Author: Bhikkhu Jayasara

In an effort to allow those unable to take retreats I have recorded the entirety of the 2018 Summer “Introduction to Meditation” Retreat. You can find the links and descriptions to all of the recordings ( an 11 part series) below. It is recommended that you listen to each one in order, as they often build on previously given teaching.

***All audio is also downloadable.

Part I –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat: Welcome Talk, Precepts, and Guided Meditation.

https://clyp.it/c/intro1

Part II –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat : Day 1 : Simile of the Ember and Mindfulness of Eating

https://clyp.it/c/intro5

Part III –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat : Day 1 : Guided Meditation with “Vipassana Itch” and Standing Meditation.

https://clyp.it/c/intro2

Part IV –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat : Day 1 : Walking Meditation Instructions.

https://clyp.it/c/intro4

Part V –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat : Day 1 : Dhamma Talk “Why We Meditate”

https://clyp.it/c/intro3

Part VI –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat : Day 1 : Questions and Answers

https://clyp.it/c/intro6

Part VII –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat : day 2 : Guided Metta Meditation.

https://clyp.it/c/intro7

Part VIII –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat : Day 2 : Final Guided Meditation – The Five Subjects of Contemplation.

https://clyp.it/c/intro8

Part IX –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat : Day 2 : Dhamma Talk – Right Attitude and Qualities of a Successful Meditator.

https://clyp.it/c/intro9

Part X –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat : Day 2 : Questions and Answers

https://clyp.it/c/intro10

Part XI –  Introduction to Meditation Retreat : Final Day Q&A and Closing.

https://clyp.it/c/intro11

A friend recently said this to me: “I hate being vulnerable. Especially if it opens me up to being hurt. ”

My response was this: that it is the human condition in itself to be vulnerable. We exist in a state of uncertainty, immersed and infused with it, although we try our hardest to try and mold that uncertainty to our will, in the end, it is quite impossible to do so and we reap very little but suffering in the attempt.

In modern times we have done much to decrease some uncertainty, most of the people who will read this message, and who live in first world countries, have significantly reduced uncertainties that our ancestors struggled with daily, like where the next meal comes from, and if a predator will take them out if they stray too far from the fire. On the other hand, there are uncertainties on global scales we face now that our ancestors did not have to deal with. The specific context may change, but uncertainty remains.

Nothing is stable in this world, there is nothing we can cling to for safety, no true refuge in the storm, so why not ride that storm? Why not be brave, courageous, and face that uncertainty head-on, instead of hiding or trying to control that which we cannot truly control.

In uncertainty, in chaos, there is both the potential for death and loss, sure, but that is also where the greatest treasures lay, in the lair guarded by the dragon. It is said that the thing you need most is in the place you least wish to look for it. Take the risk, for as they say ” Fortune Favors the Bold”.

I have put together a series of audio covering all the main chanting done by the monastics here at Bhavana Society. These audio files are simply be chanting in a slow fashion to aid the person who wishes to practice chanting in Pali.

All of these audio files are meant to be chanted along with the Bhavana Vandana. The description of each chant gives the corresponding page in the book to find the sutta chant.

Get the digital copy of the book for free at: http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/bhante-henepola-gunaratana/bhavana-vandana/ebook/product-17448367.html

All of my audio files are streamable and downloadable :

5 Precepts(with practitioner and monk parts)

Daily Chanting

Have a question? submit it in the comments or send it to me via social media.

Hello Friends,

There have been some changes and updates for this blog. The first being that it has become a website. Thanks to a generous donation I was able to upgrade to the most basic paid account for WordPress, which came with a bunch of features including no more advertisements on the page(which always felt weird for a page on dhamma), and the ability to use a website URL.

While the old link of bhikkhujayasara.wordpress.com still works, it is now much easier if you only remember two words: Magga & Sekha(http://maggasekha.com).

Magga means path, Sekha means learner, trainee, or student, so you may get where this is going. Maggasekha (pronounced Mug-guh Say-khuh) is the pali for the title of this blog and the youtube channel that I’ve had for a decade now: “Student of the Path”. a Maggasekha is one who travels the Noble Eightfold Path to awakening.

I have also revamped various sections of the website and added lots of content to them. Since there is no easy way to find old articles or old audio/video, I’ve decided to make some pages that have them organized and easily linked.

Below are the various pages and their links. You can find them at the top of the page on http://maggasekha.com  .

SOTP Podcast Episodes

https://maggasekha.com/podcast/

Here I will post in order (with newest on top) both the youtube and audio only (on clyp) links for each episode.

Ask A Bhante

https://maggasekha.com/askabhante

Here I will post each youtube video in the new series where I respond to questions posted for me on youtube, social media, and email.

Featured Articles

https://maggasekha.com/articles/

All significant writing I will be posting on the website will go here for easy access. You can find all parts to my Metta and Death series here.

Audio/MP3 Content

 https://maggasekha.com/audio/

Here I will post audio series and links that do not fit in any of the other categories.

I can only do what I can online thanks to your generous donations, as pretty much everything involved in making decent quality content costs in one way or another. Thank you for helping me bring more Dhamma content online.

Have a question you’d like me to answer? leave it in the comment section.

 

“Sīvaka, some feelings stem from bile disorders. You can know this from your own personal experience, and it is generally agreed to be true. Since this is so, the ascetics and brahmins whose view is that everything an individual experiences is because of past deeds go beyond personal experience and beyond what is generally agreed to be true. So those ascetics and brahmins are wrong, I say.

 

Some feelings stem from phlegm disorders … wind disorders … their conjunction … change in weather … not taking care of yourself … overexertion … Some feelings are the result of past deeds. You can know this from your own personal experience, and it is generally agreed to be true. Since this is so, the ascetics and brahmins whose view is that everything an individual experiences is because of past deeds go beyond personal experience and beyond what is generally agreed to be true. So those ascetics and brahmins are wrong, I say.”

 

“Bile, phlegm, and wind,

their conjunction, and the weather,

not taking care of yourself, overexertion,