And this is a most important part of meditation practice, to really know when there is no suffering…
Ajahn Sumedho
Symbols, forms and conventions, by Ajahn Sumedho
These kinds of symbols, forms and conventions can be used for awareness rather than for developing worldly attitudes or attachments to becoming some kind of Buddhist…
Contemplate your own goodness, by Ajahn Sumedho
Contemplate your own goodness. In England sometimes, we don’t dare do that because it sounds like boasting. Or we may be afraid of inflating our egos…
Is Monasticism Necessary? By Ajahn Sumedho
As Buddhism moves into the western world, the question is asked, ‘Is monasticism necessary? Do we really need monks and nuns? Maybe that old stuff worked in Asia but is no longer profitable?’…
Propaganda is not the way things are, by Ajahn Sumedho
Buddhism is not a brainwashing or conditioning type of teaching. One is not being asked to adopt Buddhist ideas, or say all the right Buddhist things, or wear Buddhist clothes (even though I do).
This reflective mind, by Ajahn Sumedho
This reflective mind, then, is the still point in the centre. That is why each one of us is important in our own right. You may feel that you are not a very important person, that you are just one of the 5.5 billion on this planet…
When you are on Retreat, by Ajahn Sumedho
When you are on retreat, restrictions are placed on your physical actions and speech. But there are also mental restraints and limitations. You are not to simply let your mind go wild or indulge in fantasies. Instead, you are to learn to bring the mind into the present.
Making Friends with the Cement Mixer, by Ajahn Sumedho
Human beings are good-hearted. We want to be good. We feel a lot of joy when opportunities for generosity or selfless action are made available to us. You can see that the love of the good, of the true and the beautiful, is very much part of our humanity…