The year of the horse arrives on 17/02 in the Chinese, Vietnamese and other Asian traditions following the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. We will celebrate here at Dhammagiri on Sunday 22/02/2026 with auspicious meal offering, light offering ceremony, blessings and distribution of short Dhamma quotes. Program: Short Dhamma Advice for the New Year Light Offering Ceremony: Monks pass lights to Laity, who hold them during Blessing Requesting the Sangha to Share Blessings with Paritta Chanting Invitation to Devatā Auspicious Blessings for Protection & Good Fortune (Paritta) Laity Offer Lights on Shrine to Triple Gem Sangha Distributes Auspicious Dhamma Quotes Our weekly live streaming program: SATURDAY MORNING 7:30AM Buddhist Morning Chanting in Pali and English Taking Refuge in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha (Tisarana) Taking the 5 or 8 Precepts Q and A on Meditation SUNDAY NOON 12:00PM Dhamma Talk and Discussion SUNDAY AFTERNOON 3 TO 5 PM Evening Chanting in Pali and English Guided or Silent Meditation Short Dhamma Reflection Teachings are given by experienced Buddhist senior monks of the Theravada Forest Tradition in the lineage of Ajahn Chah. AUDIO PODCASTS In addition to these videos, we also publish about two new Dhamma talks and guided meditations every week as audio podcasts. The latest podcasts, and some 300 earlier ones on a wide variety of subjects, are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts/itunes, Castbox, Google Podcasts, and many other podcast apps. Just search for "Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts" on your favourite podcast app. Or you can simply listen with with your browser directly from the Dhammagiri podcasts page: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast MORE INFORMATION Dhammagiri Website: https://www.dhammagiri.net Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Dhammagiri Podcasts: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast #chinesenewyear #firehorse2026 #firehorse #lunarnewyear

Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about the importance of 'Admirable Friendship' for our spiritual progress. 'Kaḷyāṇa Mittatā' can be translated as 'Beautiful Friendship', 'Noble Friendship' or 'Good Spiritual Friendship'. It means a friend who causes our wholesome qualities like virtue, generosity, kindness and wisdom to increase when we associate with them, because they have developed these qualities themselves. Such a friend in a 'Kaḷyāṇa Mitta'. The opposite, a bad friend that causes us to get more angry, stingy and deluded, is called a 'Pāpa Mitta'. Bad Friendship is Pāpa Mittatā. Underlining the crucial importance of good friendship for our Dhamma practice, the Buddha once said famously to Venerable Ānanda: "Having good spiritual friends is 100% of the holy life". (Saṃyutta Nikāya/Connected Discourses 45.2) AUDIO PODCASTS In addition to these videos, we also publish about two new Dhamma talks and guided meditations every week as audio podcasts. The latest podcasts, and some 300 earlier ones on a wide variety of subjects, are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts/itunes, Castbox, Google Podcasts, and many other podcast apps. Just search for "Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts" on your favourite podcast app. Or you can simply listen with with your browser directly from the Dhammagiri podcasts page: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast MORE INFORMATION Dhammagiri Website: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Dhammagiri Podcasts: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast #buddhism #friendship #goodfriends #buddhistwisdom #dhammatalk #dhamma

Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about the 4 kinds of Karma the Buddha has expounded: 1. Dark Karma (Sanskrit 'Karma' = Pāli 'Kamma'): Bad actions like killing, stealing etc 2. Bright Karma: Compassion, Kindness, Contentment, Truthfulness etc. 3. Mixed Karma: A blend of various dark & bright actions. 4. Karma that leads to the end of Karma "Kammaṃ akaṇhāsukkaṃ akaṇhāsukkavipākaṃ kammakkhayāya saṃvattati" AUDIO PODCASTS In addition to these videos, we also publish about two new Dhamma talks and guided meditations every week as audio podcasts. The latest podcasts, and some 300 earlier ones on a wide variety of subjects, are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts/itunes, Castbox, Google Podcasts, and many other podcast apps. Just search for "Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts" on your favourite podcast app. Or you can simply listen with with your browser directly from the Dhammagiri podcasts page: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast MORE INFORMATION Dhammagiri Website: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Photos: https://latest-pics.dhammagiri.net Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Dhammagiri Podcasts: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast #buddhism #karma #kamma #goodkarma #badkarma #end

Audio-only file of a Q&A ession with Ajahn Cattamalo, abbot of Muttodaya forest monastery in Germany. Ajahn talks about how to practice mindfulness of breathing (Ānāpānasati) if the breath gets very subtle or disappears, how to use everyday life as opportunity for Dhamma practice and other topics. This is an audio-only file with still background picture. Born in Germany in 1965, Ajahn Cattamalo was ordained in the Wat Nong Pa Pong tradition of Venerable Ajahn Chah, Thailand, in the year 1988. He spent seven years in various monasteries throughout Thailand, practising and studying with different meditation teachers of the forest tradition. For 13 years he lived at Bodhinyana Monastery in Perth, Australia, and has acquired Australian citizenship. He has lived at Muttodaya as the senior monk since the establishment of this first German forest monastery in 2008. AUDIO PODCASTS In addition to these videos, we also publish about two new Dhamma talks and guided meditations every week as audio podcasts. The latest podcasts, and some 300 earlier ones on a wide variety of subjects, are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts/itunes, Castbox, Google Podcasts, and many other podcast apps. Just search for "Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts" on your favourite podcast app. Or you can simply listen with with your browser directly from the Dhammagiri podcasts page: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast MORE INFO: Dhammagiri Website: https://www.dhammagiri.net Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Dhammagiri Podcasts: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast #buddhism #mindfulness #meditation #mindfulnessmeditation #dhammatalk

Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about Saṃvega, spiritual shock, a wholesome though painful emotion that transforms the feeling of pain, grief, or disappointment into a longing for realizing freedom from suffering, and thus motivates us to cultivate our meditation with great urgency and diligence. AUDIO PODCASTS In addition to these videos, we also publish about two new Dhamma talks and guided meditations every week as audio podcasts. The latest podcasts, and some 300 earlier ones on a wide variety of subjects, are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts/itunes, Castbox, Google Podcasts, and many other podcast apps. Just search for "Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts" on your favourite podcast app. Or you can simply listen with with your browser directly from the Dhammagiri podcasts page: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast MORE INFORMATION Dhammagiri Website: https://www.dhammagiri.net Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Dhammagiri Podcasts: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast #buddhism #meditation #awakening #enlightenment #mindfulness #mindfulnessmeditation #insight

Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked if someone we know could be reborn as a ghost and then cause us problems. When we hear such stories, or experience something strange ourselves, we shouldn't immediately assume that there's really a spirit around. Often, when people think they are troubled by ghosts or evil spirits, the real reason for their problems is actually something else. For example mental disorders, even psychosis, or simply projection of internal psychological tensions to an imaginary external cause. However, if after careful analysis of any other possible causes one still is convinced that there is a ghost or spirit causing issues, the protection is very pure 5 precepts and strong loving kindness. Purtiy of virtue manifests in the spiritual real much more visible and physical than in the human world, and it would be difficult for a ghost to cause any harm to a truly virtuous person. Well developed mettā can manifest as a blinding light to malicious spirits, they can't even get close. In fact, it's very difficult for ghosts to influence the coarse physical reality we live in as humans at all, other than perhaps a strange sound, or an apparition of some hazy shape (in particular to those sensitive to extrasensory perception), or similar quite subtle manifestations. Ghosts rather deserve our compassion, as they are in a rebirth caused by stinginess, egotism and materialism, and now suffer from deprivation of fundmental needs like food and drink, that can only be relieved by the compassion of others. IN SHORT 1. Be skeptical if there's really any spirit involved, and first investigate other possible explanations. 2. Do NOT use 'black magic' or any other negative energy based on anger of fear against the spirit 3. The best protection is very pure 5 precepts and stong mettā (loving kindness). This is good for ourselves always and in any case, whether the 'ghosts' are real or not. 4. Sharing merits & chanting Dhamma dedicated to the ghost can help them to move on to a better plane of existence. AUDIO PODCASTS In addition to these videos, we also publish about two new Dhamma talks and guided meditations every week as audio podcasts. The latest podcasts, and some 300 earlier ones on a wide variety of subjects, are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts/itunes, Castbox, Google Podcasts, and many other podcast apps. Just search for "Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts" on your favourite podcast app. Or you can simply listen with with your browser directly from the Dhammagiri podcasts page: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast MORE INFORMATION Dhammagiri Website: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Photos: https://latest-pics.dhammagiri.net Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Dhammagiri Podcasts: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast . #buddhism #meditation #awakening #enlightenment #mindfulness #mindfulnessmeditation #ajahnchah #insight

Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked about Dhammānusārī and Saddhānusārī, Dhamma Follower and Faith Follower. These are the first of the 8 kinds of Noble individuals. They are not yet stream enterers (sotāpanna), they have not yet realized the four noble truths, the vision of Dhamma has not yet arisen in them. However, their 5 spiritual faculties of faith (saddhā), energy (viriya), mindfulness (sati), concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā) have reached sufficient maturity that they will definitely experience stream entry in this same life. They can not pass away without becoming a stream enterer. Although all 5 spiritual faculties have reached sufficient strength, they each have one dominent facutlty: Wisdom (Paññā) in the case of the Dhammānusārī (Dhamma Follower). Faith / Confidence / Conviction (Saddhā) in the case of the Saddhānusārī (Faith Follower). Ajahn points out that 'faith' (saddhā) doesn't just mean personal affection and devotion to the Buddha or inspiring Arahants. Confidence / conviction can be non-personal and non-devotional. It can simply be confidence in the teaching of "all conditioned phenomena are impermanent". Faith in "this body is not me, it is not mine, it is not my self." Even if wisdom can not yet fully discern that body or feelings are not-self, if our conviction/faith in not-self are strong, the combination of wisely seeing not-self with strong conviction in not-self can lead to the mind letting go and experiencing the stages of enlightenment. Both aspects are there, but the Dhammānusārī relies more on discernement, whereas the Saddhānusārī relies more on faith/conviction. AUDIO PODCASTS In addition to these videos, we also publish about two new Dhamma talks and guided meditations every week as audio podcasts. The latest podcasts, and some 300 earlier ones on a wide variety of subjects, are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts/itunes, Castbox, Google Podcasts, and many other podcast apps. Just search for "Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts" on your favourite podcast app. Or you can simply listen with with your browser directly from the Dhammagiri podcasts page: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast MORE INFORMATION Dhammagiri Website: https://www.dhammagiri.net Photos: https://latest-pics.dhammagiri.net Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Dhammagiri Podcasts: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast #buddhism #meditation #chanting #buddhistchanting #mindfulness #mindfulnessmeditation #insight

Audio file with still background picture of a guided meditation by Ajahn Cattamalo, abbot of Muttodaya forest monastery in Germany, on the topic of gathering awareness and developing mindfulness and wise reflection. Born in Germany in 1965, Ajahn Cattamalo was ordained in the Wat Nong Pa Pong tradition of Venerable Ajahn Chah, Thailand, in the year 1988. He spent seven years in various monasteries throughout Thailand, practising and studying with different meditation teachers of the forest tradition. For 13 years he lived at Bodhinyana Monastery in Perth, Australia, and has acquired Australian citizenship. He has lived at Muttodaya as the senior monk since the establishment of this first German forest monastery in 2008. AUDIO PODCASTS In addition to these videos, we also publish about two new Dhamma talks and guided meditations every week as audio podcasts. The latest podcasts, and some 300 earlier ones on a wide variety of subjects, are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts/itunes, Castbox, Google Podcasts, and many other podcast apps. Just search for "Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts" on your favourite podcast app. Or you can simply listen with with your browser directly from the Dhammagiri podcasts page: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast MORE INFO: Dhammagiri Website: https://www.dhammagiri.net Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Dhammagiri Podcasts: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast #meditation #mindfulness #mindfulnessmeditation #samadhi