Thai Forest Tradition

Just coming into stillness.

I've been working a bit with some concentration practices just for purposes of developing a bit more calm, so I'll offer just a simple practice, the Thai Forest tradition using the mantra Bud-dho.

It's another version of the word Buddha.

And we silently on the in breath say to ourselves, "Bud," on the out breath, "dho." Bud-dho.

Um, and, and actually that's gonna come into my, uh, thoughts this morning.

Um, [clears throat] you know, I, I started by guiding around concentration and, um, and that, that's, you know, uh, a, a, um, [coughs] really historically in the, in, in the Buddhist tradition, the role of concentration has been debated and, and you can even see how different traditions emphasize or de-emphasize concentration.

Uh, the Thai Forest tradition kind of has a certain, um, almost, uh, um, a skepticism about the, about people getting caught up in concentration, whereas you cross over into, uh, Burma, Myanmar, the Mahasi Sayadaw tradition, which, um, really emphasizes concentration and, and you can sort of see it in the different traditions, what their, what their, um, perspective is.

A-and, and indeed in the suttas themselves, we see that some suttas really emphasize concentration and others, uh, don't really mention it particularly.

You can find links to the original text in the description below.

May you all benefit from hearing this gift of Dhamma by a meditation master of the Thai Forest Tradition.

The Five Khandas by Ajahn Gunha May you sit comfortably.

May you be at ease while breathing in, and may you be at ease while breathing out.

It's, it's the witness position in the trilogy of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha.

So the Thai Forest Tradition develops a whole practice around Buddha, the kind of mantra word for Buddha, not as a just for tranquilizing our mind, but in for taking that position of witnessing of Buddha to realize a sa- a Dhamma.

As long as we try to define Dhamma with our, our kind of intellect, that's not Dhamma.

No matter how superlative you can use any language you speak, just saying Dhamma is absolute reality is, it's not wrong.

And some information for monks who actually didn't live in the monastery I stayed in.

Why did you decide to come to Australia and shift from the Sri Lankan forest tradition to the Thai forest tradition?

Yeah, the direct trigger for that was talks from very famous Ajahn Brahm, who at that time actually was not yet famous, was just starting the first cassette tapes were circulating of talks of Ajahn Brahm.

And I particularly liked his teaching about Samadhi.

That was the main thing that inspired me to go to Bodhinyana Monastery in Perth.

But interestingly, how the spiritual life evolves sometimes quite unpredictably.

So although I came mostly to Perth because of Ajahn Brahm's teachings on Samadhi, I actually found my faith in the Thai forest tradition in Wodinyana mostly through the visiting Thai Krupa adjuncts, mostly through the visiting Thai Krupa adjuncts, in particular Lungphor Toi, Lungphor Kliin, what's the ...

Adran Jandi and Adran put on the second mark of Umpurtoi.