:26 find it a very pleasant way to start meditation. And Report an error in the passage at 33:26 Highlight the passage at 33:26

33:37 I stay with that pleasure for a minute or two. I find my body relaxes even more. Report an error in the passage at 33:37 Highlight the passage at 33:37

33:50 It's a very enjoyable way to start the meditation. Report an error in the passage at 33:50 Highlight the passage at 33:50

33:56 So enjoyable the mind doesn't want to wander off anywhere or to think. Report an error in the passage at 33:56 Highlight the passage at 33:56

34:07 It's happy just being quiet in this moment. But Report an error in the passage at 34:07 Highlight the passage at 34:07

34:16 often this is where I make it a little bit more formal to begin with. I let go of the past and I don't worry about future. Report an error in the passage at 34:16 Highlight the passage at 34:16

34:31 Always remember now is where your future Now is Report an error in the passage at 34:31 Highlight the passage at 34:31

34:42 not the time to reflect on the past. It tires you. Stay in the present. Re Report an error in the passage at 34:42 Highlight the passage at 34:42

34:56 -energize. It's much more beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 34:56 Highlight the passage at 34:56

35:07 Sometimes I use a simile of imagining you're carrying two heavy suitcases. It makes you tired. It leaves your arms ache. And the suitcase in your left hand and represents the past. All that stuff you've got packed in there, which you feel is necessary, and you carry around with you. Report an error in the passage at 35:07 Highlight the passage at 35:07

35:37 And in the right hand, the suitcase of the future, all your plans and hopes and fears. And Report an error in the passage at 35:37 Highlight the passage at 35:37

35:50 now you just imagine the weight, the burden of the suitcase in your left hand, the past. And you imagine leaning to your left. Report an error in the passage at 35:50 Highlight the passage at 35:50

36:02 And lowering that suitcase onto the ground. And when it meets the ground, all the weight vanishes. The weight is now supported by the earth. Report an error in the passage at 36:02 Highlight the passage at 36:02

36:19 You can relax. You can let go of the handle and move your left arm up, straighten your back. You put the pass down for a few minutes. And you do the same with the suitcase in your right hand. The future, leaning to the right, lowering that suitcase to the floor. When it meets the floor, noticing now there's no weight left. Report an error in the passage at 36:19 Highlight the passage at 36:19

36:56 And then unlocking the grip of the hand on the handle and moving your right arm upwards. You put the future on the floor. It's safe. No one's going to take it from you. It allows you to rest. Report an error in the passage at 36:56 Highlight the passage at 36:56

37:19 To be in meditation, not carrying anything from the past or the future. You feel free and Report an error in the passage at 37:19 Highlight the passage at 37:19

37:35 it's totally safe. And Report an error in the passage at 37:35 Highlight the passage at 37:35

37:41 when you put that down, experience or even imagine the freedom and relaxation which it gives you. And Report an error in the passage at 37:41 Highlight the passage at 37:41

37:57 then to go deeper, stop trying to give this experience words or names. You stop thinking. Report an error in the passage at 37:57 Highlight the passage at 37:57

38:13 Instead of thinking, we experience. We don't write a novel. We just know how it feels. And Report an error in the passage at 38:13 Highlight the passage at 38:13

38:34 for me, certainly when I got to that point, present moment awareness, putting those two bags down, and silence, and quite naturally, the experience of my breathing just comes up. I can really be aware of my breath. Report an error in the passage at 38:34 Highlight the passage at 38:34

39:02 I've worked to that point. Worked by letting go, by relaxing first my body, then my mind. And Report an error in the passage at 39:02 Highlight the passage at 39:02

39:17 now you don't get bored. It's a beautiful thing to see. This breath, totally natural. Air going in, air going out. Report an error in the passage at 39:17 Highlight the passage at 39:17

39:36 You don't see, at this point I never see a whole breath in one go. A part of a breath, then the next part, then the next part. Report an error in the passage at 39:36 Highlight the passage at 39:36

39:48 Because you're in this moment and you're not naming things, it becomes easy. Report an error in the passage at 39:48 Highlight the passage at 39:48

39:59 Become quiet. Report an error in the passage at 39:59 Highlight the passage at 39:59

· · · silence, 15 minutes

55:24 Getting very close to the end of this meditation session. Don't open your eyes yet. How do you feel? It's Report an error in the passage at 55:24 Highlight the passage at 55:24

55:42 a 45 minute meditation. How easy is it? What Report an error in the passage at 55:42 Highlight the passage at 55:42

55:51 does it do to your mind? How much relaxation? Report an error in the passage at 55:51 Highlight the passage at 55:51

56:02 Peace, beauty, ring Report an error in the passage at 56:02 Highlight the passage at 56:02

56:12 the gong. Allow it to take you out of meditation slowly and gently. Report an error in the passage at 56:12 Highlight the passage at 56:12

· · · silence, 1 minute

57:15 Excellent. Report an error in the passage at 57:15 Highlight the passage at 57:15

57:36 Are there any questions? Yes. Thank you. I usually prefer to do the questions online first of all for the reason that it means each one of you don't have to do any thinking. Report an error in the passage at 57:36 Highlight the passage at 57:36

57:56 So here we go. Saturday meditation. I follow your guides and feel stillness. But I read the Buddha went from Samatha to Vipassanā, which confuses me. You said they are the same. Is stillness not enough? Is there a more advanced practice? No, stillness is more than enough. Report an error in the passage at 57:56 Highlight the passage at 57:56

58:24 Once the mind is still, though so it's like you've... I discovered a gold mine. You've got to discover that gold mine and know its entrance first of all. Once that entrance has been seen, then you go inside. Report an error in the passage at 58:24 Highlight the passage at 58:24

58:45 You go inside and discover so much insights in your life. I just remember some of those insights which I saw. Things like the nature of beauty. You know, seeing this... This most beautiful clump of bamboo in the whole world, in the town of Cambridge in London, and Cambridge in England. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. Report an error in the passage at 58:45 Highlight the passage at 58:45

59:14 And I went back there and stared at it for eight days in a row. And then later on, I went back again, visited and looked at it, and its beauty had gone. Report an error in the passage at 59:14 Highlight the passage at 59:14

59:30 My mind had been so still. You could stare and see so much more than was normally available to you. And that's where I started to understand some of these great poems of philosophy. To see a world in a grain of sand, see a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour. Report an error in the passage at 59:30 Highlight the passage at 59:30

1:00:01 It was a poem by William Blake. He was a great artist and he wrote these amazing works of poetry. He started to understand why do people not see the beauty in life? Report an error in the passage at 1:00:01 Highlight the passage at 1:00:01

1:00:19 And it was all there for you, just at ease. Even the food I ate. It was boarding house food for students in UK. It's not the most promising diet of all. But it was the most delicious. And even recently when I did a personal retreat, I mentioned how after finishing the retreat, the first food I had was a breakfast. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:19 Highlight the passage at 1:00:19

1:00:52 A baked bean, not a plural. I put one baked bean in my mouth and it was a taste sensation. I couldn't believe what I was tasting. The mind was just so clear. You tasted every part of that tomato sauce. You made it melt into your mouth. And eventually when that had been depleted, then you crushed the single bean in your mouth, slowly. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:52 Highlight the passage at 1:00:52

1:01:28 And it was not hard, not soft, it was just perfect. I want to know who the chef was. And the people in the kitchen told me it was Heinz. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:28 Highlight the passage at 1:01:28

1:01:45 It started understanding about your perceptions, what beauty is and why sometimes we don't like things, what to do if you feel cold or you feel hot, how to deal with those sensations, how to deal with sensations of pain or fever. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:45 Highlight the passage at 1:01:45

1:02:05 That's the sort of the understanding which I got. And after so many years and so many times, It's amazing. Only as a young man you start to get things like fevers for some infection or whatever. And then afterwards you can actually solve them so easily with meditation. You can relax to the max and things vanish. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:05 Highlight the passage at 1:02:05

1:02:35 So these are the insights which you get. And as I said last night, that if ever you want to try this, Towards the end of the meditation, if it's been a very, very good meditation, make the single suggestion, what is my earliest memory? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:35 Highlight the passage at 1:02:35

1:02:57 Just once, suggest that. And if you really have had a deep meditation, straight away the mind will remember something so long ago. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:57 Highlight the passage at 1:02:57

1:03:13 It could be a past life, or it could be Like the first experience I had was an early life, just as a young kid, about two weeks old. And all of these things are real experiences. It's like I was back there, living my life as a child. Only a couple of weeks out of my mother's womb. All of these things were kind of impossibilities. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:13 Highlight the passage at 1:03:13

1:03:43 But you experienced them, you saw them, you felt them. You knew what it was like. It's a stillness. Gives you the opportunity for vipassanā. Vipassanā happens. You can't have one without the other. And these are really interesting about your body, your life, about what's really important in this world. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:43 Highlight the passage at 1:03:43

1:04:13 How to overcome things like sicknesses. It's incredible the amount of wisdom which just comes. Honestly, why do you listen to me? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:13 Highlight the passage at 1:04:13

1:04:30 Because I've been doing this for years, just mining the beautiful seams of gold in meditation, starting with the stillness and then from the stillness to seeing what this body and mind really are. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:30 Highlight the passage at 1:04:30

1:04:53 Anyway, next question. When there is stillness in meditation, it feels good. Great. After that, reality seems even harder. Why? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:53 Highlight the passage at 1:04:53

1:05:11 Hopefully, you've actually seen how to soften this perception of reality you have and realize you're adding too much to reality. When you're kind to your body, it relaxes. When you're kind to reality, it relaxes. I know I gave a talk at monastery on Wednesday about criticism, how to criticize others kindly. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:11 Highlight the passage at 1:05:11

1:05:50 And that's kind of not the Western way of doing it. We want to tell somebody off to criticize them. I say, no, be so kind. They listen. When you tell them, Things which they would like to hear, they listen to you and you can put any criticism in such a way that they really do open their heart to you and they listen very carefully and they grow out of any negativity which they had in the past. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:50 Highlight the passage at 1:05:50

1:06:25 You learn how to be kinder, more caring and you become a much better leader. So are you doing something wrong in meditation? Thank you, Ajahn. Now, get that peace, first of all. Allow it to feel good. And then once it starts to feel good, just investigate it. Just get to know it more. As you get to know it more, it feels so wonderful. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:25 Highlight the passage at 1:06:25

1:07:02 I was just telling someone today, they wanted to... There's a couple of Sri Lankans. I went to their house for lunch. And they were saying how they were moving their career over into accounting and the value of their clients being like someone who helps them do their taxes, their tax returns. Do I pay any tax? I don't earn any money. But look how wealthy I am. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:02 Highlight the passage at 1:07:02

1:07:39 I don't want for anything. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:39 Highlight the passage at 1:07:39

1:07:44 Isn't that the definition? No money in the bank, no investments, but I don't want for anything. It was fascinating recently when I was just talking with somebody, what am I going to do when I get so old that I'm close to death? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:44 Highlight the passage at 1:07:44

1:08:10 Should I write out a will? Then I said, I've got no assets. And then... Polian, not Polian sorry, Aleha whom you all know said, yes you have got some assets. I don't. So you got your frequent flyer points. And they said, they're worth a couple of free flights. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:10 Highlight the passage at 1:08:10

1:08:38 So can you bequeath them to me? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:38 Highlight the passage at 1:08:38

1:08:45 So I better write out a will. Anyway, that's only just messing around. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:45 Highlight the passage at 1:08:45

1:08:52 So you learn so much from the meditation and that is what vipassanā does. Dear Ajahn, sometimes when the meditation seems to go deeper, my mind gets too excited and ruins the peace. Expecting something great to come, which leads to desire. How to deal with this? You see gold in the mine. Of course you'll start to get interested. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:52 Highlight the passage at 1:08:52

1:09:23 But you do realize you've owned the peace enough, you have fear enough, desire, excitement enough, those are the obstacles which the Buddha described. These are like the obstacles to seeing nimittas. It's what I described or read out in the Upakilesa Sutta. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:23 Highlight the passage at 1:09:23

1:09:44 And if it happens, it's normal. But it's a way of overcoming it. Understand it, expect it. And you can very easily let these things go. One of these is, they said it's a beautiful simile of the Buddha because I could relate to it so easily, so clearly. Sometimes it's like you're going along a forest path and then two murderers jump up out of you from both sides of the road. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:44 Highlight the passage at 1:09:44

1:10:15 You get scared and that spores the meditation. What does the Buddha mean by murderers? All he meant was that you're having to let go of something which you've been attached to for a long time, your idea of control. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:15 Highlight the passage at 1:10:15

1:10:35 And once you do let that go, nothing's being murdered, you don't lose out or get deprived, you get free. It's a way of escaping jail, not going into a jail. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:35 Highlight the passage at 1:10:35

1:10:49 So it does go deeper, excitement and fear. fear and there's no one One of the two, sorry, two of the biggest problems. So please, my job is to brainwash you. Don't get afraid. When these things happen, go for it. You deserve it. Some of the benefits, the beautiful parts of meditation. And not just enjoy it, but don't get afraid, don't get excited. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:49 Highlight the passage at 1:10:49

1:11:21 Use the excitement later. You have the party. After you get your degrees from university, not beforehand, so you can enjoy it and really get into it after you become enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:21 Highlight the passage at 1:11:21

1:11:39 Much more fun. Okay, thanks for those high quality questions. Thank you. Are there any questions from the floor? Yeah, Eddie. Just shout it out, I'll repeat it. Okay, go on. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:39 Highlight the passage at 1:11:39

1:12:00 Okay, go on. I refer to the first question asked online regarding the vipassanā and samatha meditation. And your answer to it is when you are peaceful, okay, so meditation, you could see the earlier life experiences. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:00 Highlight the passage at 1:12:00

1:12:24 So it's like similar to it is when the pond of water is... Calm, peaceful, you could see the reflection of the moon. You notice the reflection of the moon. But this is what the Buddha said. You can see right to the very ground or what's at the bottom of that lake. You can see right through it and everything which is swimming in it, if it's still. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:24 Highlight the passage at 1:12:24

1:12:55 And I like that simile of the Buddha because it was. When it's still, you can see what it's made of. When your mind is still, you can see what it is made of. You can see the whole of it, right to its depths. And that's fantastic. Yes. And I just follow up to this one. This is just when you said, this is just a thought, you know. In Buddhism, we have, you know, the ultimate truth and surface truth. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:55 Highlight the passage at 1:12:55

1:13:30 Surface truth is what we only see surface only, you know. Ultimate truth is the real truth, you know. When we have a problem, just one moment, when we have a problem, most of the time it is just a, we see the surface truth, you know. You know, fear arise all, you know. So when we can, you know, there's a surface, you know. What we want is the ultimate. So when we are calm, we could see more of the ultimate thing, okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:30 Highlight the passage at 1:13:30

1:13:57 To help us see the problem that we imagine things. Oh yeah, we always add so much. And imagine so much all these things and then it makes the situation worse. Oh yeah. That's one of the reasons I said that I'm so wealthy with freedom. What would you like to be wealthy of? Much money? Power? Or freedom? Report an error in the passage at 1:13:57 Highlight the passage at 1:13:57

1:14:32 Freedom from fear, freedom from control. I don't have a dollar to my name, except for you've got flyer points. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:32 Highlight the passage at 1:14:32

1:14:46 Ajahn Brahm, you know our problems enter us through the six senses, the eyes, nose, ears, mouth. The six is the most powerful. So during the meditation, we normally shut off, points can it one more Report an error in the passage at 1:14:46 Highlight the passage at 1:14:46

1:15:03 You just look like concentrate on the breath or what are the things that, yeah, that's during meditation. During times of when we don't have meditation, you know, sometimes we see TV, all you see, oh, you know, certain, certain, you see certain faces or certain what this thing or certain voice or we can shut that off, shouldn't we? Report an error in the passage at 1:15:03 Highlight the passage at 1:15:03

1:15:24 Of course, yes. Shut that off so that we don't feel, you know, you know, like a, how to say, the... Imprisoned by life. Yeah, we don't feel upset or anything. So the less we have, the better for us. Yeah, that's why I say just like those two suitcases, you put them both down and you can relax and life is no longer heavy for you. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:24 Highlight the passage at 1:15:24

1:15:52 Thank you. Okay, good. You got another question over here? Okay, that's very kind of you to go over there to get the microphone. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:52 Highlight the passage at 1:15:52

1:16:04 Thank you, Ajahn Brahm. Yeah. I have two questions actually. One is about mettā meditation. So when do you recommend that? Because we mainly don't do that here on a Saturday. When we come here at 3pm on a Saturday we don't do it. So when do you recommend it? We do do mettā meditation all the time. While we're doing samatha as well. While we're doing breath meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:04 Highlight the passage at 1:16:04

1:16:37 Learning how to calm every muscle of your body, how to relax it. We're doing loving kindness with it. You know, when I feel my body, feel my digestive system, I give so much loving kindness to it. When I feel that some part of my body is tight, I just give it so much loving kindness, and it relaxes. I see it by how it works. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:37 Highlight the passage at 1:16:37

1:17:09 And then later on, when you go to your mind, it's an act of loving kindness. May all my past, all my future be happy and well, and the present as well be happy. It's a lovely insight to know the only way to let go of the past is being kind to it first. Really a huge amount of loving kindness. The only way not to worry about the future. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:09 Highlight the passage at 1:17:09

1:17:39 Is to have loving kindness towards it. And then the only way to be at peace in the present is to have loving kindness towards it. I don't single it out and stress it. But I do focus on it all the time. That's why I called it kind fullness. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:39 Highlight the passage at 1:17:39

1:18:01 If you like, meta fullness. But I can never forget it. Joining up. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:01 Highlight the passage at 1:18:01

1:18:12 But I don't do the normal. Now it's spreading loving kindness to all beings. I must, can I just be honest with you? Years ago we used to do a loving kindness, actually not just loving kindness, but the four Brahmavihāras, loving kindness, mettā, karuṇā, muditā and upeka. We did a chant and we were supposed to follow it when we were doing the chant. I can never complete that chant. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:12 Highlight the passage at 1:18:12

1:18:44 I know, I knew all the words. But once I started doing loving kindness, I had just about finished that, but it got so blissed out. By the time I started doing karuṇā, I told Ajahn Chakra at the time, sorry, I'm not chanting, I'm not trying to be negative, it's actually the opposite. I find it so beautiful. I can't say anything anymore. I can't chant. Does that understand? Report an error in the passage at 1:18:44 Highlight the passage at 1:18:44

1:19:15 Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Yeah, okay. What's the second question? Well, when I listen to you talk about other people who experience jhānas and nimittas and things like that, I just have peaceful stillness at moments. So sometimes my mind goes, instead of being inspired, it's the opposite. So what do you do about that? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:15 Highlight the passage at 1:19:15

1:19:44 Oh my goodness. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:44 Highlight the passage at 1:19:44

1:19:51 These were just natural events for me. You know, I was still a layperson. You see these beautiful lights in the mind, and they were always really beautiful. And these days, I encourage that by when I do that bodily sweep, when it gets really sort of relaxing, it becomes beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:51 Highlight the passage at 1:19:51

1:20:22 Sometimes, during the rains retreat, when I do a lot of meditation, I remember doing that once, and just saying, feel the toes. But it took me about five minutes, you know, to move from my toes to the balls of my feet. And even then, I didn't really want to go further. I just stayed with my toes. And they got so incredibly blissed out. Weird thing to say. My toes were blissing out. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:22 Highlight the passage at 1:20:22

1:20:52 But the feeling was so gorgeous, so beautiful, that I just stayed there and the whole body vanished. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:52 Highlight the passage at 1:20:52

1:21:04 That's kind of what happens. One thing, I was not afraid of the bliss of meditation. And I think most people are. They think they're losing control. They're going crazy. Please, never do that. If bliss starts to come up in your mind, just even in your body, Then when you get to the mind, oh, it's these beautiful feelings of kindness and joy. And remember, I'm like a monk. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:04 Highlight the passage at 1:21:04

1:21:35 I don't have a wife or a girlfriend. It's been years since you have that sensuality of physical touch with someone of the other gender. I know how many years, 52 years. I'm a good monk. So what happens, one of the reasons why... Literally not interested. It's because you have this beautiful meditation which is so much more stable and so much more easy, uncomplicated. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:35 Highlight the passage at 1:21:35

1:22:09 You can see there just the mind is just before nimitta, it's beautiful happiness. Like a focus, a ball, a light of happiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:09 Highlight the passage at 1:22:09

1:22:19 Gorgeous. And that soon turns into this nimitta. That's what happens. If it starts to get happy, Never push it aside. That's one thing I also noticed from the suttas, how the Buddha taught. It's a lot of it about different forms of happiness. Even doing the breath meditation. In stage one, two, three, four, five, you breathe in and out experiencing pity. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:19 Highlight the passage at 1:22:19

1:22:50 Breathe in and out experiencing sukha. You start developing the happiness of breath meditation. And that made it amazingly controversial. What? You can breathe in and out and you really enjoy it so much? Report an error in the passage at 1:22:50 Highlight the passage at 1:22:50

1:23:10 It's only breath. For goodness sake, everyone breathes out. That's not fun. My goodness, it was. Gorgeous. You breathe in. And that's what Ajahn Gunha used to say. You know, I remember he's a famous meditator, if any one of you have known him. He was the one who was just so powerful that in the jungle, sitting with his monks, he was meditating there, sitting on the floor, and a big king cobra came up to him. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:10 Highlight the passage at 1:23:10

1:23:44 What would you do if a king cobra just appeared right in front of you? Well, this monk did. Lifted up his hand and patted him on the head. A wild animal, a snake, just deadly. Patted him on the head. Thank you for visiting me. It's a pretty amazing thing to do. Now the other monks saw it. After a while the King Cobra put his head down and went to see one of the other monks. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:44 Highlight the passage at 1:23:44

1:24:19 The other monk wouldn't do it. If you want your head patted, go back. But he was also... Ajahn Ganha came to visit Bodhinyana Monastery in the first year. Stayed about two or three months. And when he came, we were building our hall and the... The mayor of Serpentine Javadal Shire came to see Ajahn Gana, not to see that, basically to check us out, what we were up to. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:19 Highlight the passage at 1:24:19

1:24:52 And he was much fatter than I was. And he was wearing a jacket. Only one button was actually holding it together. And that could pop any time. And Ajahn Gana goes right up to him. When I saw what he was doing, I couldn't stop him, I was too far away. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:52 Highlight the passage at 1:24:52

1:25:15 And he started patting the mayor on the tummy. The mayor wasn't a Buddhist. He was a very powerful figure. He started patting him on the stomach. And Ajahn Ganha, I thought, oh crikey, that's it. We've lost any possibility of planning approval. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:15 Highlight the passage at 1:25:15

1:25:40 He couldn't believe what he saw. The mayor, Clem Kentish his name was, he'd become a great friend. And he would come to our monasteries and to all the events and support us to the max. He started gurgling like a baby. And I couldn't believe what I saw, but it was beautiful. The kindness melted him. And I love those kind of stories. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:40 Highlight the passage at 1:25:40

1:26:13 Yeah, that's so much. I'm sure that if he could get close enough to Mr. Trump, I could let him pat his belly. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:13 Highlight the passage at 1:26:13

1:26:32 Totally change the nature of Mr. Trump. I don't Report an error in the passage at 1:26:32 Highlight the passage at 1:26:32

1:26:43 know if that answered your question but I enjoyed talking about Ajahn Gana. Very good. Okay, I know some of you have already got up to leave so I better just finish the formal part of this and then we can... Pay respects. Anyway, and also Sarah, thank you for coming today. I was talking about you, I hope you don't mind, publicly. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:43 Highlight the passage at 1:26:43

1:27:16 She was such a small girl when she... How old were you when you first came? Four. So beautiful. She's such a good meditator. There's another guy from Hawaii I saw when I was giving a retreat in Cambodia. He was nine years of age, but he was a great meditator. Anyway, let's just bow three times. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:16 Highlight the passage at 1:27:16