Guided Meditation

0:00 Who was that coughing there in a microphone? Because I was just bowing and then I heard... It wasn't me, was it you? Bless you anyway, whoever it was. All right, everybody. Welcome to Dhammaloka's advanced meditation class. Are you ready for the advanced meditation class? No? Neither am I, so that's good. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:31 no I just say that because if you came for the absolute newbie beginners course and that is in the room to the right out here but most of you I've seen before so you're all advanced enough to be here the things I teach are not much different from the beginners course anyway because meditation is always about the same principles whether you're our beginner on long time meditator, you always come back to the same Report an error in the passage at 0:31 Highlight the passage at 0:31

1:04 today I will talk about a few of those ground principles, basic ideas for meditation, which are very simple, very easy to understand, but which you can develop for a whole lifetime. time and that's why the The beginners and the advanced class are in a way the same because what you teach the beginners is what you still teach later as well. Report an error in the passage at 1:04 Highlight the passage at 1:04

1:30 There are some more advanced ideas as well but for today I'll teach those kinds of ideas that apply to everybody. Now today is a very special advanced meditation class because I got some very advanced Report an error in the passage at 1:30 Highlight the passage at 1:30

1:50 People here today. My mother and father are over there. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:50 Highlight the passage at 1:50

2:00 They can come to the advanced meditation class, although they have not meditated much before because they were here, traveling around with me through Western Australia for a few weeks. They came all the way from the Netherlands. That's why it's very special for me. That's the other side of the world. Report an error in the passage at 2:00 Highlight the passage at 2:00

2:19 So I hadn't seen them for three years and before that also four or five years because of COVID. So we don't see each other very often. So when we see each other, we decided let's really connect, you know, and do some things together, not just they're coming to the monastery and I spend all the time in my hut just meditating, door closed, the window closed, and sign in front, nobody enter. Report an error in the passage at 2:19 Highlight the passage at 2:19

2:49 It wasn't like that. We were actually traveling around together a little bit. I stayed in the monastery as well, but then also visited the nun's monastery and so forth and so forth. All sorts of things. I will not bore you with all the details. But it was interesting for me as a monk because I got much less time to meditate and I got a bit tired as well after a while. Report an error in the passage at 2:49 Highlight the passage at 2:49

3:13 Not tired of my parents, but just tired of the activities. Yeah, they too, so it's all right. But you know what happened? Yesterday, we thought, was the final day. So we said our goodbyes. And then they dropped me off here yesterday, Friday evening, and they drove to the airport with their rental car. Report an error in the passage at 3:13 Highlight the passage at 3:13

3:41 They handed in the rental car at the company. It was all clean and good, so the company was happy. They were happy. because you're always a little bit worried like that right when you're traveling around and especially very far away so all worries and then they decided to just spend the night at the airport i thought that wasn't the best idea but couldn't really talk them out of it so they wanted to do that and last time they were here eight years ago they rented a hotel but it didn't really sleep anyway so they thought oh we'll spend the night at the airport my brother's here as well by the way but he's having a rest And what happened? This morning, time for the flight home. So they went to the check-in desk with their tickets. Report an error in the passage at 3:41 Highlight the passage at 3:41

4:29 Finally, after all that waiting around in the airport for more than 12 hours, or whatever it was, finally, you can't get any sleep, can you? I can't in the airport, all these noises going on, it's cold, it's bright lights. So finally time to go into the airplane. Handed in the ticket to the desk. What did the guy say? Report an error in the passage at 4:29 Highlight the passage at 4:29

4:59 Looked at the ticket and said, oh, it's for tomorrow. All of us had misplanned. I think it's partly because when you fly back to Europe, the flight is so long. But because you're traveling with the sun, you're still arriving on the same day. So you leave on Sunday and you fly for a whole day. And then you still arrive on Sunday. So part of me at least thought, oh, then you leave on Saturday and we were tired. So things went wrong. Report an error in the passage at 4:59 Highlight the passage at 4:59

5:30 Oh, they weren't very happy at first, of course. And I'll bring this back to meditation in a moment. Because there's two ways you can react when things go wrong. You either get angry and upset and you start blaming. others it was you who misplanned things it was you who misread the ticket or you can say as my parents did after the initial upset ah an extra holiday an extra day of holiday today an extra day in australia that they hadn't expected and then it was so beautiful because i this morning i found out After my parents found out, very early this morning, about 4 o 'clock, they sent me an email about it, and I saw the email. And then this morning, at breakfast, I told some of the people about what happened. Report an error in the passage at 5:30 Highlight the passage at 5:30

6:29 People who bring me breakfast, some of them are here. And Xiaomari there, by the way, my parents are behind you. And Ian, and all the others. And they said, oh! Oh, we can pick them up from the airport. And Shanri said, they can stay at my place. And Leihar said, they can stay at my place. And Lin here said, oh, they can stay at my place. Report an error in the passage at 6:29 Highlight the passage at 6:29

6:54 And we can stay here. And then I had more places for my parents to stay than I had parents in the first place. And Sampok, who many of you know, was happy to pick them up this morning. And then tomorrow morning, very early, bring them back to the airport again. Report an error in the passage at 6:54 Highlight the passage at 6:54

7:13 So it was very inspiring for me to see all that generosity that people give, not just to me as a monk, but also to my family as well. And that really was quite moving, actually. And really, yeah, you were there as well, and everybody was concerned. They don't even have not met the people. Report an error in the passage at 7:13 Highlight the passage at 7:13

7:34 But still, they were so willing to help. And then, because they had that extra day, they had lunch here today with the Thai community. That usually offers the dhana, the lunch for the monks. And then they heard about the story as well because I told them again, of course. It's kind of a nice story actually because the way my parents reacted. And they said, oh, so good you're here. We'll help you and we'll give you some food. Report an error in the passage at 7:34 Highlight the passage at 7:34

8:04 And here, have some robes to offer to your son who is a monk. And afterwards, some of the Thai people came up to me and said, oh, it was meant to be that your parents had an extra day so they could do this offering to you. Because they said they got really emotional from seeing that, seeing parents offering the robes to their child, to their kid, to their child, sorry. Report an error in the passage at 8:04 Highlight the passage at 8:04

8:32 And to me as well. I found that very, very, very beautiful as well. And But even more beautiful than that, I found the way that my parents reacted. Because when I picked them up from the airport, they weren't all grumpy and upset. They were making all sorts of jokes in the back. Like I just said, an extra day of holiday. And I said, I can't get rid of you even if I try. Report an error in the passage at 8:32 Highlight the passage at 8:32

8:58 These sorts of things. And that kind of an attitude, to always react positively to whatever happens in life. To not automatically get upset. That sort of attitude is also very, very helpful in meditation as well. Because this is supposed to be a meditation class, not just a talk. I will bring it to the meditation in a moment. When you sit down to meditate, things won't go the way you think, the way you want, the way you plan. Report an error in the passage at 8:58 Highlight the passage at 8:58

9:35 I know many of you have been here before and usually there is Ajahn Brahm sitting here teaching you and then he goes all about being happy and meditation always bliss and happiness and I've heard all these talks in the monastery bliss and happiness and I know what he's talking about but it's not always like that is it maybe for you usually it's not like that and it can almost be a bit depressing or Report an error in the passage at 9:35 Highlight the passage at 9:35

10:08 Maybe even annoying to always hear talks about bliss and happiness sometimes. But yeah, there is a lot of bliss and happiness in meditation, but it does not come when you want it, in a way. If you want things, then you create the suffering. Then you create a disparity between where you are and where you want to be. Report an error in the passage at 10:08 Highlight the passage at 10:08

10:35 If you want to be somewhere else, then you're never... Here in the present moment. And in meditation, we don't set any expectations. When our mind is restless, our mind is tired, our body aches, we are not happy, when things are not working in meditation the way you think they should, quote unquote, be working. Report an error in the passage at 10:35 Highlight the passage at 10:35

11:04 Then, if you want it to be different, That's when you create the suffering, the real suffering. If you are just content with whatever happens, then you'll find happiness and peace. So when I teach retreats, I always say, well, not always, but usually say, if you are not content with whatever is happening in the present moment, then just be content to be discontent. Report an error in the passage at 11:04 Highlight the passage at 11:04

11:35 Be content to be discontent. And then you're content again. I'm so happy to be unhappy. So content that things don't go my way. Report an error in the passage at 11:35 Highlight the passage at 11:35

11:49 I make it a bit silly, but the idea is very deep. If you can just accept things as they are and not to judge things as either right or wrong, then that is the path to more deeper stillness and peace within. I think you can... And intellectually probably understand that. Or maybe you've experienced it already in your practice. And when you are judging things as either right or wrong, then you can't find the peace that meditation can bring. Report an error in the passage at 11:49 Highlight the passage at 11:49

12:29 And that reminds me of a little story. This is just like a fable, a make-up story. But it's a very good simile anyway. This is a simile of a farmer. And this farmer lived a long, long time ago. In the Middle Ages, this farmer lived. And this farmer was a cow farmer. Back in those days, you didn't have the big factories. You only had maybe one or two cows as a farmer. Report an error in the passage at 12:29 Highlight the passage at 12:29

12:59 And that's what you lived from. You drank the milk from that cow. Now, this farmer's cow, had run away. One day the farmer found out when he walked into his garden, the cow was gone. Report an error in the passage at 12:59 Highlight the passage at 12:59

13:20 And then the farmer went to look for the cow but couldn't find him. And then he went to the wise monk in the village. Or we can make it a wise nun as well, by the way. No gender biases here. Let's make it a wise nun. So there was a wise nun in the village. And the farmer went up to the nun and said, Ah, my cow has run away. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me. And then the monk said, or the nun said, sorry. Report an error in the passage at 13:20 Highlight the passage at 13:20

13:53 I usually tell it as a monk. The monastic said, maybe, maybe not. Maybe the worst thing, maybe not. The farmer didn't understand and went back home. The next day, he went looking for his cow again. Over the town and through the forest and the fields, I could not find this cow. But instead, he found a horse. Report an error in the passage at 13:53 Highlight the passage at 13:53

14:21 Just a wild horse. It was not owned by anybody. It was just walking there in the forest. So he caught it. He caught the horse and brought it back home. And a horse is much more expensive than a cow. It can do much more work. You can ride the horse. It's much more useful. So the farmer was very, very happy. Ah, so happy. Now he had a horse instead of the cow. And so he went to the nun in the village and said, Ah, I found a horse. Report an error in the passage at 14:21 Highlight the passage at 14:21

14:53 Wow, this is the best thing that ever happened to me. And then the nun said, Maybe, maybe not. The farmer didn't understand. So he went back home again. Next day, He decided to tame the horse because it was a wild horse. You couldn't ride it yet. You had to sit on the back first like those cowboys do. That's what he did. Report an error in the passage at 14:53 Highlight the passage at 14:53

15:21 But he couldn't do it himself. He was too old. So he asked his son, son, can you tame this horse? Of course, dad, the son said. So the son climbed on the back of the horse and sitting on the horse trying to tame that wild horse. And what did the horse do? Report an error in the passage at 15:21 Highlight the passage at 15:21

15:40 He threw his son off and his son fell on the floor, on the ground, and broke his arm. Oh no, the farmer thought, my son always helps me in the fields and helps me with the cows and the horse. And now he's got a broken arm, he can't help me anymore. So of course, he went to the nun, the wise nun, and said to the nun, my son broke his arm. Report an error in the passage at 15:40 Highlight the passage at 15:40

16:11 This is the worst thing that ever happened to me. And you know what the nun said. Maybe, maybe not. And this story can go on for a long time like this. Report an error in the passage at 16:11 Highlight the passage at 16:11

16:26 You might think, what's a good thing about breaking an arm? Nothing good can come out of that. So you've got things in your life and you think nothing good can ever come out of that. Report an error in the passage at 16:26 Highlight the passage at 16:26

16:39 Misjudging when you are leaving from the airport, getting a day early and spending the whole night at the airport, nothing good can come out of that. Is that true? Maybe we are judging too quickly. And so was the farmer. Because the next day, he and his son were back at the farm and the military came. Report an error in the passage at 16:39 Highlight the passage at 16:39

17:01 And the military were looking. to enroll all the young men into the army because there was a war going on in the country with the neighboring country and so they also got to this farmer's house and all the young men had to become soldiers and it's very dangerous of course soldiers die and stuff but they looked at this son and said ah he's got a broken arm with a broken arm you can't go into the army so you can stay at home with your dad And then of course the farmer, you know, went to the nun and said, ah, my son had a broken arm and couldn't get into the arm. Report an error in the passage at 17:01 Highlight the passage at 17:01

17:42 It's the only son that stayed home in the whole village. This is the best thing that ever happened to me. And then the nun said, maybe, maybe not. Yeah, don't judge, in other words. And this is the same when you sit down to meditate in a moment. We sit down to meditate. And what do we do? Especially if we are maybe not so skilled yet. We sit down. And of course we don't go, ah, the best thing ever, or the worst thing ever. Report an error in the passage at 17:42 Highlight the passage at 17:42

18:16 But we do similar things in smaller ways. You have pain in your body. Ah, so annoying. Why do I have this pain in my body? Report an error in the passage at 18:16 Highlight the passage at 18:16

18:26 Everybody else must be relaxed. Ah, everybody else must be peaceful. My mind is so unpeaceful. And when you finally get the peace, maybe you're like, oh, this is so great, so great. And then you ruin it as well. Because you are like, oh, this is the best thing that ever happened to me. And then the peace disappears also. So don't be like the foolish farmer. You are all very wise. Report an error in the passage at 18:26 Highlight the passage at 18:26

18:52 So be like the wise nun who says, ah, maybe this is good, maybe not. I don't judge things as good or bad. I just let things Be the way they are. And then you can really be in the present moment because you're not chasing after things that you think are good and you're not trying to get away from things that you think are bad. Report an error in the passage at 18:52 Highlight the passage at 18:52

19:16 And you're just here. Is it good or bad to be here? I don't know. One of the titles of Adrian Brown's books is Good, Bad, Who Knows? And that's the same idea. Don't judge things as good or bad here in the present moment. We just are. They just hear in this place, right here, right now, especially when we meditate. And there's nothing we need to add to this moment, nothing we need to really forcefully take away from this moment. Report an error in the passage at 19:16 Highlight the passage at 19:16

19:48 We just let it be and let it settle. And then, when we don't fight, we don't long for things, that's when the mind gets still. Report an error in the passage at 19:48 Highlight the passage at 19:48

20:00 And earlier my lovely parents asked me, What's the name of this place? Because they wanted to write a thank you letter to the person who drove them from the airport here. I said it's Dhamma Loka. And I really never deeply thought about what Dhamma Loka really means. But Dhamma is like the truth or the teachings of the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 20:00 Highlight the passage at 20:00

20:24 The nature, the way things are, that is Dhamma. And Loka means a world or a place. So the Dhammaloka, this center, is really the place of the truth, in a way, in a deep sense. The world of reality. But the real world of reality is this present moment, here right now. When we long for things, we create a future that is always unreal. Report an error in the passage at 20:24 Highlight the passage at 20:24

20:54 It's not here. We have this... This fantasy of what will happen. You have the fantasy that your plane will leave in five minutes and instead it's 24 hours and five minutes. Or the past, you know. You judge the past sometimes as well. Usually it's the future that gets in the way mostly for most people, but the past as well. Those are not the places of truth, the past and the future. Report an error in the passage at 20:54 Highlight the passage at 20:54

21:21 The place of truth is here and now. So those are some introductory ideas for meditation. A little bit of a short dharma talk, if you will. And I hope that gets you a little bit in the right mood of what meditation is all about. Report an error in the passage at 21:21 Highlight the passage at 21:21

21:39 I'll say it once more. It's not about going somewhere, grabbing after stuff, judging things, or getting away from things. No, instead it is about being right here, right now. And letting things happen naturally when you step away from controlling things. Report an error in the passage at 21:39 Highlight the passage at 21:39

22:06 So with that introduction done, I'd like to invite you all to meditate with me for about 40 minutes or so. Does that sound like a good idea? If it is too long for anybody, then feel free to silently walk out. I say that especially for my parents because I promised them that they could walk out if they wanted to. But you're also all allowed to do the same. Report an error in the passage at 22:06 Highlight the passage at 22:06

22:38 Okay. So Report an error in the passage at 22:38 Highlight the passage at 22:38

22:49 to transition a little bit from that talking and laughter to the more quiet part of this afternoon and meditation, I'd like to invite you to arrive in this present moment, this hall right here right now. Report an error in the passage at 22:49 Highlight the passage at 22:49

23:12 This is where we are. Report an error in the passage at 23:12 Highlight the passage at 23:12

23:18 Not, we're not at home or anywhere else. And I invite you to just listen to the sound of this bell. Just to arrive in this present moment. I'll invite the bell three times. Report an error in the passage at 23:18 Highlight the passage at 23:18

23:36 And let the sound of this bell bring you into the here and now. Report an error in the passage at 23:36 Highlight the passage at 23:36

· · · silence, 1 minute

24:22 Dear friends, dear family, welcome Report an error in the passage at 24:22 Highlight the passage at 24:22

24:30 to this moment. Report an error in the passage at 24:30 Highlight the passage at 24:30

24:36 to this Lovely place called Dhammaloka, which is a physical place of peace. We can also think of it as the moment or the place of reality, which is the here and now. Report an error in the passage at 24:36 Highlight the passage at 24:36

25:02 Everything you've ever experienced and everything you will ever experience is always here and now. You Report an error in the passage at 25:02 Highlight the passage at 25:02

25:17 can't experience the future. Report an error in the passage at 25:17 Highlight the passage at 25:17

25:26 You can sort of re-experience the past, but then again it's always in the present moment. So Report an error in the passage at 25:26 Highlight the passage at 25:26

25:38 if you want to know what it's like to live, what it's like to be a human being, then Report an error in the passage at 25:38 Highlight the passage at 25:38

25:51 notice this present moment. Report an error in the passage at 25:51 Highlight the passage at 25:51

26:01 What is the present moment, you might ask. It's just whatever is left when you stop obsessing. About the past and future. You've Report an error in the passage at 26:01 Highlight the passage at 26:01

26:26 got your plans for later today. Your plans for tomorrow at work or travel. Or whatever. But that is not the time to think about right now. Right Report an error in the passage at 26:26 Highlight the passage at 26:26

27:01 now we're here. We hear the sounds of the birds outside. Sounds of the air conditioner. People around us. Report an error in the passage at 27:01 Highlight the passage at 27:01

27:23 Is this good or bad? It's neither really. It's just what it is. Report an error in the passage at 27:23 Highlight the passage at 27:23

27:34 This is what it's like. Report an error in the passage at 27:34 Highlight the passage at 27:34

27:42 You don't have to be overly excited about it or despondent about it. All you need to do is just to accept with contentment that this is what you're experiencing now. Report an error in the passage at 27:42 Highlight the passage at 27:42

28:14 It's not perfect. Report an error in the passage at 28:14 Highlight the passage at 28:14

28:19 It could be quieter, it could be better temperature, it could be a better teacher, it could be better chairs, whatever. But that's not what it's about in meditation. Report an error in the passage at 28:19 Highlight the passage at 28:19

28:36 It's not about what could be, but about what is. And Report an error in the passage at 28:36 Highlight the passage at 28:36

28:46 this is good enough. And Report an error in the passage at 28:46 Highlight the passage at 28:46

29:03 although this is already good enough, there are ways that you might be able to make yourself more comfortable. And don't be stupid. Report an error in the passage at 29:03 Highlight the passage at 29:03

29:16 Full hearty by not listening to your body and mind when they tell you that things need to be adjusted. So please take some time to get in touch with your body and adjust your posture as you think is best for you today. It's Report an error in the passage at 29:16 Highlight the passage at 29:16

29:42 very important that you take care of your body in meditation. When Report an error in the passage at 29:42 Highlight the passage at 29:42

29:51 the Buddha got enlightened he first made a cushion out of leaves to sit on says in the texts so he also made sure he was comfortable at least comfortable enough so Report an error in the passage at 29:51 Highlight the passage at 29:51

30:19 please adjust your legs your back your neck whatever you need to adjust to be more comfortable you Report an error in the passage at 30:19 Highlight the passage at 30:19

30:48 can keep your eyes closed if you want to if it's more comfortable you can also keep them somewhat open as well Report an error in the passage at 30:48 Highlight the passage at 30:48

31:01 Sometimes that helps you keep awake or just keep a bit more sense of presence when things are a bit tough, maybe. You Report an error in the passage at 31:01 Highlight the passage at 31:01

31:16 can sit on a chair or against the wall. You can sit on the floor. You can stand even. It's all good. Report an error in the passage at 31:16 Highlight the passage at 31:16

31:36 Be kind towards your body. Report an error in the passage at 31:36 Highlight the passage at 31:36

32:02 Also knowing that the body will by its very nature never be completely at ease so Report an error in the passage at 32:02 Highlight the passage at 32:02

32:15 we're not looking for perfection in the body just Report an error in the passage at 32:15 Highlight the passage at 32:15

32:21 some relaxation that is good enough and Report an error in the passage at 32:21 Highlight the passage at 32:21

32:50 as you focus on your body the present moment also keep an eye out on how you react to the feelings in your body and this present moment are you Report an error in the passage at 32:50 Highlight the passage at 32:50

33:11 Judging things, like that farmer. Ah, this is so bad. The worst thing. Ah, this is so great. The best thing. Report an error in the passage at 33:11 Highlight the passage at 33:11

33:22 If you are judging like that, that is the wrong path. Report an error in the passage at 33:22 Highlight the passage at 33:22

33:33 But don't judge that either, that judging. It's also just part of this moment. Move Report an error in the passage at 33:33 Highlight the passage at 33:33

33:49 away from that judgment into a place of serenity and acceptance, contentment maybe even. When Report an error in the passage at 33:49 Highlight the passage at 33:49

· · · silence, 1 minute

35:15 you are content with things as they are, you stop controlling the present moment or let go of this illusion that you think you can control the present moment. Report an error in the passage at 35:15 Highlight the passage at 35:15

35:37 Because it's already here and now. You can't change it anymore. Whether Report an error in the passage at 35:37 Highlight the passage at 35:37

36:03 it's sounds, feelings in the body, thoughts or emotions or what have you. Report an error in the passage at 36:03 Highlight the passage at 36:03

36:12 When they come up in the present moment, And that's your meditation object for now. And tell yourself, this is what it's like to Report an error in the passage at 36:12 Highlight the passage at 36:12

36:32 be alive here for now. If Report an error in the passage at 36:32 Highlight the passage at 36:32

36:41 you are a skilled meditator, you can add some kindness, compassion even, to this experience of the present moment. If Report an error in the passage at 36:41 Highlight the passage at 36:41

· · · silence, 1 minute

37:34 you feel sad or tired or restless, The path of meditation always starts with acceptance and kindness of these emotions. Can you be content that you're sad? Report an error in the passage at 37:34 Highlight the passage at 37:34

38:03 Accept this as a part of life. Report an error in the passage at 38:03 Highlight the passage at 38:03

38:09 Happy to be tired. Being Report an error in the passage at 38:09 Highlight the passage at 38:09

38:18 kind to the restlessness. The Report an error in the passage at 38:18 Highlight the passage at 38:18

38:39 Buddha's first noble truth is that of suffering. And as you're sitting here, you experience a certain kind of suffering. It might be subtle, it might be very coarse. But the way to get rid of suffering is not to push it away, grabbing after the happiness. Report an error in the passage at 38:39 Highlight the passage at 38:39

39:08 No, instead the way is through making peace, being kind, being gentle to this suffering. I Report an error in the passage at 39:08 Highlight the passage at 39:08

39:49 even helped to put a... It'll smile on your face. It's pulling up the corners of your mouth. Report an error in the passage at 39:49 Highlight the passage at 39:49

40:00 Just smile to this experience. Maybe you're stuck somewhere in your meditation where you get stuck all the time. Oh yeah, smile to it. Oh here I am again. It's okay. It's Report an error in the passage at 40:00 Highlight the passage at 40:00

40:26 not good, not bad. It's just the way it is. You Report an error in the passage at 40:26 Highlight the passage at 40:26

· · · silence, 1 minute

41:54 may choose to pick a certain part of this. experience of the here and now to focus on don't do so forcefully or because you're taught that that's what you should do just do that if that feels nice and a sense of peace comes from that you might focus on the sounds if Report an error in the passage at 41:54 Highlight the passage at 41:54

42:26 your body is relaxed which mine is not really but then you can focus on that Report an error in the passage at 42:26 Highlight the passage at 42:26

42:35 you can also focus on your breath or Report an error in the passage at 42:35 Highlight the passage at 42:35

42:43 maybe even just the feeling of having nothing to do and that this is just a time when you're allowed to be the Report an error in the passage at 42:43 Highlight the passage at 42:43

42:56 idea that you don't need to be anybody else you don't need to be in any other way you're already perfect or Report an error in the passage at 42:56 Highlight the passage at 42:56

43:13 you can just sit here generally just awareness of this moment whatever you choose to Report an error in the passage at 43:13 Highlight the passage at 43:13

43:27 Pick as your meditation object as we call it. See if you can stay with that happily and peacefully for the next 15 minutes or so while I be quiet. You can all meditate for yourself as you see fit. Dear Report an error in the passage at 43:27 Highlight the passage at 43:27

· · · silence, 14 minutes

57:24 friends, family, I could sit here for another hour or so or more but... Report an error in the passage at 57:24 Highlight the passage at 57:24

57:37 Coming close to the end of this meditation session right now. I'm also happy with that. I'd like to, before you open your eyes, I'd like to invite you to just ask yourself, how do you feel now? Report an error in the passage at 57:37 Highlight the passage at 57:37

58:04 Maybe your thoughts have drifted off from the present moment. Report an error in the passage at 58:04 Highlight the passage at 58:04

58:12 Maybe you're thinking about things not here and now. That's fine. No judgments. Just bring your attention back to the here and now, asking what it's like to be here. Report an error in the passage at 58:12 Highlight the passage at 58:12

58:37 Do you feel any different compared to the start of this meditation? Is Report an error in the passage at 58:37 Highlight the passage at 58:37

58:51 there any positive qualities in your mind that were not there before? Maybe just a little bit of patience or kindness or a little bit of relaxation or Report an error in the passage at 58:51 Highlight the passage at 58:51

59:13 maybe You're even more restless than before. That's also okay. Just finally ask yourself, how are you relating to this experience of the here and now? Report an error in the passage at 59:13 Highlight the passage at 59:13

59:33 Are you thinking that it's good or are you thinking that it's bad? Or are you just content and happy to be here in the middle between good and bad? Or beyond good and bad. That's a better way to put it. Report an error in the passage at 59:33 Highlight the passage at 59:33

59:57 Either way, please thank yourself for this meditation. For the effort you've put in. Some of the sufferings you've no doubt experienced. Whether minor or major. Boredom, tiredness, anything. You sat through it. Report an error in the passage at 59:57 Highlight the passage at 59:57

1:00:24 So be grateful for your willingness. To be here and to try this path and not always easy path of meditation. Take Report an error in the passage at 1:00:24 Highlight the passage at 1:00:24

1:00:50 from this meditation only the positive parts and please all the negativity just fade away as I ring this bell and let the sound of this bell slowly take you out of the meditation. And back into this hall and the external world. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:50 Highlight the passage at 1:00:50

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:01:53 Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. Thank you so much for meditating with me. I always love that so much. And you're all here patiently waiting for me to talk again. Or maybe you were just happy to be here and you were not waiting for things to change. And you were just content here. That is the ultimate skill we're trying to develop. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:53 Highlight the passage at 1:01:53

1:02:17 Make peace. Be kind, be gentle. That is what meditation is about. And if you do that, then it doesn't matter whether you're happy or sad, whether you're energetic or tired, because you have peace and you have contentment. And from that peace and contentment, that's where eventually all the happiness will come from, naturally. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:17 Highlight the passage at 1:02:17

1:02:46 Without you having to force it. And that's where all the energy comes from as well. I told you before that I was a bit tired from traveling around and also getting up early this morning, arranging things for my family. I told you all about that. So I was tired this meditation. So a few times I was nodding off a little bit. How did I react? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:46 Highlight the passage at 1:02:46

1:03:08 Ah, I'm a monk. I should be alert. Nodding off in meditation is bad. Did I do that? No, of course not. I've been well trained. So I was just, ah, of course I'm tired. It's completely natural. All these things I've been doing. So I'm just going to nod off a little bit. I didn't even think that. It was just my natural reaction. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:08 Highlight the passage at 1:03:08

1:03:34 And so you nod off a little bit. Hopefully not that much that you're like this. But yeah, for a few moments nod off and then your energy just starts coming back. Why? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:34 Highlight the passage at 1:03:34

1:03:47 Because you're not interfering, you're not doing things. And when you stop doing things, you get energy back because it's all this doing, this judging, this wanting. That's where we lose so much energy in the mind. But being here, not judging, doing nothing, really. That's where energy comes from. And, yeah, so I don't judge things as bad, really, in that way. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:47 Highlight the passage at 1:03:47

1:04:15 In my meditation, not half as much as I used to do anyway. So sleepiness for me is a very easy thing to not judge. And I hope you can have the same as well with your sleepiness, your restlessness, whatever it is. It's all part of life and you're not expected to be perfect meditators. Don't expect too much from your meditation. If you do that, then you create the suffering. Can you relate to that? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:15 Highlight the passage at 1:04:15

1:04:44 Have you expected too much from yourself? Set high demands? I'm a Buddhist for 40, 50 years or whatever. I should be better now. I've listened to so many of Ajahn Brahm's talks. I should be enlightened by now. If you're like that, it doesn't work. Just, oh yeah, I am okay. I'm good enough. I think to myself sometimes, ah. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:44 Highlight the passage at 1:04:44

1:05:12 Today I can be the worst monk in the whole of Bodhinyana. You know what? The worst monk in the whole of the history of Buddhism. I'm going to be the worst meditator ever. And I really try to be the worst meditator. And you just don't have any judgments then. It's going to be bad. Whatever. It's all right. Somebody's got to be the worst meditator ever. Might as well be me. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:12 Highlight the passage at 1:05:12

1:05:36 might as well be you and if you have that attitude then naturally you are not the worst meditator you're one of the best meditators because you're not expecting too much and i'd like to leave you after i'll do questions and answer after but i'd like to leave you with a little story um that really shaped my life and it was It sounds really maybe not so extraordinary to you, but to me this was very powerful. I was once on a holiday in Scotland. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:36 Highlight the passage at 1:05:36

1:06:13 I was hiking through the hills that they have there. It's very nice, very beautiful. I was talking to somebody about that before earlier. That's probably why it came up. Bob is not here anymore. He's from Scotland. Anyway... So as part of that trip, I ended up in Edinburgh on the way back. And I had some time to kill before my flight went back. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:13 Highlight the passage at 1:06:13

1:06:38 Then I was still able to judge flight dates properly. Not like yesterday. So I had some time to kill. So I went to the Modern Art Museum of Edinburgh. It was for free. I was a student. I didn't have any money. So that was a good thing to do. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:38 Highlight the passage at 1:06:38

1:06:59 When I was standing outside of that art gallery, they had this art piece and it was bright letters in like neon signs made out of light bulbs. And it said something, it was very profound to me at that time. It said, there will be no miracles here. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:59 Highlight the passage at 1:06:59

1:07:22 And I don't know exactly what that artist meant by that sign. I think it's supposed to be secret. It's supposed to take your own message from it. But what I took from it is that I always have these expectations in life. And also that trip, I thought it was going to be super amazing and nice. It was okay, but you have these expectations that the next thing in life, that's going to be it. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:22 Highlight the passage at 1:07:22

1:07:46 Again, I'm exaggerating, but it's like this mental attitude we sometimes have. Or I'm going on a meditation retreat. This is going to be the miracle. Or the next moment in my meditation, I can feel it. It's just coming. It's just coming. The jhāna, it's just there. The miracle is about to happen and then it's never going to happen. So if you just treat every experience as part of life, whether bad or good, then you don't judge things like that farmer as the worst or the best. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:46 Highlight the passage at 1:07:46

1:08:15 You don't expect miracles. And then when a jhāna happens or whatever happens, it's just the way things are. It's not a miracle. So there will be no miracles here. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:15 Highlight the passage at 1:08:15

1:08:26 Peace at last. Thank you for listening. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:26 Highlight the passage at 1:08:26

1:08:34 That wasn't very enthusiastic. A little sadhu there, a little sadhu there. This is Dhammaloka. This is the place of the Dhamma, the place of the Buddha's teachings. So if we say sadhu to those teachings, we do it with everything we got. So let's do it all together. Not to me, not to Sunyo or his teachings, but to the Dhamma. Sadhu! Report an error in the passage at 1:08:34 Highlight the passage at 1:08:34

1:09:03 Sadhu! Shaddup. Shaddup. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:03 Highlight the passage at 1:09:03

1:09:14 Okay. Yeah, so usually we have some questions and answers afterwards. If you'd like to go and leave now, that's perfectly fine. Some people already left. I will not be looking. Uh-huh. You're leaving already, are you? No, please do. Because sometimes these questions and answers have nothing to do with meditation and it can be a bit distracting in a sense to... Report an error in the passage at 1:09:14 Highlight the passage at 1:09:14

1:09:40 Have to listen to that. So is there anybody here who has any questions? Please raise your hand and somebody will bring the microphone to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:40 Highlight the passage at 1:09:40

1:09:56 Nobody? I love that. I really do. Oh, but there's always questions from online, of course. You can't avoid those. That's good. I love those as well. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:56 Highlight the passage at 1:09:56

1:10:16 Thank you very much. Oh, there's not too many. I say now sometimes when I'm reading them out more appear and I just keep coming and keep coming and keep coming but Report an error in the passage at 1:10:16 Highlight the passage at 1:10:16

1:10:30 that's okay okay this is a question all the way from Germany close to my native country of the Netherlands during meditation I can calm down excellent I can feel peace excellent but in that peace there is still sadness excellent Excellent. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:30 Highlight the passage at 1:10:30

1:10:53 Please tell me what to do about it. I would like to find peace to heal my body and mind. Well, as I told you a little bit already, the way to start with any emotions in meditation, whether it's happiness or peace or sadness, is acceptance first. Always acceptance and kindness first. If you start fighting the sadness, it becomes only worse and worse. I think many of you have heard the story of the angry demon. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:53 Highlight the passage at 1:10:53

1:11:23 before Has anybody not heard the story of the angry demon? Everybody has heard the story. And if you have not, then you have to come back another time. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:23 Highlight the passage at 1:11:23

1:11:36 Because I will not tell the whole story now, but in short, there's an angry demon in the king's palace. And the more angry the people got with that demon, the bigger it grew. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:36 Highlight the passage at 1:11:36

1:11:48 And the angry eating demon it was actually called. And sadness is like an angry eating demon. If you say, go away sadness, I don't want you in my mind. You can see that you're even creating discontent with sadness. So you're sad to be sad. And you become even more sad. You can react like this, oh I'm sad now. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:48 Highlight the passage at 1:11:48

1:12:09 That's okay. Part of being a human being. There must be some reasons for it. And you have compassion to your sadness. You open up your heart to that experience of what it's like to be that way. Everybody here has been sad before, I'm sure. If not then, I don't know, you must be very special or not paying attention to life, probably more like. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:09 Highlight the passage at 1:12:09

1:12:38 So you can have so much compassion to that. Oh, there's suffering here. maybe recognize some of that suffering that's why you're sad and develop more kindness and more compassion to that sadness and not to force it away not to um Report an error in the passage at 1:12:38 Highlight the passage at 1:12:38

1:12:58 yeah i keep coming to back to the same ideas but not to judge that right or wrong but just accept it as it is it's really like that and then you find the peace and it heals by itself you don't need to change anything what also helps a lot With sadness is keeping your precepts as well. As a Buddhist, we have certain precepts that we keep. Do not lie, not steal. You don't have to be perfect in it, but do the best you can of those precepts and keep them as best you can. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:58 Highlight the passage at 1:12:58

1:13:32 That gives a sense of happiness. You know that you're a good person and you know that you're trying your best. You're caring for people. you're being generous to others that creates a sense of happiness that sometimes people lack in their life they live their lives a lot for themselves and they try and deceive others in certain ways and that creates this like this muddiness in the mind that can create a lot of sadness and depression so there's two ways and practical ways to keep the precepts and in meditation is to embrace and have compassion for yourself Report an error in the passage at 1:13:32 Highlight the passage at 1:13:32

1:14:09 Hello, Venerable, is the next question. The process to accept whatever our condition at the present is, I find it very difficult, especially when meditating and we still have this aversion with the condition we now have. Any guidance? Report an error in the passage at 1:14:09 Highlight the passage at 1:14:09

1:14:29 I have to say something original now because I can say, oh, no, don't judge it as good or bad, but you've heard that already. Apparently that instruction didn't help, otherwise you wouldn't ask the question. So maybe try this. So when I was a little boy, and my parents often used to take me to these theme parks, well maybe not very often, but occasionally, yeah, go to this theme park. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:29 Highlight the passage at 1:14:29

1:14:55 And sometimes you had these rides in the theme park, where you sit down and you get a car to sit in as a little kid. It's like a little small car, you know, and you get this steering wheel. and then the car starts driving and you can ah there's a corner to the right coming up and you drive through the forest and you drive up the hills ah there's a corner to the left ah you you have to steer to the left and you know and then you go all circle all around on the track on the track as a kid you think you're in control of the car you're imagining ah going right i'm going left you're all imagining but if you just Let go of the steering wheel or do whatever with the steering wheel, the car still keeps going the same exact same loop. And in life you can relate to it like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:55 Highlight the passage at 1:14:55

1:15:51 You think you have much more control than you actually have. Life is just like being on a track in like a cart on a funfair or whatever it is. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:51 Highlight the passage at 1:15:51

1:16:07 And you're just going through it. And emotions come, conditions come. The present presents itself to you. It's already here. You can't control it anymore, right? You might try and steer away from the present moment, but if you sit in one of those cars and you steer very steeply to the left or very steeply to the right, it doesn't matter. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:07 Highlight the passage at 1:16:07

1:16:29 The car still stays in the exact same place, right? Doesn't it? And that's with the mind as well, right? Do you recognize that? You try and steer it away from that sadness. You try and steer it away from the difficulty. Does it ever work like that? Yanking the steering wheel of your mind. No, it doesn't. Usually it doesn't anyway. So what you then do is realize, oh, I'm here right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:29 Highlight the passage at 1:16:29

1:16:56 This is my track in life. This is the path that I need to take. And I can accept it. At least then you don't have that aversion to the moment anymore. Because you know this is my route to the future. And now the thing with life and meditation is it's not just going round and round on the same loop. Like in the theme park, it might feel that way sometimes, yeah? Sit down, ah, the exact same meditation as last time, exact same meditation. No, in meditation you slowly learn, you slowly grow through talks like this, through sitting together, through meditating, you learn and you grow and you become more skilled and your mind develops and becomes more beautiful and more beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:56 Highlight the passage at 1:16:56

1:17:47 So eventually that track doesn't go in circles, but it goes... More and more through beautiful scenery. And sometimes it's just bad scenery. Don't have aversion to that and just know that this is part of your path. That's one way to think about it. There's many other ways to think about it. But I'll keep it. I'll stick to that for now. Hopefully that helps you. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:47 Highlight the passage at 1:17:47

1:18:14 And maybe that helps some of you here as well. Thank you for those questions. They're very applicable to today's instructions, actually, so that is always nice. Thank you, everybody, for being here, and I wish you a very pleasant life on your own little track. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:14 Highlight the passage at 1:18:14

1:18:37 All right. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:37 Highlight the passage at 1:18:37

1:18:41 Let's pay respect to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha. For those of you who would like to join in. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:41 Highlight the passage at 1:18:41