[...] 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.

Este pequeño libro contiene reflexiones de Ajahn Amaro mencionadas en una charla que dio en el Monasterio Abhayagiri en el año 2003, poco antes de viajar para acompañar a su madre en sus últimos días.

“Los primeros maestros” es una expresión referida a la madre y el padre. “Las primeras deidades” es una expresión referida a la madre y el padre. “Aquellos que merecen devoción” es una expresión referida a la madre y el padre. ¿Y por qué? Los padres son una gran ayuda para sus hijos; los educan, los alimentan y les muestran el mundo. Anguttara Nikaya 4.63

… «Cuando me pregunto de dónde me llegaron esas influencias inspiradas o las inclinaciones hacia aquello que es bueno, saludable y útil, me doy cuenta de que vinieron casi por completo de ella. Cuando falleció mi abuelo materno, mi madre me dijo que ella había recibido de él lo principal de su guía y dirección. Ella respetaba esa herencia de amabilidad, discreción y benevolencia hacia todas las cosas, y transmitió a su vez esas cualidades. Esa fue realmente la principal influencia espiritual que tuve antes de ir a Tailandia: todo lo que me mantuvo operando de alguna manera en la proximidad del comportamiento humano equilibrado, fue gracias a ella. De modo que desarrollé un gran sentimiento de alegría y gratitud hacia ella por haber tenido la fortuna de recibir esto».

Este pequeño libro fue originalmente redactado como un capítulo individual del volumen llamado La Isla: Una Antología de las Enseñanzas del Buda acerca de Nibbāna. Como una de las diferentes secciones de ese libro, contiene material que puede felizmente sostenerse por sí mismo, de ahí la iniciativa que surgió de publicarlo como una separata.

En un tiempo en que la gente en el mundo está cada vez más inclinada a realizar múltiples tareas al mismo tiempo, y disminuye su lapso de atención, hay muy poco que nos anime a la compostura interior y la integración, para no perdernos en las diez mil cosas maravillosas que compiten por nuestra atención. Esperamos que la sabiduría de las enseñanzas contenidas en este pequeño libro contribuya, en alguna medida, a restablecer el equilibrio, ayudándonos a recordar y comprender la infinita riqueza y paz que contiene, in potentia.

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.