Reflections On Life Goals And Priorities (Single Volume Edition)

Reflections on life goals and priorities. In this volume:

• The good, the bad and the unconditioned
• ‘We need to talk about Nibbāna’
• Suchness and the square root of minus one
• Unshakeable well-being
• ... Happily ever after

Reflections on life goals and priorities. In this volume:

• Buddhism and the pursuit of wealth
• ‘How to live a Dhamma life in the capitalist world of today?’
• A currency of well-being

Reflections on life goals and priorities. In this volume:

• ‘What is the best religion?’
• ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys’
• ‘Who was Ajahn Chah?’

Reflections on life goals and priorities. In this volume:

• ‘Heroin or chocolate cake?’
• ‘I am a Buddhist, why am I so angry?’
• The importance of being bored, sad and lonely
• ‘If you truly love me, don’t create me in your mind’

Reflections on life goals and priorities. In this volume:

• ‘The Blue Pill or the Red Pill? Why Wake up When my Habits are so Pleasant?’
• ‘Of course it’s happening in your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?’
• Let the citta draw a picture

"I thought I would begin by offering a few reflections about equanimity or upekkhā. This is one of the most significant psychological, emotional qualities talked about in the Buddhist tradition. However, because we commonly translate the word upekkhā in English as ‘equanimity’, it can easily be overlooked or seen as something a bit insignificant, not so practical or even heartwarming, as... Continue

The theme for this Dhamma talk is ‘My way or the Middle Way?’ As people might recognize, the title was borrowed from the famous Frank Sinatra song, written by Paul Anka, ‘My Way’, which is the supreme anthem of self-confidence: Through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall, And did it my way!’ Confidence is definitely a part of the... Continue

This photo-journal records a pilgrimage made in Sri Lanka in November of 2019. I had been invited numerous times to visit this ancient seedbed of Theravāda Buddhism but, prior to this present occasion, had always declined the offers. Thee reason for this was not a disinterest in the country, with its ancient Buddhist traditions and numerous holy places, rather it was that, if I was going to go, I... Continue

Over the last few years I have led residential retreats specifically on the theme of dependent origination on at least five occasions – at Amaravati in the U.K., in Mae Rim, Thailand, and with Le Refuge, at Monastère de Ségriès, in the south of France. Various aspects of this rich, essential theme of Buddhist teaching have been focused upon in these different situations, according to the... Continue

THE TITLE OF THIS BOOK, Mind Is What Matters, brings attention to attitude. It points to the enormous difference our attitude makes as the mind receives and processes experience, and it points to that aspect of Dhamma practice of making everything our teacher. In 2017 at our open retreat at Amaravati Monastery, there were over 400 people attending. Ajahn Sumedho gave teachings every evening, and... Continue

Sunday Talk on the 18th September 2016 Good afternoon to you all. The theme for the Sunday talk this week is ‘Forgiving and Compassion’ so I will offer some reflections around these significant areas of our lives. I will start with forgiving. This is a very important aspect of spiritual training and, as a way of life, it is a counterpoint to the attitude of being unforgiving, the attitude... Continue

The theme for this afternoon’s talk is ‘Less is More – Frugality, Renunciation and Generosity’. I will focus on the frugality and renunciation aspects first of all and then get to generosity later on. First of all, it struck me how, if we say that our usual philosophy in life is ‘more is better’, if ‘less is more’, then ‘less is better’ – if you follow the logic – which is... Continue

HISTORICALLY THERE HAVE BEEN differences of opinion about the relative merits of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism and, if you read much of the literature, they would seem to be quite divergent in their approaches toward Buddhist practice – yet there also seem to be some tremendous affinities. When I arrived at the International Forest Monastery in Thailand, I had never read any Buddhist books... Continue

From a talk given on the winter retreat, Chithurst, February 1991 Gotama Buddha said, when he was an old man, “This body is like an old cart, held together by straps; this body only keeps going by makeshift repairs. The only way I can feel comfortable is to absorb my mind into signless concentration.” For all of us, the Buddha included, we are faced with the inevitable presence of... Continue

The Dhamma talk was given on the 20th of June 2018 at the World Fellowship of Buddhists The topic for this evening is ‘Not Sure!’ Sitting on Sukhumvit Road and not moving in a vehicle, with the evening scheduled to begin at 6:30 and realizing it had already passed that time, I thought: ‘That’s a very good introduction for this evening – Not Sure! – When’s Ajahn Amaro going to... Continue

This story is intended to be both a partner to the novel The Pilgrim Kamanita, written by Karl Gjellerup in 1906, and a tale that stands on its own. There is no need to have read the earlier book in order to make sense of this one; however, should you wish to go to the source from which many of the characters and scenes of this tale have sprung, an English version of it is to be found at:

Today is the 100th day after the passing away of the king of Thailand: His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Also, at this time, a good friend of the sangha, Yom Ploen Petchkua, is very close to the end of her life. She was diagnosed with five brain tumours a few months ago and I had the chance to go down and see her with Ajahn Pasanno, and a number of monastic and lay friends in December, in her... Continue

The following is based on a talk given on March 29, 2003, at Abhayagiri Monastery, Redwood Valley, California.

In May of 2003, three senior Buddhist monks from the Thai forest tradition of Ajahn Chah – Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Nyanarato – travelled into the Arctic wilderness, 800 miles from the North Pole. This is a photo-journal of their odyssey.

This book contains a miscellany of my writings, rather than transcribed talks, from throughout my life as an ajahn in the Western Thai Forest sangha. The first part, ‘Roots’, is mainly historical; its chapters introduce Ajahn Chah, our founder and inspiration, and Ajahn Sumedho who led us to the UK and beyond, and then describes various events in our Western history.

This book is based upon the talks and meditation instructions offered during a thirteen-day retreat at Amaravati, in the summer of 2012. It is intended to be something of a follow up to Finding the Missing Peace, which was published in 2011 and presented as ‘a primer of Buddhist meditation’. The Breakthrough is intended to be a somewhat more specialized toolkit, describing the path of Buddhist... Continue

THE BOOK YOU ARE VIEWING HERE is the eBook of the second print edition of The Pilgrim Kāmanīta – a Legendary Romance, published in 2017. The text of the story is largely unchanged from the 1999 and the 2008 editions, although – poetic licence of the author notwithstanding – a few more factual errors have been corrected. There have also been a few additions and amendations to the Notes and... Continue

This small book is the fourth in a series of four, consisting of reflections and practices related to the ‘sublime abiding places for the heart’ – the four brahma-vihāras, in Buddhist parlance. The vision for the series is to explore these sublime abidings via the somewhat oblique approach of looking at their opposites. In this last book we will be investigating upekkhā and this through... Continue

This small book is an expression of the good wishes of many sincere and devoted people. It is a gesture of their faith in the Triple Gem and, in particular, in the life and teaching of Venerable Ajahn Chah and the community of his students. On December the 5th, 2015, Luang Por Pasanno, of Abhayagiri Monastery in California, and Ajahn Amaro, of Amaravati Monastery in England, were given the... Continue