Clear Mountain Monastery Project

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Luang Por Pasanno about dukkha (suffering & unsatisfactoriness), in its personal, social, physical, and psychological aspects.BioLuang Por Pasanno is one of the most senior disciples of Luang Por Chah. He is the former abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, and founder of Wat Poo Jom Gom, Wat Dtao Dum, and co-founder of Abhayagiri Monastery in California. https://www.abhayagiri.org/CHAPTERS00:00 - Introduction & Welcome to Ajahn Pasanno00:45 - What is Dukkha? (The Simile of Canadian Tires in Winter)04:40 - The Two Kinds of Dukkha: First Arrow vs. Second Arrow07:47 - "Hello Dukkha, My Old Friend": Developing Early Insights09:31 - Finding Faith in the Cessation of Suffering through Luang Por Chah10:40 - A Classic Wat Pah Nanachat Story: Sitting Through Patimokkha20:30 - Dealing with Physical Pain & The True Meaning of Patient Endurance (Khanti)26:18 - Facing Mental Pain & Becoming Abbott During Luang Por Chah's Illness32:33 - Seeking Spiritual Friendship (Kalyāṇamittatā) & Support38:12 - Luang Por Dune’s Reframing of the Four Noble Truths40:40 - Navigating Worldly News, Politics, & Modern Anxiety45:11 - Plant Seeds for Good: Lessons from Nature Care47:43 - The Paradox of Living in Community50:16 - The Heartwood of the Dhamma (Unshakable Deliverance of Mind)53:29 - American Patterns of Dukkha & Absorption into Self57:15 - Where to Reside When Free From Suffering: Stillness and Awareness58:12 - Final Advice for Clear Mountain Monastery---Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 - 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's interview with Andrew Holecek—scholar, practitioner, and "student of the night" (https://www.andrewholecek.com/). Watch PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/9wqSc5M1z-Q00:00:00 Introduction00:01:31 Definition of Nocturnal Meditation00:04:24 The Value of Waking Consciousness00:15:58 Exploring the Liminal State00:16:07 Historical Context of Early Wakefulness Teachings00:29:03 The Role of Beliefs and Intentions in Sleep00:35:21 Distinguishing Lucid Dreaming from Dream Yoga00:43:35 Transforming Fear and Nightmares in Dreams00:51:32 Deity Yoga and the Plasticity of IdentityAndrew Holecek's Biography:Dr. Andrew Holecek is an author, concert pianist, and interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner of Vajrayāna Buddhism. A member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, he holds degrees in music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery, in addition to having completed a traditional Tibetan three-year meditation retreat under the guidance of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. He serves as Resident Contemplative Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, is a research consultant for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University, and is actively involved in scientific research on dark retreat with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Tiny Blue Dot Science Foundation. He is also the author of 10 books including: Preparing to Die; Dream Yoga; The Lucid Dreaming Workbook; and his latest book Total Eclipse of the Mind: Unleashing the Power of Darkness for Creativity, Healing, and Transformation.Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_mona... for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho engage in a conversation with poet David Whyte (https://davidwhyte.com/). 00:00:00 Introduction & Spiritual Background00:09:48 David Recites "The Bell and the Blackbird"00:12:35 Marshaling Art for Spiritual Growth00:19:16 Overcoming Acedia & Finding Joy00:24:55 David Recites Blessing for the Morning Light00:26:24 David Recites "The Well of Grief" & Metabolizing Suffering00:31:43 Facing the Conversation You Don't Want to HaveDavid Whyte's biography:David Whyte grew up with a strong, imaginative influence from his Irish mother among the hills and valleys of his father’s Yorkshire. He now makes his home in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The author of twelve books of poetry and five books of prose, David Whyte holds a degree in Marine Zoology and has traveled extensively, including living and working as a naturalist guide in the Galapagos Islands and leading anthropological and natural history expeditions in the Andes, Amazon and Himalaya. He brings this wealth of experience to his poetry, lectures and workshops.David’s life as a poet has created a readership and listenership in three normally mutually exclusive areas: the literate world of readings that most poets inhabit, the psychological and theological worlds of philosophical enquiry and the world of vocation, work and organizational leadership.The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/. Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 - 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11:00 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6:00 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Andrew Holecek—scholar, practitioner, and "student of the night" (https://www.andrewholecek.com/). Watch PART TWO here: https://youtu.be/mGqZDbIVK0c00:00:00 - Introduction & Andrew Holecek's Background00:01:44 - Lunar Spirituality Bio & Background00:07:01 - Overview & Significance of Dark Retreat00:10:34 - Physical Setup and Environments00:12:03 - Sutra vs. Tantra Approaches00:18:26 - Comfort, Challenge, and Danger Zones00:24:03 - Testing Personal Limits and Session Duration00:25:34 - Preparing for Total Darkness00:33:17 - The Perception of Light and Openness00:34:24 - Home Simulations vs. Retreat Centers00:39:42 - Psychotherapy and Contemplative Practice00:40:43 - Indications and Contraindications00:53:34 - Signs of Dissociation and Knowing When to Stop01:03:55 - Time Perception and Circadian Rhythms01:07:22 - Egolocation and Boundaries of the SelfAndrew Holecek's Biography:Dr. Andrew Holecek is an author, concert pianist, and interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner of Vajrayāna Buddhism. A member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, he holds degrees in music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery, in addition to having completed a traditional Tibetan three-year meditation retreat under the guidance of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. He serves as Resident Contemplative Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, is a research consultant for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University, and is actively involved in scientific research on dark retreat with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Tiny Blue Dot Science Foundation. He is also the author of 10 books including: Preparing to Die; Dream Yoga; The Lucid Dreaming Workbook; and his latest book Total Eclipse of the Mind: Unleashing the Power of Darkness for Creativity, Healing, and Transformation.Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_mona... for details. Welcome!

00:00 Chanting Together00:52 Ayyā Ānandabodhi — Walking Right Here08:04 Ajahn Kovilo — Walking With Stillness: The World Moving Through Us16:58 Ajahn Nisabho — Path as Duty: Monastery as Container26:59 Question: Navigating Career Transitions31:53 Question: Managing Boredom in Relationships37:25 Question: Balancing Duty and PresenceIn this session, directly preceding their three-day pilgrimage from St. Mark's Cathedral in Capitol Hill, Seattle to the new Clear Mountain property in North Bend, Ayyā Ānandabodhi and Venerable Satima join Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho in reflecting on the why and how of Buddhist pilgrimage ("tudong") and walking meditation more broadly.To learn more about Ayyā Ānandabodhi and Venerable Satima, visit www.parayanavihara.orgTune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

ESSAYSReturn to Simplicity Through Wuwei: https://luminousdharma.org/return-to-simplicity-through-wuwei/Returning to Nature: https://luminousdharma.org/returning-to-nature-advanced-dharma-practice/PAIRED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/qlU00qmHq1EDESCRIPTIONReturning to Simplicity is an approach to Buddhist practice based on radical surrender. What we set down is the whole apparatus of impulse, obsession, discriminating, ruminating, and holding concepts about how the world should be. We are not setting down the arising of these things, but our investment in them. What we take up instead is feeling the world as it actually is.The Buddha encouraged exploring body, mind, and environment as "not I, not me, not mine." In this discussion we look at how that seeing may be uncovered and directly experienced, and how life can open into freedom when things are entrusted back to natural function. To learn more, visit https://luminousdharma.org/.BIOJason Bartlett teaches a practical, cross-traditional approach to Buddha Dharma centered on "returning to nature" — a method of releasing the sense of self by entrusting whatever arises spontaneously and uncontrolled to nature itself, drawing on prajñāpāramitā, tathāgatagarbha, and early Taoist teachings. He began meditating in 1993 at age 17, and his practice expanded over the years to include Chan, Korean Seon, and Theravāda traditions, along with study of the Pāli suttas and Mahāyāna sūtras. Following his brother's death in 2019, he founded Luminous Dharma to offer teachings freely. His mentors include Venerable Sucitta Mahātherī, Santikaro Upāsaka, Leigh Brasington, and Venerable Wu Kai Shīfù. To learn more, visit https://luminousdharma.org/.CHAPTERS0:00 – Opening & Bio Introduction3:08 – "How would you describe returning to simplicity?"9:34 – "How would you speak about people embodying this in daily life?"13:33 – "Can you give listeners practical ways to embody the skill of release?"18:05 – "How would you suggest cultivating this on the cushion?"21:45 – "Do you want to quickly speak to the sailing analogy?"27:20 – "How would you speak about moments where it's not easy to turn off the motor?"32:24 – "Would you speak to big mind and small mind?"35:20 – "What other methods do you have for people stepping into big mind?"37:19 – "Do you have an example of returning to simplicity while doing the dishes?"46:59 – "How do you teach this in meditation? How do you sit to develop these skills?"51:30 – "Can you give a practical technique to sit with this — breath or mantra?"54:54 – "What's different about returning to nature vs. returning to simplicity?"1:01:19 – "How is returning to nature different from returning to simplicity?" (trust/wholehearted wish)1:09:00 – "What's the practical way to sit and develop the returning to nature method?"1:17:14 – "How do people make the leap to piti, rapture, and nourishment?"1:21:43 – "How does one know if a breakthrough is authentic?"1:25:08 – "How does the Awakening Alchemy method fit into this paradigm?"1:28:42 – "Do you consider yourself Buddhist?"We are especially grateful for the work of Chetan Raj in filming and editing. Sadhu!---Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho the Buddha's directions towards developing jhāna through mindfulness of breathing, as articulated in the Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 18 - https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false). Taoist articulations of how to refine the body's energies provide practical tools for practitioners looking to refine the mind through these stages. Specifically, Jason Bartlett's "Awakening Alchemy" methodology, described in the talk and essay below, give in-depth guidance about the approach.Video: Buddhist Lotus, Taoist Roots: An Ancient Blueprint for Modern Practice | Jason Bartlett Q&A: https://youtu.be/qlU00qmHq1EAwakening Alchemy Essay: http://Luminousdharma.org/awakening-alchemy/------Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

ESSAY: http://Luminousdharma.org/awakening-alchemy/PAIRED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/_GUvwlg8bHIDESCRIPTIONAwakening Alchemy is a system of body, breath, energy, and spirit practices that cultivate and transform our being on multiple levels. Its concepts and approach are rooted in principles found within East Asian medicine, Taoist cultivation, and Buddhism. In this discussion we establish the principles and working points that serve as the foundation for this style of practice.As with all techniques, these practices affect each person differently. If you experience problematic symptoms or stress while trying them, please discontinue the practice and consult a skilled practitioner of traditional East Asian medicine as needed. To learn more, visit https://luminousdharma.org/.BIOJason Bartlett teaches a practical, cross-traditional approach to Buddha Dharma centered on "returning to nature" — a method of releasing the sense of self by entrusting whatever arises spontaneously and uncontrolled to nature itself, drawing on prajñāpāramitā, tathāgatagarbha, and early Taoist teachings. He began meditating in 1993 at age 17, and his practice expanded over the years to include Chan, Korean Seon, and Theravāda traditions, along with study of the Pāli suttas and Mahāyāna sūtras. Following his brother's death in 2019, he founded Luminous Dharma to offer teachings freely. His mentors include Venerable Sucitta Mahātherī, Santikaro Upāsaka, Leigh Brasington, and Venerable Wu Kai Shīfù. To learn more, visit https://luminousdharma.org/.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and guest biography01:59 How did the Awakening Alchemy approach develop?05:35 What are the Three Treasures (jing, qi, shen)?09:29 How do the Three Treasures map onto satipatthana and the four jhanas?11:58 How do heaven, earth, person and fire and water map onto the body?16:26 How do we practically work with the Three Treasures?18:44 Phase one: how do we settle into yin until yang is born?26:06 How do you find the dantian by feel?32:40 What is bellows breathing and how is it practiced?35:33 Phase three: what happens when we "steam the medicine"?41:10 What are the microcosmic orbit and the magpie bridge?44:27 How do the three phases cycle together (the firing cycle)?48:51 How do we use dantian awareness with difficult emotions in daily life?51:29 What are warrior fire and scholar fire?53:21 How do the three dantians wire together?58:52 What is the postural shift that opens the heart center?1:03:08 Which phase does the wiring of the dantians belong to?1:04:34 What happens when the dantians connect into an "antenna"?1:09:41 How would one know they've touched this antenna phase?1:11:04 What is the "ball of medicine" that gathers with practice?1:16:05 How should practitioners handle setbacks, timelines, and support?1:21:00 Can you demonstrate the opening and closing practices?1:28:19 What about standing meditation (zhan zhuang) and shaking practice?1:32:21 Why does ethical restraint (sila) matter for this practice?1:38:05 How does this system map onto the Anapanasati Sutta's 16 steps?1:44:33 Where does jhana fit into this framework?1:51:16 How do the jhana similes describe these body experiences?1:54:03 What is the nada sound (the "sound of silence") and how do you find it?1:56:17 How does this practice fuel metta and the Brahmaviharas?2:00:16 How do capacity and merit affect spiritual development?We are especially grateful for the work of Chetan Raj in filming and editing, and of Alex Haynes in creating the instructive imagery. Sadhu!----Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about four doors to entering into the perception of space (ākāsa-saññā or ākāsānañcāyatana-saññā):1) transcending form (rūpasaññānaṃ samatikkamā);2) setting down resistance (paṭighasaññānaṃ atthaṅgamā);3) unhooking duality (nānattasaññānaṃ amanasikārā);4) resting in space (‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati).Bhikkhu Sujato Translation:"With the...surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, one enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space."Bhikkhu Bodhi Translation:"With the...surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite,’ some bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of infinite space."Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks the importance in practice of directing attention and intention to shape our path and experience. The word "adhiṭṭāna" ("determination" or "vow") describes such training, as does the Buddha's frequent admonishment to his discples, "Evañhi vo … sikkhitabbaṃ" ("Thus you should train yourselves...").Some Suttas where the Buddha speaks about this setting of intention include the Mahāgosiṅga Sutta (MN 32 - https://suttacentral.net/mn32/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false), AN 2.5 (https://suttacentral.net/an2.5/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin)Ajahn Kovilo and others have compiled an anthology of the Buddha's other encouragements towards training in "Thus Should You Train Yourselves" (https://www.clearmountain.org/2024/06/11/thus-should-you-train-yourselves/)-----Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)- Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)- Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!