Freedom Here and Now

0:00 So what comes to my mind is this idea of freedom. Freedom is really close to my heart. It has been even since I was quite young. Even when I was young I didn't know what kind of freedom, but the idea of being free, being free as much as possible with whatever I do, wherever I was. was important to me. So there was always an inquiry in my mind how to find peace, how to find freedom with whatever I'm doing, wherever I am and however I am. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:57 Doesn't mean I was successful, but there was that interest to be free. So much so that I can remember when I was about 9, 8 or 9, I think I would have been around that age. That is when I had this little bit of an insight. I was looking at my parents. I was an only child. And I could see that their whole life revolved around me. Report an error in the passage at 0:57 Highlight the passage at 0:57

1:27 Taking me to elocution, to music classes, to swimming, to this, to that. And even the work they did was to sort of look after me. So then I was like, they are not free. And when that happened, I can remember. It wasn't anything bad or anything like that. It's just normal. And I felt sorry for them. They can't just do whatever they like all the time. They have all these responsibilities to care for me, my well-being. Report an error in the passage at 1:27 Highlight the passage at 1:27

2:06 And then I was thinking, I don't know whether I want to be like that. But of course I grew up in Sri Lanka and during my time I had no idea about alternative lifestyles or anything like that. Everybody around me, we all went to school. school, went to university if we were smart enough, got a job, got married, got a house, had children, got old and died. Report an error in the passage at 2:06 Highlight the passage at 2:06

2:36 And everybody seemed to do the same thing. So I was like thinking, I actually don't want to be trapped like that, like my parents. So you know, when I was little, dharma was not that open. There were teachings, the Buddha's teachings were not that available, at least not so widely available, so much so that I was more of a ritualistic Buddhist, where we would just, you know, offer incense, flowers, and candles, and do some chanting, and then we make wish. Report an error in the passage at 2:36 Highlight the passage at 2:36

3:18 We wish for things, which is not really the Buddhist way, but that's my childhood. So I found myself secretly wishing, because I thought then I have to wish for some way of getting out of my predicament of getting married, having children, and having to go through that cycle, which I was a bit scared. Report an error in the passage at 3:18 Highlight the passage at 3:18

3:39 I felt like my freedom, I want my freedom. So I was wishing since I was age 9 not to be married and not to have kids. I'm not saying anything wrong with that. So I can see the joy and the need and all of those things. But for me personally, this was important. But anyway, the idea of freedom and being free here and now, even... Report an error in the passage at 3:39 Highlight the passage at 3:39

4:07 If it was with a husband, with children, with work, with whatever is going on, this is more important. So for me, I was more like running away from my problems, trying to be free. I mean, that's all right. That was quite smart. I actually managed that. I never got married and never had children so far. I hope I'll remain that way. I'm old enough. I think I won't have children, even if I want to. Report an error in the passage at 4:07 Highlight the passage at 4:07

4:35 But, you know, so it was easy for me to become a nun when I needed that. But regardless of what happens sometimes, even whether it is your health, whether it is your job, whatever it is, it is nice to see how we are trapped and how we can be free. It is important how we can be free even as parents. Report an error in the passage at 4:35 Highlight the passage at 4:35

5:11 not have children, not work and become a monastic and look for freedom there. That's not the idea. Report an error in the passage at 5:11 Highlight the passage at 5:11

5:20 I want to tell a little story, a little incident, not a story, something that I just noticed. A couple of weeks ago I was on a retreat and just before lunch I was just sitting outside on a beautiful veranda area which was paved, brick paving, and it was a beautiful sunny morning. I was just waiting for lunch and something caught my eye and that was a little caterpillar. Report an error in the passage at 5:20 Highlight the passage at 5:20

5:51 And this caterpillar was doing some circles in a corner of one brick. It's as if there were some walls, you know, from the sides that it couldn't go through. So it was like it was in a corner of a room and going circles. But it wasn't. It was completely open. And you know the caterpillar can just walk. Report an error in the passage at 5:51 Highlight the passage at 5:51

6:16 But it was circling. It was very intriguing to me. I kept watching. For quite a long time it kept going in circles. And as I was watching that, you know, the reflection came. Aren't we like that sometimes? Caught up in our circles, going round and round and round and round in circles? In life? Yeah. Sometimes it is like that. Report an error in the passage at 6:16 Highlight the passage at 6:16

6:45 You know, we could be going round and round and round in circles in a job that we want to get out of. Maybe we are not enjoying the job and we want to make a change, but we are not able to. Right? We keep going round and round. Oh, it's a relationship that we want to change, but we are not able to get out. Maybe it's a financial situation. Report an error in the passage at 6:45 Highlight the passage at 6:45

7:08 Maybe it's a sickness. Maybe anything. You know, it could be something very simple also. But sometimes, you know, it's also the thinking pattern. This is where you say this, do this, and come back again. The same pattern, same pattern going around. Report an error in the passage at 7:08 Highlight the passage at 7:08

7:27 But for that caterpillar, you know, if it wants to break free, you only need a small change, right? Tiny little shift in the angle. You don't have to go 90 degrees. Tiny little shift and the circle becomes a spiral. It's no longer a circle and it becomes bigger and bigger and bigger and eventually out. Report an error in the passage at 7:27 Highlight the passage at 7:27

7:51 But of course, if you made a big change, a big shift, of course, you can go right out. But this is also the case with us, with our ways of thinking, ways of doing things. Sometimes we have this kind of mental blockages and we can't see beyond things and this is where we feel trapped. Report an error in the passage at 7:51 Highlight the passage at 7:51

8:15 Have you felt like that? Yeah? Have you come out of that sometimes? You have as well. It's a nice reflection. Sometimes we need to see going back. This is a very beautiful way of becoming wise and finding solutions because it's interesting to see and learn from things that happen in our own life and things could have been just an accident and then you learn something. Report an error in the passage at 8:15 Highlight the passage at 8:15

8:46 So reflecting back is called Pacha Vekkana by the Buddha. Reflecting back. And you can learn. So you can see. Maybe you only needed a very small shift in how you do things. Or how you think about things. Maybe one word. Even a smile. Just one step. One little thing that you do differently. And sometimes you come completely out of a stuck situation. Report an error in the passage at 8:46 Highlight the passage at 8:46

9:14 Yeah, quite beautiful to know. But at the time when we forget that, that is when we really suffer. We are far away from being free. But no matter how difficult and problematic or painful the situation that you feel stuck in, but that idea, the memory, or knowing that possibility, that, you know, we can. Report an error in the passage at 9:14 Highlight the passage at 9:14

9:44 Change, we can be free from this. Even that itself is the starting point of trying to see things a bit differently. You can stop and say, what's going on? I'm sure there is another way of looking at. Or sometimes it's a matter of just waiting. Sometimes not doing things, just stopping. That's all you got to do. And things happen, things change, and you see the opening. Report an error in the passage at 9:44 Highlight the passage at 9:44

10:13 And you can walk right through. But what I want to say mostly is this being trapped in our mental prisons, right? So we have, and what are these bars? What are the bars of our prison that feels so solid? What are they made of? They are the views, concepts and conventions that we've taken on board, right? Report an error in the passage at 10:13 Highlight the passage at 10:13

10:43 What we take as this is right, this is how it should be, this is the way to do this, all of these things. I'm not saying that there is no right and wrong, there is. But they can change between cultures of how you do things. Like for one culture, it is very disrespectful to not look in the eye. If you're speaking to somebody, if you're not looking and looking away, it is considered that it's disrespectful kind of behavior. But in another culture, it may be that if you look directly in the eye, they might consider it's disrespectful. Report an error in the passage at 10:43 Highlight the passage at 10:43

11:27 And if you're specially speaking to somebody, you must kind of look down. So just a simple example of right and wrong. You know, can be different. I'm not talking about immoral things. You know, that is very clear. You know, if it is harmful, hurtful for somebody, there's a clear distinction. But in our life, many things that we normally argue about, get upset, you know, are things that are not immoral or... Report an error in the passage at 11:27 Highlight the passage at 11:27

12:02 It is just my view, my opinion, which happens to be right, right? Mine is right, usually. And I want everybody else to do things the way I think is best. And if other people don't want to do it like that, then there is a form of suffering, isn't it? So this is where we start to build prisons around us. Report an error in the passage at 12:02 Highlight the passage at 12:02

12:32 The views that we take on board with perceptions that we have built up. These things are necessary. Conventions are necessary without that we can't even go drive safely on the road, right? The traffic rules are necessary. They are important conventions. But how many of us get really mad, angry and scream when we see somebody two, three cars ahead of us? Report an error in the passage at 12:32 Highlight the passage at 12:32

13:02 Breaking a traffic rule. I mean, is there any point to that? I mean, if you can call the police, take some action to make it safe for everybody, that's fine. But you're getting angry and screaming. Is there any use to that? There isn't, isn't it? So these are the kind of things that we have to be alert. Report an error in the passage at 13:02 Highlight the passage at 13:02

13:23 How we lose our freedom. How we lose our happiness. By the very things that we have taken on board, the very things are there to give us safety or happiness or make society to function. But when we take it in the other way, we actually create prisons. Another very interesting one is like birthdays, Valentine's Day, we recently had Mother's Day, right? Report an error in the passage at 13:23 Highlight the passage at 13:23

13:53 Again, just a convention at that day. But, you know, we have expectations, we think that it should be like this, it should be like that, this is how you express your affection, or whatever it is, and if it is not fulfilled, how do you feel? Right? But it is just a thing that we have created. Isn't it? These are just very simple examples, but how many things are there like that in our life? Report an error in the passage at 13:53 Highlight the passage at 13:53

14:22 That we create prisons. For ourselves, and we feel really trapped in these things because you've been told that it should be like this. Even coming here today, because I've been away for about four years, I got a briefing. But before that, my very kind Upatak Venerable Anupama asked me, because she's newly ordained, so it's her first time to be here as an Upatak, so she said, Oh Venerable, please tell me what to do, how to do. Report an error in the passage at 14:22 Highlight the passage at 14:22

14:55 I said, well, I'm quite casual about these things. I just go with the flow. Let's see what happens. I don't think anybody will really shout and scream and yell at us and put us into punishment for doing the wrong thing. I just like to be free, not to be worrying about exactly what to do, how to do, all of those things. But regardless, we did get a briefing, and she did get a briefing too. Report an error in the passage at 14:55 Highlight the passage at 14:55

15:21 And then I did see her a little bit, you know, running around, which is very nice to do the right thing. I mean, it's always nice to do the right thing beyond time and things like that. But that is different to really making it a big stress and worrying about what will people think if I make a mistake. Wanting to be perfect, right? Report an error in the passage at 15:21 Highlight the passage at 15:21

15:46 Can you relate to this? How we become very tight sometimes? Because of our fear of making a mistake, you know, I remember a story, not a story, actually a very, very valuable advice I got from Ajahn Brahm. This was in the year 2013. 2013, yeah. That is when I was the building project manager for Dhammasara New Monastery Complex. Report an error in the passage at 15:46 Highlight the passage at 15:46

16:10 Thirteen. Report an error in the passage at 16:10 Highlight the passage at 16:10

16:21 That's quite a big job and I'm not an engineer. I have no background in construction work so much so I can't even put a nail on the wall. That's not my type. I'm not that kind of person. But there were very few people in the community. The community at the time consisted of two nuns and three anagarikas. Report an error in the passage at 16:21 Highlight the passage at 16:21

16:41 By that time I was a samaneri. So we were five nuns, two bhikkunis. And three ten precept nuns and maybe one or two anagarikas. So not a very big community. And so we needed people to put up their hand. And I don't know whether I was brave or stupid. I put my hand up. I felt like, you know, I might be able to do it without knowing anything. Report an error in the passage at 16:41 Highlight the passage at 16:41

17:09 And of course we started doing drawing and all those things. That was okay. But the day that I'm talking about happened when they were going to do the first concrete pour. They were going to do the first slab. This was going to be the accommodation pod. And it was going to be a 40 degree day. I knew that it's going to happen tomorrow and I know what the weather is. Report an error in the passage at 17:09 Highlight the passage at 17:09

17:35 And I knew a little bit about concrete and I knew if you pour concrete on a 40 degree day it's going to crack. And for me, it's like, wow, you know, foundation is so important, right? We talk about that in dharma, making good foundations. If the foundation is cracked in the first building, it's going to not be well. Report an error in the passage at 17:35 Highlight the passage at 17:35

17:55 And then I even had more pressure. This is donation money, right? People work really hard, hard-earned money. If it was just my money, okay, never mind. But when it is that, you feel really responsible, right? You want to do the right thing. And so I was trying to plead with the contractors. Please don't pour it. Please delay it till it's a good day, please. But of course, you know, the contractors are not going to wait for ideal days. Report an error in the passage at 17:55 Highlight the passage at 17:55

18:26 Then they will be bankrupt. They have to, you know, rain or shine, hot or cold. They're going to continue doing the work they need to do. This is how it goes. So I was so upset. I was in tears. I actually tried to call Ajahn Brahm. He wasn't there. He's traveling, but somehow maybe Ajahn Brahmali or somebody told me that I'm really, really upset. And Ajahn Brahm did give me a call. Report an error in the passage at 18:26 Highlight the passage at 18:26

18:51 He was actually in Singapore. And he gave me a call and he spoke to me for about 45 minutes and gave really valuable advice. Right? And one of the things that he asked me, he said many things, but the thing that... He stood out that I can still remember. He asked me, Venerable, are you doing this building project with human beings or robots? Report an error in the passage at 18:51 Highlight the passage at 18:51

19:18 I said human beings. Then he said, well, you know, it's the nature of human beings to make mistakes. So please expect mistakes will happen. If you are going to stress out about not making any big mistakes, If you have been to Dhammasara, you know it's a large monastery complex. At the time I closed the final accounts, it was at $7 million in 2015. Report an error in the passage at 19:18 Highlight the passage at 19:18

19:49 So it was a large project, big amount of money, quite complex things, and also the terrain is quite tough there too. So it's going to be a challenging project. There's going to be mistakes that even if you have the experts, the professionals, the best of the best people, they're still going to make mistakes. Report an error in the passage at 19:49 Highlight the passage at 19:49

20:08 Why? Because we are human. Human beings, that's the nature of human beings to make mistakes. So he told me, please expect mistakes to happen. Don't worry about it. If something goes wrong, we'll just fix it. That means we just need more donations. And he said, well, it gives more people opportunity to contribute and make merit. That's what he put it as, he said. And he said that never mind. Report an error in the passage at 20:08 Highlight the passage at 20:08

20:38 And he said, very importantly, I was only a samaneri, so I was not even fully ordained. Actually, my full ordination happened on the concrete slab of the meditation hall without even with the walls, only just the Buddha statue and concrete slab. So that's how much of a baby Nana I am. And he said, Very important, right? Report an error in the passage at 20:38 Highlight the passage at 20:38

21:05 Very important. When he said like that, I was able to relax. He said, Never mind. Mistakes will happen. You just work with it and don't stress about it. Expect these things. This is the other problem. So why we have these struggles, problems, sufferings and we lose our freedom is this anxiety and worry about the fear of us making mistakes or somebody else making mistakes and also things related to that. One, you feel ashamed. Report an error in the passage at 21:05 Highlight the passage at 21:05

21:42 I can't be seen to be making any mistakes. I am perfect. Nobody can tell me off. I can't allow that. So you have stress to know everything, how to do exactly when to do all of those things and what is perfect. So you have to do all the research to find out how to do the best of the best kind of thing because it has to be the best. Report an error in the passage at 21:42 Highlight the passage at 21:42

22:04 Because I have done it. So all of these things, can you see? Whatever you do, even if it is just simply baking a cake, we can stress out. It's just baking a cake, big deal. But it is a big deal for some of us. And why do we lose our joy, freedom and happiness? Because of that. So it was so nice, such a very different way, a very different approach to the building project. I remember I told this to the builder and to the site supervisor. Report an error in the passage at 22:04 Highlight the passage at 22:04

22:38 I said, you know, I know you guys are going to make mistakes. And they're like looking at me. I really said, I said, don't worry about it. You know, if you make a mistake, we are going to help you guys. We are going to come and contribute. Report an error in the passage at 22:38 Highlight the passage at 22:38

22:55 Because it is important, I explain to them that we try and do something good, which means that you're allowed to make mistakes, we just make amends and fix them in a good way. What I didn't want was for them to sort of, you know, cover it all up and then after we have the building completed, have blocked toilets and things falling apart and all this what we call as teething problems. Report an error in the passage at 22:55 Highlight the passage at 22:55

23:23 Actually, the Amasara project did not have teething problems because of that. But anyway, so I did tell them, you know, really. So they were not sure, but of course I was always on site because we live on the property. So I always go and say good morning, how is it happening? So I see everything and knew about things. And then when I did see something, I actually said, okay, how can we help? Report an error in the passage at 23:23 Highlight the passage at 23:23

23:49 How can we do this? How can we fix this? And when they saw the honesty, they were really happy and we did do that, right? We found other resources. I remember one time they used the wrong size cable, right? And the cables, the electric cables are really expensive, the big ones. And they thought, my goodness, because we probably ordered just exactly the right amount now that they have cut the... Report an error in the passage at 23:49 Highlight the passage at 23:49

24:17 Thicker cable, now they're going to run out for another building. So I saw the face of the site supervisor really upset, right? Because it's his make and mistake and they're very expensive. So he was being caught on the spot as well. He was really worried. But they said, don't worry about it, let's call the electrical engineer and see how much he ordered, whether it's actually a problem to have a bigger cable for this building, things like that. Report an error in the passage at 24:17 Highlight the passage at 24:17

24:46 And then it worked out okay, we actually had enough and it was okay. And when they saw that we actually did work with it and didn't really blame them or anything like that, they actually came forth whenever they made a mistake. And then they would say, okay, actually I have some few extra pipes or extra this, I can bring that and I can... Report an error in the passage at 24:46 Highlight the passage at 24:46

25:06 We can do it like that. And you may have also heard from Ajahn Hasapanna that some of you say, oh, so beautiful, what a beautiful feature. You know, even the dining hall, you have really beautiful columns, wooden columns. You know why they're there? Because of a mistake. Report an error in the passage at 25:06 Highlight the passage at 25:06

25:25 Yeah, all the mistakes end up becoming the beautiful features. Right? If you don't stress about things, you say, okay, what can I do? With what I have got, how can I make the best use of what has happened? How can I turn and grow from the mistake, whatever it is? So this was, I mean, Ajahn Hasapanna is also quite a cool abbot. Really, it was easy. Both of us were like, whenever it was like a game, it was like a challenge, it was interesting. Report an error in the passage at 25:25 Highlight the passage at 25:25

25:58 Every morning we are waiting to see what's going to go wrong today and how are we going to deal with that. Of course, not every day, but there comes the day there are big or small things, and it was fun and games to have a bit of creativity to see how can we deal with this? How can we make the best use of it? So it's easy when your team is on board, and if not, it's about inspiring them to be on board. Report an error in the passage at 25:58 Highlight the passage at 25:58

26:28 And this is easy, right? It is good. So why can't we do this with our life? Our life is like a building project. Forever, it doesn't end, it doesn't stop. We are constantly building, creating, doing things, and things go wrong. So building project was actually nothing compared to when I did my next thing, when I put my hand up again. Report an error in the passage at 26:28 Highlight the passage at 26:28

26:55 Again, don't know whether I was stupid or brave. When Santi Forest Monastery in New South Wales, where now I live, the last nuns there said that they didn't want to sort of continue being there, building it up into a training monastery and handed it over to the management by the Dhammasara nuns. When that happened, again, I put my hand up. I am happy to go. Report an error in the passage at 26:55 Highlight the passage at 26:55

27:21 Not knowing where am I going, what am I going to get into, you know, I've never really done that kind of work before. But at that time, I had enough insight and I remembered Ajahn Brahm's advice and I actually really told myself, I'm not going to be scared to make mistakes. This was really important to me, not to be scared to make mistakes, because I knew I'm going to make mistakes. There's lots of things that I don't know how to do. Report an error in the passage at 27:21 Highlight the passage at 27:21

27:50 And I also remember a really beautiful thing that I learned from Ajahn Hasapanna. Before she became a nun, she was a mother, she had a son. And I have heard, this was the first time I heard, and it sort of dawned on me about this thing. And she said, I never went to school and learned how to be a mother. Report an error in the passage at 27:50 Highlight the passage at 27:50

28:12 I just learned it on the job. Anybody here who went to school and learned to be a mother or a father? Right? No, right? Even with your first child, did you learn and didn't make any mistakes with your second or the third? No, every child is different, right? So it's like that. So being like a leader of a community, even I saw, I have seen, I mean, I joined the community the very year when Ajahn Hasapanna and at that time Ajahn Iroda became the co-abbots. Report an error in the passage at 28:12 Highlight the passage at 28:12

28:46 And I've seen their growth over the past 15 years. They also did, you know, find their way and you make mistakes, you learn from it and you grow. So making mistakes is never a problem if your attitude is to learn from it and grow from it. Who you are is also not a problem. I mean, any perfect people here? Hands up. Nobody, right? We all want to be perfect. Report an error in the passage at 28:46 Highlight the passage at 28:46

29:15 But we know we are not perfect. We have all kinds of things. And how many of us judge ourselves so critically? And we always want to be somebody else. I too remember... For me, I was like at one point thinking, oh, it would be really nice if I could be like Venerable Upeka. She seems very calm. She smiles all the time, talks to everybody so nicely. So I said, I wish I could be like Venerable Upeka. Report an error in the passage at 29:15 Highlight the passage at 29:15

29:51 And Venerable Lupeka's mom, Aunty Ramani, who also knows me since I was a layperson, said, oh no, then we'll lose you, Venerable Karunika, the opposite and very kind of hyper-jumpy, loud kind of character. The world needs diversity. It's okay. It's okay to be you. Right? Okay, it's not perfect. But, and of course if you have things, some characters maybe that are harmful to yourself and harmful to others, again, it's not about criticizing yourself, feeling bad, feeling down. Report an error in the passage at 29:51 Highlight the passage at 29:51

30:29 It's about, as long as you have that attitude to grow from it, right, then that's okay. And some of these things are very sticky. They're not easy to change, right? It's not that easy to change some of our habits and qualities that we have. But as long as your mind is directed on growing out of if it is anything unskillful, then that's okay. Report an error in the passage at 30:29 Highlight the passage at 30:29

30:57 And being patient and doing the little bit that is in front of you to be able to do that. So these kinds of attitudes actually makes us very free. Because this mental presence that we were talking about is when we feel that there is no way out. I am the way I am. I have all of these bad kind of things. I am like this imperfect person. I can't change and my life is like this and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 30:57 Highlight the passage at 30:57

31:30 If we feel like that, then we feel really trapped. Like in a prison. But the moment we have a shift in the way we think about it, why don't I learn how to think about this differently, learn from it, do things differently, grow from it, whatever it is. Mind is easy to change. I mean, body is also another trap. Report an error in the passage at 31:30 Highlight the passage at 31:30

31:55 You know, that's another story. We are also trapped in a body and trapped in a mind. Now, body traps are harder to overcome, actually, when medicines can't get you better at times. Even if you are the doctor, the specialist in that, sometimes, you know, sometimes there's not much you can do. But with the mind, it's different. Report an error in the passage at 31:55 Highlight the passage at 31:55

32:16 The tiny little shift and everything opens up and everything can change instantly, right? Do you believe it or you don't believe it? Do you want me to prove? Okay, I'll just tell something that I always say and I can't say it enough but it is a really interesting reflection which every single one of you can relate to. Report an error in the passage at 32:16 Highlight the passage at 32:16

32:41 And this is the time that you have got an email or a text message that was emotionally triggering, right? Anybody who didn't get anything like this in this life? We have all got something, right? You got that message and you really got worked up. And you wrote impulsively, right? You wrote something. But maybe you have been coming here for a long time, had a tiny bit of wisdom, thought, maybe I won't send it just yet. Report an error in the passage at 32:41 Highlight the passage at 32:41

33:13 Oh, it's not because of wisdom. It wasn't good enough. You wanted to write it even better. So because of that, you didn't send it. For whatever reason, you didn't hit the send button. Two hours later, you go back. Report an error in the passage at 33:13 Highlight the passage at 33:13

33:30 What happened? You rewrote it, didn't you? Report an error in the passage at 33:30 Highlight the passage at 33:30

33:37 And was it better actually? Depends on your mood. Often it would have been better because the emotion has subsided now. But especially if something nice happened to you, you're more calm, you're more peaceful or somebody was nice to you, you're in a better state. And you would even say, actually they are right. They are a good dharma teacher. Actually I can grow from here. I should thank them for bringing this up. Report an error in the passage at 33:37 Highlight the passage at 33:37

34:01 Maybe it was a bad criticism which you got really worked up. Now you see actually it's not bad at all. It goes opposite even, right? Report an error in the passage at 34:01 Highlight the passage at 34:01

34:11 So what happened? Only a shift in your mind, right? How you look at that thing. The projection changed. The story changed completely. In the morning, let's say you got that message in the morning. When you got it, your mind told the story, okay, this is what's happened. And you believe that. And based on that story, you had a response. Actually, it's a reaction. The emotionally triggered, impulsive things are called reactions. Report an error in the passage at 34:11 Highlight the passage at 34:11

34:41 But later, when you calm down and look at it, It's more of a response. Mindfulness has come in. A little bit of wisdom has come in. A bit of compassion has come in. You may have even thought about it a little bit better. The story is different. So it's really interesting to see. So again, whenever you feel trapped, remember this. Report an error in the passage at 34:41 Highlight the passage at 34:41

35:06 You're trapped because of the way you project, the way you look at things. But there's always another way. to look at things think about things this is always possible it is very empowering isn't it it is within our power because who creates our suffering is it the difficult person the covid the world politics or whatever which i don't know at all i was told not to talk about politics and i actually don't know but whatever it is yeah is it the external thing or is it how you think about it How you project into it. It's interesting, right? So the Buddha says, What does this mean? Report an error in the passage at 35:06 Highlight the passage at 35:06

35:56 Manasikara means the way you give attention. Sambhava means originates. Dhamma is, you can say, your mind states for this occasion. So whatever mind states, your emotions, whatever it is, whether your anger or your lust or your peace or your Calm, whatever it is, or your sadness, anything, whatever it is, it is created by the way you give attention. So you have a difficult person maybe in your life that we all have somebody or something, right? Report an error in the passage at 35:56 Highlight the passage at 35:56

36:33 And then how you look at it, how you think about this person is what creates that irritation. What they're saying is so harmful. This is not right. This is not correct. They shouldn't do like that. And probably this is true. That's fine. I'm not saying not to say it's not like that. But as long as you keep thinking like that, irritation, agitation and anger is kept up in your mind. Report an error in the passage at 36:33 Highlight the passage at 36:33

37:00 Is that true? Do you remember when something like that has happened? There is something that keeps going around and around and around in circles in your mind. And that is what keeps up that irritation. But while that is happening, Then somebody else comes and tells some really nice news, something good that you wanted to hear, something very kind, something beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 37:00 Highlight the passage at 37:00

37:28 What happened to your anger and irritation? Instantly gone, right? Because now the object changed and also the way you think about things changed. Report an error in the passage at 37:28 Highlight the passage at 37:28

37:39 That was just a natural thing. This happens all the time in our life. We can't maintain one way of thinking about things, right? One way of emotion. It changes because another object comes to our attention and we also project in a different way. But is it also possible to just change the way you look at the same person, same object? Report an error in the passage at 37:39 Highlight the passage at 37:39

38:04 It is possible. So if we have this difficult person or the person who is doing something not right, not acceptable, instead of projecting that way, we can ask the question, why are they doing that? Different way to look at it, right? Before we were just blaming them, but now we are asking, why are they doing that? Of course we are never going to find out exactly why. Report an error in the passage at 38:04 Highlight the passage at 38:04

38:31 This is not possible because there are multiple causes and conditions for somebody to do what they are doing. But just the idea that understanding there are many causes and conditions and possibilities. Maybe they have a different world view. Maybe they have wrong information. Maybe they are in pain. Maybe they are not well. Report an error in the passage at 38:31 Highlight the passage at 38:31

38:55 We don't know. There are so many reasons why somebody is doing something That is maybe not how you like it. But asking that question itself changes the view. And even though you would never know why they are doing that, if what they are doing is harmful for themselves and for others, then you know as a Buddhist that your intentional actions have consequences, right? Report an error in the passage at 38:55 Highlight the passage at 38:55

39:24 So, of course, if they are doing something unskillful, then they have to bear the consequences of that. Then what do you feel? Because at the time they may not even know what they are doing because the Buddha says especially nobody in their right mind really do things that are harmful and hurtful for other people. Report an error in the passage at 39:24 Highlight the passage at 39:24

39:46 Now some of you might get upset with me for saying this. But the truth is that, you know, the Buddha says, when the defilements are present in our mind, it's called Andhakarana, Achakukarana, Panyanirodhika. That means, Andhakarana means you are blind, right? And, sorry, Andhakarana means you are in the darkness. Report an error in the passage at 39:46 Highlight the passage at 39:46

40:10 Achakukarana means you don't have eyes. Panyanirodhika means your wisdom has departed. Pretty much we are being silly. We can't see. Isn't that the case, that when we have made a mistake, that sometimes we say that? That I couldn't see, I didn't, you know, I couldn't see, that's why I did that. Sometimes it's like that. So when you can be sure, when somebody is doing something unskillful, they are actually blind at that time, they can't see. Report an error in the passage at 40:10 Highlight the passage at 40:10

40:39 But our thing is that we think they can see, they know better, why are they doing that? But if you remember at this time if a defilement is really strong they really can't see that's the nature of the defilements that's why they're doing what they're doing then you are able to sort of have compassion come up because at the time probably you know they don't have any mindfulness to even understand what they're doing they probably don't even know the consequences of these things yet they have to reap consequences for their unskillful action. Report an error in the passage at 40:39 Highlight the passage at 40:39

41:13 Right? So isn't that that you could bring up a bit of compassion for the person instead of irritation and agitation? It is possible, isn't it? It is certainly possible. So it might not be easy, but you can see the possibility. So this is where we know that we create our things. So if we want to be free, if we want to have much more joy or wholesome mind states, It is within our capacity, within our ability to do this. It is empowering to know that, right? Report an error in the passage at 41:13 Highlight the passage at 41:13

41:53 So this is good. So we are not really trapped by these things. This is the idea of really true freedom as well. How we overcome all of those things at the end is through wisdom, through understanding, through what we called, what the Buddha called as Yoniso Manasikara, right? The attention that leads, like the wise attention. Yoniso Manasikara is the unwise attention. Report an error in the passage at 41:53 Highlight the passage at 41:53

42:22 So whenever you catch any negative states, states of mind then you can see the way you are projecting looking at things is unwise not according to the dhamma not according to right view this is where right view the first step of the noble eightfold path becomes very important So it is nice that if we can always look into life through the lenses of right view. Report an error in the passage at 42:22 Highlight the passage at 42:22

42:53 So if you look at the world, where the world is, through understanding, understanding what human beings are like, understanding what defilements are like, understanding human nature, the nature of the world, human minds, then we are able to sort of grow in wisdom and with that we are able to sort of become more free. Report an error in the passage at 42:53 Highlight the passage at 42:53

43:20 free in our mind. Does it make sense? Can you see the possibility of doing that? It is possible. So there are two things you can do. One is, of course, changing the way you look at things. But sometimes it's really hard. Because you want to get angry. We like to get angry. Or you want to be sad. We like being sad. Do you disagree with me? Report an error in the passage at 43:20 Highlight the passage at 43:20

43:51 How many of you have gone to the cinema with a tissue box and paid good money to cry? We do, right? We like to get fear. That's why movies and news are like that. So because of that, sometimes even though you know you don't want to, but when you're in a good mood, it's different, isn't it? Sometimes when your mental and physical energy is well, when you are in a good mood, you realize, actually, why am I suffering like that? Report an error in the passage at 43:51 Highlight the passage at 43:51

44:29 Why am I looking at things like that? There's another way that I can deal. And you're able to do it. Because other times, if you are really tired, it is difficult to do. Even though you know that I can look at differently. But if you're really tired, it is difficult. Then you feel bad. I know what to do, but I can't do. What's wrong with me? This will happen now that you've learned this. Report an error in the passage at 44:29 Highlight the passage at 44:29

44:56 You'll try this and you'll say, yeah, I can see, but why I can't do it? The reason is tiredness. So for me, this is such a big thing. All the dharma talks that I've been given, I can't stop. I can't not mention about this thing. I think one of the biggest things in our world, for all of us, is tiredness. Report an error in the passage at 44:56 Highlight the passage at 44:56

45:22 Do you agree? Even if you are retired, if you have a restful, so to speak, life, still people are tired. Why? Because of the way we use our mind. Overthinking or negative thinking, fault-finding, complaining minds. Tell me, are you generous with your compliments or complaints? Report an error in the passage at 45:22 Highlight the passage at 45:22

45:51 You know, right? Yeah, yeah. So change it around if you want to be free. Be more generous with compliments and be very, very stingy with complaints. Complaints. Report an error in the passage at 45:51 Highlight the passage at 45:51

46:05 It's not easy to achieve very many things with complaints, right? Mostly what you achieve is heartache, pain and difficulty and enemies. You might, if you are really, really loud, get a little bit. complaints, right? Report an error in the passage at 46:05 Highlight the passage at 46:05

46:20 But if you are more giving compliments and stuff, you know that you can. I mean, I'm not telling you to lie, but if it is truly coming, if you're able to see something good instead of complaining, say the good part of the person or the thing or the situation and go through that line and then also sandwich it in between and say what is difficult instead of making it look like a complaint. Report an error in the passage at 46:20 Highlight the passage at 46:20

46:47 Possible, isn't it? And then actually there is more possibility even making a change or achieving something. So we have to become smart like this. So whatever it is, what I am trying to say is this fault finding mind. These are habits because you see that in what you watch. You see other people around you do that. Report an error in the passage at 46:47 Highlight the passage at 46:47

47:09 creatures of habit we get conditioned by our environment and people around us and that is why so we have to go against that grain that is why we come to a place like this to listen to teachings to go with the people who actually are trying to turn around and go in the opposite direction of you know changing the way we think these mental habits because it is those mental habits they are the real traps they are the real prison bars of our prison so when we try to change these things shift these things actually our prison cell become bigger there's another layer and then we can work with that and finally there's no nothing it's all mind made things anyway So again what I'm trying to say is as you change them also your mental and physical energy also builds up because it is that thinking mind, the negative mind, fault finding and complaining mind which makes us very tired. Report an error in the passage at 47:09 Highlight the passage at 47:09

48:14 This is also what makes us not able to sleep and it goes in a vicious cycle. So this is when, and if you are physically and mentally tired, it is really hard to apply ourselves, apply ourselves on the path. Even meditation or any other thing, meditation, watching breath, how hard is that? Breath comes in, breath goes out, why is it so hard? Report an error in the passage at 48:14 Highlight the passage at 48:14

48:43 It shouldn't be so hard, but we all know it's hard, right? The mind goes everywhere. Why is it hard? Because we are tired. Because the present moment is unpleasant so because of that we make it even more tired by running into future and past. This is why Ajahn Brahm just says never mind whatever it is just stay for a while. Allow the tiredness to subside by just not fighting not doing anything just by being here. Report an error in the passage at 48:43 Highlight the passage at 48:43

49:17 Even that much if you can do that. you know it changes and you are able to apply yourself and this is not just Ajahn Brahm i used to actually I argue with Ajahn Brahm sometimes about too much emphasis on relaxing, letting go, chillax. But did the Buddha also encourage these things? Actually I mentioned this during the retreat as well but it is always really important because sometimes we overlook or don't hear or don't pay attention to it even when we hear it. Report an error in the passage at 49:17 Highlight the passage at 49:17

49:52 Our entire spiritual path, all of the factors of the spiritual path, are built up on four foundations and the first one is called vivekanissita right viveka is seclusion so seclusion of the body seclusion of the mind seclusion from what seclusion from the sensuality the sensual world so the Buddha says the sensual world is running after sensual world very relaxing or tiring do Report an error in the passage at 49:52 Highlight the passage at 49:52

50:31 you know how much energy and effort you need to put into maintaining a relationship maintaining a job maintaining a family you know planning to go on a holiday just go out for dinner all of these things like chasing after sensual world is actually tiring so Report an error in the passage at 50:31 Highlight the passage at 50:31

50:57 seclusion from sensual world Even from time to time, when you actually, that's why when we meditate we close our eyes, sit in a place that is peaceful, and just for at least that time we let the sensual world to fade away and you start to rest and relax. This is important. So the Buddha says seclusion is the starting, first form. Report an error in the passage at 50:57 Highlight the passage at 50:57

51:22 First factor, foundation to build up your spiritual path. And sometimes we overlook this and we wonder why is it sometimes hard to do these things which sound easy. It's not that complicated some of these things and we think something wrong with me. It's not really anything wrong with us, it's just not putting in the right causes and conditions. So if you are keen on your spiritual journey, on your spiritual path, which is hopefully why you are here, or even if it is not the entire spiritual path, even if you are here to have a high quality life, to improve your happiness, improve your peace, to have freedom in your life, then take care of yourself, take care of your rest. Report an error in the passage at 51:22 Highlight the passage at 51:22

52:12 build up physical and mental energy levels starting from just simply resting having good sleep doing less what are we doing all these things for for happiness right we want to be happy so all of our doings are to be happy but what do you reap normally weariness and tiredness Report an error in the passage at 52:12 Highlight the passage at 52:12

52:41 But happiness is here right now. Were you a little happy when we were meditating earlier on? Did you have to run around? Happiness is here if you can be contented. Another prison bar. Discontentment is a big prison bar. Huge ones, right? Discontent. We are trapped in there. The moment you say, this is good enough. This is good enough. With wisdom, of course, not with complacency. Report an error in the passage at 52:41 Highlight the passage at 52:41

53:12 You are free and you are happy right here, right now, without anything. So freedom, peace, joy is available just right here, right now, by changing, shifting your mental attitude, using wisdom, using right view. So this is maybe slow, but it is important that we slowly build up these things and you can actually be free. Report an error in the passage at 53:12 Highlight the passage at 53:12

53:41 So right view is really the cooling agent that what makes you free takes you all the way to freedom, like blossoming in wisdom. You know wisdom, that is when you are completely free. But right view is the seed, that starting point. And whatever degree that you have, to that degree you feel freedom. And all of you here have experienced freedom to different degrees, right? So what we have to do is keep growing, keep growing that. Report an error in the passage at 53:41 Highlight the passage at 53:41

54:17 So I have been told to finish at 8.45, but I didn't. Report an error in the passage at 54:17 Highlight the passage at 54:17

54:25 Anyway, I still stopped six minutes before. Anyone who would like to ask any questions, comments, feedbacks, arguments, all are welcome. But anybody who needs to leave at any time, you are also free to leave. So anybody Report an error in the passage at 54:25 Highlight the passage at 54:25

54:59 from here who has any questions? You Report an error in the passage at 54:59 Highlight the passage at 54:59

55:06 have a question? Please go ahead, anybody. Report an error in the passage at 55:06 Highlight the passage at 55:06

55:17 Ajahn Karunika, thanks for your wonderful talk on freedom. You've covered all. No questions. Yeah, yeah, it's very, very interesting that you've covered all of that. Yeah, yeah, I think, yeah. You know, the Buddha was telling us that we are all trapped in saṃsāra. You know, that we are not free, you know. There's no happiness and there's a lot of suffering. Don't you think the freedom comes from our mind, you know. Report an error in the passage at 55:17 Highlight the passage at 55:17

55:51 All from our mind and each of us here, The degree of freedom, depending on how we understand the teachings, could be two, three levels. If you're higher level, then you're more free. Report an error in the passage at 55:51 Highlight the passage at 55:51

56:06 Exactly. Thanks for summarizing the talk. Also, the ego plays a lot of part too, isn't it? Absolutely. That we are not free. Ego is the stupidity side, right? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 56:06 Highlight the passage at 56:06

56:19 Wisdom, the ego is left behind. That's why the ego is another prison bar. Our sense of self really gets in the way. And it burns us. You say, I know who are you to tell me, kind of thing. It creates a lot of suffering to the egos at the moment, the present world situation. With all this situation. situation, you know. Report an error in the passage at 56:19 Highlight the passage at 56:19

56:49 They have someone with authority putting all this pressure on people and creating a lot of problem for the world. Like Paris for example. Whatever it is, it's not the person, whatever they do, we can't do very much sometimes. So we are in that situation already. But the freedom comes from shifting our way and trying to sort of Accept that with wisdom or find another alternative way of dealing with that as much as possible. Or, you know, changing instead of fighting. Report an error in the passage at 56:49 Highlight the passage at 56:49

57:29 So it's a very broad subject. Like I said, I don't know about politics. I'm not going to go there. But this is homework. Because it is possible. There's nobody, nobody, you know, can... Put suffering onto us. It's really when we project into it. Physical pain, yes. But mental suffering part, that is within our capacity. So this is where we need to find out how to learn and grow and change the way we look at things. Report an error in the passage at 57:29 Highlight the passage at 57:29

58:07 And accept it with, you know, okay, this may be my kamma. This may be, you know, something, maybe something to grow from. Sometimes bad situations and difficulties in life is what makes you strong. And sometimes you can be grateful for these things, even whether it is a political situation. I mean, COVID, how many people, you know, really came to spirituality, grew from it, learned many things. Report an error in the passage at 58:07 Highlight the passage at 58:07

58:37 So it is always possible. Thank you for the really, really wonderful talk. Thank you, Eddie. Report an error in the passage at 58:37 Highlight the passage at 58:37

58:49 Thank Report an error in the passage at 58:49 Highlight the passage at 58:49

58:58 you for your lovely talk. It was very to the point. So I guess one of the other things I see in the Buddha's teachings is the importance of kindness to oneself. Without that being... Report an error in the passage at 58:58 Highlight the passage at 58:58

59:19 Overly narcissistic. So what I'm trying to articulate or ask is when we see behaviour that is below the line, it's not compassionate to that person exhibiting that behaviour or the people around them. Now the easy path would be just to step out. Report an error in the passage at 59:19 Highlight the passage at 59:19

59:53 But when is the time to actually challenge that behavior and say, you know, what you're doing is not right. What you're doing is actually quite harmful to yourself and others. Report an error in the passage at 59:53 Highlight the passage at 59:53

1:00:12 What's the skillful way of doing that? This is easy. I don't think I've been too skillful in that. Okay, yeah, yeah. I mean, easy in the sense that's a direct teaching from the Buddha. So easy for me to give the answer, but doing it is another story that you have to build up. So the Buddha says... In any communication because a lot of our suffering is born from our interpersonal relationships whether it's an easy one or a difficult one all of those things at different levels. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:12 Highlight the passage at 1:00:12

1:00:42 So the Buddha says if you have to have any communication you have to consider five things and especially if it is a difficult one then this is even more important. So first one is time and place. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:42 Highlight the passage at 1:00:42

1:00:59 And sometimes we don't have enough patience. This is our problem. To wait. It's not when the person has just come home from work and tired. This is not the time to bring it up. So we have to become skillful in finding the right time and place. The second thing is actually finding out whether all of the information I have about this thing, is it actually true. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:59 Highlight the passage at 1:00:59

1:01:26 Sometimes it may not be true. Then the third thing. Is my communicating this going to be beneficial or not? Or is there another way of dealing with this? So that is another one. So it's beneficial. So first one, time and place. Is it true? Is it beneficial? Then, how do you say it? Non-violent communication comes in here. How? Not to victimize the person. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:26 Highlight the passage at 1:01:26

1:01:56 If you say, hey, you're doing this, this is really bad, it's hurtful, harmful, when the person feels like a victim, they will take out their guns and start shooting back at you as well. It is how you say it. Instead, maybe I'm not the best at saying these things, but maybe how about you say, you know, when you say or do like this, this is how I feel, it's a bit difficult, is it possible? Report an error in the passage at 1:01:56 Highlight the passage at 1:01:56

1:02:22 Something like this, it's a little bit different. So there's whole... Report an error in the passage at 1:02:22 Highlight the passage at 1:02:22

1:02:46 Do they have a quality that I could really still respect and appreciate in them? And of course there are people that are really, really difficult, but a lot of the people in our life do have some qualities where we can build up some respect and affection in our heart, or at least, at the very least, some compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:46 Highlight the passage at 1:02:46

1:03:08 compassion, understanding they are suffering, they are headed towards suffering. So when your heart is a bit more cool, so we have to do it at a time when our heart is cool. So then you can sort of do that communication. But leverage, so you can also, if it is difficult, get somebody else to come along with you. Or you can also get help with somebody to do the communication. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:08 Highlight the passage at 1:03:08

1:03:33 So there are many skillful means. In achieving this, of course, all the time it's not only about you have your mental attitude and do nothing, of course not. Especially if it is a very abusive or difficult situation, very harmful. We need to set our boundaries. We need to take action. Of course, all of those things have to happen. But what I was mainly talking about is keeping our cool. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:33 Highlight the passage at 1:03:33

1:04:00 How can we maintain our cool by changing our attitude first, understanding at least there are some reasons, causes for this, and then figuring out slowly. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:00 Highlight the passage at 1:04:00

1:04:29 you know mettā is helpful whenever we approach a situation or somebody with respect There is more chances that something will be communicated. But if we approach the situation with disrespect, anger and things like that, might as well not do it because it's not going to work. So these kinds of stuff is helpful. Okay, thanks for that question. There's a story, but I think we are going to go way over time. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:29 Highlight the passage at 1:04:29

1:05:03 I'll save the story. story. I've said that story many times, if you hear, black snake story comes right here. If there is time, I might say that, but if not, let's see how it goes. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:03 Highlight the passage at 1:05:03

1:05:20 Okay, so there are some questions here. A question from Germany. Dear Ayya, what is, I can't see, what is in sight? Can you lose it again or close? Does it stay with you like knowledge? What are the conditions for insight to happen? Thank you kindly. This is a really good question. You can do a whole dharma talk on this. But my understanding of an insight, insight comes when you see things clearly. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:20 Highlight the passage at 1:05:20

1:05:56 If you saw something And then after that, somebody can't tell it's otherwise, right? Because you've seen it. If somebody says, you've seen this and you know what this is made up of. And if somebody says, no, the ball in there is glass, are you going to believe it? No, because you've seen that this is not glass. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:56 Highlight the passage at 1:05:56

1:06:19 You've seen that this is metal. So you've seen it. This is just a very simple way to say. But the real insights are when we see and understand by seeing things. So this is vipassanā, clear seeing. But for our seeing to be clear, our hindrances have to be down. Because when the hindrances are there, it distorts things. So we don't actually see things clearly. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:19 Highlight the passage at 1:06:19

1:06:48 But whatever degree, if you see something as clearly as possible, an insight, if it is an insight, it's kind of irreversible. Anything else is not really an insight. So an insight is not easy to come. We just say it's insightful, the talk was insightful, the talk was enlightening. This is just a way of talking. But a real insight actually does a change to your life. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:48 Highlight the passage at 1:06:48

1:07:16 To your mind, to your way, and you'll never do things as before because you saw. Like if you know about fire, that it's hot and it burns, you hear about it but you've never experienced that. So it's different. You might forget it. But after you have put your finger in and you burn, after that you're never going to do it again, right? You know that it's going to be painful. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:16 Highlight the passage at 1:07:16

1:07:42 So like that, when you see from inside the suffering, the stupidity, the unwholesomeness and skillfulness, you will not do it. So that is when it's an insight. But even it is more than knowledge. Knowledge can change. Knowledge, you know, not always, you know, it changes. But an insight, because it is through seeing clearly. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:42 Highlight the passage at 1:07:42

1:08:06 and it stays with you and it builds up this is the beautiful thing about insights so small insights also good and they build up into bigger insights and whatever insight when it is seeing clearly and it is an aspect of wisdom and if it is a real insight together with it comes peace freedom happiness joy those kinds of things with insights it doesn't lead to suffering It's freedom from suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:06 Highlight the passage at 1:08:06

1:08:36 So the next question is, a smart guy has the happiness and suffering of a smart guy, but a dumb one has happiness and suffering of a dumb one. So can happiness be measured as one happier than the other? This is a question from Bolivia. well yeah it is actually my answer would be not to judge whether smart or dumb it's a whole range right it's a whole range the the really smart one would be the fully enlightened one And we are all in that scale. So of course our happiness and suffering would change depending on the amount of wisdom and insights we have gathered along our journey. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:36 Highlight the passage at 1:08:36

1:09:34 Question 3 is, Hello Ayya, how can we free from wrong decision or mistakes we made long time ago to our own self that still have effect to this day, causing remorse that is hard to accept? Very important good question. Could also be another whole dharma talk, but I'm going to give the short version. And that is the right view of the Buddha of understanding non-self. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:34 Highlight the passage at 1:09:34

1:10:08 What does that mean? That we are conditioned by our past, both this life and the previous life. Everybody is conditioned by what went before. So whatever conditioning... And we do have conditioning to do good or bad because we have got multiple conditions over multiple lifetimes for eons, right? So we have all sorts of conditioning to do good or bad. But this is where the mindfulness also comes in. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:08 Highlight the passage at 1:10:08

1:10:41 So when we have mindfulness, the right mindfulness, according to the teachings of the Buddha, then we can have a bit of awareness of what's going on. What is in front of me and then we can sort of our choices are conditioned because we are everything is conditioned but we can choose the good conditioning between you know we are conditioning by to do good or to do bad but with mindfulness we can choose the good conditioning it is still conditioned it's conditioned by the dharma but At a time when we have made a mistake or when somebody else have made the mistake, they did not have enough mindfulness, no understanding about things and our conditions at the time was what made us to do what we did. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:41 Highlight the passage at 1:10:41

1:11:34 So obviously if it was a stupid thing, a wrong thing, a harmful thing, of course we didn't have right understanding, right teachings and enough mindfulness to know. Even if you You had some mindfulness, but you had wrong view. That is why we did it. This is the power of view. This is what sometimes happens to people who are already practicing. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:34 Highlight the passage at 1:11:34

1:11:58 We have enough mindfulness. Have you ever catch yourself doing stupid things mindfully and feeling guilty? I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I can't help myself when I do it. This is our problem. Everybody is laughing. Why? Mindfulness itself isn't enough as well. What is very strong is the view. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:58 Highlight the passage at 1:11:58

1:12:18 So we still have a view. My very funny thing that people like to hear, because they can laugh, is my idea of chocolate cake. I'm diabetic. I'm not supposed to eat chocolate cake. And I know everything but still I have a very strong view that chocolate cake is yummy and I like to eat it. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:18 Highlight the passage at 1:12:18

1:12:44 The right view saying chocolate cake can kill you because you're diabetic, it's not strong enough yet. I know it's there. I can mindfully, full awareness do both of these reflections and still pick it up and eat it. Why? The wrong view is still very wrong. Even if you are laughing at this, this is actually really true, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:12:44 Highlight the passage at 1:12:44

1:13:12 So this is how powerful our views are. That is why the Buddha says of all the things, wrong view is the most dangerous thing. Even if somebody is a serial killer, a big robber or criminal, anything. Even if they get into right view, they can make amends, correct themselves, forgive themselves, move forward. There were people like that serial kid who became fully enlightened, like Angulimala. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:12 Highlight the passage at 1:13:12

1:13:40 But if we have wrong view, no hope. Very difficult. So to be flexible, to really change these things, and it takes time. So we have to be patient. But it is that wrong view. So anyway, so, so... So understand at the time when we made a mistake, we had wrong view, we didn't probably have enough mindfulness, right, to stop and we were conditioned by, you know, whatever. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:40 Highlight the passage at 1:13:40

1:14:13 past or people we hang around the situation and our defilements so when we see that we can forgive ourselves we have to forgive ourselves we you you didn't you couldn't help it that's why you did it this is the thing we don't think like that so it's really important that we realize that how powerful this conditioning is this is like uh yesterday i gave a dhamma talk to our sydney group uh the Buddha says in the bhikkhuni not song not the the Buddha Report an error in the passage at 1:14:13 Highlight the passage at 1:14:13

1:14:45 When the Māra asked, you know, what is this puppet made of? Who is the originator of this? Actually, we are going to talk about this on the Sutta class this Sunday. If you want to hear about it, you can come again. Ajahn Brahmali will be there as well. But we are like puppets, you know, the strings. We have been doing all these things. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:45 Highlight the passage at 1:14:45

1:15:04 Who is doing the show? Delusion, ignorance, yeah? And wrong view. But we think otherwise because we feel that sense of agency and I feel like I did the mistake. Really, I was conditioned to do. I couldn't help it. We don't think like that. It doesn't mean that we continue to make mistakes and say, well, too bad. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:04 Highlight the passage at 1:15:04

1:15:28 that's not the idea the idea of the path is to recognize okay this is unskillful I've been conditioned to do or something unskillful but let me recondition that's the whole part of practice is reconditioning process with putting in right view So building up right view is big deal, actually, really important. So in the meantime, while we don't have enough right view and we really have a lot of wrong view, it is important that we see that conditionality, that non-self nature, we have been just programmed by the past. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:28 Highlight the passage at 1:15:28

1:16:06 And when we see that, we can actually forgive ourselves. Copyright © 2020 Mooji Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No part of this recording may be reproduced And forgive ourselves and that is when we can actually purify our mind enough to bring enough gladness to start our meditation. So this is a really important question and again all of these things fall under that idea of presence and in the wrong view is the biggest kind of all the wrong views are our present bar. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:06 Highlight the passage at 1:16:06

1:16:56 So when we replace with right view we are No longer in prison, we are free. Okay, so we have really gone over time. Thank you for the few people who are still staying here politely and kindly. I really appreciate it. So thank you all for coming. Thank you all for being here. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:56 Highlight the passage at 1:16:56

1:17:23 So we will do Arahant. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:23 Highlight the passage at 1:17:23

1:17:37 [chanting]

1:18:03 supatipanno bhagavato savakasangho sangham namah Report an error in the passage at 1:18:03 Highlight the passage at 1:18:03