Guided Meditations are usually Live streamed on YouTube every Sunday at 7.30 PM.
With Little Dust in Their Eyes
Luang Por Sudhiro
Luang Por Sudhiro, abbot of Wat Pah Kanjanabhisek in Khon Kaen, Thailand, offers reflections on the life of the Buddha during a short but auspicious visit to Chithurst. He details the Buddha-to-be’s renunciation of his comfortable lifestyle for one of asceticism, abandoning this when he remembered an experience of peace he experienced in childhood, and finally deciding to teach the way to enlightenment to those with little dust in their eyes.
Be a Light Unto Yourself
Ajahn Siripañño
Ajahn Siripannyo, abbot of Wat Dtao Dtum in Thailand, during a rare and auspicious visit to Cittaviveka, offers his thoughts on the many benefits and joys of living a monastic life. On the eve of the annual Kathina festival, he points out the harmony that is created during the sewing of the robe, and explains how it is the smaller rituals that bind together the larger tradition, establishing a conduit for goodness.
Afflicted in Body, Peaceful in Mind
Ajahn Cittapala
Ajahn Cittapala reflects on SN 22.1, the Nakulapita Sutta, explaining how an aging, afflicted body does not have to mean an afflicted, suffering mind. She shows how the not self nature of the body means that we can let go of identification with it, and hence be free of sorrow and suffering.
Introduction to Insight Meditation
Ajahn Sucitto
Can you take 10-15 minutes to refresh your heart and mind?
What’s offered here may help you with …
• Calming and steadying the mind.
• Restoring emotional balance.
• Understanding where compulsive habits begin and supporting a reset.
• Discovering inner depths.
Fortune and the Blind Turtle
Ajahn Big
Ajahn Big remarks on the fortunate situation we find ourselves in, being in contact with Dhamma teachings and having the ability to practise them. He recounts how the Buddha likened the chance of being born as a human to a blind turtle emerging into a hoop on the surface of the ocean, and declares that the present moment is a gift to be utilized and cherished.
Dhamma Subjects for Frequent Recollection
Ajahn Maha Fookit
Ajahn Maha Fookit refers to one of the important reflection chants in monastic training, subjects on which daily contemplation can have very beneficial results. He points out that while the Buddhist path may be long and sometimes difficult, by reflecting in this way, it is possible to find happiness and fulfillment along the way.
The Drawbacks of the Human Body
Ajahn Kaccana
Ajahn Kaccana shows the surprising benefits that can result from an honest assessment of the frailties and limitations of the body. He shows that by not looking for fulfillment or solidity in a body that is bound to change and eventually perish, we can instead find more secure refuges in elements of Dhamma such as morality and awareness.
Working with Right Effort
Ajahn Cittapala
Ajahn Cittapala examines right effort, suggesting that it is an attunement to harmony. She explains that going against the way things are creates tension, and that it is helpful to arise a sense of zeal to develop wholesome states and be able to abandon unwholesome ones.
The Only Way Out Is In
Ajahn Karuniko
As Cittaviveka’s Group Practice begins, Ajahn Karuniko investigates the asavas, the outflows of the mind, and shows how these always lead us to suffering. He suggests that an antidote to this activity is to find an object of meditation that keeps the mind away from this unskilful habit, and recalls his own personal experience many years ago in New Zealand, in which he calmed his anxiety by remaining with the breath.