Obstacles or Hindrances in Meditation

0:01 Okay, thank you Ariel. Thank you Thomas for warming us up, figuring out how to warm us up. Yeah, so we're getting right into winter now. I think it was three degrees this morning. Three degrees this morning down in Koosla, just down the road, on Stocker Road. Report an error in the passage at 0:01 Highlight the passage at 0:01

0:24 So soon we'll have our three month rain streak coming up. Well, we do have a three-month range retreat coming up, so that's for the residents there at our little hermitage. So the last class before the range retreat is the 10th of July. So there's two more sessions here at the family club, so if you're keen, you know, better make sure you can... Report an error in the passage at 0:24 Highlight the passage at 0:24

0:56 Clear your schedule for the next two weeks because you'll have to... We'll be away for a while. So that's for our own... the development of our own practice as well. So that's why we do these things. We have our retreat period and we can sort of build up our own practice and come out here and give good teachings when it's passed. Report an error in the passage at 0:56 Highlight the passage at 0:56

1:22 So... past. Report an error in the passage at 1:22 Highlight the passage at 1:22

1:25 Yeah, so as usual, the meditation is the main meat of this group, so we have a nice half-hour meditation session together, some guided meditation, but we always have a nice little, I had a little chat just before starting, it's customary, and so, yeah, so it's just sort of pondering what I should talk about tonight. Report an error in the passage at 1:25 Highlight the passage at 1:25

1:53 And I was just thinking about this, what people often say, what Ajahn Brahm said actually. I think his first meditation teacher said that there's no such thing as a bad meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:53 Highlight the passage at 1:53

2:09 Do you agree with that? Do you agree with that? Yeah, why not? That's it. You got the right idea. Report an error in the passage at 2:09 Highlight the passage at 2:09

2:16 So in our meditation tradition as Buddhist monks, especially in the Theravadan tradition, we often talk about the five hindrances. So these are just the things that come up in meditation, the obstacles that might be a hindrance, just finding peace in the present moment. Enjoying the meditation, to enjoying the present moment, to the pīti sukha, which is in Pāli it means the joy and happiness of the meditation that can come as the meditation deepens. Report an error in the passage at 2:16 Highlight the passage at 2:16

3:05 Generally, yeah, you've got the five hindrances. They're usually given... Report an error in the passage at 3:05 Highlight the passage at 3:05

3:24 sleepiness and just doubt about you know what you're supposed to be doing but generally these things I mean for me they come up you know often as just some sort of just some sort of worry you know Report an error in the passage at 3:24 Highlight the passage at 3:24

3:38 worry about the past or the future and these are the things that we let go of right so these things come up in meditation it doesn't mean they're a bad meditation but we practice these things lessen and often the the path to the lessening of these these difficulties in our meditation involves some meditations that have a lot of variety you know so you know you have your Daily practice each week. Maybe you practice meditation every day for half an hour, say, for example. And, you know, on day one, you know, you've got a bit of a craving for Billy Joel or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 3:38 Highlight the passage at 3:38

4:22 I don't know. We all want various things. Maybe it's like me and my gardening. I want the rain. I want the rain to come. Or, you know, it will, you know, even just minor grumpiness, that sort of thing. Someone said this, someone said that. And the sort of restlessness and worry. Oh, you know, what about the state of the world? What about this? What about that? Or just being tired, you know. Sometimes at Kusala we do a lot of outdoor work. Report an error in the passage at 4:22 Highlight the passage at 4:22

4:50 We do a lot of building work. I might have spent five hours building or just fencing or whatever. And you've got that sort of... You know, after work, you sit down and you meditate and your mind's actually quite tired, you know, and that's okay. You can just sit there and just rest, you know, if that's all you need to do. Report an error in the passage at 4:50 Highlight the passage at 4:50

5:10 And, yeah, obviously the doubts about meditation tend to diminish over time with practice. So, you know, you might have these things, you know, there's like four days a week, you know, the hindrances are really strong and then, you know, one day you have this really nice, peaceful... Meditation, the pīti sukha comes up, feeling very happy, and it's like, well, you know, that's because you did those four days of hard work before. Report an error in the passage at 5:10 Highlight the passage at 5:10

5:37 It doesn't mean they were bad meditations, it's just you've got to, that's just the nature of meditation. It's something that, yeah, just something, it's almost like a kind of work that we go through, work of the mind, just to understand. What's going on and just have the patience to sit when it's not so easy and to just appreciate that the causes for those really nice meditations are just the time that you put in. Report an error in the passage at 5:37 Highlight the passage at 5:37

6:14 That's just a few thoughts. There's not really any meditation that's bad but I do highly recommend just the regularity of practice. I don't think yes sir Report an error in the passage at 6:14 Highlight the passage at 6:14

6:26 So that's a really good way to have a nice meditation. So yeah, it's almost just a few thoughts. So yeah. And also, yeah, we have to remember that we have to give ourselves a bit of slack as well. Because when we have these difficult meditations, often we'll maybe criticize yourself. Report an error in the passage at 6:26 Highlight the passage at 6:26

7:24 I'm going to my mum's on Sunday, so I had to arrange a lift into town to go and see her after lunch. I can spend a good hour just thinking about that. I don't think it really takes an hour to come up with an idea of who to ask to get a lift. Report an error in the passage at 7:24 Highlight the passage at 7:24

7:47 So sometimes these things, some sort of concept, some sort of idea, some sort of planning or something. just comes up into the mind and sometimes it lodges there and we learn to have that Sub-standard. Sub-standard. Report an error in the passage at 7:47 Highlight the passage at 7:47

8:12 and you know you're letting go of that sense of being a you know substandard medicine Meditator and realizing that it's all everyone's everyone's got to start somewhere and and know that yeah just I mean I've been doing this for about 20 years now and yeah you know I just noticed over you know it takes it takes a bit of patience but over time it just gradually gradually grows gradually improves and you realize that and you start to understand that They're all good meditations, even those ones you had in the beginning when you had no idea what you were doing. So anyway, that's just a few words on meditation. Report an error in the passage at 8:12 Highlight the passage at 8:12

8:56 Does anyone have any questions, anything they'd like to know about? Is everyone warm enough? I think they're starting to get warm in here now, so that's nice. I've got the lamps still, but I think they've replaced the lights as well, so that's nice. Doesn't sound like the footy's on today. so that's good news there's a it looks like a basketball or a netball competition at the other end of the oval but i don't think they're going to be bothering us so that's all good we have a nice quiet uh uh place to practice tonight and yeah so if there's uh no more questions i'll uh we can all just relax and get into a nice posture and that that's good for half an hour and uh Yeah, we'll have a nice guided meditation. As usual, I like to do body sweeping here. I say body sweeping, but maybe Chi Wei would say this. Report an error in the passage at 8:56 Highlight the passage at 8:56

9:54 It's not really body sweeping. Ajahn Brahm style body sweeping, not Mahasi style body sweeping. Anyway, so yeah, we'll work through each part of the body and we just learn to relax and have kindness to our own bodies. And yeah. and enjoy. Thanks for coming along tonight. If everyone's nice and comfortable, please close your eyes. The first part of the meditation, we just allow the sense of sight to shut down. Report an error in the passage at 9:54 Highlight the passage at 9:54

10:36 We just close our lids. Report an error in the passage at 10:36 Highlight the passage at 10:36

10:42 And after Report an error in the passage at 10:42 Highlight the passage at 10:42

10:51 whatever Report an error in the passage at 10:51 Highlight the passage at 10:51

11:13 we've done today, We can now just rest our bodies, allow them to become comfortable and relaxed. And as usual, I'd like to start with one part of the body and then work all the way through to the other extremity. So now Report an error in the passage at 11:13 Highlight the passage at 11:13

11:45 we just pay a little bit of attention to our toes and our left foot. We'll start with the left foot today. Just the toes there and hopefully they're not too numb. I brought some socks today. But either way, if your toes are cold or anything, just have a bit of kindness to that part of the body. Report an error in the passage at 11:45 Highlight the passage at 11:45

12:12 And allow that sense of peace just to spread through that part of the body. We relax it and just let it be still here. Relax here in our posture. And Report an error in the passage at 12:12 Highlight the passage at 12:12

12:41 little by little allow that sense of peace and relaxation just to spread through the sole of the foot there on the left hand side. Just gradually passing through the ball of the foot there and across the arch of the foot all the way to the heel there, the heel of your left foot. And allowing that part of the body to Relax. And to be at ease. And to be comfortable. And Report an error in the passage at 12:41 Highlight the passage at 12:41

13:33 little by little allow that sense of peace and relaxation to flow up through the left foot. From the sole up through the instep of your foot there. The upper part of the foot. And also spreading up the back of the heel there. Up through the ankle joint there. And just having kindness to that part of the body. And allowing it to relax. Report an error in the passage at 13:33 Highlight the passage at 13:33

14:04 And to be at ease. And Report an error in the passage at 14:04 Highlight the passage at 14:04

14:31 as that relaxation flows up through the ankle on your left leg, it just matters as it creeps up the back of the lower leg. Report an error in the passage at 14:31 Highlight the passage at 14:31

14:45 So that part of the body we call the Achilles heel that runs up from the heel just little by little rising up through the back of the leg there and up through to the calf muscle there. Report an error in the passage at 14:45 Highlight the passage at 14:45

15:05 Just relaxing that part of the body. Letting it be at ease. And having a little bit of kindness to it as well. And Report an error in the passage at 15:05 Highlight the passage at 15:05

15:39 little by little allow it to spread. That sense of peace and ease. Report an error in the passage at 15:39 Highlight the passage at 15:39

15:46 Up through the front of the shin there on the left hand side. Again just rising up from the ankle. All the way up through. Rising up towards the knee joint there. And Report an error in the passage at 15:46 Highlight the passage at 15:46

16:06 just feel that sense of warmth and kindness there. Report an error in the passage at 16:06 Highlight the passage at 16:06

16:36 And slowly allow that sense of relaxation to spread up through the knee joint there. And also from the back of the knee there. Report an error in the passage at 16:36 Highlight the passage at 16:36

16:51 Slowly spreading through the hamstring there on the left hand side. And relaxing those muscles there. Just Report an error in the passage at 16:51 Highlight the passage at 16:51

17:04 cultivating that sense of ease and relaxation. Of stillness there. And Report an error in the passage at 17:04 Highlight the passage at 17:04

17:43 again allow that sense of relaxation. Report an error in the passage at 17:43 Highlight the passage at 17:43

17:47 Just starting from that area around the kneecap. Allow that sense of relaxation to slowly creep up the upper part of the thigh there on the left hand side again. Report an error in the passage at 17:47 Highlight the passage at 17:47

18:04 And up through the quadricep muscles there. Allowing them to relax. Report an error in the passage at 18:04 Highlight the passage at 18:04

18:27 Little by little allow that sense of kind relaxation flowing up into the left hip there. Right into the... Right into the joint there. Allow that part of the body to relax and be at ease. Very Report an error in the passage at 18:27 Highlight the passage at 18:27

19:12 gently turn your attention again to the toes. This time on the right foot. Just feel that sense of warm relaxation spreading throughout the toes there. Report an error in the passage at 19:12 Highlight the passage at 19:12

19:31 All five of them. The big toe. All the way to the little toe. Allow Report an error in the passage at 19:31 Highlight the passage at 19:31

19:41 that sense of relaxation. To flow through the sole of the foot there on the right hand side. Report an error in the passage at 19:41 Highlight the passage at 19:41

20:00 Creeping up through the ball of the foot there. Across Report an error in the passage at 20:00 Highlight the passage at 20:00

20:11 the arch of the foot and into the heel. Report an error in the passage at 20:11 Highlight the passage at 20:11

20:27 And slowly but surely just allow that sense of relaxation to spread up through the instep. And up the back of the heel. All Report an error in the passage at 20:27 Highlight the passage at 20:27

20:41 the way through that ankle joint there. Just notice how that part of the body relaxes. And have kindness to that part of the body. Report an error in the passage at 20:41 Highlight the passage at 20:41

21:06 Little by little allow that sense of peace and stillness just to creep up the back of the leg there on the left hand side starting at the ankle and Report an error in the passage at 21:06 Highlight the passage at 21:06

21:25 gradually up the back of the lower leg there and relaxing the calf muscle there. That Report an error in the passage at 21:25 Highlight the passage at 21:25

21:57 kind sense of peace and contentment. Allow that sense of peace and contentment just to flow up again from the ankle. Up through the shin. Just rising up all the way up to the knee there. And Report an error in the passage at 21:57 Highlight the passage at 21:57

22:35 slowly flowing up from the back of the knee there. Up through the back of the right leg. The upper leg. Through the muscles there. The hamstrings there. All that part of the body. Just to feel a sense of warm relaxation. And Report an error in the passage at 22:35 Highlight the passage at 22:35

23:23 again gradually starting from the the kneecap on the right hand side spreading up along the top of your right thigh the quadriceps there all those muscles little by little just to come relax and to be at ease and Report an error in the passage at 23:23 Highlight the passage at 23:23

23:55 again let that sense of relaxation just creep into the the hip as well deep into the joint there and have some kindness that part of the body feel the Report an error in the passage at 23:55 Highlight the passage at 23:55

24:11 A sense of warmth, a sense of relaxation spread through there. And Report an error in the passage at 24:11 Highlight the passage at 24:11

24:36 from the hip joints, we'll just let that relaxation spread through our seat, our bottom. And again, just notice the weight of the body pressing down very Report an error in the passage at 24:36 Highlight the passage at 24:36

24:57 slowly. That sense of kind relaxation spreading up through to the very Report an error in the passage at 24:57 Highlight the passage at 24:57

25:10 base of your spine there. Report an error in the passage at 25:10 Highlight the passage at 25:10

25:18 Just relax and be at ease. Report an error in the passage at 25:18 Highlight the passage at 25:18

25:39 Just notice that sense of relaxation as it creeps up from the lower back. Report an error in the passage at 25:39 Highlight the passage at 25:39

25:53 Just allow all those muscles, just from the spine there, spreading out to the edges of the back as well. And just slowly creeping up the Report an error in the passage at 25:53 Highlight the passage at 25:53

26:14 back to the small of the back there. Inner part of the curve of the back. Allow all those muscles there just to be at ease. Your Report an error in the passage at 26:14 Highlight the passage at 26:14

26:33 vertebrae just resting on one another comfortably. And Report an error in the passage at 26:33 Highlight the passage at 26:33

26:56 allow that sense of relaxation to spread up through your belly as well. And just Report an error in the passage at 26:56 Highlight the passage at 26:56

27:08 allow it all to just be loose. Just to hang there. Be at ease from Report an error in the passage at 27:08 Highlight the passage at 27:08

27:25 your navel. Just notice that sense of kind. Peaceful relaxation. Just notice as it spreads up through the centre of your body, the solar plexus there. And Report an error in the passage at 27:25 Highlight the passage at 27:25

27:49 just notice how peaceful it is there, the centre of your body. And Report an error in the passage at 27:49 Highlight the passage at 27:49

28:00 allow it to rise up again, up through your chest. Just noticing the rise and fall there as you breathe in and out. And Report an error in the passage at 28:00 Highlight the passage at 28:00

28:29 again from the small of your back. Letting that sense of kind relaxation spread up through the muscles of the upper back there, creeping up the spine and spreading out to the edges of your back and Report an error in the passage at 28:29 Highlight the passage at 28:29

28:51 right up to the shoulder blades there, just under the shoulder blades and allow that part of the body to also be relaxed if Report an error in the passage at 28:51 Highlight the passage at 28:51

29:15 you find yourself drooping a bit. That's just good too. The body relaxes, the muscles relax. Report an error in the passage at 29:15 Highlight the passage at 29:15

29:25 Just very gently, just turn your attention to the tips of the fingers on the left hand side. All five of them there. And again, just notice that sense of peace and warmth and kindness as it spreads up through the fingers there. Very Report an error in the passage at 29:25 Highlight the passage at 29:25

30:00 slowly, just up through the knuckles there. Report an error in the passage at 30:00 Highlight the passage at 30:00

30:05 gradually spreading out through to the to the hand just notice your hand on the left hand side there the especially the palm of the hand very sensitive part of the body and Report an error in the passage at 30:05 Highlight the passage at 30:05

30:23 gradually that sense of relaxation spreads up through the back of the hand slowly creeping up the wrist there and Report an error in the passage at 30:23 Highlight the passage at 30:23

30:58 notice again how that sense of relaxation starts to spread up the forearm on the left hand side from the the back of the wrist now Report an error in the passage at 30:58 Highlight the passage at 30:58

31:12 just relax all those muscles on the outside of the forearm there on the left hand side again Report an error in the passage at 31:12 Highlight the passage at 31:12

31:23 just creeping up from the wrist there and slowly slowly up to the outer part of the elbow elbow there the point of the elbow and Report an error in the passage at 31:23 Highlight the passage at 31:23

31:49 then little by little just creeping up the inner part of the forearm there just starting at the wrist and blowing up through the muscles there and also Right into the crook of the arm there. The inner part of the elbow. And Report an error in the passage at 31:49 Highlight the passage at 31:49

32:26 just notice how that sense of relaxation starts to spread up from the elbow on the left hand side. And slowly up through the biceps there. And also creeping up the outer part of the upper arm there. From the elbow. And right up into the shoulder there. And all those little muscles around the shoulder on your right arm. Report an error in the passage at 32:26 Highlight the passage at 32:26

33:03 Let that peace and kindness just infuse that part of the body. And Report an error in the passage at 33:03 Highlight the passage at 33:03

33:32 now you can gently turn your attention to the tips of the fingers on your right hand. And again, feel that sense of warmth, kindness, relaxation, ease. Allow Report an error in the passage at 33:32 Highlight the passage at 33:32

33:56 that to just gradually creep up through the fingers there on the right hand side. From the fingertips up through your knuckles. Report an error in the passage at 33:56 Highlight the passage at 33:56

34:11 Slowly creeping up into the hand. Through the palm of the hand. And up the back of the hand as well. And Report an error in the passage at 34:11 Highlight the passage at 34:11

34:37 little by little creeping up the forearm there on the right hand side. Report an error in the passage at 34:37 Highlight the passage at 34:37

34:44 Starting on the inner side from the wrist. Gradually creeping up through to the crook of your elbow there. Report an error in the passage at 34:44 Highlight the passage at 34:44

35:09 And also up the outside of the the forearm there again from the from the wrist just notice how that sensation slowly flows up the outside of the arm there slowly all the way up to the to the point of the elbow there and Report an error in the passage at 35:09 Highlight the passage at 35:09

35:51 again starting to flow up into the the upper part of your right arm a sense of kind relaxation again spreading up from the the very crook of the arm there and just Report an error in the passage at 35:51 Highlight the passage at 35:51

36:09 Slowly up through the bicep there and Report an error in the passage at 36:09 Highlight the passage at 36:09

36:17 up the outer part of the right arm there as well and Report an error in the passage at 36:17 Highlight the passage at 36:17

36:24 allow that sense of warm relaxation just to flow up into the all the way up to the shoulder joint there and going all the way in there just that lovely sense of warm relaxation just penetrating your your right shoulder and Report an error in the passage at 36:24 Highlight the passage at 36:24

37:11 now from the shoulders we can Just work our way in from the extremities of the shoulder there and also all the way across the back of the neck there. Report an error in the passage at 37:11 Highlight the passage at 37:11

37:29 All the tension leaving it over your chin drips just a little bit right Report an error in the passage at 37:29 Highlight the passage at 37:29

37:48 across the shoulder blades there and coming up from your collarbone. You feel that sense of relaxation spreading up through the neck just Report an error in the passage at 37:48 Highlight the passage at 37:48

38:03 little by little. making its way up to your jaw line there very Report an error in the passage at 38:03 Highlight the passage at 38:03

38:21 slowly just letting that sense of kind relaxation spread up through the lower part of the face there that area around the mouth and again all those little muscles there just let them settle into a comfortable grin and Report an error in the passage at 38:21 Highlight the passage at 38:21

38:57 just notice that sense of relaxation flowing up through the cheekbones across Report an error in the passage at 38:57 Highlight the passage at 38:57

39:07 your face And also up through the area around the eyes as well. Report an error in the passage at 39:07 Highlight the passage at 39:07

39:23 Just sort of staring off with your eyes closed, staring off into the distance, allowing Report an error in the passage at 39:23 Highlight the passage at 39:23

39:34 those little muscles around the eyes to relax, and slowly creeping up to the forehead there, letting that sense of peace and relaxation spread across that part of the body. Report an error in the passage at 39:34 Highlight the passage at 39:34

39:59 And slowly but surely allow that sense of relaxation just to rise up the back of the head as well. Report an error in the passage at 39:59 Highlight the passage at 39:59

40:14 It's creeping slowly up all the way up to the crown of the head now. And Report an error in the passage at 40:14 Highlight the passage at 40:14

40:33 now just for a few more moments, just enjoy the sense of, just notice how your body feels now. Been Report an error in the passage at 40:33 Highlight the passage at 40:33

40:46 sitting here for 30 minutes, fairly still, fairly at ease. Okay, Report an error in the passage at 40:46 Highlight the passage at 40:46

41:08 so I'll ring the gong three times. At the end of the third gong, you can come out from meditation. Our Report an error in the passage at 41:08 Highlight the passage at 41:08

· · · silence, 1 minute

41:48 session, right about 30 minutes. Report an error in the passage at 41:48 Highlight the passage at 41:48

41:56 Is that a good meditation? Of course it was. Of course it was a good meditation. It's always a good meditation. Report an error in the passage at 41:56 Highlight the passage at 41:56

42:11 So yeah, please wiggle your toes, wiggle your bottom. Yes, that's the end of the session for today. As I said, there's probably two more sessions left next Thursday and the Thursday after, so I'd imagine I'll probably be Ajahn Bodhidharaja and Ajahn Santithi taking them, so mine. Might not see you until after the after the rains retreat. I don't know if we have a schedule for October onwards do we? If not just check out the Family Centre website because it should have the dates of when we start. Report an error in the passage at 42:11 Highlight the passage at 42:11

42:53 But yep please do turn up to the next two Thursday meditations if you can. Does anyone have any questions or anything you want to do? Yep, go Bob. What do you got? What's a nimitta? What's a nimitta? Yeah, I've heard the word many times, but I've never figured out what it means. Sure, sure, okay. Oh, that's not... Report an error in the passage at 42:53 Highlight the passage at 42:53

43:20 Oh, look, there's a bandicoot out there. It's even more... Sorry, I just got distracted. There's a... What do you call it? A quanger out there. Sorry. Report an error in the passage at 43:20 Highlight the passage at 43:20

43:29 I apologise, I should be talking about nimittas. Report an error in the passage at 43:29 Highlight the passage at 43:29

43:36 That's fine, they're all good. He's just come out of a very nice meditation and he's just peacefully hanging out. I live out in the forest. I live out in the forest. I've never seen quindas. I see holes in the ground where they've been. Okay, nimittas. I was just going to say, yeah, so this is an interesting conversation me and Ajahn Santudi had the other day. Report an error in the passage at 43:36 Highlight the passage at 43:36

43:31 that's what it is. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the culture and pop culture. Report an error in the passage at 43:31 Highlight the passage at 43:31

43:59 What is Ajahn Jhanarato's teaching? teachings you know so um and i really think a lot of it comes down to uh his that part of it yeah but also the um yeah his his teachings on the the way he teaches the deep meditation really deep meditation so If you read through the basic method of meditation, there's a few you can grab if you want, they're free. He goes into it in great depth, actually. So the nimitta, basically, the word means sign, really. Report an error in the passage at 43:59 Highlight the passage at 43:59

44:40 In Pāli, in particular, it's a sign of the mind. So it's often perceived as a very bright light. But when Ajahn Brahm teaches, he says that's actually a sign of your own mind. Is it a reflection? Yeah, it's just how the mind perceives itself once the five senses are gone, basically. Report an error in the passage at 44:40 Highlight the passage at 44:40

45:12 Is it Ajahn Brahm's simile? I think it just talks about the night, you know, this... This knight, he's all decked out, he's got all the armour on, he's got the leggings, the arms, the breastplate and everything, the helmet, and you take them off one by one but then underneath there's... And the Cheshire Cat. And the Cheshire Cat, yeah, so there's a number of similars, I've never seen that, so it's It's a reference to... Report an error in the passage at 45:12 Highlight the passage at 45:12

45:49 where the cat keeps disappearing and reappearing, the Cheshire Cat. And I think Alice says, oh, can you stop doing that? And he says, oh, I'll do it slowly. So he starts disappearing very slowly, and then all that's left at the end is the grin. So all the parts of the cat disappear, and then all that's left is the grin, she says. Report an error in the passage at 45:49 Highlight the passage at 45:49

46:12 The Cheshire Cat Report an error in the passage at 46:12 Highlight the passage at 46:12

46:33 meditation but um yeah anyway it's in the the basic method of meditation if you want to read it i mean it's kind of poorly named really isn't it because it's not that It's a very deep, very deep basic meditation. But also, yeah, Bob just pointed out that book was written in, published in 1998, wasn't it? Report an error in the passage at 46:33 Highlight the passage at 46:33

46:51 1998 was the first edition. Yeah, so he's pretty much kept the same, he's certainly embellished endlessly over the last many years, but yeah, that's the basic description of what's going on there, yeah. First edition, 1998, 2,500 copies. There you go. And the last reprint was, or the 10th reprint, was 2017 and 20,000 copies. There you go. And that's not including all the online clicks on it? Report an error in the passage at 46:51 Highlight the passage at 46:51

47:20 Yeah, it's not including all the people who have downloaded the video. I mean, 2004 was when I first got into Buddhism, and I almost went straight to Ajahn Brahm because I just Googled basic method of meditation or something like that. I was in Melbourne at the time, but my family lived in Melbourne, in Perth. Report an error in the passage at 47:20 Highlight the passage at 47:20

47:40 I'm like, oh, okay, there you go. So that was what I came across. And I think, yeah, anyway, that certainly makes things interesting, doesn't it? Yes. All right. Anyway, that's that. Thank you, Ajahn. No worries. I've got a follow-up question from that. Sure, sure. At Nullamurra, there was a book club a few weeks ago. Report an error in the passage at 47:40 Highlight the passage at 47:40

48:01 Oh, yeah, yeah. I think the book was called After or something like that. Oh, yeah, okay. It was about... Report an error in the passage at 48:01 Highlight the passage at 48:01

48:08 media death experiences. I think it was that John Bermondley. Yeah, I think I... Yeah, funnily enough, I think I was looking at the events page the other day, and that was mentioned, yeah. So I'm curious there, like, many sober-minded people go to that place and come back and describe seeing a light, an ethereal, earthly light, and I wonder if there's a connection with things dropping away, like the body, and that light, and could it be something similar to that? Report an error in the passage at 48:08 Highlight the passage at 48:08

48:36 I think Ajahn Brahm says it's almost certainly the same thing, yeah. Anyway, we don't get too much into eschatology here, but it's usually a bit of meditation. But yes, certainly these experiences that people have, you know, when they have To all external observation have died and then have come back. Yeah, these experiences could actually be related to the deep meditations. Report an error in the passage at 48:36 Highlight the passage at 48:36

49:10 And Ajahn Brahm would say that they actually are. But, you know, I mean, these are, you know, it's a fascinating area of research anyway. I mean, even just the scientific side of things. Yeah, yeah, so fascinating stuff. And I mean, it's the, yeah, it sort of makes monastic life interesting. Report an error in the passage at 49:10 Highlight the passage at 49:10

49:43 like that gnome yes the gnomes it's a gnome and he's meditating so they're starting to creep into the monastery now if you hunt around you might find a few I've only found three. Only three? Well, there you go. Okay, so there we go. We've talked mimeters, we've talked near-death experiences. If there's nothing else, we can wrap up. So thanks for coming tonight, and I'll see you sometime in October, I think. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Report an error in the passage at 49:43 Highlight the passage at 49:43

50:17 you very much. Thank you. There you go. Report an error in the passage at 50:17 Highlight the passage at 50:17