What does it really mean "to take refuge in Sangha"? What if a very senior monk disrobes, how can we protect our mind from losing faith in such situations? Ajahn Dhammasiha points out that our refuge in terms of Sangha is: "...Yadidaṃ cattāri purisayugani, aṭṭha purisapuggala - Esa Bhagavato Sāvakasangho... "...Namely the four pairs of persons, the eight kind of individuals - THESE are the Sangha of the Exalted One's disciples..." In the strict definition given by the Buddha himself, 'Sangha' as refuge is NOT the ordained sangha of monks and nuns, but it is only those who have realized one of the stages of awakening, whether lay or ordained. If we keep that in mind, and direct our faith not to just to individual monks or nuns, but to the community of those who have realized the Dhamma, our faith will not be shaken if an individual monk or nun disrobes or acts in uninspiring ways. Naturally, as we can't know who truly has realized stages of awakening, there is a tendency to regard the ordained sangha as a symbol for the community of awakened disciples, as we can actually recognize monks and nuns easily by their wearing robes, and our faith likes to have something visible and concrete to latch on. There is nothing wrong in that, especially as so many Arahants and noble disciples have been part of the ordained sangha. But even so, we should be mindful to direct our faith to the WHOLE sangha, the complete sangha of the four quarters and the three time periods, rather than only to individual monks or nuns who we feel personal affection for. Again, this will protect our faith from crumbling in case a monk or nun we like does not meet our expectations. 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. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 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 Pics: https://latest-pics.dhammagiri.net Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Dhammagiri Podcasts: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast .

Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked how we can develop equanimity ('upekkhā') regarding the recent murders in a Sydney shopping mall by an apparently mentally deranged knife attacker. Ajahn responds by suggesting that equanimity may not be the best approach, depending on our character, and suggests developing compassion ('karuṇā') instead. He also recommends to practise sense restraint, guarding the doors of the senses, to prevent unwholesome states from arising in our mind. If we had been on a silent retreat during the attack, without access to internet or any outside information, our mind would not have been affected at all. Is it really necessary or helpful to get news about various murders and disasters happening here and there? And even if we hear about it, is there any benefit for us or others to be informed about all kinds of details, constant updates about latest developments in the case, emotional reactions and commentary of various people? What is the use of receiving information that is not 'actionable' for us, where there is nothing that we can really do to prevent similar things from happening, or to protect us and others? This seems to be the case here, because it's hard to see what the average person could do to prevent an attack like that. So we can maintain a more wholesome mindstate by simply not paying much attention to the endless stream of news regarding catastrophies, crime and murder. Knowing just a tiny fraction of all this news would be enough to be informed that these things can potentially happen, and to take whatever small measures we can to not take any unnecessary risks. 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 Pics: https://latest-pics.dhammagiri.net Dhammagiri Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Dhammagiri Podcasts: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast .

Ajahn Dhammasiha encourages us to connect with nature, and to contemplate the 4 Great Elements externally as we experience them in the natural environment. 1. Earth Element (Hardness, Rocks, Stones, Sand, Feeling the Ground while Walking or Sitting) 2. Water Element (Wet soil or grass or sand or beach; Ocean; Rain; Streams/Rivers) 3. Fire/Heat Element (Sunshine, warm air, warm breeze) 4. Wind Element/Energy Movement (Wind, Energy of Rocks and Trees, 'Chi') It's difficult to contemplate something only in the abstract, something that we don't really feel or experience. Once we can clearly feel and perceive these elements in our own direct experience, it's much easier to contemplate them as impermanent, unsatisfactory and not-self. Once we can clearly feel and perceive these elements in our own direct experience externally, it's much easier to also feel and contemplate them internally. Even apart from contemplation, just connecting with nature in direct experience is a grounding experience very helpful in itself, to balance our artificial live with its screens and virtual reality and internet, and bring consciousness back to physical reality in the here and now. More pics from our outing to Mount Ngungun, Glass House Mountains, are here: https://latest-pics.dhammagiri.net 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 .

Ven Jinaratana There offers guidance how we can experience and contemplate the four elements ('Cātu-mahā-bhūtikā') in in our own bodies. 1. Paṭhavī-dhātu = Earth Element /Solidity 2. Āpo-dhātu = Water Element / Liquidity 3. Tejo-dhātu = Fire Element / Heat (or lack of heat, i.e. cold) 4. Vāyo-dhātu = Wind Element (energy movement) 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 .

💧🐲🎆 Happy New Year to our Sri Lankan, Thai, Myanmar, Cambodian and Lao Supporters! 💦🐉🎇 This is a little video circumambulating our Bodhi Tree near the Dhamma Hall at the bottom of Dhammagiri hill. As you can see, our Bodhi is growing vigorously, after the very wet summer it's positively thriving. Background audio plays the 'Jaya Paritta / Victory Protection Verses', celebrating the Buddha's supreme victory against Māra under the Bodhi Tree: "Mahā-kāruṇiko nātho, Hitāya sabba-pāṇinaṃ, Pūretvā pāramī sabbā, Patto sambodhim-uttamaṃ. Etena sacca-vajjena Hotu te jaya-maṅgalaṃ! Jayanto bodhiyā mūle, Sakyānaṃ nandi-vaḍḍhano; Evaṃ tvaṃ vijayo hohi, Jayassu jaya-maṅgale! Aparājita pallanke, Sīse paṭhavi-pokkhare Abhiseke sabba Buddhānaṃ Aggappatto pamodati." (English Translation: "The Saviour of Great Compassion, For the welfare of all beings, Having completed all spiritual perfections, Attained supreme perfect enlightenment. By the power of this truth May you too be blessed with victory! As He gained victory at the root of the Bodhi Tree, The 'Bringer of Joy' to the Sakyans, So may you too be victorious, May you be blessed with victory! In invincible meditation posture Sitting on the most exhaulted spot of this whole earth, The location consecrated by all Buddhas in this aeon, He rejoices in the supreme attainment.") This is the Sangyog chanting style as usually used in the tradition of Ajahn Chah (taken from paritta chanting at opening of new Uposatha Hall Wat Pah Nanachat). You can compare the same verse being chanted in Makhot style in the Dhammayut tradition here: https://youtube.com/shorts/rEZcbpzkVs8 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 .

Venerable Jinaratana Thera was born in Toronto, Canada. He became interested in meditation while studying at university for a double degree in neuroscience and mathmatics, and started attending numerous meditation retreats, mostly in the Mahasi tradition. After graduation, he decided to further expand his education by completing a teacher's degree in Brisbane. During that time, he stayed for long retreats at Dhammagiri, and finally decided to go forth as a Buddhist monk. He ordained at Na Uyana monastery in Sri Lanka, becoming a novice in 2011, and receiving his higher ordination as a bhikkhu in 2012. Na Uyana is the main monastery of the Shri Kalyani forest tradition, the same lineage where Ajahn Dhammasiha originally ordained. Bhante Jinaratana spent many years at Na Uyana, before going to Pa Auk Monastery, Pyin Oo Lwin in Myanmar, to practice meditation under the guidence of Pah Auk Sayadaw and his senior disciples from 2019-2021. He arrived at Dhamsuwa Monastery near Melbourne at the beginning of the 2022 rains retreat. Bhante has kindly accepted our invitation to visit Dhammagiri for 10 days. In his talk, Bhante Jinaratana explains how we can starve the 5 hindrances ('anāhāra pañca-nīvaraṇa') in order to gradually weaken and overcome their obstructive influence on our mental development. Like all sankhāras, the five hindrances are conditioned, i.e. they depend on some form of nutriment for their existence. If we reduce the nutriment that's feeding the hindrances, they will become weaker and weaker, allowing our samādhi and wisdom faculty to overcome and finally completey eradicate them. 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 .

This short shows our Dhammahall at the lower property of Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage, at 10 Ben Varden Avenue, where we have our Almsoffering, Dhamma Talks, Chanting and Meditation Sessions. You can also see the area in front of the Dhamma Hall, with grass, plants, flowers, and tables for eating. Background audio is part of the 'Mettā Sutta', the Buddha's discourse on Loving Kindness, in the Amaravati version, as we chant it every Sunday afternoon: "...Even as a mother, protects with her life, her child, her only child; So, with a boundless heart, should one cherish all living beings. Radiating kindness over the entire world: Spreading upwards to skies and downwards to the depths, outwards and unbounded, freed from hatred and ill-will. Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down, free from drowsiness, one should sustain this recollection. This is said to be the sublime abiding..." 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 .

On occasion of Easter, Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about a subject that is common to virtually all religions: Loving Kindness Loving Kindness, in Pali known as 'Mettā', is the intention of unconditional good will to all beings without exeception or discrimination. Whatever religion, or no religion at all, whatever race or nationality or sex or age or colour, whether they like us or hate us, the Buddha urges to have loving kindness to absolutely all beings, without exception, without expecting anything in return, without them having to fulfill any conditions for receiving our loving kindness. We also include all animals, all ghosts, spirits, demons, fairies, nagas, devas, angels, gods, brahmas in our loving kindness - absolutely all beings, visible or invisible. We practice generosity, dāna, as an expression of our loving kindness. We observe sīla, the five precepts of fundamental Buddhist virtue, as and extenal manifestation of our intentions of loving kindness. 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 .

For our Full Moon Program a student group from University of Queensland ('UQBUDS') has joined with many interesting questions. Subjects brought up include: Dealing with anxiety Overindulgence Positive attachements? Benefits of Samatha and Vipassana How can we always feel happy? Helping others to improve themselves by Dhamma practice Teaching meditation to elderly, frail patients in nursing home 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 .

Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked about: Pariyatti - Paṭipatti - Pativeda = Study - Practice - Realization He offers reflections on this subject with an emphasis on the real meaning of 'study' as encouraged by the Buddha: Not just learning and intellectually proliferating about concepts/perceptions, but to find the meaning of the terms the Buddha is using in one's own conscious experience. The Dhamma is about our body and mind, it's about our feelings & emotions, our happiness and suffering. We have to learn to internalise the teachings of the Buddha, to make them 'applicable' ('opanāyiko'), to use them to cultivate bhāvanā (meditation) in our heart. 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 .

Ajahn Dhammasiha shares fond memories from his years in Sri Lanka as a young monk. He also provides some background info about Ven. Nyanavimala, one of the early Western Buddhist monks, who lived in Sri Lanka for +50 years from the mid 1950ies. When he passed away in 2006, he was the most senior Westen monk in the world with more than 50 'vassa' (rains retreats). Ven Nyanavimala was well known and highly respected for his uncompromising dedication to Dhamma practice, for his asceticism and frugality, and for his dhutanga wanderings (cārika) all over Sri Lanka for 25 years. You can read more about Ven Nyanavimala in this tribute booklet published for free distribution: https://ven-nyanavimala.buddhasasana.net/ 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 .

Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked about the rules prohibiting shows, entertainments and music for monks and nuns; and how that would relate to lay life. What to do if we come back after a hard days work, and are feeling very tired - is it fine to indulge in just watching Youtube or TV, or doing online games simply to relax? Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our email Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Our Podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 .