The Thinking Cycle

0:00 This is what should be done by one who is skilled in goodness and who knows the path of peace. Let them be able and upright, straightforward and gentle in speech, humble and not conceited, contented and easily satisfied, Satisfied, unburdened with duties. And frugal in their ways, peaceful and calm and wise and skillful, not proud and demanding in nature. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:42 Let them not do the slightest thing that the wise would later reprove. Wishing in gladness and in safety, may all beings be happy. Whatever living beings there may be, whether they are weak or strong, omitting none, the great or the mighty, medium, short or small, the seen and the unseen, those living near and far away, those born and to be born, May all beings be happy. Let none deceive another or despise any being in any state. Report an error in the passage at 0:42 Highlight the passage at 0:42

1:37 Let none through anger or ill will wish harm upon another. Even as a mother protects with her life her child, her only child. So with a boundless heart should one cherish all living beings, radiating kindness over the entire world, spreading upwards to the skies and downwards to the depths, outwards and unbounded, freed from hatred and ill will. Report an error in the passage at 1:37 Highlight the passage at 1:37

2:21 Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down, free from drowsiness, one should sustain this recollection. This is said to be the sublime abiding, by not holding to fixed views, the pure-hearted one having clarity of vision. Being freed from all sense desires is not born again into this world. Report an error in the passage at 2:21 Highlight the passage at 2:21

2:59 Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. As if you're on a Johnny Grover treat. Okie dokes. That was, that was the mettā sutta. And now, now, what do you think we shall talk about? I think... I think, I think I'd like to talk about thinking. Because everybody, everybody thinks, right? Report an error in the passage at 2:59 Highlight the passage at 2:59

3:40 Einstein thought, but I also think. So we can think all sorts of thoughts. We can think, we can think theory of relativity. We can think what's for lunch. We can think, why am I a Dhammasara bunny? Or we can think, we can think all sorts of things. and this will come to haunt us when we meditate right what is like the most popular question um about meditation is so Report an error in the passage at 3:40 Highlight the passage at 3:40

4:19 um so then i thought i thought i thought let's talk about thinking and um and i like anything if you think about something a little bit more deeply it gets a bit more i don't say complicated i'd say the better word is nuanced It begins to feel a bit more nuanced. Because when you look at something more closely, you see that actually there's a more intricate process at work than just thinking. Report an error in the passage at 4:19 Highlight the passage at 4:19

4:57 Oh, I was thinking. Oh, I was meditating. And then I just started to think. And yeah. Yeah. But how? How does this process actually work? You know? Because if we just say, oh, yeah, I was meditating. And then I just started to think. And then, you know, I could never get peaceful. There went my meditation. It's like we're powerless. Report an error in the passage at 4:57 Highlight the passage at 4:57

5:26 We're just held hostage by our thinking. And it often feels like that. But that's because we haven't cracked the process. So here I am to share with you my picture. Hope you see this. Because... Don't worry if you can't see the fine writing, but just the very basic idea that there is a cycle going on, a cycle. Report an error in the passage at 5:26 Highlight the passage at 5:26

5:53 Saṃsāra is a cycle. Dependent origination is a cycle. Those are profound cycles. But I'm going to talk about a more simple cycle here, which is when we have thoughts, there's actually an action of the mind. Manokam, manokama, manokama. Mano is mind, kama is action. You've all heard about karma, the law of karma. Well, this is some kind of kama. This is also kama, is our thoughts. They are kama. And kama, as you well know, bears fruit in a result. Report an error in the passage at 5:53 Highlight the passage at 5:53

6:24 Our actions lead to a result. So there is result of an action by the thought is another thought. So the thing is, right, if you think about something intentionally, You know, you actually, you actually, it wasn't, it's like something you have the force of intention behind and you actually sort of enjoy the thought. Report an error in the passage at 6:24 Highlight the passage at 6:24

6:55 There's a sort of pleasure that comes with the thought. That's a creation of karma. That's a creation of, you know, action that will bear fruit. And then what happens is it bears fruit in a similar thought will pop up involuntarily. So there's actually two kinds of thought. You know, the famous sutta of the Buddha, you know, Majjhima Nikaya 19, two kinds of thought. Report an error in the passage at 6:55 Highlight the passage at 6:55

7:23 This is not what he means. This is my own usage of the word two kinds of thought. When I say two kinds of thought, I don't mean wholesome and unwholesome thoughts. I'm just saying there's voluntary thought and involuntary thought. So the kind of thought, you know, that creates kama is the voluntary intentional thought. Report an error in the passage at 7:23 Highlight the passage at 7:23

7:44 But what that leads to is that because you thought about something before in the past, it is the seed for the fruit of that thought will arise again. You know, that thought will pop into your mind again. And this time it's involuntary. It's involuntary. This is the one where you're like, I was just meditating and this thought came up. Report an error in the passage at 7:44 Highlight the passage at 7:44

8:09 Right. That one is not your fault. That, well, in a way it is in the sense that it's because of your previous. Report an error in the passage at 8:09 Highlight the passage at 8:09

8:30 we often we don't catch it fast enough and so we can't distinguish between the thought that just pops up And the other thoughts that that you know follow it so the first first thought is like the first caboose in a train it's just the first caboose and that one you know the train came into the station because of past causes it's not your fault the caboose showed up but the problem is that we add on to the caboose with another another um what do you call those things what do you call the train body you know each each little train what's it called I can't think of the word either but you know what I mean right there's the caboose and there's the other car the car right the car the other car and then the other car I mean who rides trains anymore in this day and age right but anyway for the old-fashioned people who knew what trains were like you know the first car and the second car and the third car and um and then we have this whole long train you know like sometimes uh in in Midland the the the town near near where the monastery is there is this train like track where sometimes they have these trains like like cargo trains not passenger trains like you Report an error in the passage at 8:30 Highlight the passage at 8:30

9:46 know your pause there for the train track and it's like oh my god like when will this end when will the train pass there's so many cars in this train it's so long um and that's what our thoughts are like we our trains of thought become very very very very long very long very fast And so we can't tell that actually there was a difference between the caboose and the other trains. So we just go ahead, we get that first thought, that arisen thought that just pops into our mind, you know, not voluntarily. Report an error in the passage at 9:46 Highlight the passage at 9:46

10:18 And then we voluntarily add more stuff, more stuff, more stuff. And it becomes very long. But the thing about this is that when we add more stuff, another thought, another thought, another thought. It's actually creating more kamma of the mind. It's creating more actions of the mind. And then, the science of diagram is actually very simple. Report an error in the passage at 10:18 Highlight the passage at 10:18

10:45 Every thought that you voluntarily, intentionally think, again, it will have a fruit of an involuntary thought, an echo of it that arises in the mind again, again at a different time. And so that means that if you... if your train is very long then the resonance of it will be very you know very very long as well you have many many instances of that kind of thought coming up again and again and then when that thought comes up again you might continue it with another train of thought of a similar nature and then it's just like you can't find your way out of it it's like saṃsāra you just can't find your way out of it because this cycle keeps going and even though it's um You know, let me just put it down for a second. It's useful for us to know this, that there is a difference between the thought that pops into your head and the thought that you create and you keep on going. Report an error in the passage at 10:45 Highlight the passage at 10:45

11:55 It's useful, but often it happens so fast, we are powerless to do anything about it. But it's good to recognize that you are powerless, right? Why are you powerless? No, Report an error in the passage at 11:55 Highlight the passage at 11:55

12:15 I made you think. But I mean, consciously think about this. This is a useful thought. Useful thought. Because, you know, until you have that super deep, super quiet, thoughtless samādhi, sorry to say, you're going to think even about the dharma. But if you think about the dharma, at least make it a productive thinking about the dharma, okay? So use it to sort of like investigate. Report an error in the passage at 12:15 Highlight the passage at 12:15

12:46 Well, why am I powerless? Is it because I'm a bunny? No, I'm powerless because, because sheer Report an error in the passage at 12:46 Highlight the passage at 12:46

12:58 force of habit, the sheer force of habit, because every time, okay, this is, I just do this in a, just a simple pen, just a normal, you know, you know, thin line here to draw the arrow. But imagine, imagine that every time I think this thought, okay, I think, I think, Report an error in the passage at 12:58 Highlight the passage at 12:58

13:24 Give me an example. Let's say I think, gosh, who is that person who misspelled my name as Dhammasara Bunny? Who is that person? That person is evil. Report an error in the passage at 13:24 Highlight the passage at 13:24

13:46 That's a harsh word. But anyway, that person's not very nice. Okay, so then, then that's my first, my first action of the mind. And then it will, what will happen is, You know, I go about my day, this and that, whatever. And then suddenly, suddenly, I might happen across a picture on the t-shirt of somebody wearing a Bugs Bunny t-shirt or something. Report an error in the passage at 13:46 Highlight the passage at 13:46

14:17 You know Bugs Bunny, right? He's like Warner Brothers character. I never know what Australian people know or not. I'm sure Australian people know Bugs Bunny, right? Okay, Bugs Bunny. So Bugs Bunny, I see some kid, you know, coming to like offer Dana, you know, put rice in my bowl and he's wearing a Bugs Bunny t-shirt. Report an error in the passage at 14:17 Highlight the passage at 14:17

14:33 So that sense contact of seeing the Bugs Bunny t-shirt, I'm like, the thought pops up again. I wonder who wrote Dhammasara Bunnies on the website, you know? And then, and then so that, that thought just pops into my head. But then if I'm not fast and quick and, you know, like. Report an error in the passage at 14:33 Highlight the passage at 14:33

14:51 So, you know, sharp in my wisdom. Then I might continue to think, yeah, yeah, what kind of bunny did they mean anyway? Did they mean an Easter bunny? I mean, because Easter bunnies are kind of like, you know. I don't know they're kind of cute so is it a good thing or or anyway but like you know it's it's like my name's not bunny and and it's not on that you know they put my name on his bunny and whatever and I just continue on that train of thought now with all sorts of my own my own creative writings my own creative writing I can take all the credit for this amazing short story novel whatever epic epic poem that I'm writing here and that is that is the part where I'm just making more and more of the same kind of mental action is the thoughts of a similar nature. And what that happens is that that will make it a more likely for that thought to keep arising again. Report an error in the passage at 14:51 Highlight the passage at 14:51

15:47 You know, I thought it 10 times, then it's more more likely it's going to arise naturally pop into my mind. I didn't know x, you know, number of times it'll be more than the 10 times. And then The chilling thing, the chilling thing is that it's not only that it'll make it more likely for it to pop into my mind, it'll be more likely for me to continue the train of thought in the same way again and again and again. Report an error in the passage at 15:47 Highlight the passage at 15:47

16:15 So the arrow becomes thicker and thicker, you know? The neural pathway in my mind has been created. First round, it gets created. Second round, it gets deepened. Third round, it gets deeper and deeper and deeper. And that's for both arrows. So it's more likely that that thought will come up again. But the problem is, it's also when it comes up, you know, there is that moment when you actually, if your mindfulness is good, you can see that, that, oh, this thought has popped into my mind. Report an error in the passage at 16:15 Highlight the passage at 16:15

16:52 But then the compulsion, I use this word not in an exaggerated way. There is a feeling of compulsion. Continue that thought. To continue that chain of thought. It's like, first of all, most people, you just miss it. You're not even mindful of the moment where you can distinguish between the popped-up thought and the continued thought. Report an error in the passage at 16:52 Highlight the passage at 16:52

17:14 You can't even distinguish. But there are times when you can distinguish, and it's like, can't help it, though. I still want to think it. I still want to think. I know it's bad news, but I still want to think it, so I will. And then it'll be like, oh my god, I'm stuck. It's harder. It's harder. you know it's hard to stop because it deepens the groove and it makes your arrow lines so thick and it's just so compelling I have a good analogy for this it's not even an analogy maybe it's a it's a subset of thought but um let Report an error in the passage at 17:14 Highlight the passage at 17:14

17:45 me tell you you know why it's dangerous to go see doctors to sit there in the doctor's office it's not only that you might catch you know somebody's cold or somebody's covid i mean that's so like out of fashion but you know it might be still you know in the air you might catch that that's one danger but the other danger is you could be infected with an earworm do you know what an earworm is it's actually a term a term for that song that you know there might be just a line of a song or just a snippet of a song and it crawls into your ear and it fest your mind and fix your you know your whole your brain for i don't know how many more days sometimes it's days i tell you that has been my experience that has been my experience and that is the popped up thought is when that thought just pops into your mind right because you heard it at the doctor's office you know that was you know just hearing it is one thing but the problem is if you if you know the song And you are like quietly singing along because it's like, oh my god, playing a station of songs that are from when I was young. Report an error in the passage at 17:45 Highlight the passage at 17:45

19:03 You know, because if I hear a song nowadays of, you know, some song nowadays, I don't know the lyrics. I don't know who's singing it. I don't know anything about it. It's like, it's not really gonna like have sticking power because I haven't heard it before. I haven't sung it before. But because in my youth, I had sung this song before, maybe many times, I created that kama. Report an error in the passage at 19:03 Highlight the passage at 19:03

19:26 Then, now that I'm now in my middle age, it can still, when it pops up into my head because of that previous come of having sung along to that song, the urge to continue singing it is as strong as how many times I've heard that song. If I heard that song and I sang along like so many times in my youth, even though it's like, I will say X how many years removed that I am now. Report an error in the passage at 19:26 Highlight the passage at 19:26

19:54 Even this many years removed, the kamma, it will still bear fruit. And because I enjoyed singing those songs in my youth with abandon, having not needed to keep the eight precepts back then, or the 311 precepts that include that now, not technically, but we won't go there, then it's harder for me to resist. Report an error in the passage at 19:54 Highlight the passage at 19:54

20:19 When the first line comes to your head, it's like immediate. You think of the next line. And then you keep singing the whole damn song if you know the lyrics. Fortunately, I've forgotten most of the lyrics to most songs in their entirety. So you have that annoying refrain or half refrain that you can't quite remember in your head that you can keep going at it because the compulsion is so strong. Report an error in the passage at 20:19 Highlight the passage at 20:19

20:41 So that's just like our other kinds of non-musical thoughts. Because any thought we've thought many times, we've created a strong habit. And it's like... It's almost like an addiction, you know, I wouldn't say that's too strong a word. It's almost, it is, I think you could even say it is an addiction. Report an error in the passage at 20:41 Highlight the passage at 20:41

21:01 It's like, oh, it just feels so, so, you know how like dark chocolate, it's really bitter, but some people find it so delicious and they like to eat it. Not nons, of course, we eat it only to ward off painful feelings that have arisen. But the thing is, yeah, so some of our like, you know our thoughts of ill will they may be bitter in taste and yet we find them so yummy we want to keep thinking them again and again um and i was i was reflecting on this word in english there's the word you know to recriminate what does that mean well Report an error in the passage at 21:01 Highlight the passage at 21:01

21:44 i guess for some of you already know the word you know what it means but if we were to break it down recriminate is when you you re you do it again you criminate criminal Criminal comes, criminate comes from the same, you know, same kind of word as criminal. So you re-make someone a criminal. So let's say, like in my example, who wrote Dhammasara Bunnies? I've made that person a criminal. And every time I think about it again, I re-criminalize that person, re-criminalize. Report an error in the passage at 21:44 Highlight the passage at 21:44

22:19 I re-criminate, I recriminate. And so, so any thoughts of recrimination? That's what's happening. You're recriminalizing that person. Even if that person was whatever, you have no idea what whatever the reason they did it for. In your head, you've already created a storyline where they're the criminal. And then it's like, it's so funny. Report an error in the passage at 22:19 Highlight the passage at 22:19

22:45 It's like you have no further evidence that you, it's like you have no new information that could change your perception. And even if you have new information that could exonerate the person. because you've already recriminated the person so many times it's like for the rest of your life they will be sort of that bad person in your mind you know there will be an echo of that even if you've made nice and you know oh i've forgiven you so you say there is a part of you there's something some resonance in your mind where you you see that person's face or you see their name come up um and it's like criminal i mean you ask Just ask. Hey, this is a completely hypothetical example from my end, having never been married and therefore never divorced. But ask some people who have, you know, divorced or have sort of separated from their loved one, whether they got married or not. Report an error in the passage at 22:45 Highlight the passage at 22:45

23:40 And it was an acrimonious divorce. Ask them like, you know, a few years down the road, 10 years down the road, 20 years down the road. When that name like sort of just somebody says that person's name, what is their instant? Report an error in the passage at 23:40 Highlight the passage at 23:40

24:10 I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 24:10 Highlight the passage at 24:10

24:15 It's not something I have much experience of anymore, but you know some somebody that you really really you know You find so wonderful and whatever so then every time you think of them you just keep on developing that that whole thought train of how wonderful they are this that and the other blah blah blah and so um that will that will increase your craving it will fuel your craving just the way the other kind of thought fueled your aversion and so this kind of thing it it just keeps going it keeps going and that's why we Report an error in the passage at 24:15 Highlight the passage at 24:15

24:47 can have actually a quotation from the suttas to legitimize all of my random note-taking and i wish you could see it it's handwritten everything but anyway Report an error in the passage at 24:47 Highlight the passage at 24:47

24:57 Being asked, there's only three minutes left, I thought, let us bring up the word of the Buddha. The word of the Buddha always legitimizes anything you say. So, in that very same, very same MN19, The Two Kinds of Thought, there is that chilling line, whatever bhikkhu, which I feel compelled, due to my previous habits of feminism, or, no, not feminism, a sort of, you know, equalityism, egalitarianism. Report an error in the passage at 24:57 Highlight the passage at 24:57

25:28 Whatever Bhikkhu, parentheses, ni, Bhikkhu ni, whatever Bhikkhu ni frequently thinks and ponders upon, that will become the inclination of his, his, her, her mind, her mind. If she frequently thinks and ponders upon thoughts of sensual desire, she has abandoned, abandoned. The thought of renunciation. To cultivate, oh dear, cultivate the thought of central desire. Report an error in the passage at 25:28 Highlight the passage at 25:28

26:08 And thus, her mind will incline to thoughts of central desire. And you're like, wow, this is chilling. Okay, I'm just like, you know, just thinking, just, you know, having a little bit of a thought here and there. But every time I have that thought, I've abandoned renunciation. Abandoned is a very strong word. And I'm cultivating. Report an error in the passage at 26:08 Highlight the passage at 26:08

26:27 It's like, yeah, you want to cultivate rice, you want to cultivate these good, wholesome foods, but here I am cultivating sensual desire. And worse than that, then my mind will incline to those thoughts of sensual desire. And the same is true for ill will, right? If I think about ill will, just a recreational thought, you know, just, you know, for fun. Report an error in the passage at 26:27 Highlight the passage at 26:27

26:53 Unfortunately, even that just sort of this casual thought. In that moment of abandoned non-ill will. And if I have those thoughts again and again, I will keep cultivating, cultivating more thoughts of ill will. And then my mind will incline to thoughts of ill will. Incline. Incline is like, you know, once you incline, it's like you throw a ball down a slope. Report an error in the passage at 26:53 Highlight the passage at 26:53

27:20 It's very hard to stop it, right? So this is dangerous. Dangerous. Same for harming. Right? You'll abandon non-harm. And then you're going to cultivate more thoughts of harming. And then your mind will incline to that. So you're going to have... You're really going to be on the wrong side of samasankapa. Report an error in the passage at 27:20 Highlight the passage at 27:20

27:39 You're going to be on the wrong thought, not right thought. And then you're stuffed. You're pretty stuffed as far as Eightfold Path goes. Because that's number two of the eight. There, you're already stuffed up. So the thing is, don't take it lightly. But... Don't abandon hope, because remember, we have a chance, an opportunity to restrain, to restrain, restrain in a nicest possible way. Report an error in the passage at 27:39 Highlight the passage at 27:39

28:07 Not repress, but restrain, right? So when you can catch, the thought has popped into my head, and you're like, no. The kind of no where no means no, okay? No doesn't mean... Well, sort of maybe. No means no. No more. I'm not going to think this thought anymore. I'm not going to continue it. I'm not going to write. I'm not going to write, you know, I'm not going to write a novel. Report an error in the passage at 28:07 Highlight the passage at 28:07

28:36 I'm not going to write a short story. I'm not going to write even a haiku, okay? I am not writing anything. I've just abandoned my pen. The pen is, what, mightier than the sword? Well, I've abandoned not only sword, but pen. Just the way in the suttas, you know, you abandon all your weapons and all that. Abandon my, the greatest weapon is the pen. So my mental pen. I'm not going to pen any more stories out of my popped up thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 28:36 Highlight the passage at 28:36

29:06 And if once I've learned how to do that, then actually the pop-up thoughts, they will pop up and they will disappear and they will pop up and they will disappear. And then all my old kama of mental kama will be used up that way, you know. But the problem is it's so hard to use it up because like you know it's like they pop up sometimes you don't but then you continue it and you make more kama so there's even more to clear up and it's just like you know your balance of like you know mental kama to clear up and like the ones that you catch is like really off balance. Report an error in the passage at 29:06 Highlight the passage at 29:06

29:35 But we can try we can try to increase the side where we can recognize you know we might not catch it at the first thought but you know not too far down the track okay not one of those like crazy trains that stop you in midland you know for like five minutes you know um but but just a shorter train just you know yes you know aim aim high but you know be happy with modest progress which is you know if you used to have a train that was like you know 20 cars and now you've got a train that's you know 18 that's pretty good 17, even better. And then one day, one fine day, you'll have a train that's only 10 cars. And then one day, maybe five cars. Report an error in the passage at 29:35 Highlight the passage at 29:35

30:18 What kind of a train is that? It's a pretty stumpy train, isn't it? Why bother having a train, right? And so one day you'll just have the caboose though. And then you'll be like, that's okay. My problem, I'm not the driver of that caboose. My old kama is the driver of that caboose. And then you can just, you know, leave it be. And that is how we can sort of clear out. Report an error in the passage at 30:18 Highlight the passage at 30:18

30:38 clear out this whole cluttered head but um but i just wanted to say that you know all this talk about thinking is it's actually not apart from meditation like we don't have to see that the thinking takes me away from my meditation because then we are criminalizing the thought and then we keep recriminating it in our attitude towards thinking it's like oh god those thoughts they just stop me from being peaceful oh and then you know we hate thoughts but actually Let's just change the paradigm and make thinking, you know, mindfulness of your thoughts and your thinking process is also a legitimate form of meditation. Report an error in the passage at 30:38 Highlight the passage at 30:38

31:21 Being able to actually not only have a picture of it, you know, not only draw yourself a picture in your notebook the old-fashioned way, but to actually see that process happening. Now the whole point of making diagrams is not to make this overly you know academic but it's so you have a sort of a vague idea some sort of a like map so that when you're actually in the in the real deal of your messy mind you know you you have some sense of what's going on at least an outline an outline idea so that when you actually observe what's going on in your mind you know in real time you can kind of have a better you know sort of clues as to what is it what is it you're seeing So now that I've, you know, talked a bit over time, let us actually try to meditate on this and see whether we can actually, we can use that map and actually find our way in the maze of our mind. Report an error in the passage at 31:21 Highlight the passage at 31:21

32:23 So without further ado, I invite you to just find a position that will be the least uncomfortable. You know, if you say, oh, make yourself comfortable. Some people are like, I've never... We're comfortable, so let's just try to be as least uncomfortable for, it's just 30 minutes, so you know, just so you can manage to sit for 30 minutes. Report an error in the passage at 32:23 Highlight the passage at 32:23

32:50 Even me, I will try to make myself minimally uncomfortable. Report an error in the passage at 32:50 Highlight the passage at 32:50

32:58 Just notice yourself wherever it is, whether you're on a chair or on the cushion or on your bed or whatever. Just notice how your body is balanced. If Report an error in the passage at 32:58 Highlight the passage at 32:58

33:19 it's feeling like it's... leaning too far forward or too far back just adjust so you feel comfortable left Report an error in the passage at 33:19 Highlight the passage at 33:19

33:32 and right see how you're leaning one way or the other and just rebalance so you're comfortable apparently Report an error in the passage at 33:32 Highlight the passage at 33:32

33:48 if you tuck your chin in that will help to lengthen your spine in a natural way see if that works and Report an error in the passage at 33:48 Highlight the passage at 33:48

34:01 then release so that you feel upright but not uptight your Report an error in the passage at 34:01 Highlight the passage at 34:01

34:17 face especially Report an error in the passage at 34:17 Highlight the passage at 34:17

34:24 if you're Like me, getting older and noticing, my goodness, the wrinkles, they have appeared. It's good. That way you have something you can sort of visualize. So imagine the furrow between your eyebrows is smoothing out, relax it out. There Report an error in the passage at 34:24 Highlight the passage at 34:24

34:49 might be Report an error in the passage at 34:49 Highlight the passage at 34:49

34:54 ingrained lines around your mouth or something. Try to pull it into a taut, tight expression. Relax that. Relax so you're smiling as if you're just a wee little child. A Report an error in the passage at 34:54 Highlight the passage at 34:54

35:23 sense of joyfulness and ease comes with that. Report an error in the passage at 35:23 Highlight the passage at 35:23

35:37 Relaxing your neck and shoulders, chest Report an error in the passage at 35:37 Highlight the passage at 35:37

35:48 and abdomen, upper Report an error in the passage at 35:48 Highlight the passage at 35:48

35:53 back, lower back, right Report an error in the passage at 35:53 Highlight the passage at 35:53

36:01 arm, down to your fingers, left arm, down to your fingers. Report an error in the passage at 36:01 Highlight the passage at 36:01

36:12 Right hip down to your knee. Down to your lower leg. Toes. Relax. Report an error in the passage at 36:12 Highlight the passage at 36:12

36:27 Left leg of the hip. The knees. Down to the toes. Just Report an error in the passage at 36:27 Highlight the passage at 36:27

36:41 relax. Report an error in the passage at 36:41 Highlight the passage at 36:41

36:54 Just letting your body ease into sitting still. Report an error in the passage at 36:54 Highlight the passage at 36:54

37:07 Ease that activity. We're Report an error in the passage at 37:07 Highlight the passage at 37:07

37:13 getting with a lot of physical activity. And Report an error in the passage at 37:13 Highlight the passage at 37:13

37:22 then using into the moment, really. Report an error in the passage at 37:22 Highlight the passage at 37:22

37:48 If you feel you're kind of sort of more chillaxed, you can try bringing attention to your breath, just Report an error in the passage at 37:48 Highlight the passage at 37:48

38:10 how it is. Report an error in the passage at 38:10 Highlight the passage at 38:10

38:13 Whether you're breathing in gently or breathing a bit more roughly and you've had a busy day, it doesn't matter. Just breathe in and enjoy it. And breathe out and enjoy it. It's natural, whatever it is. Report an error in the passage at 38:13 Highlight the passage at 38:13

· · · silence, 1 minute

39:30 It's very likely while you're breathing in and breathing out, somewhere along the line, whether it's on the in-breath or on the out-breath or between the two of them, a thought pops up. Or it already popped up and you're continuing it. Well, see if we can bring some mindfulness to distinguishing between a thought that has popped up and a thought that... Report an error in the passage at 39:30 Highlight the passage at 39:30

40:16 has been added on willfully with pleasure actually and Report an error in the passage at 40:16 Highlight the passage at 40:16

40:31 if it's already gone a little bit far down the train then see if you feel that it doesn't come with just a feeling of pleasure but there's this urge there and then compulsion there so see if you can feel that feel that urge physically in your body Report an error in the passage at 40:31 Highlight the passage at 40:31

40:59 So no matter where you catch the thought, it's all productive of learning. You don't have to force it. Report an error in the passage at 40:59 Highlight the passage at 40:59

41:12 Just work with whatever comes for you. Report an error in the passage at 41:12 Highlight the passage at 41:12

41:41 Your seeing of this process naturally drops the thought, makes the thought feel dropped when you return to your breath. Then that's fine. Then just watch the breath and be with the breath. But every time another thought pops up, You can do the same thing. Report an error in the passage at 41:41 Highlight the passage at 41:41

42:12 Just play with it. Today we're just playing with our thoughts. So in fact, people who have no thoughts in their meditation, they're losing out today. So all the people who do have thoughts coming up in their meditation, well, you're on the money. You will find this the most productive meditation then. Report an error in the passage at 42:12 Highlight the passage at 42:12

42:34 So I'll just be quiet now because I'll let your own thoughts do their own talking for you. Because they will. It's Report an error in the passage at 42:34 Highlight the passage at 42:34

· · · silence, 5 minutes

48:01 these thoughts that pop up and maybe lead to more thoughts. There's no need to judge a thought as good or bad. One Report an error in the passage at 48:01 Highlight the passage at 48:01

48:22 can just ask oneself, is this a habit I want to create? Is this a habit I want to deepen? Just asking. Towards Report an error in the passage at 48:22 Highlight the passage at 48:22

· · · silence, 6 minutes

54:57 the end of the meditation, we take a bit of time to reflect back on what our experience has been in the past. 25-30 minutes, Report an error in the passage at 54:57 Highlight the passage at 54:57

55:16 especially with our thoughts. Did we notice that there were particular types of thoughts that tended to come up for us? How Report an error in the passage at 55:16 Highlight the passage at 55:16

55:39 far along the track were we able to catch ourselves in the process of thinking based on a popped up thought? What Report an error in the passage at 55:39 Highlight the passage at 55:39

55:55 helped us to let that train of thought go for Report an error in the passage at 55:55 Highlight the passage at 55:55

56:07 us? And what did it feel Report an error in the passage at 56:07 Highlight the passage at 56:07

56:18 like in our bodies when there was a thought? So delicious. I couldn't let it go. All Report an error in the passage at 56:18 Highlight the passage at 56:18

56:32 of this is very useful experience. So Report an error in the passage at 56:32 Highlight the passage at 56:32

56:41 we can just, in Report an error in the passage at 56:41 Highlight the passage at 56:41

56:51 our experience bank, just be happy that we spent a little time doing this and practicing with this. It will surely come in handy, not only when we meditate, but also as we live our life rather off the cushion day where we... The very last part of the meditation, we can share any benefits that we've received from our sitting, any greater peace or Report an error in the passage at 56:51 Highlight the passage at 56:51

57:42 understanding that has come of it, sharing it for the benefit of all beings, near and far, seen and unseen. May all beings be well, be happy, be free from all suffering, live with ease, and be fully, truly liberated. So Report an error in the passage at 57:42 Highlight the passage at 57:42

58:36 when you're ready, you can open your eyes and Report an error in the passage at 58:36 Highlight the passage at 58:36

58:44 let the games begin. So the Q &A is up now. Anybody, everybody, welcome to ask or comment. Whatever you please. Report an error in the passage at 58:44 Highlight the passage at 58:44

59:05 Neutral thoughts. Oh, you mean in the two kinds of thought? Well, I feel he did say two kinds of thought. So, I mean, it's a good question. I'm trying to think of an example of a neutral thought. I Report an error in the passage at 59:05 Highlight the passage at 59:05

59:34 think things are either wholesome or unwholesome. I don't think there's an in-between undecided. I don't know if I'm wholesome or I'm not. Report an error in the passage at 59:34 Highlight the passage at 59:34

59:45 But I, yeah. I don't know if there might be like what we might call neutral it might actually be tinged with um some kind of delusion or mindlessness you know like like even can you think oh how about this I'll turn it around to you can can you think of a neutral thought that you would a thought that you would consider neutral well what do you have in mind oh Report an error in the passage at 59:45 Highlight the passage at 59:45

1:00:18 the size or the color of something are you thinking it or you just are you just The sky. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:18 Highlight the passage at 1:00:18

1:00:29 Oh, the sky. The sky. What are you thinking? I mean, if you're just seeing, you're just seeing it, right? If you're thinking, you know, I think the thing is, in the two kinds of thought, I don't think he's saying that, like, I don't think he's trying to categorize all possible thoughts under these three kinds of things, you know, sensual desire, ill will, and harming. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:29 Highlight the passage at 1:00:29

1:00:57 I think he's just trying to, like, Draw out what is the most like problematic or problematic kinds of thoughts or the thoughts around sensual desire, thoughts around ill will, thoughts around harming and the opposite would be the wholesome side of it. So I feel like the thought about the sky being blue or not is like not too problematic. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:57 Highlight the passage at 1:00:57

1:01:26 I think whether or not it creates some kind of kama, I mean that's a bit... Beyond my level of, you know, it's a bit abstruse, like, I don't know what kind of comma comes from like thinking random thoughts about the blue sky. But I feel that any kind of thinking, whether it's wholesome, unwholesome, or random, we call it neutral, or we call it random, like blue sky, it's still, it's an activity of the mind, which is not as peaceful as the lack of thought, or the, or the, you know, the quietening of the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:26 Highlight the passage at 1:01:26

1:01:58 So in that sense, I think even these sort of innocuous thoughts about the blue sky still are not really going to lead us towards nibbāna. They're not really going to help us really to develop a clarity of mind that can understand things, that can see not just the color of the sky, but the nature of the sky. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:58 Highlight the passage at 1:01:58

1:02:24 You know what I'm saying? So that's something which... Yeah, unfortunately. Even looking at a beautiful blue sky and just having a nice little thought about what a beautiful day it is, that can turn into a kind of craving. It can start off as just a, oh, the sky is blue. But it can trigger. Even the innocuous thoughts, if we still have greed, hatred, and delusion, it's... Report an error in the passage at 1:02:24 Highlight the passage at 1:02:24

1:02:59 It's very possible, almost likely, that it will lead to some kind of thought of, you know, sensual desire is kind of not the best translation, but just thoughts of the five sense world and are still being, you know, pleased to be part of this five sense world and to have that experience of the blue sky. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:59 Highlight the passage at 1:02:59

1:03:23 So that is a very sort of subtle kind of sensual desire. Can come with what seems like an innocuous thought of oh look the sky is blue you know but if you don't like blue what if you like blue then then we're getting into trouble so um so yeah it's a it's a good question and really the best way to answer it is not it's not from a sort of a theoretical way hmm let's look at the commentaries that the two kinds of thought you know refer to S-N-whatever, you know, like, you know, M-N-A-M-A, I think it's called Majima Atakata, you know. Are you the kind of person who feels like obliged and compelled to read all those footnotes by Bikubori? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:23 Highlight the passage at 1:03:23

1:04:08 I am. And then you just get a headache. So the best way really to answer the question is to just follow your experience. Next time you think about the blue sky, you know, see what happens and see, is it really neutral? or is it neutral for just a millisecond and it soon becomes pregnant with like you know something that is not neutral so um yeah i think that's the best answer is yourself talk about fobbing it off all on you but anyway yeah that's my answer for that one hope that helps anybody Report an error in the passage at 1:04:08 Highlight the passage at 1:04:08

1:04:45 else yes Report an error in the passage at 1:04:45 Highlight the passage at 1:04:45

1:04:50 i i just pulled out the majima just to check the 90 and in that the Buddha says he specifically sets out to understand and separate the wholesome and the unwholesome So that's quite different to when the dharma, in the dharma you come across papanja, which is proliferation, which is always a problem. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:50 Highlight the passage at 1:04:50

1:05:11 Whatever, whether it's wholesome, unwholesome or neutral, that's proliferation which Ajahn was referring to. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:11 Highlight the passage at 1:05:11

1:05:24 But that's super specifically with wholesome and unwholesome. Yeah, I can't see who, sorry, I couldn't see who said that. Can you just identify yourself? Oh, I see, okay. Okay, thank you, thank you Geeta. Yeah, I mean, it's like the different suttas kind of approach it a little bit differently. So that was MN 19. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:24 Highlight the passage at 1:05:24

1:05:51 But if you just like flip back to MN 18, you know, the Honeyball Sutta, that talks more about the Papancha, the process of Papancha, which is that proliferation. But, you know, what I thought was a useful explanation, Report an error in the passage at 1:05:51 Highlight the passage at 1:05:51

1:06:11 Ajahn Brahmali gave about Papancha is that basically Papancha is rooted in this sense of self. So any kind of thinking, even if the thinking is about blue sky, if it's coming from there being a sense of self in there that's thinking it, it will somehow always relate it to that idea of there being a me. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:11 Highlight the passage at 1:06:11

1:06:41 So as long as you still have that delusion of there being a self, you don't have the right view yet, you're nothing but a mere worldling, then no matter what you think about, even so-called neutral things like the blue sky, it's going to be from the standpoint of me. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:41 Highlight the passage at 1:06:41

1:07:01 I'm looking at the blue sky. sky and then I soon will have some kind of craving about the blue sky. I look at it for two minutes, I start to get bored. Maybe not even two minutes in this day and age. I look at it for five seconds, it starts to get boring. Ah, blue sky again. Living in Australia, Western Australia, always blue sky. When you first come here, you're like, oh my god, the sky is so blue. Especially if you, you know, lived in like Manila or Bangkok, where it's like, the sky is gray as a norm, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:01 Highlight the passage at 1:07:01

1:07:29 gray with smog, not gray with, like, thunderclouds, but just gray with smog. So at first you're like, oh, my God, like, the sky in Western Australia is so blue. And then not long after, it's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, another blue sky. So, okay, got to go. Time for breakfast. So, like, as long as there's a sense of self. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:29 Highlight the passage at 1:07:29

1:07:51 Unfortunately. Unfortunately. So... all kind of not wholesome unfortunately Report an error in the passage at 1:07:51 Highlight the passage at 1:07:51

1:07:58 So that's why, yes, I agree with you, Gita, proliferation is always problematic. But we have to understand why it's problematic. It's not only that it disturbs the mind, but it's also that it's, because it's just sort of like rooted in the sense of self, it revolves around the sense of self, then in a way it feeds the sense of self. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:58 Highlight the passage at 1:07:58

1:08:17 Because you keep thinking about stuff in terms of me in a way that feeds that sense of me, right? So you notice that when you have, you know, times of quiet in your meditation even pockets of quiet you notice how that sense of there being a me disappears when that happens so that shows us there's a relationship between thinking and me me existing and strengthening that sense of me the more i think the more i am right who said that somebody said that one of those one of those fancy old philosophers yeah yeah french guy I'm thinking, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like Rodin. No, no, Rodin was the sculptor who made that whole like, oh, the thinker, the pensive thinker. That's Rodin. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:17 Highlight the passage at 1:08:17

1:09:05 But Rodin's friend is Descartes. I don't know. They really live the same. But they're both French, okay? They French people, they like to think. So, so then, yeah, that's the thing. Thinking. Thinking and me. That's why sometimes, happens sometimes in meditation where, you know, miraculously, um our thinking dies down and there's some silence and at first you're enjoying the peace of it but then after a while it's like the thinking comes back with like a vengeance because you kind of got like scared you know it's like oh my god the me is disappearing and the me is like i will not disappear i am here i am here let me prove it think think think think here i am you know that's that's what happens So that's why we, you know, it's good to understand this whole connection between thinking and the sense of self. And the proliferation is, it's like a, you know, it's because once the thinking gains force, there's a sense of realism to the thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:05 Highlight the passage at 1:09:05

1:10:17 They become very, like, solid, you know? And that also solidifies this feeling that there's a me in here. And my whole world that I've created in my mind, all my theories about the world, they're so real to us. That's why these thoughts, they have a power. And so we can learn how to shorten the train. It also thins our sense of self and it creates greater ease in our mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:17 Highlight the passage at 1:10:17

1:10:52 So, yes. I saw somebody else's... Hand was also up. Was it, was it Kaloyan? Where was he? Kaloyan. Yes, that's, okay, now you're here. Yes, go for it. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:52 Highlight the passage at 1:10:52

1:11:25 Reflect on the states of both speech and mind, also Report an error in the passage at 1:11:25 Highlight the passage at 1:11:25

1:11:40 on thoughts that he has. But, you know, what if Report an error in the passage at 1:11:40 Highlight the passage at 1:11:40

1:11:47 it's not like something really intentional? If Report an error in the passage at 1:11:47 Highlight the passage at 1:11:47

1:11:54 it's something really intentional, yeah, it works. If it's like those involuntary thoughts, it just disturbs the mind as far as I can tell. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:54 Highlight the passage at 1:11:54

1:12:04 And, yeah, that's what I wanted to ask. What was the idea when he talked? though it's something that yeah so if I'm understanding correctly you say that if if there's some random thought that pops into your head that is not voluntary and you feel repulsed by it it doesn't help but if it is the thought that you have you have you know intentionally thought it does help is that considering My idea was if that's what the Buddha meant, because the way I see it, that's the only way it helps. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:04 Highlight the passage at 1:12:04

1:12:42 Right. Yeah. Yeah. What he's talking about are, yeah, intentional thoughts because it's deeds, actions by body, speech and mind. So there it means intentional actions. So it's the popped up, the thought that just pops up in your mind is not actually creating any kama. It's not an intentional act. So it's like no point. I mean, you can be repulsed by it, but it's not like, it's like. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:42 Highlight the passage at 1:12:42

1:13:12 it's just like you know so like something you open you turn on the internet you open the you you open your your web page and like you know how sometimes like now it's like the the the main page will have some news item that will just show up so that just pops up you didn't choose it right it just it just you open the page msn whatever you opened it and it came up so that one you know it's like It's neither here nor there. You can be repulsed by it, you can be whatever, but it's not going to change your own kind of inclinations of your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:12 Highlight the passage at 1:13:12

1:13:50 You have no choice about it. But what the Buddha is talking about when he's talking to his son Rahula in that sutta is about those actions that you can either further cultivate or that you should abandon. So the reason why he uses such strong language, disgusted, you know, repelled, you're like, wow, this is hardcore. But it's because if you really see the danger and the kind of the ill effect of these thoughts, then even though it's not such a... Report an error in the passage at 1:13:50 Highlight the passage at 1:13:50

1:14:32 over-the-top disgusting thought but even a mild form of annoyance or whatever when you see the danger of it then having that reaction or response of repulsion is is actually very appropriate because that's what will allow you to drop it so yes I agree with you he's what he's talking about there is the the intentional thoughts Report an error in the passage at 1:14:32 Highlight the passage at 1:14:32

1:15:05 I have something Report an error in the passage at 1:15:05 Highlight the passage at 1:15:05

1:15:13 that I'm thinking about. Some Report an error in the passage at 1:15:13 Highlight the passage at 1:15:13

1:15:30 of the precepts. For example, I have a job that doesn't cause Report an error in the passage at 1:15:30 Highlight the passage at 1:15:30

1:15:42 harm to insects and smaller beings because it's in a forest. It's full of sort of all kinds of small ants and the like. From time to time, at the very least, then you're certainly sweeping insects and ants. Or, for example, my family has, so to speak, a house where we have to clean a pool from time to time. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:42 Highlight the passage at 1:15:42

1:16:14 But because it's in a village, there are many insects there. And some of them are so small, you can't even... It's almost impossible to... So what exactly are we supposed to do in those kinds of situations? Report an error in the passage at 1:16:14 Highlight the passage at 1:16:14

1:16:29 That's something... Yeah. Yeah. Not always, but for a long time. Yeah. Sorry, the second one was you have to do what? You have to clean the house? Yeah. Yeah, there is like... We own this house, really big house, and we go there from time to time. there is a pool there and it's in a village a food there a pool there a pool a pool a pool oh okay okay okay i get it i get it yeah all right um and it's outside there are many insects and some of them are so it's almost impossible to move yeah yeah that is see that's just it's Report an error in the passage at 1:16:29 Highlight the passage at 1:16:29

1:17:13 so hard i mean in any in any in anything you do right it's so hard to avoid harming Somebody else in this, you know, round of rebirth. It's just, thank you. It's just impossible to completely, like even in the monastery, right? It's like, dude, Report an error in the passage at 1:17:13 Highlight the passage at 1:17:13

1:17:40 you know, it's like sometimes you gotta clean and there's a little, it's just really hard to be like, oh, right. I'm gonna come back. I'm gonna come back later when there's no more ants here. or you know it's just you know sometimes things got to be done and you try your best you try your best to be gentle and you try your best to like minimize but yeah sometimes there is there is what's that word collateral damage there is yeah that you can't you know it's just really hard so um i guess what you can do is see what is the level of the damage and if there is anything that can be done to avoid it Report an error in the passage at 1:17:40 Highlight the passage at 1:17:40

1:18:26 Like, do you really need a pool? Could you fill it up with concrete and make it like a... It Report an error in the passage at 1:18:26 Highlight the passage at 1:18:26

1:18:39 would be like a flat area that you can play tennis on. I don't know. There are some things that maybe we can work around. But sometimes you just... You can do some chanting to, you know, please go away before I have to clean here or whatever. And sometimes they do that. They do that. When, you know, you have to cut down a tree or something, sometimes, you know, it's like, you might, in the monster, you might chant or something so that any beings that were living in the tree go away first, any birds, any insects, your home is going away, sorry, letting you know in advance, please move before the deed is done. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:39 Highlight the passage at 1:18:39

1:19:24 I mean, you can do a bit of that. But if it's a repetitive thing in your job, like, it's gonna be hard to do that all the time. So you have to see how much That harm really bothers you. And if it bothers you a lot, maybe you need to change your job. I actually said this to someone. You know how it is in Western Australia. Mining is a big industry, right? And it's so hard, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:24 Highlight the passage at 1:19:24

1:19:51 Because WA's economy is riding on the mining industry. So I don't know what I'm going to do to the economy if I keep on espousing these views. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:51 Highlight the passage at 1:19:51

1:20:03 There was this nice sweet girl who came to the monastery saying, I don't know, I probably don't have time to tell this story. I'll tell it very quickly. But she's like spooked by this like, you know, these like, they say that, you know, these sounds of the night, you know, are like beings that are coming to like the spirits of the, you know, the... Report an error in the passage at 1:20:03 Highlight the passage at 1:20:03

1:20:28 The people who were native to the land are coming to say, get off our land, don't do this mining, you know, it's destroying the environment and it's, you know, just, yeah, destroying the dwellings of so many beings, animals, small, big, whatever. And I said, well, if you're really spooked, change your job. And she started to look at me appalled, sort of like aghast that I had given her this advice. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:28 Highlight the passage at 1:20:28

1:20:57 So I'm like, Just a thought. I mean, it's really up to you. I'm not saying you have to. But I'm just saying, if your job causes long-term damage and harm to a great number of living beings, then think twice. And we don't always have the luxury of being able to change our job. In which case, think of how you can mitigate the harm. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:57 Highlight the passage at 1:20:57

1:21:30 I don't really know your job exactly how you could do that like I can't actually spill it out because I'm not quite sure what you're what was entailed in your job but see if there are ways you can mitigate the harm and um and as you do it whatever damage you're causing like if you if you have a real sense of like I'm really sorry I'm really sorry I have to do this um I I you know like not to do it sort of like with this kind of You get numb to it and you're just like, oh, whatever, I just kill left and right. Oh, I was just part of the job, you know. But you really have a sense like, I'm really sorry. I'm really sorry I have to do this. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:30 Highlight the passage at 1:21:30

1:22:07 I wish I didn't have to do this. And if you really, really have to do it, then at least have that feeling of contrition and that sort of gentleness as much as you can bring to it. But sometimes you just have to take the kamas. bite the bullet like even Ajahn Chah right his in his monastery like the Kutis you know it's a tropical country the termites get to it and um and it's all like what do we do and it was very interesting that you know actually they they they exterminate the termites and you're like oh what i thought these people are like powerful chanting like i thought they could just like no apparently you know and like they have to they have to like this is these dwellings were given By the lay people, out of faith, out of their hard-earned money that they've earned, and they've offered it to the monastery for the long-term benefit. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:07 Highlight the passage at 1:22:07

1:23:03 So it's also not right just to let it be eaten up by termites to like, oh, let's save the lives of the termites. So it's like there's always balancing virtues, and something's got to give. So as much as I would like to say that... oh it's okay you know like if you have a you know good intention in your job it's okay you won't get any bad karma well sorry to say you're gonna yeah you're gonna get some but you it's up to you to to figure out how much of it is worth it like you know in this case the the kuti you know you really really need to save it because that it can house a whole you know a monastic for you know X number of years, maybe many monastics over a long time. Maybe they will, you know, attain Nibbāna by practicing this, you know, kuti or, you know, at least they'll get somewhere on their path. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:03 Highlight the passage at 1:23:03

1:23:59 So it's worth saving. And sometimes they just had to bite the bullet and take the bad kama. But I guess all of this is, it's complicated. And life is full of these ethical quandaries. So I guess we just do the best we can and we don't give ourselves a hard time for, you know. The harm we do cause, but we try our best not to cause it with this cold heartedness, you know, like best we can, we try our best not to harm others. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:59 Highlight the passage at 1:23:59

1:24:28 But if we have to, because it's just unavoidable, then at least we try to do that with the most gingerly kind of like, you know, wish I didn't have to kind of mind. And you can always dedicate merits. That is like some sort of consolation prize. I always wonder. Okay, Report an error in the passage at 1:24:28 Highlight the passage at 1:24:28

1:24:55 is Report an error in the passage at 1:24:55 Highlight the passage at 1:24:55

1:25:16 there anybody else? Are we pretty close to time for Report an error in the passage at 1:25:16 Highlight the passage at 1:25:16

1:25:24 questions? you're like, oh dear, I think I killed an ant. Oh, I share the merits. I'm one of the ants like, oh, save your merits. Just don't step on me. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:24 Highlight the passage at 1:25:24

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:25:26 I was wondering if I could ask one more. Yeah, sure. Yeah, it's also about something I've been wondering about is, I think I've heard Ajahn Brahmali and Sujato talk about how you can not necessarily by killing an insect, but by letting it get killed, so to speak. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:26 Highlight the passage at 1:25:26

1:25:53 So, like... Someone Report an error in the passage at 1:25:53 Highlight the passage at 1:25:53

1:26:04 unmuted their mic. Okay, I can hear you again. Something, yeah. Okay. Yeah. So, yes. Yeah, so, yeah, how, like, an insect can be bad camera, but I, it's very difficult to distinguish where you can actually, and you can't actually help, because you obviously can't go around collecting the ants from the ground always as you walk. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:04 Highlight the passage at 1:26:04

1:26:34 Yeah, it doesn't really sound practical. Yeah, I guess, yeah, I guess, There there is a ones that are like it's like obvious you could have done something you know like I don't know you go into your bathroom and you say that oh in the toilet there's there's like I don't know some kind of ant or something and you're like oh great like you know it's like if you're like oh what the heck I need to go to the toilet not just you know flush then that's like yeah that's that's like you you there was something you could do So very clearly, there was something you could do. And you very clearly chose, oh, whatever. If you hadn't seen it, then it's accidental. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:34 Highlight the passage at 1:26:34

1:27:16 But if you actually saw it, and you're like, I don't have the time, I can't be bothered, or whatever, and you just go ahead and flush, then I think that's where it's something where it's very clear that you're creating bad karma. But if it's like, you're walking on a lawn, and there's like, countless living beings in the grass that you can't see, and then you're, what are you gonna do, you know? Report an error in the passage at 1:27:16 Highlight the passage at 1:27:16

1:27:39 um then i think that i think there that it's like you can't you can't put too much um intentionality to that because there's not it's not like you can really really like see that i am i'm stepping on this animal and that's that's the thing so the there'll be a much more mild if there is any bad kama you know that's why the jains were really into like i mean they went to extreme measures to avoid harming any living beings but then also it's very difficult to live their life you know difficult Report an error in the passage at 1:27:39 Highlight the passage at 1:27:39

1:28:16 So yeah, I guess it depends on your attitude, really. If it's... I mean, you can walk through grass not knowing who's living underneath your feet and do it with completely like, well, I don't care at all. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:16 Highlight the passage at 1:28:16

1:28:36 Then in a way that's that's hardening that habit of cruelty or or you know not carrying kind of a mind Whereas if you're walking through and you're like, well, I don't really know what's here what's not but I sure hope there isn't anyone and As you walk you might be like, oh, please get out of my way little animals that are walking over here in the lawn Please please get out of my wake out of my path. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:36 Highlight the passage at 1:28:36

1:29:01 I'm walking here I will keep walking forward here please go please go and you have that kind of mind maybe that avoids the bad kamma you know that you're worried about but yeah I think it's it's too much to say that like I have to save all these beings otherwise it's bad kamma that's like it's a tall order so I think start with start with the things you can actually see in your mind clearly and work on those first don't flush the bug in your toilet work on that level first And if you can do that level, then worry about the next level. That would be my approach. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:01 Highlight the passage at 1:29:01

1:29:42 Okay. Well, I guess that would probably be the last one, being as we are out of time. So thank you, everyone, for coming along. And yes, thank you as well. So next month, there'll be another rabbit. Another young rabbit from our monastery will show up on the Zoom. Anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:42 Highlight the passage at 1:29:42

1:30:08 So hope all is well and peace out. That's what they used to say. I don't know where that came from. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:08 Highlight the passage at 1:30:08

1:30:19 Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Bye. I'll just stay on until people buy. I'd like to see who's here. Good night. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:19 Highlight the passage at 1:30:19

1:30:41 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:41 Highlight the passage at 1:30:41

1:30:45 How do I go? Nice to chat with everyone. Bye. Goodnight. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:45 Highlight the passage at 1:30:45

1:30:49 I just go leave, yeah? Okay, bye everyone. Bye. everyone! Report an error in the passage at 1:30:49 Highlight the passage at 1:30:49