The Kaṭhina season is traditionally the time when both lay community and monastic sangha cooperate in a grand ceremony meant to mark the end of the yearly retreat period. It is long considered as one of the most auspicious times in the year to make merit ('puñña' = good karma), when the laity present robes and other requisites to the Sangha in a joyful spirit, full of appreciation for the monks resolute striving in their meditation during the rains retreat. For this years Robe Offering Ceremony we have invited Ajahn Kalyano and Ajahn Varadhammo with other accompanying monks from their monasteries. We are looking forward to welcoming the senior monks again here in Brisbane for the first time since 2019 for this auspicious occasion. Program: 09.30 am - Arrival of Participants Preparing food for Almsoffering 10.30 am - Almsfood offering 11.45 am - Triple Refuge & 5 Precepts Robe Offering Ceremony Dhammatalk Invitation to Devatā Paritta Chanting by Sangha 02.00 pm - End of Program (Note there will be no usual 3:00pm Meditation session)

Live audio of Buddhist teachings given at Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage by Ajahn Dhammasiha and other resident monks. This live cast is AUDIO ONLY. THERE WILL BE PERIODS OF SILENCE DURING THE MEDITATION. The Dhamma reflection will start at about 16:30. The video will only show a brown screen. Traditionally, Buddhists would listen to teachings with full attention and their eyes closed, to enable them to be fully focused on the meaning of the talk, without any visual distractions. For the same reason, even the speaker would normally talk with eyes closed. It also makes our set up so much easier. We're not just live streaming on youtube, but we actually have a live audience physically seated right in front of us at the same time. Under these conditions, achieving a good live video is rather involved, requiring a second monk, external camera, and laptop computer. On the other hand, if we live stream only the audio, a single monk can set it all up on a tiny mobile phone, and he can even manage it all and respond to comments coming in, while simultaneously speaking to the audience physically present in front of him. After editing, we will upload interesting live sessions to our podcast 'Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 https://castbox.fm/ch/2744970 Website of Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net Our Newsletter (you can also see previous edition here): https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Live audio of Buddhist teachings given at Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage by Ajahn Dhammasiha and other resident monks. This live cast is AUDIO ONLY. The video will only show a brown screen. Traditionally, Buddhists would listen to teachings with full attention and their eyes closed, to enable them to be fully focused on the meaning of the talk, without any visual distractions. For the same reason, even the speaker would normally talk with eyes closed. It also makes our set up so much easier. We're not just live streaming on youtube, but we actually have a live audience physically seated right in front of us at the same time. Under these conditions, achieving a good live video is rather involved, requiring a second monk, external camera, and laptop computer. On the other hand, if we live stream only the audio, a single monk can set it all up on a tiny mobile phone, and he can even manage it all and respond to comments coming in, while simultaneously speaking to the audience physically present in front of him. After editing, we will upload interesting live sessions to our podcast 'Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 https://castbox.fm/ch/2744970 Website of Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net Our Newsletter (you can also see previous edition here): https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Dhammatalk and Discussion/Q&A in the Theravada Buddhist Forest Tradition, lineage of Ajahn Chah. The times of the Livecast are in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) More information about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage visit: https://www.dhammagiri.net For Dhammagiri audio podcasts, you can download the 'CASTBOX' app for Android or iphone to join live. Or listen to recordings later on any device here https://castbox.fm/ch/2744970 Recordings of all our livecasts are also available on SPOTIFY - just search for 'Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts' on Spotify app. Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.tinyletter.com/Dhammagiri/Archive

Dhammatalk and Discussion/Q&A in the Theravada Buddhist Forest Tradition, lineage of Ajahn Chah. The times of the Livecast are in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) More information about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage visit: https://www.dhammagiri.net For Dhammagiri audio podcasts, you can download the 'CASTBOX' app for Android or iphone to join live. Or listen to recordings later on any device here https://castbox.fm/ch/2744970 Recordings of all our livecasts are also available on SPOTIFY - just search for 'Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts' on Spotify app. Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.tinyletter.com/Dhammagiri/Archive

Mettā, Loving Kindness, is the intention of unconditional good will to all living beings, without distinction or discrimination, without expectations or demands. Simply wishing well to absolutely everyone. It includes all humans, whatever nationality or race or ethnic background. But it also includes animals, cute koalas just as much as ugly cane toads. It includes non-human, invisible beings, like ghosts and spirits and angels/devas. We extend mettā in all directions, we try to make it 'appamañña-vihāra', an unlimited, unrestricted, infinite abode for our mind. We include those we like just as much as those we have difficulties with. And, very important, we include ourselves in our unconditional loving kindness as well. We mindfully notice how pleasant it feels to wish others well. In contrast, we mindfully notice how unpleasant anger feels, and how much it burdens ourselves. Understanding thus, we let go of anger, and develop loving kindness instead. And immediately, we're the first beneficiary of our loving kindness ourselves: it just feels really good to wish well to everyone. In addition to our Youtube videos, we usually publish about 2 new Dhammatalks/GuidedMeditations every week as audio podcast. All 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. Even without any podcasts app, you can simply listen with your browser at the following links: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 https://castbox.fm/ch/2744970 More information about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net Newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive .

During school holidays, quite a number of children joined the Dhamma discussion today. Ajahn Dhammasiha asks them if they know the meaning of 'Karma'. One little girl answers very correctly: "Karma means when we do bad things to others, something bad will happen to ourselves. But if we do good things, good things will happen to us." Ajahn asks what exactly are the 'good things' that we could be doing? From there, the discussion evolves to include various froms of good karma, including the five precepts: 1. Not to intentionally kill any living being, not even ants or mozzies 2. Not to steal 3. To be committed to the spouse in marriage 4. Not to lie 5. Not to take alcohol or durgs that cause intoxication In addition to our Youtube videos, we usually publish about 2 new Dhammatalks/GuidedMeditations every week as audio podcast. All 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. Even without any podcasts app, you can simply listen with your browser at the following links: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 https://castbox.fm/ch/2744970 More information about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive .

The 'Discourse on Burning', also known as 'Fire Semon', is considered the third formal discourse of the Buddha. It is distinguished by the highest reported number of attainments: 1,000 monks attained total release, Nibbāna, while listening to the Buddha teaching. The Buddha starts this discourse with the challenging claim that the whole world is on fire! 🔥 But what is meant by 'world'/'universe' in the discipline of the Noble Ones? It is the world of our subjective, conscious experience. It is the Universe of: 👁‍ Eye, Forms, Eye Consciousness, Eye Contact; 👂 Ear, Sounds, Ear Consciousness, Ear Contact; 👃 Nose, Fragrances, Nose Consciousness, Nose Contact 👅 Tongue, Flavours, Tongue Consciousness, Tongue Contact 🤸‍♂️ Body, Bodily Sensations, Body Conciousness, Body Contact 💭 Mind, Ideas, Mind Consciousness, Mind Contact And the feeling that arises with sense contact as condition, whether pleasant of painful or neutral, that is also part of 'the All' of subjective conscious experience. And this whole universe is one gigantic conflagration. This whole world of the six senses is burning with the fire of desire, the fire of hatred, the fire of delusion. On fire with birth, decay, death, disappointment, loss, pain, suffering, frustration, depression and despair. However, fortunately an escape is possible from this burning world. We can go beyond this conflagration, and experience the state of supreme coolness, the extinction of the fire burning us, Nibbāna. While listening to the Buddha, the 1,000 monks contemplate and clearly see see the whole of subjective experience as one blazing mass of fire burning us. Seeing and contemplating thus, they experience 'nibbidā', disenchantment. Feeling disenchanted, desire and passion fades away. From the fading of passion, they experience release. When their hearts is released, the knowledge of release arises: " Rebirth is finished, the goal of our practice has been attained, the job is done, there's no more rebounding to this world'. However, this contemplation is a very advanced form of vipassana (insight-meditation). If we start feeling depressed, fearful or dejected while contemplating the world being on fire, instead of experiencing dispassion and release, we have to understand that we're not yet able to contemplate as intended by the Buddha. In that case, we have to go back to our samādhi (concentration) practice, to make our mind bright and happy again, before returning to the contemplation of dukkha. The text of the whole Sutta is available for free viewing or download in the Amaravati Chanting Book, Vol 2, page 24: https://amaravati.org/dhamma-books/chanting-book-volume-two/ In addition to our Youtube videos, we usually publish about 2 new Dhammatalks/GuidedMeditations every week as audio podcast. All 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. Even without any podcasts app, you can simply listen with your browser at the following links: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 https://castbox.fm/ch/2744970 More information about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net Newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive .