Shortly before he passed away, the Buddha gave his last instructions to his disciples ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Belief in untrue things feels exactly the same as belief in true things ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The first decision to be made regarding a particular pleasure is whether or not to experience it at all. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

There is great joy to be found in hearing a profound teaching for the first time, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Letting go of memories and imagination and returning again and again to the meditation object ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

One day, many years ago, I asked a young monk who was learning Thai ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It is common for meditators to lament that when their mind becomes calm it enters an empty state ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In times of conflict and danger it is unwise to place too much trust in a fearless persion ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

There is a modern tendency to portray the Buddha as simply a very wise and compassionate human being ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Many years ago, I was climbing up a mountain stream by stepping ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught that mental suffering is a consequence of mental defilements ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

If you are accustomed to eating very spicy food ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Maintaining mindfulness during conversations is difficult ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Endings have a powerful effect on the mind ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Late last year as I walked along a minor road in northeast India ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Zhuangzi once told the story of how a rare and beautiful seabird blown off course by a storm ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The senses in their natural state pull us here and there without cease ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

On one occasion the Buddha taught the seven qualities of the wise ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Merit (puñña) refers to actions of body, speech and mind that brighten, elevate and purify the mind ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha explained the relationship between virtuous conduct (sīla) and the higher stages of the path to liberation ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Mindfulness is not simply a matter of a non-judgemental present moment awareness ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The five hindrances (nivāranā) are mental factors that prevent the mind from realizing peace and wisdom ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

One common tendency of the mind is to overly complicate simple matters ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Dwelling in the present moment, in the Buddhist sense, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

There are many ways of talking about the functioning - or, more accurately ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Behind the different forms of craving, lies a basic discontent. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It is not so much the problem itself that dusturbs us ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Wherever in the world your body might be, in your awareness you are always here ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Recognizing connections is an important life skill ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

A certain child likes sweets ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

During the ordination ceremony, a Buddhist monk receives his first meditation object from his preceptor. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

One person expresses disappointment on arriving at a holiday destination ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Wastefulness is so much part of our world these days that we are often blind to it ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It is not just a matter of knowing the theory, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

People have been found to become more honest ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Most people want to live a long life ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Metaphors are powerful things ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

As long as we only pay attention to beginnings, greed will always be our master. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

There are many ways to bow ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We can always find a good excuse not to meditate ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

At the end of last year, as I wandered through some of the most remote villages ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Telling small lies for the sake of getting something we want or in order to avoid something we don't want, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

If you are being unfairly criticized by someone with unkind intentions towards you, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In every relationship there are many meetings and many partings, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Sometimes people behaving badly can be of as much benefit to us ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The ancient sages have reminded us to look at the moon ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

For many people protecting their ideas and beliefs is more important ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Anger makes us stupid ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Over and over again in our meditation practice we return to the breath ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Dhamma practice requires a great deal of trial and error. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

‘Kamma’ refers to intention expressed through body, speech or mind. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Luang Por Chah. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught that the unenlightened relationship to the agreeable aspects of life ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It was February 1976. I was a teenager travelling alone through southern India. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

When sitting and walking meditation are practised alternately, meditators are able to greatly extend the length of time they can meditate. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Ajahn Chah once commented on the reasons he believed people who had high academic qualifications were often hard to teach. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

As few Buddhists have memories of previous lives the teachings on rebirth must, for most of us, remains a matter of faith. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Food plays an important part in people lives. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The objects of Buddhist faith are not found in the dogmas of a holy book ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

When we look closely at the defilements that we are still unable to abandon, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

One of my father's favorite sayings was, ‘If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well.’ ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught us to be both content and discontent. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It can be a shock to realise how difficult it is to define common words that we have been using since we were children. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Kindness impresses and inspires us when clearly revealed in the actions and speech of a kind person ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In the mid-1970s, before I became a monk, I spent a year in India. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

On one occasion a brahmin went to see the Buddha and abused him with rude, harsh words. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

A great master once made a comparison between dogs and lions. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha said that forbearance is the greatest incinerator of defilements ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The ideas we have about who we are, are bound up with our feelings towards those around us. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha said that people who do not train their minds are like those who live in a house with holes in the roof. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Whatever particular thing we are anxious about or afraid of, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha said that sometimes there is the sound of thunder in the sky, but no rain falls. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

With the exception of the few people who have developed psychic powers, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In all endeavours, the beginning and the end have an especial importance. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Humility is not a matter of posture or tone of voice. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

If plants start to wither, it means they need to be watered. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

How to speak to a powerful person ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Pain and suffering are not the same thing. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Learning how to sustain attention on the meditation object depends not only on refusing to indulge in ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Meditation is not about getting something ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha once compared teaching students of Dhamma to training horses. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It is fortunate to be able to make a living in a job that is of true benefit to others. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

I once went to visit a woman in hospital. She was suffering from cancer and had only a few days left to live. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Perhaps you have started climbing a mountain from a valley which contains a swiftly flowing river. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We have to be different things to different people - mother, father, brother or sister; ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Ajahn Cha once commented on the reasons he believed people who had high academic qualifications were often hard to teach. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Merit (puñña) refers to purifying acts of body, speech and mind. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Theravādan Buddhists believe that the Buddha was born, realized enlightenment and passed away on the full moon of May. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Some people believe in eternal heaven and eternal hell. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It is not difficult beginning a relationship; it is difficult sustaining the commitment to keep nourishing it. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The bad news first: Our minds are full of ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The flame of a candle exposed to the wind is unsteady. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Accepting the truth of impermanence and directly experiencing the truth of impermanence are two different things. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Meditation gives you perspective. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught that the desire to boast or manupulate people's perceptions of us is a mental defilement. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Being right about something is not the end of the matter. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught that those who refrain from taking life, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We often confuse our feelings with the reality around us. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The more intense our emotions the bigger the difference ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In our practice, once we have contemplated the drawbacks of conditional love and the beauty and nobility of the unconditioned mind, then we will have courage and faith in the value of our own development ... - Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha did not teach by using the threat of hell or the promise of heaven ... - Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught that wise people understand what is essential and in life and what is inessential. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Ignorance (avijjā) is not knowing, or having wrong knowledge. We lack an accurate, unbiased experience of the reality of life. - Ajahn Jayasāro

Love can lessen our selfishness. - Ajahn Jayasāro

Craving or tanka is the ringleader of the defilements. - Ajahn Jayasāro

Today is Māgha Pūja, the first of the three annual Buddhist holidays celebrated in Thailand ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Dhamma practice involves looking closely at our mind, its thoughts and emotions ... - Ajahn Jayasāro

Another difficulty that may accompany love is discomfort with our partner’s families ... - Ajahn Jayasāro

Just as a dew drop on the tip of a blade of grass ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Have you noticed that a lot of people in love suffer precisely because they assumed that love would mean an end to suffering, that it would resolve something? - Ajahn Jayasāro

The kind of love that people are most interested in is surely romantic love. Nearly everyone hopes to be lucky, meet a soul-mate or a good life-partner, then to live together happily ever after. Truly loving someone and being loved truly by that person is the most popular of dreams. - Ajahn Jayasāro

Love for our parents and for our children is a natural attachment that is shadowed by suffering. It is a suffering that is for the most part willingly borne, but nevertheless we should be interested in learning whether there is any aspect of that suffering that we might relinquish without affecting our ability to be a good son or daughter or a good parent. - Ajahn Jayasāro

Love is a part of life which we need to imbue with wisdom and understanding. - Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught that certain mental states ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

As Buddhist practitioners we remind ourselves ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

A visitor to the monastery said to Ajahn Chā ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Coffee Wisdom - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

As a high school student ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We create a false sense of self moment by moment ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The optimist says the glass is half-full ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Having decided on a path of practice after careful consideration ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We often confuse our personal responses with ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha once said that monks ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Many years ago, before I became a monk, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

There is something truly beautiful and inspiring ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We assume that the ground under our feet is solid like concrete ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The rocks on a mountain top are harsh and jagged ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Faith plays a much smaller role in Buddhism than in other religions ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In a sports match the commentator informs his audience ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

There is no natural reason why red should mean stop and green mean go ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Last Sunday was the birthday of Mahatmā Gandhi ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Continuity of effort is vitally important ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

As meditators we must always be on our guard against pride. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The eight worldly conditions are gain and loss, status and obscurity, praise and criticism, pleasure and pain. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

During the three-month monastic Rains Retreat, lay Buddhists often try to be stricter with their precepts. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Our views are conditioned by the information we have access to, and the processing of that information. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Watching your mind is like watching over a small child ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We give so much importance to our moods ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Why is it that we so love the feeling of gaining things and making a profit? ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Precepts are not commandments ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We must always be careful not to allow the joy that arises from listening to and reading the Dhamma to fool us ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In monasteries throughout Thailand, today marks the beginning of the annual three-month Rains Retreat. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

On the full moon day of July well over 2500 years ago ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Anger is always likely to arise when our desires are frustrated. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

One of the inspiring qualities of wise people is their ability to sense ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Change we cannot control is frightening ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In a forest monastery the bell is rung for the first time every morning at three a.m., ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught us to constantly turn our attention to impermanence. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Moment by moment we identify ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Once upon a time ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

There are two kinds of harmony ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Even with teachers ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Renunciation of attachments seems intimidating ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

As a schoolboy I was quite curious ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

One day during my teenage years, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

A Nobel Truth is one that ennobles the person who truly understands it. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

A new year makes us think of new beginnings. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Some people take no interest in what other people think or feel ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Imagine living in a cottage on the side of a mountain ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

When we have difficulties with other people ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Notice the different feelings evoked by the words ‘this body’ and ‘my body’, ‘this pleasure’ and ‘my pleasure’, ‘this pain’ and ‘my pain’. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It is sometimes said that the Buddhist teaching of contentment leads to passivity. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Having no choices in life is depressing. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

A good reason can always be found to do the wrong thing. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The more you worry about things the more of a habit it becomes. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha once told of a tar trap used by hunters in the Himalayas to catch monkeys. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

An old story tells of the day on which Jīvaka, the Buddha's physician, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Lūang Phau Līam, Lūang Phau Chā's successor as abbot of Wat Pā Phong ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In a group of a hundred people, silence can only occur when all hundred people co-operate ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Today is the 24th anniversary of the death of Ajahn Cha ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

When sitting and walking meditation are practised alternatively, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

On your birthday celebrate the love of your mother ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

When you are alone, one way of increasing mindfulness during daily tasks ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

During meditation, when the mind is firm, clear and alert in the present moment ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It was February 1976. I was ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Supreme Patriarch, H.H. Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught that only when people are free of worries concerning the essential needs for ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We spend a lot of time in our lives waiting for something we want. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha said that without wisdom being close to the teacher or ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We can recognise fear and anger as normal reactions to aggression ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

There are always good arguments for not meditating. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

I once read a story in which two friends, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Yesterday was Mahā Pavaranā Day ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

If you think again and again about something you are afraid might happen ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

As Buddhist we study our humanity ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

One day recently a student of mine was praised for being kind ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

If a masseur discovers a sensitive area on a person's body ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

We tend to assume that when we find an idea difficult to understand ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The defilement of māna, or conceit, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Farmers clearing a field for cultivation for the first time ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

There are many stories in the Suttas in which Māra, ‘the Evil One’ ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Wherever there is gain there is loss ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It is common for us to focus too much on what makes us ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Going into nature means entering a world that has its own rules ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

One of the most powerful superstitions in the human mind ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

One who looks for sweetness in a sack of chillies ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Often there is no alternative to being busy ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In the Samyutta Nikāya the Buddha says: ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

If you scratch an itch it feels good, and you feel better for a while. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Thoughts of anger and revenge are always poisonous ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught that heedlessness (pamāda) is the path to death, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Letting go of things does not mean that we stop putting effort ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Nothing and nobody has the power to make us angry ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Listen to the news every day ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Today is Visakha Puja. It is the day that we commemorate the birth, enlightenment and passing away of the Buddha ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Observe the joy of learning and cultivate it ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Teach your mind as you would teach a child ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Neither believe your worries, nor fight with them ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Meditation is like rubbing two sticks together to make fire ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

It is not enough to make sure that our views and opinions are reasonable ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Every good action has a good result, immediadiately. ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha said that those who abandon foolish actions ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The good things in a garden grow well when ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Awake and aware in the present moment - this is our home base ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

food for the heart ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha taught: Conquer anger ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Practising the Dhamma does not necessarily mean that the path of life becomes smooth ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

In daily life the training in Right Speech ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

Love the goodness in your heart ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro