Clear Mountain Monastery Project

A Tradition Apart: The Overview Effect of Awareness from a Forest a Continent Away | Ajahn Kovilo

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo discusses the Thai Forest Tradition and what he terms the "Thai Forest Effect" - the insights, inner brightness, and eventual transcendence that can come from living a life apart but not separate.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!

How Luang Por Chah Taught Me to Let Go | Luang Por Jundee Q&A

In this interview, Luang Por Jundee, a senior disciple of Luang Por Chah and abbot of Wat Pah Ampawan, speaks about Luang Por Chah's strategies of training, advice on giving, and how we can be near to a teacher we've never met.BiographiesLuang Por JundeeVenerable LP Jundee Kantasāro who was ordained by Venerable Luang Por Chah in 1975, was born in one of the neighbouring villages to Wat Pah Pong in 1953. He is a part of the first group of monks to be ordained by Luang Por Chah. Since childhood he was close to the monastery since his father was leading the villagers in practicing with LP Chah on observance days for many years. In his early years LP Jundee was sent to Wat Pah Nanachat to practice with the international sangha and later joined the first branch in Australia for 2 years. LP Jundee was asked by LP Sumedho to help teaching abroad and has many times assisted LP Liem on international travels. Currently he is the abbot of Wat Pah Ampawan, which is situated to the east of Bangkok in the district of Chonburi. It hosts between 40 and 60 monks.--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!

Virtue, Concentration, & Wisdom: Reclaiming the Middle Way in a Culture of Extremes | Ajahn Kaccāna

In this talk, Ajahn Kaccana, ordained at Abhayagiri Monastery and currently residing at Chithurst Monastery in England, speaks about how we can balance the cultural proclivity towards individualism and idealism by developing awareness of the body, coming into community, and cultivating virtue, concentration, and wisdom.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!

Meditating Without Footnotes: Bridging the Scholastic & Practice Divide | Ven. Dhammadinnā Q&A

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ven. Dhammadinnā, an expert in the various canonical languages of early Buddhist traditions. They speak Ven. Dhammadinna's love of Pāli, her path to robes, her attempt to bridge the scholastic-practice divide, and more!Ven. Dhammadinnā's Biography:Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā was born in Italy in 1980 and went forth in Sri Lanka in 2012. She studied Indology, Indo-Iranian philology and Tibetology at the University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’ and at the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University in Tokyo. She obtained her doctorate in 2010 with a dissertation on the Khotanese ‘Book of Zambasta’.Her main research interests are early Buddhist discourse and Vinaya texts (with a focus on the Theravāda and Mūlasarvāstivāda traditions), the formative phases of Mahāyāna ideology in Khotan in the fifth and sixth centuries, and the development of the theories, practices and ideologies of Buddhist meditative traditions. She is currently a research associate professor in the Department of Buddhist Studies of the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, mainly working on a study of the evolution of the notions of great compassion and omniscience in the history of Buddhist thought and on a collated digital edition, annotated translation and comparative study of the Mūlasarvāstivāda āgama quotations in Śamathadeva’s Abhidharmakośopāyikāṭīkā preserved in Tibetan translation. Dhammadinnā also serves as the series editor for the ARG publications with the Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation. To learn more, visit https://anissitavihara.com---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!

Chanting for Uplifting Disenchantment: A Chant-idote to a Boring Dhamma Life | Ajahn Kovilo

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the value of chanting as a way to give rise to wholesome mental states.The main chant referenced is the "Suffusion with the Divine Abidings", featured here:- I will abide pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with lovingkindness; likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above and below, around and everywhere; and to all as to myself. I will abide pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness; abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill-will.- I will abide pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with compassion; likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above and below, around and everywhere; and to all as to myself. I will abide pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with compassion; abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill-will.- I will abide pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with gladness; likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above and below, around and everywhere; and to all as to myself. I will abide pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with gladness; abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill-will.- I will abide pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with equanimity; likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above and below, around and everywhere; and to all as to myself. I will abide pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with equanimity; abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill-will. Pāli Original:- mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṃ, tathā tatiyaṃ, tathā catutthaṃ. iti uddhamadho tiriyaṃ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati; - karuṇāsahagatena cetasā ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṃ, tathā tatiyaṃ, tathā catutthaṃ. iti uddhamadho tiriyaṃ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ karuṇāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati; - muditāsahagatena cetasā ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṃ, tathā tatiyaṃ, tathā catutthaṃ. iti uddhamadho tiriyaṃ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ muditāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati; - upekkhāsahagatena cetasā ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṃ, tathā tatiyaṃ, tathā catutthaṃ. iti uddhamadho tiriyaṃ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati.- 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!

From Suffering to Safety: Trauma-Informed Dhamma | Amma Thanasanti Q&A

In this compelling dialogue, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Amma Thanasanti about what’s missing from traditional Dharma when it comes to trauma, attachment, and nervous system regulation. They explore how trauma-informed tools, the window of tolerance, and developmental wounding intersect with meditation practice—and why understanding these dynamics can open the door to real healing and freedom.To learn more about Amma Thanasanti and the Integrated Meditation program, visit https://awakeningtruth.org/integrated-meditation/.Amma Thanasanti Biography:Amma Thanasanti has been practicing meditation and teaching for many decades. She spent 26 years as a Theravada Buddhist nun, with 20 years training in Ajahn Chah branch monasteries.She is the founder of Awakening Truth and the Integrated Meditation Program, a neuroplasticity-based, relationally-rooted program designed to re-wire patterns that traditional meditation may not reach. Amma’s teaching weaves together classical Dharma, trauma-informed practices, and a deep reverence for the natural world. She shares openly from her lived experience as a doorway to connection, healing, and awakening.To learn more, visit https://awakeningtruth.org/--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!

Sister Rabbi, Brother Monk: An Interfaith Family Dialogue | Ajahn Cunda & Rabbi Sydney Mintz Q&A

In this session, Ajahn Nisabho and Ajahn Kovilo interview brother and sister Ajahn Cunda and Rabbi Sydney Mintz.Bio of Ajahn Cunda: Ajahn Cunda was raised in a warm and loving family in the Northern suburbs of Chicago and moved to California in 1996. Ajahn Cunda moved to Abhayagiri in late 2005, and after two years training as an Anagārika and Sāmaṇera, ordained as a Bhikkhu on May 22, 2008. Under Luang Por Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, he trained at Abhayagiri for eight and a half years. In 2014, Ajahn Cunda moved to Tisaraṇa Monastery in Canada, to practice under the guidance of Luang Por Vīradhammo. In 2017, he began living in several western monasteries, including Bodhivana and Dhammagiri in Australia, Chithurst in England, and Santacittārāma in Italy, before returning to Abhayagiri in early 2020. In 2021, Ajahn Cunda spent a year at the Pacific Hermitage and since April 2022, he has returned to Abhayagiri indefinitely.Bio of Rabbi Sydney Mintz:Rabbi Sydney Mintz was ordained in 1997 by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. She is the founder of the award-winning Late Shabbat Young Adult Program at Congregation Emanu-El where she served as Rabbi from her ordination in 1997 through 2024. She became a Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem after completing her fellowship in 2004. Sydney currently serves on the National Board of Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and as a Rabbinic Scholar for American Jewish World Service. She is a graduate of Bend the Arc’s (Sella) Selah Leadership Program and is a member of the US State Department’s Working Group on Religion and Social Justice. She led Team Emanu-El in the AIDS Lifecycle Ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles and is an avid open ocean swimmer. Learn more here: https://www.rebsyd.com/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!

Five Faculties: The Indriyā as Probiotics for Practice | Ayyā Suvijjānā & Ayya Niyyānika

Ayyā Suvijjānā & Ayya Niyyānika of Passaddhi Vihara (https://passaddhivihara.org/) speak about developing the Five Indriyā, or Mental Faculties in our practice. The five, including saddhā (faith), viriya (energy), sati (mindfulness), samādhi (concentration), and pañña (wisdom) must be developed in a balanced manner for practice to progress. The Buddha's description of the Five Faculties may be found here: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN48_10.htmlAyya 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. To learn more about Passaddhi Vihara and the Ayyas, visit https://passaddhivihara.org/--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 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!