Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts

In this guided meditation, Ajahn Dhammasiha uses Santa Claus as a metaphor for the process of emptying the mind.

Santa's  job is to give gifts to all the kids for Christmas. He's working very  hard t…

A family came to share merits with their father/grandfather, who they lost 3 months ago.

Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about the process of rebirth.

He explains how we can contemplate the impermanence of …

Is there a way to overcome the negative consequences of bad karma we may have committed in the past, even in previous lifes?

Is karma related to causality?

Do I make much bad karma by having angry th…

Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked: "What's the process to develop Jhāna?"

He explains that it's not so much a particular technique or method that will lead to the attainment of jhāna (full 'absorption' samād…

Ajahn Dhammasiha responds to a question of a retreatant at Dhammagiri: How can we stop worrying about the future when we try to settle our mind in meditation?

Ajahn describes several approaches and r…

Ajahn Dhammasiha provides a simile for the process of rebirth: Intercontinental Air Travel.

When we travel to a distant, exotic country, before we take off at the airport, we better make sure that we…

At our Robe Offering Ceremony at Dhammagiri, our Sangha of 7 Buddhist monks recites 'Paritta'. These auspicious protective verses are believed to ward off misfortune, protect from various dangers, an…

Ajahn Varadhammo is the abbot of Bodhisaddha Monastery, Wilton near Sydney. He has kindly accepted our invitation to our robe offering ceremony in the Kathina month here at Dhammagiri Forest Hermitag…

10 min short Guided Meditation. Before we focus on our main meditation object, Ajahn Dhammasiha recommends that we quickly recollect blessings and good fortune we have received.

Even if we're going t…

Sutta Study with Ajahn Dhammasiha, Anguttara Nikāya, Book of Tens, No 81, 'Bahuna'. Reading from the English translation by Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi: "Numerical Discourses of the Buddha", page 1440 The Ta…

10 min short guided Buddhist meditation.

The Buddha used the Lotus in many similes. One amazing quality of the Lotus flowers and leaves is that they are totally water repellent.

Ajahn Dhammasiha enco…

On the full moon in October, the monks complete their annual 3-months Rains Retreat with the 'Pavāraṇā Ceremony':

They invite constructive criticism from each other regarding anything heard, seen or…

On Mahapavāraṇā Full Moon, which ends the annual Rains Retreat period for Buddhist monks, Ajahn Dhammasiha reflects on the many blessings we receive here at Dhammagiri.

• It is rare to be born as a h…

We're worried about getting hacked, or becoming victims of identity theft. Nefarious actors may scoop up all our private data after getting access to our computer or online accounts in a 'hack'.

Howe…

At the moment of death, the person doesn't vanish into nothingness. What really happens is that what we call 'consciousness' or 'mind' seprates from the body, and then is 'reborn', i.e. connects to a…

The Buddha stated that he doesn't see any other Dhamma that is so conducive to the arising of wholesome mindstates, and to the abandonment of unwholesome mindstates, as 'Appamāda'. We can translate …

As we witness so much suffering, war, calamities and atrocities due to our exposure to media, there's a danger that our heart responds by:

1. Sinking: We may become depressed, embittered, hopeless.
2. H…

Ajahn Dhammasiha enquires from a newcomer to Dhammagiri if there's anything he'd like to ask or discuss. He answers: "Not really, I''m just observing!"

Ajahn really likes that answer, and points out…

Ajahn Dhammasiha explains 3 principles that provide the foundation for smooth and steady progress in our meditation practice:

1. Grounding our awareness in the body
2. Present moment awareness
3. Interna…

Ajahn Dhammasiha opens with some short introductary comments on essential points how to integrate Dhamma practice and daily life into one holistic form of 'Bhāvanā', meditative development.

Next, Aja…