Growing Through Difficult Situations

0:00 Excellent. You know what we're going to do to begin? Be silent. Have a meditation. Is that what you like? Okay, I'll do a guided meditation for you. So if you just sit down, close your eyes and shut up. Let me wait one minute. One minute? Yeah, people are still coming in. Are they still coming in? Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:26 I have to wait, say nothing. Song of silence, you can sing it. Report an error in the passage at 0:26 Highlight the passage at 0:26

0:39 Okay. See, that was a duet. Report an error in the passage at 0:39 Highlight the passage at 0:39

0:46 Okay. So, I'm going to start now. It's close enough to seven o 'clock. So, only 20 minutes, not that long, just to guide you into calming the mind down and becoming very, very, very peaceful. Report an error in the passage at 0:46 Highlight the passage at 0:46

1:02 So, when we sit down, some people will be late, but that always happens. ways. Report an error in the passage at 1:02 Highlight the passage at 1:02

1:09 And some people have been here early. So it's seven o 'clock, so that's when we said we'd start. So now just please close the eyes. Report an error in the passage at 1:09 Highlight the passage at 1:09

1:21 When the eyes are closed, see Report an error in the passage at 1:21 Highlight the passage at 1:21

1:27 if you can bring your awareness to how comfortable you are sitting on the chair. How does your body feel? Report an error in the passage at 1:27 Highlight the passage at 1:27

1:39 When you become aware of your body, you often find that it may not feel exactly the same. As it normally feels when you meditate. Report an error in the passage at 1:39 Highlight the passage at 1:39

1:53 I climbed up the stairs today so I can feel my legs a little bit tired than they usually are. Just to know without being afraid or without criticizing. It's just to gather the information of how you feel right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:53 Highlight the passage at 1:53

2:15 To become aware of your body. Report an error in the passage at 2:15 Highlight the passage at 2:15

2:20 And today I'm going to advise you. To follow these three principles, which comes from the emperor's three questions similarly. What is the most important time? Report an error in the passage at 2:20 Highlight the passage at 2:20

2:39 It's always right now. It's the only time we ever have. As for your future, your future is always made now. This is where you make it. If you want a peaceful future, you make it peaceful now. If you want a healthy future, build that health now. Report an error in the passage at 2:39 Highlight the passage at 2:39

3:05 And the second question, what's the most important meditation object? What should you be watching? The most important thing to be aware of is what's happening right in this moment. Report an error in the passage at 3:05 Highlight the passage at 3:05

3:19 Whatever this is in front of your awareness, give that importance. Even if it's unpleasant, it's actually happening. Report an error in the passage at 3:19 Highlight the passage at 3:19

3:31 If it's unpleasant, we learn from it by being here and noticing it, noticing how it changes. We're not only just being here. We are also understanding it by giving it importance and never try to get rid of anything while you are meditating this way. Get to know it. And thirdly, be kind to it. Be compassionate and gentle. Report an error in the passage at 3:31 Highlight the passage at 3:31

4:05 And as you're compassionate to what you're experiencing right in this moment, that's all you need to do. Report an error in the passage at 4:05 Highlight the passage at 4:05

4:16 Don't try and analyze what you're experiencing. Don't even try to understand it. Just get to know it with kindness. Report an error in the passage at 4:16 Highlight the passage at 4:16

4:30 And as you're kind and knowing, in this moment, you're not trying to get anywhere, you're not trying to get rid of things, even the sound of the traffic, of the motorbike. Report an error in the passage at 4:30 Highlight the passage at 4:30

4:50 Just be kind to it, accept it. Open the door of your heart. To whatever's happening right now, just Report an error in the passage at 4:50 Highlight the passage at 4:50

5:03 knowing rather than thinking. Report an error in the passage at 5:03 Highlight the passage at 5:03

5:11 And you're in this beautiful little cocoon of silence and all this other noise outside. It's not yours, so don't engage with it. You're just like the sun which shines on everything and never complains about what it's shining on. Report an error in the passage at 5:11 Highlight the passage at 5:11

5:41 You're just aware. What's it like? To be able to hear. But hear the sounds. Don't try and figure out the meanings. Report an error in the passage at 5:41 Highlight the passage at 5:41

5:59 And you'll find you can be peaceful within, even though there's noise outside. Report an error in the passage at 5:59 Highlight the passage at 5:59

6:09 Be aware of sounds. And don't try and find out meanings. This is a calming exercise. Report an error in the passage at 6:09 Highlight the passage at 6:09

6:30 It's strange. When I do this, I don't choose what to be aware of. Oftentimes I've become aware of my breathing. It's kind of natural. When everything else is like background noise, it's not important. It vanishes. What remains is only what you give importance to. Report an error in the passage at 6:30 Highlight the passage at 6:30

7:09 And Report an error in the passage at 7:09 Highlight the passage at 7:09

7:16 hopefully, like me, you must be easily aware of your breath going in and going out, keeping it simple. Report an error in the passage at 7:16 Highlight the passage at 7:16

7:32 What I do naturally is I zoom in, like in some video screen, and you allow what's on the outside to fall off the screen as you zoom further in. Report an error in the passage at 7:32 Highlight the passage at 7:32

7:55 So any noise, again, tends to be in the background as you zoom into the center of whatever you're experiencing. Report an error in the passage at 7:55 Highlight the passage at 7:55

8:09 When there's anything unpleasant, we always like to zoom away. To move away. In this type of meditation, we go inside. We go deeper in, opening the door of your heart and allowing your awareness, your mindfulness to go deeper inside. I don't mean physically. I mean to the center of whatever you are experiencing. Report an error in the passage at 8:09 Highlight the passage at 8:09

8:47 You know it's safe. And even in noisy places, you can go into the center of this. We can still hear the noise, but it's no longer disturbing. Like if ever you are sick, you can feel the pain, but you go inside, deep inside the center, that you don't feel any negative physical feelings. Report an error in the passage at 8:47 Highlight the passage at 8:47

9:28 And as you go inside, zooming in, you find that so much which is on the outside vanishes and disappears. Report an error in the passage at 9:28 Highlight the passage at 9:28

9:45 As it vanishes and disappears, all you're left is finding this peaceful refuge in the center of your own body and mind. Report an error in the passage at 9:45 Highlight the passage at 9:45

10:05 If the center is at peace, it's like that peace and comfort radiates out from the center to the rest of the body, the rest of the experiences of sound and feeling. Report an error in the passage at 10:05 Highlight the passage at 10:05

10:23 And heat or comfort or tiredness, only the outside is tired. You go inside, deep into the center of all this, and there's no tiredness. Report an error in the passage at 10:23 Highlight the passage at 10:23

10:49 You go to the heart of this body and mind. Go inside, never go on. Report an error in the passage at 10:49 Highlight the passage at 10:49

11:00 I've already told a few people today, the next stage of meditation is always right inside the center where you are. Right in this moment. Report an error in the passage at 11:00 Highlight the passage at 11:00

11:17 Just going inside. Going to the center of this. Report an error in the passage at 11:17 Highlight the passage at 11:17

11:27 And don't feel that you need to describe it to yourself. Report an error in the passage at 11:27 Highlight the passage at 11:27

11:35 The more peaceful, the more centered you are, the more aware you are in this moment. Report an error in the passage at 11:35 Highlight the passage at 11:35

11:48 It's easy to remember. You don't have to take notes. Report an error in the passage at 11:48 Highlight the passage at 11:48

11:58 And how does your body feel when the mind centers? How comfortable? is the body. Often the body relaxes by itself and Report an error in the passage at 11:58 Highlight the passage at 11:58

12:23 eventually it relaxes so much the outer part of the body disappears too. And what you are aware of is just a tiny piece inside your body and mostly the mind. Report an error in the passage at 12:23 Highlight the passage at 12:23

12:48 The mind can think and try and work things out but that's the distraction. Report an error in the passage at 12:48 Highlight the passage at 12:48

12:59 You realize You're not trying to control anything. You're not trying to make things happen. Just being aware without interfering. It Report an error in the passage at 12:59 Highlight the passage at 12:59

13:20 just becomes like looking at a leaf fluttering in the wind. A Report an error in the passage at 13:20 Highlight the passage at 13:20

13:32 leaf fluttering in the wind makes Report an error in the passage at 13:32 Highlight the passage at 13:32

13:41 noises that are natural and after a while they disappear. Can Report an error in the passage at 13:41 Highlight the passage at 13:41

13:58 you be aware of the silence in the middle of things? Report an error in the passage at 13:58 Highlight the passage at 13:58

14:10 Inside it's quiet. Report an error in the passage at 14:10 Highlight the passage at 14:10

14:15 Inside it's free. Report an error in the passage at 14:15 Highlight the passage at 14:15

14:21 And you relax into that silence. You never force. You never try and make it happen. You never strive. Feel your whole body and mind relaxing to the max. Report an error in the passage at 14:21 Highlight the passage at 14:21

14:49 You don't have to live up to any ideals, except just to be kind to yourself. Report an error in the passage at 14:49 Highlight the passage at 14:49

15:02 Set to be kind. To this moment, allowing Report an error in the passage at 15:02 Highlight the passage at 15:02

15:11 this moment to be. Report an error in the passage at 15:11 Highlight the passage at 15:11

15:24 Seeing if you can disappear, to Report an error in the passage at 15:24 Highlight the passage at 15:24

15:32 let go. Report an error in the passage at 15:32 Highlight the passage at 15:32

15:38 Put all of the assessing and controlling, put that down. Report an error in the passage at 15:38 Highlight the passage at 15:38

15:47 So just knowing this moment, not judging it. Report an error in the passage at 15:47 Highlight the passage at 15:47

15:56 That's what we mean by opening the door of your heart. Report an error in the passage at 15:56 Highlight the passage at 15:56

16:06 Then what comes in, goes out. Doors don't just open things in, it lets things out. Report an error in the passage at 16:06 Highlight the passage at 16:06

16:22 free from the past free from the future just being kind to the present not Report an error in the passage at 16:22 Highlight the passage at 16:22

16:49 aiming to get anywhere just enjoying being here can you notice the pleasure of this moment at Report an error in the passage at 16:49 Highlight the passage at 16:49

17:07 last you don't have to change anything you don't have to improve anything this moment's already here So it's a waste of time finding fault with it. We Report an error in the passage at 17:07 Highlight the passage at 17:07

17:25 abandon the fault-finding mind. Report an error in the passage at 17:25 Highlight the passage at 17:25

17:32 This is good enough. A Report an error in the passage at 17:32 Highlight the passage at 17:32

17:43 lot of times we just see the mistakes in this moment. Now we see the beauty of this moment. You manage to come here, free afternoon or evening. Report an error in the passage at 17:43 Highlight the passage at 17:43

18:04 You're here. So rest and stop trying to do things. Report an error in the passage at 18:04 Highlight the passage at 18:04

18:18 We'll be quiet now for 10 minutes. Report an error in the passage at 18:18 Highlight the passage at 18:18

18:24 When I speak again, we'll be close to the end of the meditation period. Report an error in the passage at 18:24 Highlight the passage at 18:24

· · · silence, 5 minutes

23:26 Okay, it's getting close to the end of the meditation period. How do you feel? Don't open your eyes yet. Do Report an error in the passage at 23:26 Highlight the passage at 23:26

23:42 you feel more stress inside your body? More tightness inside your mind? Or has your body relaxed? And your mind feel more at freedom. Report an error in the passage at 23:42 Highlight the passage at 23:42

24:01 How does it feel? This is the dharma of experience. Your experience. Report an error in the passage at 24:01 Highlight the passage at 24:01

24:12 Please trust that. It's your best indicator of whether what you've been doing has been working for you. It's Report an error in the passage at 24:12 Highlight the passage at 24:12

24:25 not what you should be doing that's important. It's what works for you. You recognize the peace and the health. Beautiful sense of freedom which comes inside your mind and in your body when you let go. And Report an error in the passage at 24:25 Highlight the passage at 24:25

24:56 when you're ready, please open your eyes to end the meditation. Report an error in the passage at 24:56 Highlight the passage at 24:56

25:07 Thank you all. Report an error in the passage at 25:07 Highlight the passage at 25:07

25:16 Excellent. Report an error in the passage at 25:16 Highlight the passage at 25:16

25:22 Okay. So now I'm supposed to give a little talk, about 45 minutes. What was the subject again? Going through difficult situations. I'm growing through difficult situations. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 25:22 Highlight the passage at 25:22

25:46 Please let us know. Sorry? No, it's okay. This is giving a dharma talk in difficult, noisy situations. Sometimes what you do is... Will it help? Okay. up a tiny bit, please. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 25:46 Highlight the passage at 25:46

26:07 we're just... OK. Report an error in the passage at 26:07 Highlight the passage at 26:07

26:13 But anyhow, one of the first things which comes to my mind... What is it? What in the breeze? Okay, yeah. Okay. Okay. Whatever. Report an error in the passage at 26:13 Highlight the passage at 26:13

26:33 I don't know, did you find that when you started the meditation, you could hear the noise? It was kind of disturbing. And after a short while... the noise is going to be coming from the road still. Really? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 26:33 Highlight the passage at 26:33

26:47 I hope that happened to you as well. It was like the noise vanished. Sometimes people did stop, but sometimes it's just the case that you pay no attention to it. When you pay no attention to it, it vanishes from your conscious awareness. It's amazing that that can happen. And when I said to actually go into the center of it, there was something I talked about, I think, last night over in London. Report an error in the passage at 26:47 Highlight the passage at 26:47

27:17 Even my teacher, Ajahn Chah, he told me that for years and years and years, he had this problem with malaria. Like every monk who lived in the forests, lived long enough in the forest, you're going to catch malaria. And so once he caught that malaria, it was always there for him. Report an error in the passage at 27:17 Highlight the passage at 27:17

27:41 And then once, he said, when he had a very... Strong spell of that malaria fever. Instead of actually just laying down or just trying to take medication, he decided just to meditate. And he used the simile of going right into the center of that malaria fever. He described it like sitting in the middle of a forest which was on fire. Report an error in the passage at 27:41 Highlight the passage at 27:41

28:09 And because it was a forest fire, he could feel the heat grow and grow and grow. And soon the heat became so strong that he had to make sure he was in the very centre of it, just like the simile of an eye of a storm. And in the very middle, the very centre, it never burnt him. He never felt hot. He realised there was a fire around him, but in the middle he was quite safe. Report an error in the passage at 28:09 Highlight the passage at 28:09

28:42 Then it got hotter and hotter, and then it exploded. And that was the end of the malaria fever. He never had it again. And I always like those little ways of letting nature just do what nature does. Let the noise be the noise. And then learning from it. And that's where we do grow in adversity and difficulty. Report an error in the passage at 28:42 Highlight the passage at 28:42

29:13 Of course, over here in Brighton, we never have a problem with mosquitoes. But I remember some of the problems we had with... Do you have any mosquitoes in Brighton? Sometimes. Really? Ah, okay. We're not talking about a rock band called the Mosquitoes, are we? We don't have an area. Yeah, okay, yeah. But sometimes, when I was a young monk, you know, I was not used to mosquitoes at all. Report an error in the passage at 29:13 Highlight the passage at 29:13

29:44 They never had any mosquitoes in London. But then you went to sit in the forest in the jungles of northeast Thailand. And there, I don't know why, but we never had any mosquito repellent, nothing to rub on your hands or shoulders, had no protection at all. And those mosquitoes, they almost ate you alive. Now over there, if you ever see the photos of monks in the forest, Report an error in the passage at 29:44 Highlight the passage at 29:44

30:18 Had bald heads, bald shoulders. There's so many places at the dinner table, as I said. And then also that those mosquitoes in Asia, especially Thailand at that time, they knew they saw a bald head and a brown robe and that was a safe dinner. I don't know if you had anything to eat yet tonight, but imagine you go into a restaurant and at any moment you get swatted. You don't know why. Report an error in the passage at 30:18 Highlight the passage at 30:18

30:48 It just happens. Imagine this. If a mosquito went out to dinner, how tense they would become. Their digestion would have been terrible because they never knew. They saw many of their friends sitting in their next table get swatted and killed and went out of their life forever. But when the mosquitoes recognized a Buddhist monk meditating in the forest, in those days they didn't have Buddhist nuns meditating in the forest. Report an error in the passage at 30:48 Highlight the passage at 30:48

31:15 That was really unfair. Unfair on the mosquitoes. Report an error in the passage at 31:15 Highlight the passage at 31:15

31:23 So anyhow, when I complained to Ajahn Chah, we used to count with my friend, he was an American monk, how many mosquitoes we had on our arm at one time to see who beat the record. Report an error in the passage at 31:23 Highlight the passage at 31:23

31:39 And it was about 60 or 70, honestly. And that was almost unbearable. And only later on when I talked to the other monks, I wondered how on earth did you endure that? Because how I enjoyed that was when I went to see my teacher Ajahn Chah and he said, from now on, let the mosquitoes be your teacher. Report an error in the passage at 31:39 Highlight the passage at 31:39

32:05 We used to call them Ajahn Mosquito. The thing was, it didn't make any sense. It wasn't that Ajahn Chah was abusing us or exploiting us. There was always something amazing in what he said, which was always unexpected. So I decided to learn from those mosquitoes. And then what I learned, I learned how to meditate properly. Because what I did was just no reaction, to be at peace, to be really still, not to think of ways of avoiding those mosquitoes. Report an error in the passage at 32:05 Highlight the passage at 32:05

32:44 And soon the mosquitoes stopped biting me. It was kind of weird that after an hour or two hours of meditation in the jungles, In the evening time, which was mosquitoes feeding time, you look at your arm and you won't see any little bumps from mosquito bites. You know what I thought? I thought this is some psychic power of meditation. You go deep and you're kind of protected or something. But later on, many years later, when I came back to the West, into Australia, I read an article that what mosquitoes are attracted to. Report an error in the passage at 32:44 Highlight the passage at 32:44

33:26 It's like carbon dioxide coming out of the pores of your skin. And that when your metabolism goes down and you start to become very calm and peaceful, the amount of carbon dioxide coming out of the pores of your skin reduces enormously. Your metabolism goes down. And basically, the mosquitoes can't find you. You disappear, you vanish. Report an error in the passage at 33:26 Highlight the passage at 33:26

33:52 They can't perceive you. I really didn't realize exactly what was happening at the time, but he was teaching me how to be still. And the more still I was, the more I became invisible to the mosquitoes. And he could prove that that's how I survived. And I was really surprised when he talked to some of the other monks sitting next to me. Report an error in the passage at 33:52 Highlight the passage at 33:52

34:19 They didn't know how to avoid those mosquitoes. And this is one of the reasons why. Amidst that difficulty of enduring so many mosquitoes, which were dangerous, you managed to find some growth. Report an error in the passage at 34:19 Highlight the passage at 34:19

34:37 They were my meditation teacher. Not only that, in those jungles there were many snakes as well. And many of those snakes, they used to say, just to understand the danger of the snakes in the jungles of Thailand, He said there were 100 species of snakes, roughly. 99 of those species were venomous. If they bit you, you'd be in big trouble. And the 100th species strangled you to death. Report an error in the passage at 34:37 Highlight the passage at 34:37

35:18 In other words, they were all dangerous. So how could you grow amongst such a dangerous environment? And how we used to grow was realizing not stillness was important, but kindness, compassion, gentleness. Report an error in the passage at 35:18 Highlight the passage at 35:18

35:41 And I don't know how many snakes you've been aware of, but I realized the snakes didn't want to eat me. They were sometimes afraid, and you could see that fear in them. I remember one time when I opened the door to go into my hut, There was a blind spot just where the door opened towards me and just underneath that door there was a snake and I trod on it. Report an error in the passage at 35:41 Highlight the passage at 35:41

36:15 That's a very dangerous thing to do because if I trod on you, what would you do? You would sign fight back thinking I was trying to hurt you. But fortunately, he knows, obviously, it was Marx. When you trod on anything, you didn't have any socks on, didn't have any shoes on, and so you could actually feel it. Report an error in the passage at 36:15 Highlight the passage at 36:15

36:41 As soon as I felt the feel of a snake under my feet, straight away I was mindful enough to react almost immediately and just jump off. And so I jumped away, and that snake jumped another way. We jumped in different directions, which was quite... Lucky. But then afterwards, he was only in the room, and I looked at that snake straight into its eyes and apologized, said, look, I don't want to harm you. Report an error in the passage at 36:41 Highlight the passage at 36:41

37:16 It's amazing when you're a monk for a few years how you can do stuff like that. But of course, there's another monk who did one better than that. I won't say that monk's name, but Ajahn... Ajahn Brahm knows him. And he was a monk who in the middle of the jungle in Thailand, a big snake came to him. And that snake was a king cobra. In that part of Thailand, they gave that snake a nickname, One Step Snake. Report an error in the passage at 37:16 Highlight the passage at 37:16

37:56 That nickname meant that if it bit you, you had one step left of your life. Then you die. Incredibly venomous. So what would you do if you were sitting on Brighton Beach? Report an error in the passage at 37:56 Highlight the passage at 37:56

38:22 We're supposed to be going there tomorrow, aren't we? And a big snake came right up to you. This was like in the jungle in Thailand. Big snake crawled through the ground and lifted its head. Report an error in the passage at 38:22 Highlight the passage at 38:22

38:36 Open its hood right in front of your nose. What would you do? It's a waste of time running away. That was one of the scariest things. That's one of the scariest things. That's a snake calling up. That's okay. Report an error in the passage at 38:36 Highlight the passage at 38:36

39:03 It's nice having a bit of musical accompaniment to my talk. Report an error in the passage at 39:03 Highlight the passage at 39:03

39:09 Whenever anything goes wrong, never be embarrassed. embarrassed use that as a nice part of your talk thank you for arranging that it took a while to rearrange it together So Report an error in the passage at 39:09 Highlight the passage at 39:09

39:21 the only thing which this monk did, imagine this big snake in front of you. Just, you know, one bite, you've only got one step left in your life. Would you be afraid? This monk instead put his hand up and patted the snake on the head, saying, thank you for visiting me. Report an error in the passage at 39:21 Highlight the passage at 39:21

40:08 It was in Thai. He said, thank you for visiting me. And what do you think that snake did? That snake enjoyed every moment of having his head patted. It's such a rare opportunity to have your head patted. I mean, how many other snakes get that opportunity to have your head patted by a holy monk? So he stayed there enjoying every moment of it for a while. And then he put his head down, closed his hood, put his head down, went to see one of the other monks. Report an error in the passage at 40:08 Highlight the passage at 40:08

40:42 And the other monk told me, sort of, look. Go back to him. I'm not doing that. Report an error in the passage at 40:42 Highlight the passage at 40:42

40:50 But that monk also, this brings back to mind just the predicament over in Anukampa, Bhikkhuni project, the grove we have there, the new monastery. Even then, there's always a council just, you know, want to find fault. Just testing you out. But that happened to us over in Australia, in Perth. We're building a nice monastery. Report an error in the passage at 40:50 Highlight the passage at 40:50

41:18 They had to put in all these building applications and planning change. And then the mayor, the mayor of the local council came to visit us. And this mayor, you know, he was really fat. He was wearing a suit and the buttons in the front of his suit were always about to pop. And this month, Ajahn Gunha, he was staying with us for a while in Australia. Report an error in the passage at 41:18 Highlight the passage at 41:18

41:48 And I saw that monk, Ajahn Ganha, go towards that mare. And when he went towards the mare, I could not stop him. And this monk started rubbing the mare's belly. Report an error in the passage at 41:48 Highlight the passage at 41:48

42:08 Now you saw that shy representative coming to our monastery. Never call it my monastery or your monastery. It's always our monastery. And, uh, imagine... Imagine that if Ajahn Ganha was there instead of me and started rubbing, was he fat? A guy from the shire, off the cattle, a little bit. Imagine, that's what you should do, rub his belly. And I thought that was the end of that monastery, of our monastery. Report an error in the passage at 42:08 Highlight the passage at 42:08

42:41 Imagine a mayor having his belly rubbed by a monk who didn't know any better. But all that time... It was one of those wonderful experiences, memories I'll always treasure. The mayor started smiling and then giggling, like gurgling, like a baby. It had been years since he had his tummy rubbed. Report an error in the passage at 42:41 Highlight the passage at 42:41

43:09 And honestly, not exaggerating, from that time on we had hardly any difficulty with getting our planning permission and all this other stuff which we needed to build things. Report an error in the passage at 43:09 Highlight the passage at 43:09

43:22 Sometimes I like those experiences, even though I thought it was going to be trouble. We learned so much and grew so much. And that's kind of been the nature of my life. You don't do anything without some trouble and difficulties. It's just how you make use of those trouble and difficulties to learn and grow. Report an error in the passage at 43:22 Highlight the passage at 43:22

43:43 It's not just learning and growing. It's learning how to grow together. The difficulties mean that you have to work with your friends. If there's any difficulties and problems with them, you know, you can still love them. Report an error in the passage at 43:43 Highlight the passage at 43:43

44:01 This is one of those wonderful sayings. It's in the Chinese literature. Love a tiger at a distance. May all tigers be happy and well, but please not in my monastery. Report an error in the passage at 44:01 Highlight the passage at 44:01

44:24 So you always have to learn how to deal with disappointments, with frustrations. And that's where life becomes very, very powerful. I think I did tell this story last night, but I was not in Brighton last night. This is where, over in Malaysia. When I was in Malaysia, I go there very regularly. It's very close to Australia. Report an error in the passage at 44:24 Highlight the passage at 44:24

44:54 And in Malaysia, I was told that there was one disciple there. Not really a disciple. Somebody they knew, a friend of a friend, who had been seriously traumatized and that no one yet had been able to help them. So I remembered, you know, that how can you really help someone? How can you learn? How to help with very serious trauma. And what I had heard and what I'd understood is all of the usual techniques you have to put aside. Report an error in the passage at 44:54 Highlight the passage at 44:54

45:39 All your old ideas you have to let go of. And so when I saw this lady, then I just said, I'm listening to you. And when you're listening, the wonderful thing about learning how to listen, I've been told, The brightness full of therapists and psychologists and healers. Is that true? So you must know more than I do. Report an error in the passage at 45:39 Highlight the passage at 45:39

46:09 Do you? Report an error in the passage at 46:09 Highlight the passage at 46:09

46:13 So they said they've been to every psychologist and psychiatrist and therapist who was available to them in Malaysia. Nothing was working for them. So when I did that little bit of helping, the first thing I did, It was put aside every theory I'd ever known, including Buddhist theories as well. And she said kindness and openness and listening. Report an error in the passage at 46:13 Highlight the passage at 46:13

46:43 So I listened very openly to what she told me. And because there was no feedback as I was listening to her, at least she trusted me enough to say exactly what had happened to her, at least as much as she could. And as she was telling me, I had to resist the urge to show my horror what she'd endured. It was a very violent rape, many times. And it's disgusting. Report an error in the passage at 46:43 Highlight the passage at 46:43

47:24 That's how I feel about it now. But when she told me this, I knew enough about meditation to keep my mind totally still. And then... Allow the information to come in and then see what response came out. I trusted my mind. It had grown in kindness, compassion, as understanding as I could. And then what came out of my mouth shocked me. It was an autonomous response. Report an error in the passage at 47:24 Highlight the passage at 47:24

48:02 What I said to this lady is that he was so fortunate to have been raped in such a way. Even repeating that now, you know, I have to resist feeling embarrassed, shocked by what I said. Report an error in the passage at 48:02 Highlight the passage at 48:02

48:22 But one thing I know is when there's really deep problems, you have to trust some innate understandings which don't accord to logic, which seem to be totally inappropriate. Report an error in the passage at 48:22 Highlight the passage at 48:22

48:40 When I said that, and I've never been raped, I've had a very fortunate life, and I said, you've been so lucky. And straight away, the reason why I said that came out. Report an error in the passage at 48:40 Highlight the passage at 48:40

48:53 And what I explained to her is that I have some confidence that you'll find a way out of this, especially when you find its meaning. Report an error in the passage at 48:53 Highlight the passage at 48:53

49:11 Have you known a lot the meaningless violence, meaningless exploitation, meaningless hurt which comes your way? When it has no meaning, that makes it so much worse and harder to actually to deal with. When the hard times, the difficulties, the great difficulties are without meaning, it just makes it almost impossible. Report an error in the passage at 49:11 Highlight the passage at 49:11

49:43 And so the meaning I said was, you know, you will find your way out of this. And then you'll be able to do something which I will never ever be able to do. Report an error in the passage at 49:43 Highlight the passage at 49:43

49:55 You'll be able to see someone else who's been through that pain, that dark places, that pitch dark places, and be able to take their hand and say something which I will never be able to say, which is, I know how you feel. Report an error in the passage at 49:55 Highlight the passage at 49:55

50:14 I really know. Report an error in the passage at 50:14 Highlight the passage at 50:14

50:18 I also know the way out. Come with me. You'll be able to help and heal others. That's something I'll never be able to do. When I said that to this lady, she nodded. Report an error in the passage at 50:18 Highlight the passage at 50:18

50:39 She had a path. It was not like a pathless black hole which you'll have to endure forever. And it was also a way out, a path out, with the meaning that she'll be so kind. In the future, help others. So this is one of the ways which I learnt and she learnt, just how to look at things in an impossible way. Report an error in the passage at 50:39 Highlight the passage at 50:39

51:14 She hadn't heard that before. I remember there was another therapist. We have many monasteries over in Australia. One of those monasteries is in the town of Bundanoon. That's Santi Monastery for nuns, bhikkhunis. And over there, close by, the same basically districts, there was a very wise psychotherapist. Report an error in the passage at 51:14 Highlight the passage at 51:14

51:48 I don't know what you call her. But she wrote a nice... Okay, that was what she wrote about an experience of a wealthy American lady. Who again had stage 4 cancer, depression and so many illnesses that no one could help her. And so she came to see this therapist over in Australia. And she said that money is not a problem. Report an error in the passage at 51:48 Highlight the passage at 51:48

52:26 I really do need help. Nothing is working. She was dying. And so... Straight away, this therapist had no idea what to do, but then went silent. And when this therapist went silent, then the words came out automatically. Report an error in the passage at 52:26 Highlight the passage at 52:26

52:54 She said, you should carry on playing the violin. Report an error in the passage at 52:54 Highlight the passage at 52:54

53:01 And this American lady just burst into tears. It's like we do have connections with each other. It's like that we can tune into one another. And I often say this, that when I give a talk, I really try to actually look at each one of you in the eye to see if these examples, if these talks resonate with you. Report an error in the passage at 53:01 Highlight the passage at 53:01

53:32 And that's what she was doing. And this lady... He picked it up straight away and this American lady burst out crying. And only afterwards she said what had happened in her life. She had been brought up in a very wealthy family and her parents had told her that you don't need to play the violin. Report an error in the passage at 53:32 Highlight the passage at 53:32

54:02 Just do other things. They get a good husband and be a good person, carry on the family traditions, whatever it was. She was told what to do rather than doing what she loved doing, which for her was just simple like playing a violin. Report an error in the passage at 54:02 Highlight the passage at 54:02

54:24 Have ever you felt what you really love doing you can't do? And because of that it has huge... Psychological and health problems. Report an error in the passage at 54:24 Highlight the passage at 54:24

54:44 I was always a very fortunate young man. So fortunate that I managed to do what I always really, really wanted to do, which was to become a monastic, honestly. And I know that because when I first became a monk in Thailand, I was only 23. Very young. Report an error in the passage at 54:44 Highlight the passage at 54:44

55:11 But I remember the first night after I took my novice ordination, I would wake up in the middle of the night in Bangkok with a nightmare. Report an error in the passage at 55:11 Highlight the passage at 55:11

55:24 I'm being honest, the nightmare was that I was a layperson. Report an error in the passage at 55:24 Highlight the passage at 55:24

55:34 And I'd open my eyes, sweating and fearful, and then see my robes neatly folded by my bed. I always slept on the floor in Thailand. I always liked sleeping on the floor. You know why? Because I was always afraid of rolling out of bed. On the floor, you just roll to a different side of the room. I just really enjoyed that. Even now, in the cave in which I live, I sleep on the floor. Report an error in the passage at 55:34 Highlight the passage at 55:34

56:07 You know, the person who's looking after me tonight, you know, sleep in a bed. But actually, I prefer falls. Report an error in the passage at 56:07 Highlight the passage at 56:07

56:18 Because I'm a monk and a senior monk. No, no, you can't sleep on the floor. We'll get you a bed. Okay. I remember doing that once when I was in a hotel in Cambodia at a conference representing Australia on something or other. And I remember just, I decided I'm not going to sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the floor. So I slept on the floor. I remember the housekeeper, you know in hotels a housekeeper comes in. Report an error in the passage at 56:18 Highlight the passage at 56:18

56:46 And they saw, you know, that the bed hadn't been slept on, and I said, I'd be sleeping on the floor. Report an error in the passage at 56:46 Highlight the passage at 56:46

56:54 I kind of like doing things which people don't expect, but nevertheless, which are very healthy for me. So anyway, let's go back to that lady who had stage four cancer and was dying. So she went back to the United States, got out a violin, started playing it again. What else can I do? He said, also, see if you can go out and start, what can you do? Start reading nice stories to kids who've been abandoned in hospitals or in prisons. Report an error in the passage at 56:54 Highlight the passage at 56:54

57:37 So she became like a storyteller. That gave her such a great sense of fulfillment, to be able to be healthy. It's not just taking. It's also being able to give to others. And you learn that because of all that pain and difficulty you've been through. Report an error in the passage at 57:37 Highlight the passage at 57:37

58:00 I've noticed this, that all of those people who become great teachers have all been through hell. Those people who had an easy life, they find it difficult to relate to others. I say that because I use a simile, which I hope that many of you have heard before. Report an error in the passage at 58:00 Highlight the passage at 58:00

58:28 About truckloads of dung. That was the title of one of my books in Australia. In the United States. Who ordered this truckload of dung? I had a big argument with the publishers, Wisdom Publication. And I said, look, that's not what the title I told you to print. The title I told you to print was Who Ordered This Truckload of Shit? And why are you saying you can't say that? Report an error in the passage at 58:28 Highlight the passage at 58:28

58:57 Haven't you got freedom of speech in U.S.? No, no, no, no, no. And if any of you get offended, I use the word shit, please know that the Buddha said, this is in the... Yes, of non-conflict, the Sutta of Non-Conflict. He said, whenever you go and give a talk to monks or nuns, Please, you must talk in the local language. Report an error in the passage at 58:57 Highlight the passage at 58:57

59:35 What city are we in right now? What local language do you use? Report an error in the passage at 59:35 Highlight the passage at 59:35

59:46 Yeah, shit. Report an error in the passage at 59:46 Highlight the passage at 59:46

59:52 You're not doing that to offend people. You're using those words to relate to others and to do stories. stories which really surprise you Report an error in the passage at 59:52 Highlight the passage at 59:52

1:00:08 Yeah, I've got plenty of time, have I? You've got ten minutes, okay. This is another little simile. I meant to say this a couple of nights ago, but I never did. So I'm putting it in now. It's after a while you change your attitude to what you think is disgusting, what you think is going through huge trouble. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:08 Highlight the passage at 1:00:08

1:00:36 After a while, when you're through at the other end, you thank you for that experience. I've done a lot of work with people with cancers. I don't know why it's such a common disease and so amenable to changes of attitude, to wisdom. I've seen so many people whose cancers have been healed. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:36 Highlight the passage at 1:00:36

1:00:59 One of those people, I'm going off track a little bit, but I don't mind. One of those people... I saw it. It was there. His name was Ted. And he was from the Lancashire side of the Yorkshire border. And that's where he grew up. And in those days, many of those people used to smoke cigarettes. Because of smoking cigarettes, eventually he got lung cancer. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:59 Highlight the passage at 1:00:59

1:01:35 And when he got lung cancer... At least you have lovely places like hospices where they're not trying to heal you. They're just trying to make sure your last days are comfortable. And so we always used to say, you go in the hospice in a stretcher and you come out in a box. In other words, it's your last place. And so I remember going to see him. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:35 Highlight the passage at 1:01:35

1:02:07 And he told me this story which was so accurate and I think this is relevant over in Brighton. His story was the first night in the hospice, the nurse looking after him told him, what do you want for dinner this evening? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:07 Highlight the passage at 1:02:07

1:02:30 And he started saying that because he's not just got cancer, he's got high cholesterol. And his heart is in danger of stopping. And so he can't have anything oily. He's also got diabetes. So he can't have anything sugary or sweet. And he's also got hardened arteries. He can't have any salt in his food. And the nurse said, stop it, Ted. Ted was a really good friend. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:30 Highlight the passage at 1:02:30

1:03:11 Stop it. You're not going to die of any diabetes problems or any high cholesterol problems or hardened arteries. You've got lung cancer. You're going to die of that in about three days. So you can eat whatever you want. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:11 Highlight the passage at 1:03:11

1:03:31 And at that, the nurse said that Ted's eyes just went really wide. You mean all that food which my wife told me I couldn't eat? For years, I can eat that? Yes! And so Ted ordered the greasiest, oiliest, sweetest, sugary, saltiest food, which he had resisted for so many years because of his health. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:31 Highlight the passage at 1:03:31

1:04:04 When you're about to die, what's the point of health food? You're going to die. So he ordered this lovely, beautiful food like... We see fish and chips. What else is on offer for tomorrow? And anyway, all the stuff he had needed for years, which was really healthy for him, was it? But anyway, in about a week or ten days after he entered that hospice, he walked out under full remission. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:04 Highlight the passage at 1:04:04

1:04:44 I kind of like that story. The reason was, is to be. Because to be healthy needs happiness as well. Joy. That's incredible, powerful therapy. So just eating what you like. In moderation, of course. But eating some things which you really like really uplifts you and you enjoy. That's not an excuse to indulge. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:44 Highlight the passage at 1:04:44

1:05:21 I don't want any of you to sue. The organizers of these. But you can understand how that happiness just really uplifts you. That's one of the reasons why I tell stupid stories. In other words, jokes. Whenever I give these talks. Because that makes you pay attention. And it's usually the talks, the stories like the story of Ted, which you remember more than anything else. Do you understand really? Report an error in the passage at 1:05:21 Highlight the passage at 1:05:21

1:05:57 What makes us healthy and happy? Or do we follow what other people say? What do the experts say? Am I an expert? I know how to deal with so many diseases. Even the cancers. I've got another five minutes, yeah. Even the cancers. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:57 Highlight the passage at 1:05:57

1:06:29 I think that motorbike has got cancer. Anyhow. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:29 Highlight the passage at 1:06:29

1:06:38 Anyhow, one of these organizations I've been volunteering for for years, they used to call themselves the Cancer Support Association in Perth. And then they called themselves something else and then something else. And eventually, they were doing such good work, they got a big grant from the government. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:38 Highlight the passage at 1:06:38

1:07:00 And because they got a big grant from the government, they just built a huge... a complex of facilities in this community centre over in Perth and then they wanted to open it the grand opening and the head of the government in Western Australia his name was Colin Barnett was one of the VIPs then they told me the second VIP IP Report an error in the passage at 1:07:00 Highlight the passage at 1:07:00

1:07:33 Ajahn Brahm And I said, hang on, I'm not a politician, and this is a Christian country, or a Christian area. Why have you invited me to be the VIP to open this center? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:33 Highlight the passage at 1:07:33

1:07:51 And they told me that because I've been going for over 35 years, every year, and I've been inviting them to our monastery for 35 years. And I said, of course, I'm a monk, that's what you do. And then they said, no. That's why you're one of the VIPs. And they told me one of the amazing stories of why they wanted me to be the VIP. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:51 Highlight the passage at 1:07:51

1:08:17 The reason was that the very first year I went there, one of the survivors of breast cancer, I don't know if you've ever had breast cancer. I'm sure some of you have. It's a very traumatic illness. Many have their breasts removed. This is one of those ladies who had their breasts removed. She went into remission. She was fortunate. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:17 Highlight the passage at 1:08:17

1:08:48 Then afterwards, she was always afraid. The fear was, if it happened again, I don't think I could endure it again. So she put up her hand and asked the question, what do I do about that fear? I'm so afraid if it happens again. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:48 Highlight the passage at 1:08:48

1:09:10 And so I told her what would happen if it didn't happen again. And I said that straight away with such power that she understood it. And I gave the story of the famous English philosopher. How many of you have studied philosophy in this land? You have. I don't know if you ever studied this gentleman. Incredible philosopher called W.T. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:10 Highlight the passage at 1:09:10

1:09:41 Poo. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:41 Highlight the passage at 1:09:41

1:09:50 He never went to any university. He was very smart. And one day, Winnie the Pooh was walking with his little friend Piglet back from Rabbit's house. And as they were walking through the forest, there was a big storm. And they're still a long way from home. And the more they were on their walk, the more the trees swayed and first twigs and then branches and whole trees fell down. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:50 Highlight the passage at 1:09:50

1:10:16 And that's when little Piglet asked his friend, Pooh, Pooh, Pooh, what would happen? What would happen if a tree fell when we were underneath it? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:16 Highlight the passage at 1:10:16

1:10:29 Which was actually a real possibility. You know what the great philosopher replied? What would happen if it didn't? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:29 Highlight the passage at 1:10:29

1:10:44 Which was far more likely. And that meant that they could walk home safely. Now when I flew from Singapore into London, the flight which I was on, the plane, was the same mate as that plane in India which crashed recently. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:44 Highlight the passage at 1:10:44

1:11:11 Today when I think of what would happen if, what would happen if? My plane crashed. It was the same like Boeing 777 or whatever it's called. What would happen if my plane crashed? And then what's the answer? Report an error in the passage at 1:11:11 Highlight the passage at 1:11:11

1:11:26 What would happen if it didn't? Which is far more likely. Even when I was in Sri Lanka recently, there's a new type of dengue fever, chicken flu or something. That's his nickname now. A few Sri Lankans say, what's it called? Chicken? Chicken Gunya. Okay, something. And so anyway, I was there and they said, Ajahn Brahm, be careful, don't go to Sri Lanka. You know, because I always hang around with so many people. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:26 Highlight the passage at 1:11:26

1:11:59 So you'll get chicken flu. Or chicken, whatever it was. And then they said, what would happen if you did that? And of course my response was, what would happen if you didn't? Report an error in the passage at 1:11:59 Highlight the passage at 1:11:59

1:12:11 And have you ever noticed that while you're afraid of, you make happen? I've seen many couples. The relationship fell apart. I'm really great with marriage counselling because I haven't been married ever. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:11 Highlight the passage at 1:12:11

1:12:34 But a lot of times, if you're afraid of the relationship falling apart, you make it fall apart. If you're afraid of traffic, of driving, then of course you are so tense you can't relax enough to be a safe driver. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:34 Highlight the passage at 1:12:34

1:12:58 What are you afraid of? You often make happen. And I see that now I should finish off the talk part. Okay, you're not going to throw it over me. Why not? It's nice and cool. A lot of times... Have you ever seen those festivals in Asia, the water festivals, where you throw water over each other? That's very common in Thailand. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:58 Highlight the passage at 1:12:58

1:13:33 And monks are not exempt. I remember just one of my friends at the time, Ajahn Yana Dhamma, he never forgave me for this, that as we were going outside the hall on the Thai New Year Day ceremony, as we were going outside the hall, someone stopped me to ask me a question on meditation. So I said, yeah, okay. And then I told Ajahn Yana to leave the monks. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:33 Highlight the passage at 1:13:33

1:14:03 Out of the hall. And there was a bucket of water aimed for me. It was supposed to be for me. But the first monk who came out instead of me was Ajahn Yana. And he got the whole bucket of water. He never forgave me for that. So water is okay. It's hot days. It cools you down. But these are things which, how would you react? With laughter or with anger? Report an error in the passage at 1:14:03 Highlight the passage at 1:14:03

1:14:37 And anything bad ever happens, remember always, Ajahn Chah would always teach me to react with laughter, not with anger. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:37 Highlight the passage at 1:14:37

1:14:49 That's one way which I grew in understanding how to deal with difficulties in life. Okay. Ha ha ha. Okay. So let's finish this part of the talk. And now for some questions and answers. What I call the interrogation time. Okay. Okay, yes, okay. Who has the first question? Yeah, hi. So my friend spent a long time in Thailand and came back and she wants to know how can a person live a Buddhist lifestyle in the West? Report an error in the passage at 1:14:49 Highlight the passage at 1:14:49

1:15:43 Okay. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:43 Highlight the passage at 1:15:43

1:15:44 I had a friend who went to Thailand and obviously was impressed. And how can you live a Buddhist lifestyle in the West? First of all, you don't do things the way that the Thais do it. You don't throw water over everybody in April the 13th, which is the New Year day. It's pretty cold already at that time. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:44 Highlight the passage at 1:15:44

1:16:11 And you'll probably get sued for doing things like that. But you get what's the heart of Buddhism, which is the kindness and the gentleness and a sense of freedom of inquiry and finding out what the truth is, not through books, but through the deep meditations to feel what the right answer is. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:11 Highlight the passage at 1:16:11

1:16:34 And that's something even the Thais have forgotten. When I first went to Thailand, one of the reasons I went there... It was supposed to be the land of smiles, and it was. It was a very happy country. They had this wonderful sense of simplicity. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:34 Highlight the passage at 1:16:34

1:16:53 They said there's water in the paddy fields, there's fish in the rivers, and there's enough stored rice in the storage sheds. What more can you want in life? That sense of simplicity led to a sense of fun. Now remember, many times, So young monks over 50 years ago going into those villages and in those villages there was no electricity. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:53 Highlight the passage at 1:16:53

1:17:27 The innovation was brilliant. They had little bowls which they put kerosene in and then they used the toothpaste tubes. They cut the top of the toothpaste tube off because that was a nice little hole. They put a rag in there. And they floated on the kerosene and lighted the wick, and that gave them light, but was very smoky. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:27 Highlight the passage at 1:17:27

1:17:57 And the smoky was what kept the mosquitoes away. And there was enough light there, they could see one another, and every night they'd sit around, they'd sit around this little light and just tell themselves stories all night, all silly stories. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:57 Highlight the passage at 1:17:57

1:18:17 And they'd change the stories every time. But they were kind of wise and kind stories. They spent time every evening together telling stories. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:17 Highlight the passage at 1:18:17

1:18:28 And the happiness of a family is created when we do tell those stories. And basically, never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:28 Highlight the passage at 1:18:28

1:18:43 Just tell afterwards, it's not quite true. But it was enjoyable. Spending time together, growing up together. And I must admit, I admired that, and I felt jealousy that my family had a TV. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:43 Highlight the passage at 1:18:43

1:19:01 That's where I grew up. And in those days, you only had two channels, BBC and ITV, in those days. And we would argue almost to death about what program we were having on. And this was like... 70 years ago. I don't know how you survive when you've got so much choice. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:01 Highlight the passage at 1:19:01

1:19:29 Do you understand what I mean? Everyone watches their own TV. Really? Everyone watches it individually, that's the problem. So you're isolated, alone. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:29 Highlight the passage at 1:19:29

1:19:41 That sense of family in Thailand, my goodness, they all look after each other. Yeah, they argue with each other sometimes and they go out of the room. But then they come back in again because it's family. That idea of family is so strong. I think that's maybe what we've lost in the West over so many years. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:41 Highlight the passage at 1:19:41

1:20:04 And the simplicity enhances the sense of family. I do remember that lovely story that happened over here in, it was in Sussex. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:04 Highlight the passage at 1:20:04

1:20:16 I saw this, it was written in a newspaper article which was published in Australia. There was one lady who won the, The English Lottery, I think, 20 million or something, sterling. Must be a few years ago. If you won 20 million British pounds, what would you do? Report an error in the passage at 1:20:16 Highlight the passage at 1:20:16

1:20:43 Who would give it to Anu Kampa Bhikuni Project? So they can pay off their debts. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:43 Highlight the passage at 1:20:43

1:20:51 Too much. I can help you out there. there but Report an error in the passage at 1:20:51 Highlight the passage at 1:20:51

1:20:59 What she did, she bought herself a mansion in Sussex. It was quite a few years ago. Does a mansion cost 20 million? I don't know. Anyway, that's apparently what she did a few years ago. One year later, she sold it at a loss and bought a small terraced house somewhere in London. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:59 Highlight the passage at 1:20:59

1:21:19 And the reason was why. She said living in a big house separated her from the people she loved. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:19 Highlight the passage at 1:21:19

1:21:31 Many times her husband was in one wing of the house, her son was in another wing of the house, daughter was somewhere else in the house. Had so many rooms, it was separating them. And I remember just, as I said, a poor upbringing. That was one of my benefits, I reckon. Just the house, there's a council flat in West London, in Acton, a poorer part of Acton. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:31 Highlight the passage at 1:21:31

1:22:00 Remember that council flat? It was really, really small. Now that room which you gave me to stay in, Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project. Anukampa Grove. Grove, yeah, whatever. Anukampa Grove. I'm glad you know where you live. But anyhow, that room is actually, it brought all the rooms of the flat which I grew up in, in that room. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:00 Highlight the passage at 1:22:00

1:22:34 In just that one room. It was a small house, but I loved that place. You'd always see your brother, and you'd see your mum and dad. We were all so close together. I still remember that my mother and father had arguments. Even though they had arguments, I kind of enjoyed seeing them argue. You know why? Because they wouldn't speak to each other for about an hour or two hours afterwards. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:34 Highlight the passage at 1:22:34

1:23:03 Then I knew what was coming next. They'd make up. There was no escape. They had to live together. And they learned ways of letting go of things. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:03 Highlight the passage at 1:23:03

1:23:18 And to this day, I love that reconciliation moment. It was worth waiting for. And they would hug and say sorry. That type of reconciliation, they couldn't escape from their kids. We'd see it. And that means I was never afraid of falling out with somebody, as long as I knew how to fall in together again. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:18 Highlight the passage at 1:23:18

1:23:46 And that's where you got all these lovely little stories from, about why on earth do people fall out? Why do you argue with people you love? Often it's because you see what's wrong. I'm not talking about toxic relationships, which is best you leave as soon as possible. I'm talking about the majority of relationships, good people. Sometimes I wonder, I know the one partner, I know the other partner, and they're really nice people. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:46 Highlight the passage at 1:23:46

1:24:20 Why can't they live together in peace and harmony? A lot of time it is because they can always see the faults in one another. They can forget about the beautiful things in one another. This is one of those little exercises. which I learnt and which I did and taught other people to do. Sometimes, if you have an argument with one another, just go into your room and get out a piece of paper, put your name on the top of the piece of paper like you're at school, and draw a vertical line down the centre of the piece of paper. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:20 Highlight the passage at 1:24:20

1:25:01 And then, on the left-hand side, just put all the things which you don't like in that. All the things which really piss you off about them, all their negative, unfair comments, it's very easy to fill the left-hand side. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:01 Highlight the passage at 1:25:01

1:25:21 And then on the right-hand side, all the things which you admire about that person. I remember doing that with a prisoner in jail who was just so depressed. He thought he was hopeless. And I said, why? Put it down. He had all the reasons he'd hurt others, all the terrible things he'd done. And he had to put in between the lines to get enough space to put all the things which he hated about himself. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:21 Highlight the passage at 1:25:21

1:25:51 And then, okay, the right-hand side, all your good qualities. He said, I haven't got any. I remember this. He must have something good. He said, no, I don't. I'm in jail. I'm a prisoner. I'm a terrible person. He said, well, somebody said that, you know, you look after the prison cat. Oh, yeah, but that's nothing. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:51 Highlight the passage at 1:25:51

1:26:09 Put that down! That doesn't count, does it? Yeah, it does. Did you actually feed the cat this morning? Yeah, I gave it some milk. Put that down! And once he started putting one or two things down on that list, it became easy to find more things to put down on the good side of the ledger. Why is it as human beings we always like to focus on the faults? We are fault finders. Instead of looking at the beautiful side. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:09 Highlight the passage at 1:26:09

1:26:42 The good side. You know, the two bad bricks. I laid two bad bricks. I wanted to destroy the wall. And then I decided to count the good bricks. Actually, someone else told me, you should look at the good bricks in that wall, which I'd done. And there were so many, many, many more. Some people have come to Bodhinyana Monastery recently and said, where are those bad bricks? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:42 Highlight the passage at 1:26:42

1:27:08 And so I knew where they were. So I found them. But someone has actually put a shelf on them so you can hardly see them. Sorry? I thought you just didn't know where they were anymore. Yeah, I didn't know, but I knew roughly where they were. So I went looking for them. They weren't important to me anymore. Thoughts. We all have thoughts. Okay, yeah, sorry. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:08 Highlight the passage at 1:27:08

1:27:34 I always give sermons when someone asks a question. Anyway, thank you for the question. Is that enough for you? Okay, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:34 Highlight the passage at 1:27:34

1:27:43 Okay, next question. Oh yeah, okay. Do you have a favourite sūtra? Favourite sūtra? Report an error in the passage at 1:27:43 Highlight the passage at 1:27:43

1:27:56 Many favourite sutras. For the one which just comes up. It's basically many favourite ones. The one which I probably like the most is the Mahasattva Sutta. I like that one. Simply because that shows the story of the Buddha's own enlightenment. And that was being so ascetic for so many years and it wasn't working. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:56 Highlight the passage at 1:27:56

1:28:35 And then after being ascetic for so many years and getting nothing at all, he decided to try another path. And this was the path which he remembered. You know, from when he was a six or seven-year-old kid, when his father was doing a little ploughing ceremony. And he was just a six or seven-year-old kid getting bored. He didn't have an iPhone in those days. If there was iPhones available, he'd been on that. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:35 Highlight the passage at 1:28:35

1:29:11 He would have been on that. They said he just sat under a tree and crossed his legs and started meditating. And don't think a six-year-old or seven-year-old can't meditate. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:11 Highlight the passage at 1:29:11

1:29:23 Remember this lady in Perth who gave birth, and after breastfeeding her new kid, she told me, and honestly it was true, then this newly born kid, after feeding itself at the mother's breast, just crawled onto the tummy, sat across its legs in full lotus, and started meditating. It freaked the mother out. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:23 Highlight the passage at 1:29:23

1:29:54 She said, honestly, that happened. So people are remembering things from previous lives. So anyway, the Buddha meditated under the rose apple tree while the father was doing a ceremony and got into his first jhāna and afterwards had dismissed that for years. Something so pleasurable. How can I be any part of monastic life or spiritual life? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:54 Highlight the passage at 1:29:54

1:30:24 And then only after trying everything else, he thought, maybe that's the way to Sambodhi, to enlightenment. And then he decided it was. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:24 Highlight the passage at 1:30:24

1:30:36 So the next thing he did was eat properly, wash, sleep properly. It took him a while to recover. It's much easier to get into deep meditation when you're healthy. But that's what he did. He went to Bodh Gaya. And at that time, that was like... Almost a perfect place, next to a river, like a park, with cool trees. That's one of the reasons why Anukampa Bhikkhuni Grove is a beautiful place, and I'm very happy it's a beautiful place. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:36 Highlight the passage at 1:30:36

1:31:15 It's conducive to deep meditation. Some people feel you have to be an ascetic, in other words, to be really thin, sleep out, and just torture your body. in order to get enlightened. You can try that if you wish, but that's not going to work. Even our retreat center, which I built, I really said I built it, over in Perth. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:15 Highlight the passage at 1:31:15

1:31:44 Okay, if you can't hear, please shout out or something. But even that retreat center over in Perth, that I made sure that every room has an en suite. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:44 Highlight the passage at 1:31:44

1:32:01 And the first people who went, they said, why are you wasting all this money, making it so comfortable? And I said, because that's important. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:01 Highlight the passage at 1:32:01

1:32:11 If you have a comfortable abiding for your body, it's so much easier to get these deep meditations for your mind. The asceticism does not work. And so, the same, you know, just with the Buddha and Mahasachika Sutta. Then he sat down and he didn't strive. He let go of the world. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:11 Highlight the passage at 1:32:11

1:32:44 Does this become perfectly still, this water? Can I hold it still? I do this demonstration so often. Do you trust Ajahn Brahm? Okay, is it still? No. Why? I'm not being mindful, am I? And I'll be mindful. Is it still? Yeah, I'll concentrate. Concentrate. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:44 Highlight the passage at 1:32:44

1:33:16 I'm trying. No, it's still wobbling. It's still wobbling, wobbling even more. How can I get this water to be perfectly still? Let it go. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:16 Highlight the passage at 1:33:16

1:33:29 Put it down. Detach. Renounce. Let it get still all by itself. As Ajahn Chah taught me, have a look at the bushes in the garden. The leaves only move because of the wind. If the wind stops moving... Is that my fault? Report an error in the passage at 1:33:29 Highlight the passage at 1:33:29

1:34:00 I was running out of time. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:00 Highlight the passage at 1:34:00

1:34:06 Okay. Anyway, the leaves on a bush or a tree only move because of the wind. If the wind stops, the leaves keep moving. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:06 Highlight the passage at 1:34:06

1:34:17 But less and less and less until they become perfectly still. That's their default state. I love that statement, which means the nature of your mind, if you could leave it alone, let it go, just be mindful, but not be so demanding. It becomes very still. It's a wonderful thing to notice. You don't do anything. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:17 Highlight the passage at 1:34:17

1:34:46 You just get out of the way. Let it be. He gave some amazing deep states of meditation. Do you want a drink there, Ajahn? Oh yeah, that's another way to let the water become still. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:46 Highlight the passage at 1:34:46

1:35:02 Drain it and put it in your mouth. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:02 Highlight the passage at 1:35:02

1:35:09 Okay, next question. Did I answer yours first? Okay. So I'm interested in the parent contradiction between the practice with mosquitoes or whatever the other difficulty might be and needing to be comfortable because you were not that comfortable in the... the end of the forest in Thailand but you were using the huge numbers of mosquitoes eating you alive as your practice and how that But actually it was discomfort. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:09 Highlight the passage at 1:35:09

1:35:40 comfortable so it seems like the contradiction that if you're really comfortable that that's the access to that's not yeah but actually it was discomfort and Yeah, discomfort in the body, but also it was a great practice for me. Yes, that's what I learned. I had to let go. And I probably wouldn't have done that if there was no mosquitoes to help me. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:40 Highlight the passage at 1:35:40

1:36:07 Now, it's wonderful to have a comfortable place where you can be so still. So it's what's helpful, not what's necessary. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:07 Highlight the passage at 1:36:07

1:36:21 Can you say a bit more about the helpful and the necessary? Yeah, the helpful is to have few disturbances. Just like it would have been wonderful if we didn't have noise. Many of you would have got probably a deeper meditation. But I thank that noise because that showed you it's still possible. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:21 Highlight the passage at 1:36:21

1:36:45 One of those other experiences which I had as a young monk, one of the diseases which I did get in those days was scrub typhus. A little mite in the forest would actually bite you and infect you with a disease which was so similar to typhoid that when the western monks started getting sick with this disease, the local hospital and doctors never knew what it was because according to the health department, the scrub typhus never existed in northeast of Thailand. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:45 Highlight the passage at 1:36:45

1:37:22 What was happening is all the locals had immunity. It was only when the foreigners, the white westerners, we got it straight away. It was a very bad disease. And because they didn't know what it was, they had a cocktail of antibiotics. And I must remember and recall the nurse who would come into the monk's ward to actually... Report an error in the passage at 1:37:22 Highlight the passage at 1:37:22

1:37:54 To give the injections of antibiotics. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:54 Highlight the passage at 1:37:54

1:38:00 Now, don't be afraid. A young monk like me is not supposed to be even touched by these young Thai nurses. But this young Thai nurse, she was middle-aged, and she was hardly going to go into a beauty contest. She was built like a water buffalo. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:00 Highlight the passage at 1:38:00

1:38:21 And she had to be. She had to be very tough. Because those needles they used 50 years ago, they're all recycled. And I'm pretty sure they'd been used in Bangkok first of all, and then sent to these poor hospitals in the third world country, in the third world part of that country. And the monks were supposed to be the tough guys. So she never injected me, stabbed me in the bum in the morning and another one in the afternoon. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:21 Highlight the passage at 1:38:21

1:38:54 And so there's no possibility of any lust towards that nurse. I always remember that. I had such a sore backside after about three or four weeks in hospital. And even Ajahn Chah came to visit me. Imagine, a monk like that came to visit this young monk. He had lots of compassion, but his bedside manner was hopeless. He looked at me and said, I'm either going to get better or I'm going to die. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:54 Highlight the passage at 1:38:54

1:39:23 And that's it. The thing is, you can't argue with that. So if ever you go and see your poor mother or grandma in hospital, say, well, according to Buddhism, you're either going to get better or you're going to die. So don't worry. That wasn't helpful at all. But then eventually I decided nothing else to do. It wasn't getting better. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:23 Highlight the passage at 1:39:23

1:39:45 So I decided just to let go and meditate. And that was amazing. Because as I said, Ajahn Chah said he got into the center of a big... Forest fire, that's how it seemed. And that's where his malaria fever stopped. For me, he just didn't have a choice. He remembered that word, didn't have a choice. I didn't make this happen. I didn't strive. I just went into a deep meditation state where the body vanished and you're just blissing out. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:45 Highlight the passage at 1:39:45

1:40:17 And I never thought that was possible if he was so sick in a fever. I never thought that was possible with the posture I was in. Because that's one thing which I really noticed when you came out. The leg was over this way, the leg was over that way. Have you ever been to a hospital, visiting a relation who's in a fever, who's really sick, there's really no energy left at all? Report an error in the passage at 1:40:17 Highlight the passage at 1:40:17

1:40:39 They can't sit in a full lotus position or anything even appropriately like any posture I've ever seen in a meditation magazine. But it works. This is how my body felt comfortable. And the body can vanish. And that taught me a lot about meditation. So that's the necessary, that's to get through the difficulty, rather than using that as a method of developing better meditation in the face of the difficulty. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:39 Highlight the passage at 1:40:39

1:41:13 Oh, both, yeah. You don't intentionally inflict suffering. No, no, no. Isn't that the point? Yeah. The suffering comes naturally anyway. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:13 Highlight the passage at 1:41:13

1:41:31 It also means you get intense suffering and you don't get afraid of it anymore. You don't add to it. Fear is one of the problems which makes our life so much worse. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:31 Highlight the passage at 1:41:31

1:41:47 Don't be afraid. Be adventurous. If it all goes wrong, you just die and have another chance next time. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:47 Highlight the passage at 1:41:47

1:41:58 I kind of like that idea of rebirth. It means that there's no real mistake. and then To do it right next time. Make sense? Okay, next question. Yeah, go on. Is it possible as a lay person to make significant spiritual progress or to get into deep meditation? Yes. What advice would you give? Just first of all, why on earth do lay people feel that it's a difficulty? Report an error in the passage at 1:41:58 Highlight the passage at 1:41:58

1:42:34 You just need to let go. The first deep meditation I had, I was still a student. you know at university but the problem with getting deep meditation as a student I felt kind of... That's one of the dangers of deep meditation. Whatever partner you have, they're not so important anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:34 Highlight the passage at 1:42:34

1:43:07 The letting go, being detached, becomes even more important. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:07 Highlight the passage at 1:43:07

1:43:15 Guilty later on when I realized what those deep meditations do for you. Many times people used to ask me, are there any dangers in getting into deep meditation? Report an error in the passage at 1:43:15 Highlight the passage at 1:43:15

1:43:26 And there are. You tend to lose your hair. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:26 Highlight the passage at 1:43:26

1:43:35 Honestly, you're touching something which is so beautiful. And I never realized at the time, but that was where that girlfriend was not so important for me anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:35 Highlight the passage at 1:43:35

1:43:51 So yeah, but... Lay people do it. Look at this. I love telling stories. I can't stop it. But I was teaching one meditation retreat in Australia in China Grove and this guy turned up. It was the summertime and he turned up in traditional Australian dress. Traditional Australian clothes is like thongs, shorts and a dirty t-shirt. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:51 Highlight the passage at 1:43:51

1:44:17 And that was it. And he had lots of tattoos on him. And in those days, that was quite rare. And so when I saw him, I judged him. Please excuse me, but I'm being honest with you. I judged him. I said, are you on this retreat? You know there's a prison just down the road over there. You come to visit your friends. This is the wrong place. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:17 Highlight the passage at 1:44:17

1:44:43 That's how I actually said that, or similar. And he said to me, he said, no, I'm on the list. And I looked at the list, and he was on there. And so I said, okay, sorry. And in that retreat, he was a star meditator. He came to see me on the interview time and blew my mind what he was experiencing. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:43 Highlight the passage at 1:44:43

1:45:06 He was getting into these jhānas, real dhikki dai jhānas. You know what dhikki dai means? It's an Australian term. I mean, real, authentic. And I thought, wow, I cannot predict who comes on my retreat and who gets these incredible... Report an error in the passage at 1:45:06 Highlight the passage at 1:45:06

1:45:26 And he moved over to Sydney or somewhere around there. And it's changed his whole life. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:26 Highlight the passage at 1:45:26

1:45:38 It's always for the better, though. So I cannot predict who's going to get these, who's not going to get them. You know, it makes me just really happy when someone comes and asks the questions. But be careful. There was this one gentleman, Lee Basington, who wrote a book about the jhānas or samādhi. And he said, he listed five people who he trusts and knows what they're talking about with regard to the deep meditations. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:38 Highlight the passage at 1:45:38

1:46:11 And he listed them in order of the easiest one, you know, to actually confirm that you have a jhāna, and the hardest one. And the toughest of these people to ask is this monk called Ajahn Brahm. I will not. So you've got Ajahn, if I have any doubts about your experiences, that's why I'm the toughest. The second toughest was part ox idol. But I forget who was the third. Because I don't want you to feel you've got these attainments or these experiences when it's not true. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:11 Highlight the passage at 1:46:11

1:46:57 And when you do have them, wow, that makes me so incredibly happy. Someone's understood these teachings. And just the bliss you feel. I said this even last night, I remember just the first jhāna. What you experience in that is sambodhi sukha. That's how the Buddha described it. Sambodhi is a word for enlightenment. It literally is a taste of enlightenment. And this is so profound to understand. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:57 Highlight the passage at 1:46:57

1:47:34 I also mentioned yesterday How many of you have been to the four holy sites of Buddhism? Three. Three? Over there. What are the four holy sites of Buddhism? No. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:34 Highlight the passage at 1:47:34

1:47:55 I always ask three questions. Always. It's first jhāna, second jhāna, third jhāna and fourth jhāna. That's in the... need to pass on it. Should I go on? No. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:55 Highlight the passage at 1:47:55

1:48:08 in the Chula-Hattipattabhamas. The first teaching which the Arahant Mahinda gave in Sri Lanka, that was how he taught. That's how Sri Lanka received Buddhism from the beginning, Report an error in the passage at 1:48:08 Highlight the passage at 1:48:08

1:48:33 inside. That's where you go on pilgrimage. So you don't have to go and get an airline ticket. You don't have to go all this traveling around. Just go deep inside. I love that teaching. I know the Indian tourist board don't like me. But nevertheless, you can feel what the Buddha felt. No difference. If you want to find out what is real Buddhism, you can experience it. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:33 Highlight the passage at 1:48:33

1:49:12 Going to those places is also helpful. It's not as helpful as actually having a similar mind to a Buddha. Just for an hour or two. And seeing the power of this path. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:12 Highlight the passage at 1:49:12

1:49:30 Go on, yeah. Is the remotely accessible the busy level? Yes. Because it feels very inaccessible. You know, I practice every day, practice for a long time, that was not... What do you do? Unless I maybe just don't know how to do it. Exactly. Can you just sit up? There you go. You totally let go. You give up. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:30 Highlight the passage at 1:49:30

1:49:54 Stop doing anything. Stop judging. Relax to the max. How do you relax? Feel your body and just no tightness, no tension. Yeah, there's not many tensions involved. Not many, but no tension. Relax to the max. Lying down is fine. I was lying down in the hospital. Lying down is fine, but often sitting down is more comfortable for me. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:54 Highlight the passage at 1:49:54

1:50:25 And you do the same with your mind. No past, no future. Be kind to the present moment until things start to disappear. Like you did at the beginning? Yeah, that's good, yeah. The art of disappearing. And bit by bit, your body disappears. You can't feel anything in your body. You can't hear. You can't see. If you didn't open your eyes, you couldn't see anything. In other words, all those things get lost. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:25 Highlight the passage at 1:50:25

1:50:57 So that's always my final wish for everybody. Get lost. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:57 Highlight the passage at 1:50:57

1:51:07 We always think that we've got to attain things. And Ajahn Chah kept on saying this. I never understood it until he kept on it again and again and again and again and again. It's just, you don't meditate to get something. You meditate to lose things. Be a loser. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:07 Highlight the passage at 1:51:07

1:51:36 I must love being a loser. You can relax being a loser. To me, I'm a loser. I don't have any income. I don't have any permanent place I can stay. Always on the move. Actually, I do have a monastery where I'm welcomed. But nevertheless, when you don't have anything, you don't possess anything, how much more free do you feel? Report an error in the passage at 1:51:36 Highlight the passage at 1:51:36

1:52:05 I did mention this. It's really weird that as a Buddhist monk, I don't have any money, no credit card, no bank account, but nevertheless, I came here on business class. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:05 Highlight the passage at 1:52:05

1:52:27 That's kind of weird. And I do this because even the committee, you know, in BSWA, they said, Ajahn Brahm, you know, you're an important asset. We want to preserve you. So... You must, on long-distance flights, go business class. Well, I don't buy the ticket anyway. They do. They pay for it. So I'm very amenable. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:27 Highlight the passage at 1:52:27

1:52:56 Sorry? Okay, we've got to... Okay. So we've got to wrap up soon, but we've got to say something about why I keep coming over here. Why I keep coming over here is to support equity in Buddhism. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:56 Highlight the passage at 1:52:56

1:53:14 My goodness, this is like a no-brainer. And I don't know why. There have not been enough bhikkhunis here in the UK. They're really growing over in Australia, over in New Zealand. Is it New Zealand? Yeah. America. But why? And recently, the hottest news. June the 16th. What day is it today? 17? 18? Just two days ago. One day ago. In Sri Lanka. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:14 Highlight the passage at 1:53:14

1:53:58 Recently I went to Sri Lanka and managed to score a time with the new prime minister in Sri Lanka. And I went to see her to tell her, look, you know, it's a new government. my God. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:58 Highlight the passage at 1:53:58

1:54:12 To create more peace and harmony in this land, why can't we acknowledge bhikkhunis in Sri Lanka and give them ID cards, which they're not allowed to have? And so that's been taken up by the Supreme Court in Sri Lanka, and it was yesterday they voted two to one. to acknowledge the existence of bhikkhunis. It's wonderful news, but it's also gross that it's taken so long to actually give them judicial accreditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:12 Highlight the passage at 1:54:12

1:54:56 And they said that because not having bhikkhunis... It's a violation. Oops, it's gone again. Basically, it's a violation of fundamental human rights. Violation of fundamental human rights. To not give bhikkhunis equity, give women equity in Buddhism, in Sri Lanka. I hope that you're really proud that at last that has happened, which means that the equity now has got no real obstacles. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:56 Highlight the passage at 1:54:56

1:55:30 It's going to happen more and more and more and more and more and more in so many different countries. Is it fair, you know, to have... Really good women who really want to become bhikkhunis. And to say you can't, makes no sense. It's Vinaya-wise. And I taught Vinaya to everybody when I was young. I was a Vinaya master. I still know my stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:30 Highlight the passage at 1:55:30

1:55:57 And the Buddha said, when he sat under the Bodhi tree, he was approached after his enlightenment by Māra, the tempter, and said, Okay, I acknowledge it. You're fully enlightened. Fair enough. But now, just give up and just disappear. Teaching others is a big burden. Is teaching others a big pain in the butt? It is. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:57 Highlight the passage at 1:55:57

1:56:25 But nevertheless, you do it for compassion, for kindness, for joy. Of course you're going to teach others. And the Buddha replied, I will not just disappear. I will teach until. Until I've established a powerful flourishing saṅgha of monks. Understand that. Until I've established a powerful flourishing saṅgha of bhikkhunis, a powerful flourishing group of laymen, powerful flourishing group of laywomen, and Report an error in the passage at 1:56:25 Highlight the passage at 1:56:25

1:57:04 every other gender too. Equity. Obviously, why not? He says, may all beings be happy and well. All means everyone included, no matter what race or religion or whatever. That's a strange thing to say, but why not? And so that's one of the reasons why the Buddha said, I will not enter Parinirvana until that occurs. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:04 Highlight the passage at 1:57:04

1:57:36 And then three months before the Parinirvana, and the chapel and the shrine outside of Westside. That's where Māra came to see the Buddha again and said, you've done all of that. You've fulfilled your promise. It's a flourishing saṅgha of bhikkhunis, a flourishing saṅgha of monks, a flourishing community of laymen and laywomen getting these great experiences in meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:36 Highlight the passage at 1:57:36

1:58:10 And wisdom. So now you can go. The Buddha said, yeah, actually, that's my promise. So he said, in three months' time, I will renounce the life faculty. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:10 Highlight the passage at 1:58:10

1:58:22 And that was at Kusinara. And I love quoting that. You can read that for yourself. It was like the Buddha's mission. And so he restarted that, you know, that missing link in Buddhism, the bhikkhunis. Mahāyāna bhikkhunis for a long time. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:22 Highlight the passage at 1:58:22

1:58:43 But now in Theravāda. And also in England, I told Venerable Chanda many times that after doing a bhikkhuni ordination over in Australia, reviving it, I remember this lady came up to me when I visited UK and said, Theravāda Buddhism is very dark in UK. Oops. It's okay, I won't say the wrong things about UK. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:43 Highlight the passage at 1:58:43

1:59:17 Buddhism is very dark in UK. And this was my homeland. This is where I started off being a Buddhist. So I got so much support. And I told you this too many times, it's still very strong in my heart. I can't just avoid you. I've got to make sure there is a flourishing bhikkhuni saṅgha in UK. Before I can go anywhere. Yeah. You're starting. Yeah, starting, yeah. Where's the trainees? There they go. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:17 Highlight the passage at 1:59:17

1:59:56 Two over there. Look at them. Amazing. And it's one of your trainees' birthday tomorrow, isn't it? It is. Where's she gone? I'm going to go to Chi. Should we sing happy birthday? Yeah, come on. Can we? Yeah. Okay, Chi, come to the front. it. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:56 Highlight the passage at 1:59:56

2:00:19 Yeah, come on, yeah. Shall we do some Buddhist chanting? Yeah, 30 tomorrow. Okay, one, two. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:19 Highlight the passage at 2:00:19

2:01:00 It's really cute. So, who's the next? But just to know, it's Oprah. open it can be done now then now i want to see it being done they have flourishing nun saṅghas all over the world bhikkhuni saṅghas Report an error in the passage at 2:01:00 Highlight the passage at 2:01:00

2:01:25 So you can come visit us if you want. So we have a lovely place near Oxford, which is secluded but not unsafe. It's just close enough to the city. Just far enough away to be really, really conducive, easy to come to and quiet and peaceful. And I think many of you have been, but not enough of you. So please do come along. And it's only a small place. It's going to be a residence for bhikkhunis. So it's where we live, first of all. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:25 Highlight the passage at 2:01:25

2:02:04 And from there, when we grow more teachers, more and more dharma teachers, then we can do more retreats locally and also overseas. So that's what I'm focusing on now. Now a lot of my energies are going into training these two wonderful young women as future saṅgha members, if that's the way their path leads. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:04 Highlight the passage at 2:02:04

2:02:24 And I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without Ajahn Brahm's support, which has been absolutely steadfast through every possible up and down. Including giving me the ordination. At least making the way for the ordination. The bhikkhunis do the ordination. But you have made that possible. And I would have been able to do that without you. Yeah, that's true. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:24 Highlight the passage at 2:02:24

2:02:50 But it really is the kind of... Okay, it's always hard to... Put enough good words to this, but the immense gratitude that arises with true confidence in the well-practiced saṅgha that has enabled me to carry on through every possible obstacle. And I'm just so incredibly grateful to you, Ajahn Brahm, as my teacher and an example of all those beautiful things we've been talking about, the kindness, the compassion and the working for fairness and equity. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:50 Highlight the passage at 2:02:50

2:03:25 So all of these things are happening, you know, all these kind of changes in the constitutions of countries like Sri Lanka. And hopefully, you know, it's harder sometimes to change the actual saṅghas. you know where there's so much kind of power in the male saṅgha and so much unwillingness to change because of fear or whatever reasons that might be but instead of worrying about that you know we just get on with what we do because i think for women we just want to find a path to liberation and many of us have the aspiration to do that as renunciates it's a choice that we need to be given you know it's not something that men can give us or not but it's a choice that was there that the Buddha And that we need to have available, you know, and not be barred from that based on gender or race or anything else at all. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:25 Highlight the passage at 2:03:25

2:04:15 So, yes, lay women can become enlightened. At least almost all the way. And that's wonderful if that's the path for you. But for some people, it's not. And for me, it was a calling from a very young age. So I know that, you know, there are other women with that same calling and gender non-binary folks and transgender folks. And we're trying to make a way, a path for them as well. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:15 Highlight the passage at 2:04:15

2:04:38 So please get involved. You're very welcome. Even men can come and stay. Mateusz is relieved because he comes at least twice a year. yay Report an error in the passage at 2:04:38 Highlight the passage at 2:04:38

2:04:49 So everyone is very welcome. I want to express my gratitude to each one of you. I'm always bowing to monks and nuns and saying thank you to the monks and nuns. But thank you, each one of you, all the contributions you have made. And sometimes a monk may be very old, a nun may be very old, but still we respect your feedback. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:49 Highlight the passage at 2:04:49

2:05:17 feedback to let us know if we're doing things wrong. It's one of the reasons why I got into this, helping out re-establish Bhikkhuni Saṅgha. There was this nun, Venerable Yi Fa, Mahāyāna nun, for the Fokhwangshan tradition. I love going to conferences because there you're sitting on a stage and people can criticise you. And you accept that, and you grow from that. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:17 Highlight the passage at 2:05:17

2:05:45 Ajahn Brahm You are so patronizing to the idea of bhikkhunis. And she criticized me very fiercely. And I thought, actually, you're right. Thank you. And after that, that caused me to make sure we did an ordination of bhikkhunis to start off in our tradition of a very strong bhikkhuni saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:45 Highlight the passage at 2:05:45

2:06:12 Criticism is sometimes helpful, often helpful. But it's done. With the goodwill of wanting something wonderful to happen in the future. So each one of you, thank you. Thank you, each one. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:12 Highlight the passage at 2:06:12

2:06:28 Yeah, okay. Over there, in the corner. See those two people in the corner over there? In the naughty corner? It's not a naughty corner. More information and get over there. Okay. Are we going to be fine for overstaying a little bit? Okay. It's not our hall, so we'd better get out quick. No, no, it's fine. We can mingle. Okay. Oh, great. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:28 Highlight the passage at 2:06:28

2:06:57 So intermingle time. Okay. I won't be able to stop them. So mingle away. Okay. Okay. Sadhu. Do they know what it means? It sounds strange. Do you know what the word sadhu means? Report an error in the passage at 2:06:57 Highlight the passage at 2:06:57

2:07:17 Awesome. Actually, it's a better word these days. That was an old word. Cool. Cool. Okay. Three cools. Cool. Cool. Cool. Thank you. Why not? Report an error in the passage at 2:07:17 Highlight the passage at 2:07:17