Clear Mountain Monastery Project

The Recollections: Six Songs of Sanctuary | Ajahn Nisabho

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho talks about the Mahānāma Sutta (AN 11:12) (https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN11_12.html), and the six recollections recommended by the Buddha as ways of tuning to the quiet note of Dhamma, and to finding refuge.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 Craving Mind and the Default Mode’s Addiction to Self | Dr. Judson Brewer MD PhD

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview psychiatrist Dr. Judson Brewer MD PhD about the confluence between neuroscience and Theravāda Buddhism.For more information about Dr. Jud, visit:- https://www.mindshiftrecovery.org/- https://drjud.com/Dr. Jud's Bio:Dr. Judson Brewer, MD, PhD (aka Dr. Jud), is a New York Times best-selling author and pioneering psychiatrist blending cutting-edge neuroscience with 20+ years of mindfulness training. A leader in the science of habit change, he's director of research at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center and has held positions at MIT, Yale, and UMass. Dr. Jud developed app-based programs like Mindshift Recovery, Unwinding Anxiety, Eat Right Now, and Craving to Quit, clinically proven to treat anxiety, addiction, and emotional eating. He’s the author of The Craving Mind, Unwinding Anxiety, and The Hunger Habit and co-founder of the nonprofit Mindshift Recovery. He is also a collaborator with Clear Mountaineers/medical researchers Dori Rosenberg and Dave Arterburn!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 Dying: 20 Years of Hospice & Living Non-Separation | Rodney Smith Q&A

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Rodney Smith, author and founder or the Seattle Insight Meditation Society, about resting in an ever-present silence, his work in hospice, how to be with the dying, and more. For more on Rodney, visit: https://seattleinsight.org/teacher/rodney-smith-founding-teacher/Rodney's Bio:Rodney Smith spent eight years in Buddhist monastic settings, both at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Massachusetts and several years as a Buddhist monk in Asia. He ordained with Mahasi Sayadaw in Burma then practiced for three years with Ajahn Buddhadassa in Thailand. He disrobed as a monk in 1983 and, after returning to the West, started working in hospice care and teaching vipassana meditation throughout the U.S.   At the end of 2016, Rodney retired from a full-time teaching role after more than 30 years of teaching. He served as a Senior Teacher for IMS and the founding and guiding teacher of Seattle Insight Meditation. He is author of the books Lessons From the Dying, Stepping Out of Self-Deception: The Buddha's Liberating Teaching of No-Self, and Awakening: A Paradigm Shift of the Heart.Tune in with fellow practitioners every Wednesday evening from 6 - 6:45 pm or Saturday morning from 9:30 am - 11 am for a Dhamma Talk and Q&A with Ajahn Kovilo or Ajahn Nisabho. Saturday mornings begin with a thirty-minute meditation. Wednesday evening Q&A's are followed by a discussion on Zoom from 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm. See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

”There’s Much to Be Said for Wordless Silence... But This Is a Dhamma Talk” | Ajahn Kaccāna

In this talk, Ajahn Kaccāna, ordained at Abhayagiri Monastery but currently residing at Chithurst Monastery in England, speaks about finding refuge in the quality of knowing rather than the objects of awareness.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!

Swipe Left on Saṃsāra — Jhānas, Emptiness, & Leaving Your Cellphone Behind | Shaila Catherine Q&A

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview renowned meditation teacher Shaila Catherine about the practice of jhāna, the breath nimitta, digital hygiene on retreat, and more.To learn more about Shaila, visit: https://shailacatherine.com/You may access more of her teachings at Insight Meditation South Bay (https://www.imsb.org/) and Bodhi Courses (https://bodhicourses.org/).Bio:Shaila Catherine is the founder of Insight Meditation South Bay, a meditation group in Silicon Valley, and also Bodhi Courses, an online Buddhist classroom. She has been practicing meditation since 1980, with more than nine years of accumulated silent retreat experience. She has taught since 1996 in the USA, and internationally. Shaila studied with several Asian masters in India, Thailand, and Nepal, including H. W. L. Poonja, Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche, and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, in addition to the founders of several western meditation centers. She completed a one-year intensive meditation retreat with the focus on concentration and jhana, and authored The Jhānas: A Practical Guide to Deep Meditative States (previously published as Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity. Shaila practiced under the guidance of Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw from 2006-2014, and authored Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhana and Vipassana to help make this traditional approach to meditative training accessible to western practitioners. Her third book, Beyond Distraction: Five Practical Ways to Focus the Mind, teaches skills to overcome restless thinking, rumination, and obstructive habitual patterns. Shaila’s teachings emphasize deep samadhi, jhāna, and the path of liberating insight.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!

Monk Jumped Downtown: Post-Traumatic Growth From a Dark Street in Seattle | Ajahn Kovilo

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo relates his experience being assaulted in downtown Seattle on March 30th, 2025.Suttas Referenced:- Dhammapada vv 3-5: https://www.digitalpalireader.online/_dprhtml/index.html?loc=k.1.0.0.0.0.0.m|ati://kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html- Dhammapada vv 197-200: https://www.digitalpalireader.online/_dprhtml/index.html?loc=k.1.0.0.14.0.0.m|ati://kn/dhp/dhp.15.budd.html- Puṇṇovāda Sutta (MN 145)https://suttacentral.net/mn145/en/sujato?lang=en- Four Types of People (AN 4.85)https://www.digitalpalireader.online/_dprhtml/index.html?loc=a.3.0.0.1.3.4.m|bt://an/an_e_4.htm#s85 Tune in with fellow practitioners every Wednesday evening from 6 - 6:45 pm or Saturday morning from 9:30 am - 11 am for a Dhamma Talk and Q&A with Ajahn Kovilo or Ajahn Nisabho. Saturday mornings begin with a thirty-minute meditation. Wednesday evening Q&A's are followed by a discussion on Zoom from 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm. See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!To participate in the Saturday chanting, use the pdf found here: https://www.abhayagiri.org/media/books/abhayagiri_monastic_foundation_chanting_book_revision_2010.pdf

Livin’ La Vida Āloka! Building an Inner Haven Outside Havana | Ayyā Mārajinā Q&A

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Venerable Ayyā Mārajinā about her experience creating Saṅgha in Cuba. Learn more at https://www.theravadacuba.org or at the links below.Ayyā Mārajinā's biography:Ayyā Mārajinā Bhikkhunī received pabbajja (2010) and upasampadā (2012) at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, California, with Venerable Tathālokā Maha Therī as pavattinī. She has practiced meditation for over 15 years, initially to manage bipolar disorder, now seeing the Dhamma as the highest blessing. Dedicated to practicing and teaching the Satipatthāna and Brahmavihāras, she shares the transformative power of the Dhamma in Spanish and English.A Cuban-American, Ayya works to establish the first Theravāda temple in Cuba and is involved in creating a bhikkhunī monastery in Mexico. She translates Loku Hamuduruwo Pemasiri Thera’s teachings into Spanish and leads a Sunday meditation and sutta study livestream. Her first book “Pa’ alante es pa’ lla” is currently being edited. Residing at Bhava Nirodha Nilaya in Florida, she also cares for her mother.Learn more about Theravāda Cuba:https://www.theravadacuba.orgJoin the WhatsApp group:https://chat.whatsapp.com/BQQnBjDOITn2jWbtQjJ4cbTo give, write “For Cuba” here:https://www.dhammadharini.net/financial-donationsDonation instructions + info:https://www.theravadacuba.org/supportFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ayya.marajina.buddha.dhammaAnswers and further assistance can be received at TheravadaCuba@gmail.com or bhikkhuni.marajina@gmail.comTo learn more about the history of Buddhism in Cuba, watch: https://youtu.be/dKl07tXxl3g?si=I_IWF9wZ0-uP5yWD---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 Self in Pieces: Seeing through the Five Aggregates | Ajahn Nisabho

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho describes the 5 khandhas, or "aggregates" onto which we posit a self: 1) form (rūpa) 2) feelings (vedanā) 3) perception (sañña) 4) mental formations (sankhara) and 5) consciousness (viññāna). He further describes how we can skillfully use each as a factor on the path rather than clinging to it as a locus of self.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!

Q&A: Bone Contemplation, Apolitical Monasticism, & Letting Go of the World | Ajahn Nisabho

In this Q&A session, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about body contemplation, monastics' apolitical stance, dispassion (virāga), benefits of the holy life, and more.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!

Compost Yourself: You’re Just Earth Eating Earth | Ayyā Santacittā

In this session, Ayyā Santacittā of the Āloka Earth Room visits and shares reflections on the hummus-ness of humans.Ayyā Santacitta's Biography:Santacitta 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](https://alokavihara.org/aloka-earth-room/), currently located in San Rafael, CA.To learn more about Ayyā Santacittā, visit: https://alokavihara.org/aloka-earth-room/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!