[...] Beth Steff has been practising at the monasteries associated with the traditions of Ajahn Chah in the West now for many years. She spent six years with us at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in California, USA. After returning to her home country of New Zealand, Beth was feeling inspired by the examples of living a life of mindfulness that she experienced in the monasteries and wanted to share that with others.

She then started compiling talks by some of the different teachers in the western branches of the Ajahn Chah monasteries. The result is this book, which hopes to convey the techniques and benefits of different perspectives of applying Buddhist practice in our day-to-day life. Hopefully, it will expand the reader’s focus to further understand and integrate the way of practice that the Buddha laid down and give people the opportunity to appreciate how this path of integrity, clarity and discernment works to free the human heart from its entanglements.

A collection of teachings by Ajahn Pasanno published in 2018 with gratitude to Ajahn Pasanno. The four teachings included are “Gradual Instruction”, “Balancing the Mind”, “Enjoying the Breath” and “Beneath the Bodhi Tree”. The publication is on the occasion of the completion of the Reception Hall building and surrounding grounds as well as shortly preceding Ajahn Pasanno departing for a one year sabbatical and handing off the responsibility of abbot to others in the community.

When Luang Por Pasanno completed the teaching of the retreat that is the source of this book in September of 2008, a handful of us declared enthusiastically that we would produce a book so others could also benefit from this retreat. Time passed. My mother passed. The idea to put these teachings into a book resurfaced, but this time with a deeper intention. It felt like a wonderful tribute to my mother, to all mothers—whether from a biological mother or someone who has fit the ideal, perhaps a father, aunt, uncle, older sibling, friend, or teacher—as an expression of the gratitude for the example and the love.

Just as a bird, wherever it goes, flies with its wings as its only burden; so too is a monk content with a set of robes to provide for his body and alms-food to provide for his hunger. Wherever he goes, he takes only his barest necessities along. (D 11)

I am delighted to be here for the twenty-fifth anniversary of Chithurst and the opening of the new Dhamma hall. This space is very beautiful; everyone can spread out comfortably. On the other hand, some people sitting in the back may not be able to hear me so well, if at all. Isn’t this an excellent example of the unsatisfactory nature of existence? even in the midst of such uplifting circumstances, a certain amount of dukkha is unavoidable.

The word “becoming ” is an innocuous little term. It doesn’t really evoke much of an image or much feeling. But the reality is that it is because of the nature of becoming that we continually experience suffering. It is why we continually experience conflict. It is why we are continually dissatisfied. Becoming is why we continually opt to be scattered, confused and stupid rather than peaceful and wise.