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I am reading an Ajahn book. I also go to a Thai Forest retreat centre in the west of Ireland when I can.

Your ''skillful means'' in teaching has left an indelible imprint upon my practice. As this vid wound to a close, I thought, ''Ah yes, this teaching recalls the Simile of The Raft''. All of a minute latter, you referenced the vid. that you did on the raft! You are def. having an impact. I thank you for that. What an INCREDIBLE resource is your channel. I frequent many ''Early Buddhism'' chats (Reddit, etc.) and your contribution is always given highest recommendations by all parties.

@DougsDharma

3 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! 🙏😊

A very timely and important reminder. It's fascinating how those views, beliefs, opinions that we cling so tightly to are as fluid and prone to change as anything else in life. This does prompt us to hold them with a looser grip and an open hand.

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

🙏😊

Thanks, Doug. A very current topic due to the great polarization, not only political, that our societies suffer. Our excess of strong opinions on almost all matters causes disagreements with others and leads to a rigid personality and suffering. Ajahn Chah's idea about the not-sure-mind is very beautiful.

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

🙏

Hurrah! A new video is out👍🎉

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

🎉

Thank you for the video. It is a great thing to remember that we often disagree with our past selves. In fact, if we did agree with ourselves for our entire lives, then it would almost seem as if we were robots, programed to the original set of beliefs. And if so were the case, then we would never achieve enlightenment, or the shedding of clinging and acceptance of impermanence. It is therefore the only way across to let go of the was and should. I love the way the message of this video is simple and pure and to the point. Thanks a bunch. Cake is good!

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

😄🙏

Prof. Smith, my "Visakha Insight Meditation" (Bodhi, 2012, p. 296. A Translation of Anguttara Nikaya. Wisdom Publication, Boston), had been effectively applied to cleanse, purify and burn my "coma-2011" suffered in Bangkok, and since 2012, my 'Coma' had been completely healed and cured within, and became the "Coma-Resiliency" since then. I do also enable to use it to cure and heal some kinds of diseases suffered by my donors too (Not all diseases). (12Feb2024)

🙏🏼

Ajahn Chah! One of my most respected meditation masters. He was very relaxed about practice while still explaining best. practice simply and clearly. My favourite bit of advice was to Jack Kornfield, (mentioned in one of his books), which was, in the case of meditation sleepiness, to sit for practice on the edge of a well! Hmmm... effective I imagine 😄 Meeting each moment only in that moment is the best advice you can have in life. Whether you are aiming to progress in Buddhism, or just because you are a worrier. Put that worry down and keep putting it down every time you manage to absent mindedly pick it up again. And time and time again through life, I've had minor obsessions until one day I am tired of it and over it. So recognising that this is so, is very helpful. Thanks for reminding me Doug!

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

🙏😊

I just thought: "What a wonderful video! You can always rely on Doug! But wait --- not sure, not sure!" 🤪😂

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

Right?! 😄

True. But sad in a way. Because it means that we cannot be sure that we will like our life partner in five years, for instance.

Sending love from the monastery near Seattle!

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

🙏😊

Another good video, Doug. Thank you! Reminds me of Dukkha in the Four Noble Truths and how to resolve Dukkha through the Eightfold Path. My rudimentary take on this: Our expectations (forced views from past experiences) and anticipations (forced views for future experiences) lead our mind to live in the past and the future simultaneously, so we don’t have “Right View” and never really live in the present or experience the moment then and there (and more importantly, we fail to learn from the experiences of this very moment). These forced views (or “Wrong Views”) make us grasp and cling onto the skandhas and contort our body, speech, and mind. Better to experience life’s moments with Right View (Mindfulness) and let these moments be whatever they may be. Learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences - and continue on.

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

🙏

Thank you! It was very beneficial.

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

Right up my alley as I am afraid I don't value my own opinions all that much. They turn out to be temporary or plain wrong all too often.

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

Yes well join the club! 😄

@Genpinan

4 ай бұрын

@@DougsDharma haha, thank you. Have a great day.

Sir I belong to a theravad/Vajrayana mixed Buddhist family. My parents pray to Buddha like a god. But I see Shakyamuni Buddha as a teacher or a philosopher. I always try to follow the Eightfold Path by embracing the Fourth Noble Truth. But I don't believe in reincarnation, daties and karma. Can I call myself a Buddhist? If I reject the idea of ​​reincarnation

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

Right this is my approach as well, though I do see use in the karma concept in an ordinary, natural sense, as I've described in some past videos. This approach is generally known as "secular Buddhism". I have playlists on karma as well as on secular Buddhism that might interest you. For secular Buddhism: kzread.info/head/PL0akoU_OszRjx0lEV_Bre693AvHWrk-Kp&si=wyIhg5HDoKxJZLyn

Attachment always leads to suffering. This includes emotional attachments to personal or group beliefs or opinions. As I grow older, I feel my life becoming more peaceful, as I learn to accept that everything is impermanent and ever changing. How can I claim that I am, or have been, 100% certain about anything at all, at any given moment in time in my life, when I did not create oceans and the skies and the very earth itself, and everything that moves and breathes within it?

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

🙏

Some people are optimistic and can't stand anyone who is trying to give them a realtiy check- like Jaws the movie('get out of the water !'). Some are negative in self fulfilling prophecies and make things bad thinking fate is already written in stone. Some don't know. Yet others are optimistic but have contingency plans in case of failures. I prefer the last one with things I have control over; and don't bother other wise (the stoic dichotomy of control). I think Stoicism blends really well with Buddism

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

Yes they are similar in many respects. I have a few videos on that.

What is being prescribed here is "uncertainty" in meditation, however it's worth noting nearly all the wisdom traditions which encourage Meditation also point to Hindered/ obstacle which impedes, and one is certainly "uncertainty" is a hinderence..🤔

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

Well Ajahn Chah's advice is similar to the Zen notion of "great doubt". This indeed is something of an innovation compared with early practice, but I think it depends on how one holds the uncertainty.

@yogig6271

4 ай бұрын

@@DougsDharma my experience over 25 years navigating various spiritual groups becomes very clear observing how doubt and uncertainty towards teaching and teachers is indeed an obstacle. I acknowledge this is not an easy issue to overcome, and depending on who the "authority" is in the hearts of those who are practicing and indeed facing such obstacles it's not an answer I have been given access too. However, perseverance and trust in practice helps one to practice, and if beneficial, faith will arise.thiis will be a validated faith, where one can trust in ones own practice and infer or cross reference the tradition alongside good company.

Not Sure was the main character in Idiocracy.

The example with the dentist ..not the best, it's always terrible. Cheers from another chocolate and coffee lover :D

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

😬😬

Can you do a video on Dzogchen?

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

I may eventually though that is a much later practice and most of my focus is on the early material.

Are you sure?

@DougsDharma

4 ай бұрын

Nah.

Got views? Yellow, yellow.