Ajahn Brahm in fine form on how Buddhist insights can teach us how not to be disappointed in life.

Ajahn Brahm talks about the role of the natural world in Buddhist practice.

Ajahn Brahm talks about the importance of solitude in Buddhist Practice

Ajahn Brahm talks about the values in Buddhism.

In this first talk of 2010 Ajahn Brahm talks around the topic of "Building Hearts, Not Halls"

Ajahn Brahm's 2009 Buddhist Season's Greetings message

Ajahn Brahm talks about mindfulness.

Ajahn Brahm elaborates on the Buddhist perspective impermanence...

Ajahn Brahm muses about finding the meaning in life

Ajahn Brahm talks about rites and rituals, what's real what's not so useful in our practice.

Introduction by Dennis Sheppard, President, Buddhist Society of Western Australia (22 min).

Dennis gives a personal account of the circumstances of a formal meeting of Ajahn Brahm as Abbot of Bodhinyana monastery, accompanied by himself as President of the BSWA, with senior monks at Wat Pah Pong monastery in Thailand last Sunday 1st November 2009. The outcome was that Bodhinyana is no longer a branch monastery of Wat Pah Pong, as a direct result of Ajahn Brahm's recent ordination of four Bhikkhunis (fully ordained nuns).

Ajahn Brahm gives a spirited talk on how to deal with the difficulties of life, with his 'excommunication' as he light-heartedly calls it as an example. This has no effect on 'business as usual' for the BSWA. Keeping things in perspective. Zen master Hakuin story 'Ah so' on being treated unfairly. Never allow anyone to control your happiness. How big is my hand? Why sacrifice a friendship of years over a disagreement? Simile of the two bad bricks. Love the imperfections of life. Love your own imperfections. They are all features to make life more interesting, more enjoyable. Being kind, being compassionate, being forgiving, this is the teaching of Buddhism. 'Ajahn excommunication'. Real Buddhists learn from difficulties, embrace them and accept them as great teachers. Buddha didn't create a hierarchy. Buddha was asked "Who will be your successor?" His answer was "No one. After I pass away your leader is the Dhamma (teaching) and the Vinaya (rules of discipline)". These take precedence over monastery rules.

For the listener:
Skiter, skiting: Australian for a boastful person, boasting.
WAM: Western Abbots Meeting. An annual meeting of Western abbots in Ajahn Chah's family within the Theravadin Buddhist tradition.
Wat Pah Pong: The monastery of Venerable Ajahn Chah, under whom Ajahn Brahm trained in Thailand.

Ajahn Brahm applies Buddhist principles and practice to solving problems in relationships: with partners, friends, with yourself and with life itself.

You can't change life, but you can change your relationship to it. Not my problem or your problem, but our shared problem. Put beautiful qualities between you and the other: peace, kindness, respect. In between is where the action is in life. The filter of mistrust. What you see in the other, what you pay attention to, grows in them; what you expect, you generate. The example of prisoners. If you water the flowers, flowers grow; if you water the weeds, weeds grow.

The most important thing in life, you are in total control of. Life itself is totally out of control, but the way you relate to it, you are in full control, you can always make it work - this is the law of kamma. Baking a cake simile - not the ingredients, but what you make of them. Mother-in-law jokes. How do you look at yourself? The two-finger smile. Playfulness as a source of creativity, of fun and growth. Funeral and wedding stories. You can't find contentment by trying to change yourself; you find it by changing your attitude to yourself. Don't blame life; don't put negativity between you and life. The king and the doctor story: "Good or bad, who knows?". Late taxi driver story. Not "Why me?", but what are you doing about it?

Take away pain, suffering and disappointment by this wonderful relationship with life, with yourself and your loved ones: seeing the beautiful, the positive, seeing what you can respect, that there is something you can do - this changes your whole attitude. Life is not suffering any more, it is a challenge, a journey, exciting, interesting, all learning and growing experiences. Sometimes the most difficult experiences are the ones we learn most from. Not the partner or the event, but the relationship. Topical example of the Bhikkhuni ordination. Julie's story. Put something beautiful there, and you can learn to change the relationship. The world is a relationship problem.

This evening's extended and celebratory talk is introduced by Dennis Sheppard, President of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. He gives the background to the historic occasion this week of the full ordination of four Bhikkhunis (nuns) in the Theravadin Buddhist tradition, the first in Australia:

Venerable Ajahn Vayama
Venerable Nirodha
Venerable Seri and
Venerable Hasapanna.

Ajahn Brahm shows how this is a case study in how to make a courageous decision in Buddhism, and in life. The four factors or advices in making a right decision, the four agati, are: not out of selfish desire, not out of ill-will, not out of delusion and the greatest of all, not out of fear.

We will be judged by our success in making this decision work. The only difference between men and women is what we add on to the human being. You are a Bhikkhu or Bhikkhuni first, and then a follower of a particular tradition. Now we need to give our support to the nuns, so that the seed sown this week will thrive and help to spread the Dhamma worldwide.

Ajahn Brahm leads a half-hour guided meditation on opening the door to your heart. His talk is on the same theme - how dana, generosity, can teach us the beauty and meaning of life, in giving not to get, but to express the energy of love, kindness and compassion. This softness of the heart makes you invulnerable. Hardness of the heart makes you brittle and easily hurt.

Stories of the suicidal spider, the paper lotus, the blank cheque, the gift to a new-born daughter.

Ajahn Brahm, fresh from three months of the Rains retreat, gives a Buddhist perspective on a common response to the disasters and tragedies much in the news at present, "Why me?".

Disasters and tragedies are 'messengers of truth', wake-up calls, reminding us what is really important in life, more important than material possessions, more important even than family and friends. Disasters are not fate, not kamma, they are just conditions of being born in this world - check the small print before your next life. Given these conditions, all that matters is how you respond to them, how you care, how you grow in kindness and compassion, generosity and goodwill. This is kamma, your work-in-progress.

Ajahn Brahm is Abbot of Bodhinyana monastery in Serpentine, Perth, WA and Spiritual Director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia.

Ajahn Brahm in classic form on how to live well and how to die well, reminiscing on his early experiences as a young man and as a monk. This is his last talk before the Rains retreat. In memory of Dr. Robert Disspain.

Ajahn Brahm talks about skillful speech.

Ajahn Brahm in fine form talking about 'Patience'.

Ajahn Brahm talks about finding meaning in life.

Ajahn Brahm's talks about having the right values in life.