Clear Mountain Monastery Project

”Times Are Urgent; We Need to Slow Down” | Ayya Santaciitā

In this talk, Ayya Santacittā speaks about how, in the face of a chaotic world, we can fortify the heart with a sense of patience, equipoise, and the steady intention of the earthworm—making space amidst the pressure of surrounding dark. The talk is followed by a meditation on the body as elements and not-self.BiographySantacitta Bhikkhuni was born in Austria and did her graduate studies in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on dance, theatre and ritual. She also worked in avant-garde dance theatre as a performer and costume designer. In 1988 she met Ajahn Buddhadasa in southern Thailand, who sparked her interest in Buddhist monastic life. She trained as a nun in England and Asia from 1993 until 2009, primarily in the lineage of Ajahn Chah. Since 2002, she has also received teachings in the lineage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.Santacitta Bhikkhuni co-founded Aloka Vihara in 2009 and received Bhikkhuni Ordination in 2011. She is committed to Gaia as a living being and resides at Aloka Earth Room, currently located in San Rafael, CA. You can learn more at https://alokavihara.org/ayya-santacitta/ .----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!

What’s Your Brahmavihāra? And Locating Your Lineage! | Tuere Sala Q&A

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tuere Sala, Guiding Teacher at Seattle Insight Meditation Society and the founding teacher of the Capitol Hill Meditation Group. They speak about Tuere's path to the Dhamma, the difficulty People of Color have entering largely white Dhamma groups, the potency of the Thai Forest Tradition, dealing with deep grief, and the power of muditā, or sympathetic joy.Tuere's Biography:Tuere is a retired prosecuting attorney who has practiced Vipassana meditation for over 30 years. Tuere believes that urban meditation is the foundation for today’s practitioner’s path to liberation. She is inspired by bringing the Dharma to nontraditional places and is a strong advocate for practitioners living with high stress, past trauma and difficulties sitting still. Tuere has been teaching since 2010 and has a long history of assisting others in establishing and maintaining a daily practice.The link to the 6:45-7:30 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 – 7:30 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!

The Goldsmith’s Guide to Inner Perfection... & the Election | Ajahn Nisabho

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how we can hold the political upheavals of the world with equanimity, turning towards their challenges as sources of growth rather than suffering. If approached with wisdom, such difficulties can become the flame that purifies the heart's gold, as in AN 3.101 (https://suttacentral.net/an3.101/en/thanissaro?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false).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!

EARLY PREMIER! A Behind-the-Huts Tour of a Monastery’s Private Book Collection | Ajahn Sona Q&A

In this special session recorded in late October 2024, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho take a tour of Birken Forest Monastery's "Forbidden Library" and interview Ajahn Sona about a selection of books from its shelves, including:- The Republic by Plato- The Death of Ivan Ilych by Tolstoy- The Seven Storey Mountain by Merton- Walden by Thoreau- A Short History of Myth by Armstrong- Siddhartha by Hess- and more!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!

Voting for Sanity Amongst Voting Calamity | Ajahn Kovilo

In this session, given just a few days before Election Day 2024, Ajahn Kovilo encourages spaciousness of heart, tranquility in abandoning unhelpful doubt, noticing and curbing the "fault-finding mind", and learning how not attach to views.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!

The Dhamma of Body, Speech, & Mind | Ayya Suvijjānā & Ayya Niyyānika

In this talk, Ayya Suvijjānā & Ayya Niyyānika of Passaddhi Vihara join Clear Mountain, teaching on how to align bodily, verbal, & mental formations (kāyasaṅkhārā, vacīsaṅkhārā, & cittasaṅkhārā) to move the mind towards calm. A canonical description of the three forms of activity may be found in the MN 44, Cūḷavedalla Sutta (https://suttacentral.net/mn44/en/sujato?lang=en).To learn more about Ayya Suvijjānā & Ayya Niyyānika, visit www.passaddhivihara.org.Ayya Suvijjānā's Bio:Ayyā Suvijjānā started with Zen meditation in 1976. After discovering Vipassana in 1998, she visited Abhayagiri where she became a disciple of Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno, eventually becoming a monastic student of Ayya Tathālokā in 2006. Taking full ordination in 2010, she helped establish Dhammadharini before traveling and teaching since 2020.Ayyā Niyyānika's Bio:Ayyā Niyyānika is a fully ordained Buddhist monastic in the Theravada tradition. Ayya uses they/them pronouns. They received their initial monastic training within the Dhammadharini community from 2014 through 2019 and then was with the Aloka Vihara community for three years. The past year and a bit have been a time of travel, integration, and deepening in practice. They visited a variety of monastic and lay communities in the West and in Asia, taking time for retreat and study as well as community involvement.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!

Vowing and Bowing: From the Sensual to the Potential | Ajahn Achalo Q&A

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ajahn Achalo, founder of Anandagiri Monastery!Biography of Ajahn Achalo:Ajahn Achalo was born in Brisbane Australia in 1972. He developed a keen interest in meditation at the age of twenty and a year later left for Thailand to study Buddhism more intently.  After a two year period practising in various centres and monasteries, in 1996 Ajahn Achalo ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu under Ajahn Liem at Wat Nong Pah Pong, the monastery founded by venerable Ajahn Chah. Although most of his training has taken place in Thailand, Ajahn Achalo has also lived in several international Forest Monasteries in the Ajahn Chah lineage.  During his years of training, he has received personal guidance from many remarkable teachers, among them, Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Kalyano. For most of his Bhikkhu life, he has considered Tan Ajahn Anan, abbot of Wat Marp Jan, to be his principal mentor. In addition, he has found the Dalai Lama's instructions and example to be of tremendous value.Ajahn Acalo is the founder and abbot of Anandagiri Forest Monastery in Pechabun, Thialand. Much of his time - over 3000 hours and counting - has been spent meditating at Bodhgaya (where the Buddha was Enlightened).The link to the 6:45-7:30 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 – 7:30 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!

Theravāda Themes in Translation PART 2 | Bhikkhu Bodhi Q&A

In this session - Part 2 of 2 - Ajahn Kovilo interviews Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi on the topic of Theravāda Themes in Translation. Through chronologically surveying the main corpus of his translations, Bhikkhu Bodhi discusses various themes found throughout Theravāda Buddhism and suggests how they can be more fully understood as they move from Southeast Asia to the West.For PART 2 of this interview, visit: https://youtu.be/EB-9NINXAToVenerable Bhikkhu Bodhi's Biography:Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City. He obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School. Bhikkhu Bodhi traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received ordinations and held positions as president and editor of the Buddhist Publication Society. He is known for his work as the editor, compiler, and translator of three Discourse Collections of the Pali Canon. In 2001, he returned to the US and founded Buddhist Global Relief, a non-profit organization supporting hunger relief, sustainable agriculture, and education in impoverished countries. Currently residing at Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, New York, he continues to teach Pāli and Dhamma.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!

Theravāda Themes in Translation PART 1 | Bhikkhu Bodhi Q&A

In this session - Part 1 of 2 - Ajahn Kovilo interviews Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi on the topic of Theravāda Themes in Translation. Through chronologically surveying the main corpus of his translations, Bhikkhu Bodhi discusses various themes found throughout Theravāda Buddhism and suggests how they can be more fully understood as they move from Southeast Asia to the West.For PART 2 of this interview, visit: https://youtu.be/hIfSDQKPSs8Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi's Biography:Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City. He obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School. Bhikkhu Bodhi traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received ordinations and held positions as president and editor of the Buddhist Publication Society. He is known for his work as the editor, compiler, and translator of three Discourse Collections of the Pali Canon. In 2001, he returned to the US and founded Buddhist Global Relief, a non-profit organization supporting hunger relief, sustainable agriculture, and education in impoverished countries. Currently residing at Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, New York, he continues to teach Pāli and Dhamma.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!

The Body is Nature; the Mind is Free | Ayya Ānandabodhī

In this session, Ayya Ānandabodhī, founder of Pārāyana Vihara, speaks about the mind's tendency to lose itself in thoughts of the past and future, and our need to purify the heart so that the present moment becomes a place of deep abiding, regardless of external circumstances. Ayya Anandabodhī's Bio:Ayya Ānandabodhī was born and raised in Wales, UK. Ayya first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while reading about the Four Noble Truths. This was life-changing and from that moment she experienced a deep confidence in the Buddha’s insight and a wish to understand his teachings more deeply. At the age of 24, Ayya began monastic training at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England under the guidance of Ajahn Sumedho. 17 years later she moved to the USA with a wish to create more opportunities for women monastics. In 2011 she took full Bhikkhunī Ordination, joining the worldwide revival of the Theravāda Bhikkhunī Order. Ayya Ānandabodhī loves to share the Dhamma. Ayya’s practice is guided by early Buddhist scriptures, living in community, and through nature’s pure and immediate Dhamma.For more information about Ayya, visit: https://alokavihara.org/about-aloka-vihara/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!