Vicikicchā
12th February 2026 Ajahn Jhanarato hosted this week's meditation session at the Roleystone Family Centre. Roleystone Meditation Group’s weekly classes are about an hour long and include a talk on meditation, meditating together, and questions & answers. The sessions are led by a Buddhist monk from Kusala Hermitage in Roleystone (Buddhist Society of WA). Support us on https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa BSWA teachings are available: BSWA Teachings BSWA Podcast Channel BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel BSWA YouTube
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- 1:27
But, yeah, I've come to the fifth one, and the fifth hindrance to meditation is doubt. So, I wasn't sure if I should give a talk about this. I had my doubts, but no, no, no. It's... Oh, no, terrible.
- 2:27
And I find the best way to approach this state of mind, this state of just not really knowing what to do, is just to relax. It's actually just to, really just, as Ajahn Brahm says, my teacher says, relax to the max. Because, you know, all the fine details of what you experience when you close your eyes, when you watch the breath, or when you practice matter.
- 5:05
There's a place in Chittering. There's all these different differences. So whenever you take that time to just put in the hours, I say hours, put in the minutes at least, the more you do that, the less doubt you have, the less... The less concern you have, the more peace you have, the more joy you have. It's just an ongoing process of just learning about your own mind.
- 7:32
Okay, so please, just, the very first thing to do when we sit down to meditate is to close our eyes. So, so just, yeah, just take this moment, take a few moments as the eyelids drip and
- 42:14
that sense of relaxation, of calm, is finally spread through the entire body. From your little toe, right up to the top of the head. Okay, so I'll ring the gong three times and that will signal the end of the meditation. When the third gong has rung, you can open your eyes.
Transcript
0:00 Yep, welcome again to another Thursday afternoon class here at the Family Centre. As Ariel said, we've got our little hermitage down the road just off Brooklyn Highway on Stocker Road. So yeah, if anyone wants to come along for lunch, we have a shared meal every day. Yeah, so it's just nice to be able to come out here. Report an error in the passage at 0:00
0:21 I think Ajahn Santudi is the abbot at our hermitage. He's the senior monk there. He's off home for Chinese New Year at the moment. He's Vietnamese, but he celebrates Chinese New Year. So I think for this week and next week, it'll be myself and then Ajahn Bodhidharaja giving the meditation instructions for the afternoon, for the evening, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 0:21
0:48 So until Ajahn Sanchini returns. So, yeah. So it's customary just to give a short talk on meditation before we have a guided meditation for 30 minutes. We've got this room for about an hour as well, so there's always time for questions and whatever afterwards. Report an error in the passage at 0:48
1:10 Yeah, so recently I've sort of just been giving a few talks on the hindrances to meditation, of which there are canonically five, but probably a lot more. But, yeah, I've come to the fifth one, and the fifth hindrance to meditation is doubt. Report an error in the passage at 1:10
1:38 So, I wasn't sure if I should give a talk about this. I had my doubts, but no, no, no. It's... Oh, no, terrible. Yeah, anyway, I mean, I like just to give a few words on the sort of... Report an error in the passage at 1:38
1:56 What we've learned, what we've studied as monks, but also something that's quite applicable to anyone, whether you're lay life, whether you're a Buddhist or not a Buddhist, or just your average meditator. Those are all the sort of things we like to talk about on a Thursday night. Really, sometimes we sit down in meditation, close our eyes, and go, what am I supposed to be doing? Report an error in the passage at 1:56
2:27 And I find the best way to approach this state of mind, this state of just not really knowing what to do, is just to relax. It's actually just to, really just, as Ajahn Brahm says, my teacher says, relax to the max. Because, you know, all the fine details of what you experience when you close your eyes, when you watch the breath, or when you practice matter. Report an error in the passage at 2:27
2:57 I like to do a bit of body scanning. You don't have to be an expert. You don't have to really study deeply or study extensively to meditate. All you need to do is just sit down and relax and just ask yourself, what do I need right now? Sometimes we might just be quite weary. That happens sometimes. We have our duties at the monastery. We try and get in quite a lot of meditation, but sometimes you don't have time. Report an error in the passage at 2:57
3:36 You're watering the plants and fixing the pump with Bob. Thanks for letting me be your apprentice today. We were changing spark plugs and oil and everything, and that was all something that needed to be done. It was a bit of fun. Report an error in the passage at 3:36
3:55 But yeah, maybe sometimes, you know, you sit down at the end of the day and it's like, oh, it's time to rest. That's what your mind tells you. It's like, oh, and that's fine. If all you do, you know, when we sit in meditation tonight is just rest for 30 minutes, that's perfect. That's perfect. You'll feel so much better. So, yeah, we just, that's how we deal with pretty much everything that comes up in meditation. Report an error in the passage at 3:55
4:25 Our primary purpose here is just to relax. There's not much more to it than that. Report an error in the passage at 4:25
4:34 The more we practice, the more we come to these classes, the more we take time to meditate at home, or even go to the temple, or go to whatever local... uh, local opportunities you have. Hello! Report an error in the passage at 4:34
4:57 If you happen to be in the northern suburbs, there's Nullamara. If you're in the hills, there's all sorts of chitterings up there. There's a place in Chittering. There's all these different differences. So whenever you take that time to just put in the hours, I say hours, put in the minutes at least, the more you do that, the less doubt you have, the less... Report an error in the passage at 4:57
5:23 The less concern you have, the more peace you have, the more joy you have. It's just an ongoing process of just learning about your own mind. Report an error in the passage at 5:23
5:38 That's about all I wanted to say. I know you've all come here to meditate. You're all keen to... So, um, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 5:38
5:52 Join us here on a Thursday night just to sit and do nothing for 30 minutes. I'm always happy to guide meditation. I think sometimes if you don't know what you want to do for 30 minutes, it's good for someone can just tell you. Report an error in the passage at 5:52
6:13 I quite enjoy it. I quite enjoy especially the attention to the body. Kindness to oneself, to the physical aspect of the body. This is something I really enjoy, so I'm quite happy to share the guided meditation with you today. Does anyone have any questions? Is everyone comfortable? Does everyone have a nice seat? Has everyone got a good cushion or a good posture that they can enjoy for the 30 minutes? Report an error in the passage at 6:13
6:47 Oh, extra? Yeah, get some extra. extra padding or give yourself a bit of Report an error in the passage at 6:47
6:58 yeah give yourself another cushion anything that's that's comfortable for 30 minutes that we can sit sit still relatively still and yeah just enjoy ourselves Report an error in the passage at 6:58
7:16 Okay. So, advance. Advance. Report an error in the passage at 7:16
7:32 Okay, so please, just, the very first thing to do when we sit down to meditate is to close our eyes. So, so Report an error in the passage at 7:32
7:52 just, yeah, just take this moment, take a few moments as the eyelids drip and Report an error in the passage at 7:52
8:13 the sense of sight starts to fade away. You've got the, you've got the sight of, The inside of your eyelids and it's not that interesting so the brain for some reason the brain stops paying attention to the inside of your eyelids and slowly that sense just fades away. Report an error in the passage at 8:13
8:41 At this point we become a bit more aware of our bodies how it feels and usually our body will tell us if there's anything that's uncomfortable whether it's you know the Report an error in the passage at 8:41
9:02 Just position on the floor or in the chair, any tight clothing or anything like that. And we just, we can attend to that now in the first few minutes of meditation. We Report an error in the passage at 9:02
9:36 just work through the body one part at a time. We give one part of the body just a bit of attention and a bit of kindness. And we allow that part of the body to relax and to enjoy being still. To enjoy being calm. Report an error in the passage at 9:36
10:05 So, just take this moment to turn your attention to one part of the body. I usually start with the toes. Okay, I picked the right side this time. So, just notice the sensation in the toes of the right foot there. And Report an error in the passage at 10:05
10:37 we become aware of how that part of the body feels. Report an error in the passage at 10:37
10:46 We have kindness to that part of the body as well. That Report an error in the passage at 10:46
10:54 sense of calm, that sense of relaxation spreads through the toes of the foot on your, toes of your right foot. And we allow that sense of kindness, of relaxation and calm just to spread up through the foot, the right foot, through the ball of the foot, across Report an error in the passage at 10:54
11:24 the arch. Report an error in the passage at 11:24
11:28 Creeping up through the instep as well there, the upper part of the foot. Report an error in the passage at 11:28
11:36 Spreading all the way through to the heel of Report an error in the passage at 11:36
11:43 your right foot. Just noticing that sense of calm and relaxation just infusing that part of the body. Allow Report an error in the passage at 11:43
12:08 that feeling of kindness, of calm and relaxation to spread up from the foot. And slowly creeping up through the ankle as well. Report an error in the passage at 12:08
12:24 Traveling up the back of the foot as well, up through the Achilles tendon there. And just notice how that part of the body too becomes just loose and relaxed. And Report an error in the passage at 12:24
13:04 little by little allow that sense of relaxation to spread up slowly up through the lower leg. Report an error in the passage at 13:04
13:16 Rising up the shin. Little by little just creeping up the lower part of the right leg there. Report an error in the passage at 13:16
13:32 Just sinking into the body there and also spreading up the back of the leg as well. Noticing how that sense of kindness and relaxation spreads into the muscles of the calf there. And Report an error in the passage at 13:32
· · · silence, 1 minute
14:18 as that feeling of calm and relaxation spreads up through the lower leg on the right leg all the way from the ankle up through to the knee there. Report an error in the passage at 14:18
14:41 Just notice how that the joint of the body there feels right now of Report an error in the passage at 14:41
14:50 kindness any sort of aches and pains you might have there if there are any as Report an error in the passage at 14:50
15:25 that feeling of calm and relaxation spreads up all the way through the knee all the way through the joint there we allow it to very slowly creep up the upper leg as well we Report an error in the passage at 15:25
15:49 notice how the quadriceps those the muscles at the top of the thigh there slowly start to loosen up and also Report an error in the passage at 15:49
16:24 from that Report an error in the passage at 16:24
16:31 area around the back of the knee the sense of warm relaxation starts to spread up the back of the leg as well through the hamstring muscles there Report an error in the passage at 16:31
16:59 And that part of the body also becomes relaxed and just calm and peaceful. And Report an error in the passage at 16:59
17:33 now we can very gently change the focus of our attention to the left side of the body, to the toes again on the left foot. And Report an error in the passage at 17:33
17:57 just notice how that feeling of calm and relaxation, of kindness. Spread through each toe one by one from the smallest toe and all the way across the foot to big toe there. And Report an error in the passage at 17:57
18:41 we allow that sense of calm and relaxation to spread from the toes on the left foot spreading through the ball of the foot there and across the arch of the foot all the way over to the heel. And Report an error in the passage at 18:41
19:19 also notice how the Feeling of calm spreads through the upper part of the foot as well. The instep there spreads through the whole foot there and begins to creep up through the ankle and Report an error in the passage at 19:19
20:01 slowly allow that feeling of calm and relaxation spread up the ankle and Report an error in the passage at 20:01
20:14 slowly creeping up through the lower leg spreading Report an error in the passage at 20:14
20:22 up through the shin bone there and Report an error in the passage at 20:22
20:32 creeping up through the Achilles heel up into the calf muscle and we allow that part of the body again just to relax to Report an error in the passage at 20:32
20:48 become loose and Report an error in the passage at 20:48
· · · silence, 1 minute
21:23 again we allow the feeling of relaxation to spread up from the lower part of the leg on the left hand side now and Report an error in the passage at 21:23
21:40 it just naturally flows up into the up through the knee up through the the joint there and Report an error in the passage at 21:40
21:53 just spread through all of that all the parts of the knee there too and any troubles you might have there if you're a bit old like me just have a bit of kindness to that part of the body allow it to relax and Report an error in the passage at 21:53
22:32 again we notice how the feeling of calm and relaxation spreads upwards from the knee Report an error in the passage at 22:32
22:43 first rising up through the front part of the thigh there the quadricep muscle and noticing how that part of the body relaxes just Report an error in the passage at 22:43
22:59 lets go of its hold that the muscle has the muscles loosen and Report an error in the passage at 22:59
23:21 also creeping up again from the back of the knee up through the up through the hamstrings there and again those muscles that part of the body Report an error in the passage at 23:21
23:34 just becomes more calm and becomes more relaxed and Report an error in the passage at 23:34
23:58 now we just notice how that feeling of relaxation in the legs spreads into our hips into the into the joints there and begins to relax all of those muscles around there as well and just creeps up the up Report an error in the passage at 23:58
24:23 into the very lower part of the back there The very lower vertebrae there. And Report an error in the passage at 24:23
24:33 we notice how that part of the body relaxes too. And Report an error in the passage at 24:33
24:55 as we allow the very lower part of the back to become calm, to become relaxed, we start from that very first vertebrae at the very bottom there. And Report an error in the passage at 24:55
25:20 very slowly allow that feeling just to creep up through the lower back there. Report an error in the passage at 25:20
25:33 All the muscles there, spreading out to the width of the body. Just Report an error in the passage at 25:33
25:50 rising up through the very lower part of the back there. And Report an error in the passage at 25:50
26:01 allowing that sense of calm and relaxation to spread through the body, through to the front of the body. Just notice how it sort of gathers in that area around the navel, around the tummy there. Report an error in the passage at 26:01
26:26 And we allow that part of the body to relax. Have kindness there too. And Report an error in the passage at 26:26
26:58 little by little that sense of relaxation starts to spread up from the lower part of the back. It spreads up through all Report an error in the passage at 26:58
27:14 of the muscles there through to the small of the back. That inner curve. And Report an error in the passage at 27:14
27:36 we allow that sense of relaxation to spread through the body again. from the curve of the back through to that area just below your ribs the solar plexus area that Report an error in the passage at 27:36
28:01 area around the heart and we just allow that part of the body to relax as well just Report an error in the passage at 28:01
28:13 noticing that as we relax the body has less to do the body has less work to do and Report an error in the passage at 28:13
28:39 that area around the Report an error in the passage at 28:39
28:44 heart is just a very peaceful place indeed Report an error in the passage at 28:44
28:53 We can always imagine the heart beating just a little bit slower, a little bit more regular. And Report an error in the passage at 28:53
29:18 we allow that feeling of kindness, of calm and relaxation to spread right up into the chest. Report an error in the passage at 29:18
29:28 And we breathe in the calm. We breathe out the calm. And Report an error in the passage at 29:28
29:47 also we notice the calm and relaxation spreading up through the muscles in the upper part of the back now. Report an error in the passage at 29:47
30:02 So from the chest area and all the way back through to the other side of the body there through Report an error in the passage at 30:02
30:15 to the muscles of the scapula there which is just below your shoulder blades and Report an error in the passage at 30:15
30:24 allowing that calm relaxation just to spread through the muscles there and Report an error in the passage at 30:24
30:45 now we can just gently turn our attention to to Report an error in the passage at 30:45
30:54 the right hand to the Starting with the fingertips there on the right hand and Report an error in the passage at 30:54
31:06 we give that part of the body a bit of attention, kindness. And we notice that sense of relaxation spreading through the fingers. Report an error in the passage at 31:06
31:29 Slowly relaxing the right hand there. A Report an error in the passage at 31:29
31:38 sense of calm spreading through the knuckles, across the palm of the hand there and also through the back of the hand. Report an error in the passage at 31:38
31:54 slowly creeping up through the wrist there just noticing that part of the body relax on the right hand side rising Report an error in the passage at 31:54
32:09 up through the wrist and also spreading into the lower arm there the forearm i should say and Report an error in the passage at 32:09
32:29 spread through the from the back of the wrist up the up through all the muscles there that run all the way up to the elbow Report an error in the passage at 32:29
32:46 We notice that sense of calm relaxation spreading through the muscles, loosening them, creeping Report an error in the passage at 32:46
32:59 up into the elbow joint there, into the crook of the arm. And Report an error in the passage at 32:59
33:20 as that sense of peace, of calm, of relaxation spreads up through the elbow, starts to rise up into the upper arm as well. We Report an error in the passage at 33:20
33:38 notice how the bicep, the muscles of the outer part of the arm, Report an error in the passage at 33:38
33:47 Again, just slowly just release the hold on the body and relax and become loose and Report an error in the passage at 33:47
34:07 little by little that sense of calm just creeps up into the shoulder on your right hand side. Report an error in the passage at 34:07
34:18 Deltoid muscles there that becomes loose as well as the arm just hangs loose at the side of your body and Report an error in the passage at 34:18
34:35 the calm just sort of spreads into the joint as well into the just that part of the body where the arm meets the shoulder. Again Report an error in the passage at 34:35
35:03 we gently just change our focus of attention to our left left hand now and Report an error in the passage at 35:03
35:15 starting with the fingertips just notice how that relaxation spreads through the hand through the first through the knuckles of the hand and Report an error in the passage at 35:15
35:33 spreading through the palm the and also the back of the hand and just spreading up into the wrists Allowing that part of the body to be relaxed and at ease. And Report an error in the passage at 35:33
36:04 little by little that feeling of calm relaxation starts to spread up the forearm as well on the left hand side. All the muscles there creeping Report an error in the passage at 36:04
36:25 up from the wrists all the way through the forearm and up to your left elbow into Report an error in the passage at 36:25
36:41 the crook of the arm there. and also out to the very point of your elbow as well on the outside as well and Report an error in the passage at 36:41
37:04 little by little that feeling of calm and relaxation and kindness spreads into the upper part of the left arm from that point of the elbow along Report an error in the passage at 37:04
37:23 the outside of the arm of the upper arm creeping up from the crook of the arm through the bicep And right up into the left shoulder. All the muscles around there. As I said, the deltoids relaxing. The left arm just hanging loose there at your side. Report an error in the passage at 37:23
38:14 Now we notice how the feeling of relaxation, calm and chill Report an error in the passage at 38:14
38:28 spreads from your shoulders. and spreads right across the back of your shoulders across the very Report an error in the passage at 38:28
38:42 upper part of the back there right across the back of the neck there and again all those little muscles just loosen up and release any tension that might have built up there through the day and Report an error in the passage at 38:42
39:15 as that sense of peace and relaxation spreads up through the neck Report an error in the passage at 39:15
39:24 Just notice how the chin droops a bit. The Report an error in the passage at 39:24
39:46 area around the jaw starts to relax, to become loose. Report an error in the passage at 39:46
40:01 And that sense of calm and relaxation spreads up through the face, just starting at the jawline, rising up to the cheekbones there. And Report an error in the passage at 40:01
40:34 little by little, that feeling just continues to creep up. the through the face through the muscles there through the right into your that area around the eyes and Report an error in the passage at 40:34
40:57 the many little muscles there all around the eyes start to relax and become calm and Report an error in the passage at 40:57
41:19 also creeping up again from the back of the neck up the back of the head just become aware of that part of the body give it a bit of kindness And allow that part of the body to relax as well. Report an error in the passage at 41:19
41:54 Also from the brow of the head, that area above the eyes, that starts to relax too. And Report an error in the passage at 41:54
42:06 that feeling creeps right up to the top of the head, to the crown of the head. And Report an error in the passage at 42:06
42:14 that sense of relaxation, of calm, is finally spread through the entire body. From your little toe, right up to the top of the head. Report an error in the passage at 42:14
42:38 Okay, so I'll ring the gong three times and that will signal the end of the meditation. When the third gong has rung, you can open your eyes. Thank Report an error in the passage at 42:38
43:11 you for joining us tonight. Very enjoyable. Glad you can make it. You stuck in very quietly. Very good. Report an error in the passage at 43:11
43:29 Okay. I went a little bit over time with the meditation tonight. A whole of 35 minutes. There's about 15 minutes left, so if anyone does have any questions, anything they would like to know, or would like to impart, or anything, that's all good. Report an error in the passage at 43:29
43:53 Yeah, it's really, I'm very honoured to be able to come here and see such a crowd on a regular basis now, so I'm getting, you know. a good 15 people or something every week, so that's really good next week it'll be Bodhi back again, Bodhi's back from Thailand, so he'll be teaching and then when Santidi's finished his Report an error in the passage at 43:53
44:20 Ajahn, I'd be curious. as well so yeah so that's all good okay so um yeah can i get a quick anything you want to say Through your meditation journey of your life or your monastic life, I'm curious about some of the challenges or any of the challenges and how you overcame that okay either in general if you want to pick a specific one okay i mean there's been endless challenges i mean i um i first turned up at uh bodhnyana monastery and serpentine back in 2006 i think we're talking 20 years now yeah it's about 20 years it's about this time of year so um Probably the first challenge I faced was that there was no air conditioning. And it was the middle of February. It was this time of year. Report an error in the passage at 44:20
45:19 I booked in with the guest monk and I was there from the middle of February through to the middle of March. And I tell you what, it was quite tough at the time. Bodhinyana had, you know, the guest rooms there were pretty basic. Report an error in the passage at 45:19
45:39 But I think also that simplicity was actually really lovely. It was a good thing to start monastic life with. You've got a room, you've got a cushion, and there's a bottle of water there. Report an error in the passage at 45:39
45:57 And it's hot, but it was good fun. I think just having someone like Ajahn Brahm you know just Just being around and giving us teachings, regular teachings and encouraging us and lay people coming every day and bringing all this wonderful food. So we'd have a bit of breakfast in the morning, we'd have our main meal of the day at 11 and then, you know, so we had to learn how to get by on with the practice of intermittent fasting. Report an error in the passage at 45:57
46:33 So that was a bit of a challenge too. But really, I mean, I think the main thing is, I think this is really the principal practice is just patience. You just put your butt on the cushion and that's it. Yeah, you just stop. That's right. You kind of figure out after a while that you can't really think your way into calm. Report an error in the passage at 46:33
47:01 You have to just relax. Report an error in the passage at 47:01
47:19 robes as a novice in 2008 so yeah I spent most of my time at Serpentine I also went to Sri Lanka for a For a few months in 2014, I spent the rains retreat there in 2014. I spent time with Ajahn Kama over in New South Wales. He's got a monastery in the middle of Darug National Park just north of the Hawkesbury there, which is extremely remote. Report an error in the passage at 47:19
47:45 It's 16 kilometres to the front gate. Yeah, it's an amazing place. And all of these places, even in Sri Lanka, you're surrounded by forest. And that's what they call the forest tradition. And I've always found that's a wonderful place to be. It's actually something we've put a lot of effort into at Kuslo. Report an error in the passage at 47:45
48:09 We've got 26 acres, and I've been just taking care of that block, taking areas that were pretty much just... Report an error in the passage at 48:09
48:44 Okay, so it is Anything else anyone wants to raise? If there's not, we can pack up and head on out. I hope everyone was comfortable in here. It was cool enough. Yeah, great. Okay, cool. All right, thank you very much. Cheers. Report an error in the passage at 48:44
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Talk by Ajahn Jhanarato, recorded at Roleystone Meditation Group, 15 February 2026. Original at Buddhist Society of Western Australia: https://podcast.bswa.org/e/vicikiccha-ajahn-jhanarato-roleystone-meditation-group/. Licensed No license stated; shared with the archive's knowledge (courtesy note). Transcript generated automatically and may contain errors; the audio is the authoritative version.
Listen on Buddhist Society of Western Australia · No license stated; shared with the archive's knowledge (courtesy note)