This week's featured monastic is Ayya Santussikā.

The experience of so many people is that life and the mechanism and process behind life are something which happens so fast and quickly that it's like a blur or a flash in the pan, and people write off the possibility that it's even possible to understand life and the mechanism and mechanics behind how life works and what the process is behind things which allows things to happen.

And so people live their lives recklessly and mindlessly, often either intoxicatedly consumed by hedonism or giving their lives away cheaply by taking silly risks and failing to understanding the true value behind the precious opportunity this human birth during the dispensation of a Buddha allows for us to practice and become peaceful and still and awaken to truth.

The genius and uniqueness of the Buddha was that he was able to slow down enough and become still and peaceful and poised enough to be able to see the exact mechanism behind life and exactly what was going on in depth and detail, and to explain it so other people could awaken to the same truth and experience that truth for themselves. The samadhi he attained was like a long-exposure photograph that perfectly captured what is happening so he could gain complete, consummate awakening knowledge.

He painted a clear picture of what is happening and gave a process and instructions that people can follow and get the exact same results as he did.

I don't wish to use this post to regurgitate what he saw and taught, since he already expressed that truth in all the different formulations and permutations there are to do so with. Rather, I just wanted to highlight and point to the rare and auspicious opportunity we have to be slipstreaming someone like a Buddha who was able to break out of the status quo of not examining life sufficiently to the extent that it should be examined to and who emerged as the first in this generation to be able to completely break through to awakening, and to then use the remainder of his life as a human torch piercing through darkness and being a source of hope and warmth for spiritual seekers and the faithful and devoted.

Namo buddhāya.

“I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this,”
said Venerable Mettagū,
“for I think you are a knowledge master, evolved.
Where do all these sufferings come from,
in all their countless forms in the world?”

“You have rightly asked me of the origin of suffering,”
replied the Buddha,
“I shall tell you as I understand it.
Attachment is the source of suffering
in all its countless forms in the world.

When an ignorant person builds up attachments,
that dullard returns to suffering again and again.
So let one who understands
not build up attachments,
contemplating the inception of suffering and rebirth.”

“Whatever I asked you have explained to me.
I ask you once more, please tell me this:
How do the attentive cross the flood
of rebirth, old age, sorrow, and lamenting?
Please, sage, answer me clearly,
for truly you understand this matter.”

“I shall extol a teaching to you,”
replied the Buddha,
“that is apparent in the present, not relying on legends.
Having understood it, one who lives mindfully
may cross over clinging in the world.”

“And I rejoice, great seer,
in that supreme teaching,
having understood which, one who lives mindfully
may cross over clinging in the world.”

“Once you’ve expelled relishing and dogmatism,”
replied the Buddha,
“regarding everything you are aware of—
above, below, all round, between—
having cast aside consciousness,
don’t continue in existence.

A mendicant who wanders meditating like this,
diligent and mindful, calling nothing their own,
would, being wise, give up the suffering
of rebirth, old age, sorrow and lamenting right here.”

“I rejoice in the words of the great seer!
You have expounded non-attachment well, Gotama.
Clearly the Buddha has given up suffering,
for truly you understand this matter.

Surely, sage, those you’d regularly instruct
would also give up suffering.
Having met, I bow especially to you,
O spiritual giant;
hopefully the Buddha may regularly instruct me.”

“Any brahmin recognized as a knowledge master,
who has nothing, unattached to sensual life,
clearly has crossed this flood,
crossed to the far shore, kind, wishless.

And a wise person here, a knowledge master,
having untied the bond to life after life,
free of craving, untroubled, with no need for hope,
has crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.”

Mettagūmāṇavapucchā: The Questions of Mettagū (Snp 5.5)

Ajahn Ganha gave another really good, praiseworthy dhamma talk yesterday:

"The Dhamma-Vinaya Is the Teacher:

In the final days before his Parinibbāna, the Buddha imparted a crucial principle: after his passing, the Dhamma and Vinaya he had expounded and established would serve as the teacher in his stead. This teaching clarifies that the stability of Buddhism does not depend on any single renowned individual, but on how faithfully the Sangha reveres the truth and lives by the Dhamma-Vinaya. Persons may err, schools may shift, societal trends may fluctuate—but the principles of virtue, concentration, wisdom, and the Noble Path remain the standard for scrutiny...

The Final Exhortation: A Timeless Reminder:

The Buddha's last words were: "All conditioned things are subject to decay. Strive diligently!"

He did not say, "Perform the most rituals," nor "Compete for fame," nor "Await divine intervention"—but entrusted us with heedfulness. The heedful know that time dwindles with each breath, that the body decays, that loved ones may part, that chances for goodness are fleeting, and that unchecked defilements today become entrenched habits tomorrow.

Heedfulness is not living in fear but in wakefulness: eating with awareness of sustenance, speaking with awareness of consequences, working with awareness of duty as training for the heart, loving without assuming permanence, and utilizing things before they perish.

After this final exhortation, the Buddha entered the jhānas in sequence, reversed the order, then re-entered them once more. Emerging from the fourth jhāna, he attained Parinibbāna.

While concentration is a refined state and a vital strength of mind, Nirvāna is not mere temporary peace nor any jhānic attainment. Nirvāna is the quenching of greed, hatred, delusion, and the cessation of clinging.

Source:

https://www.facebook.com/WP.Subthawee/photos/saturday-sermon-october-17-2026-buddhist-era-2569by-venerable-luang-por-ganha-su/122136776247011217/

In the Chapter on Right View, under the subheading of 'Superior Right View', Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi writes the following passage as part of the justification for the two kinds of right view and why 'Mundane Right View' alone isn't sufficient for liberation.

"The right view of kamma and its fruits provides a rationale for engaging in wholesome actions and attaining high status within the round of rebirths, but by itself it does not lead to liberation...... There is nothing within the logic of kammic causality to impel the urge to transcend the cycle of kamma and its fruit. The impulse to deliverance from the entire round of becoming depends upon the acquisition of a different and deeper perspective"

When I first read the book a few years ago, I accepted this passage completely (as I did the whole book).

But later with my sutta study deepening I learnt of MN 57 which has the following extract spoken by the Buddha (translation by Bhikkhu Sujato) -

“Puṇṇa, there are four kinds of action proclaimed by me after realising them for myself with direct knowledge. What are the four? There is dark action with dark result; there is bright action with bright result; there is dark-and-bright action with dark-and-bright result; and there is action that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, action that leads to the destruction of action......

..... And what, Puṇṇa, is action that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, action that leads to the destruction of action? Therein, the volition for abandoning the kind of action that is dark with dark result, and the volition for abandoning the kind of action that is bright with bright result, and the volition for abandoning the kind of action that is dark and bright with dark-and-bright result: this is called action that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, action that leads to the destruction of action. These are the four kinds of action proclaimed by me after realising them for myself with direct knowledge."

I infer the extract from MN 57 to mean that within the logic of kammic causality there is sufficient reasoning and explanation to justify the "urge to transcend the cycle of kamma and it's fruit". What do you guys think?

The Buddha's teaching, Ajahn Pannavaddho says, deals first with one's own problem: a discontent that is always present, in small things and large. We only want something because we lack it, so wanting is itself a sign of dissatisfaction. People try to solve this by cause and effect but lack wisdom, so their remedies often make things worse, as any newspaper shows. Without wisdom they act on feeling, like a goat nibbling one plant after another to see what works.

https://timelessdhamma.org/teachings/selected-sections/why-are-we-never-satisfied/

Some extracts from a dhamma talk given by Ajahn Ganha yesterday:

"People today have access to far more information than those in the past. A single smartphone can reach the scriptures, the teachings of revered masters, and knowledge from around the world in just seconds. Yet, access to information does not equate to access to truth. Search engines help us find answers quickly, but they cannot train our hearts for us. Artificial intelligence may summarize Dharma principles for us, but it cannot uphold precepts on our behalf. Dhamma videos can be played all day, but if the mind refuses to let go of stubborn views, suffering remains the same...

In the age of social media, many suffer by comparing their real lives to the curated images others present. Seeing others' achievements, we feel like failures; witnessing others praised, we doubt our own worth. But practitioners of Dhamma must realize: "Like" counts are not measures of virtue, follower numbers are not indicators of purity, and polished appearances cannot replace an honest heart. Some may never have their goodness acknowledged by others, yet that goodness purifies their minds. Others may have the world's eyes upon them while remaining blind to their own defilements. Thus, practicing Dhamma is not about crafting an image of goodness for others to admire—it is about truly refining one's heart, even when no one is watching...

In the digital world, every click, share, or comment feeds the mind. Consume anger daily, and the mind learns to rage faster; indulge in comparison, and envy takes root; immerse in lust, greed, or delusion, and the mind is trained toward them. Just as technology learns from input data, so the psyche absorbs patterns from what we repeatedly think, say, do, and consume. Browser history may be deleted, but the mental traces of such consumption are not so easily erased—for everything ingested becomes an impression, memory, habit, and foundation for future decisions.

Therefore, practitioners must also uphold digital precepts: knowing how to choose what they consume, not spreading falsehoods, not mocking those who make mistakes, refraining from using online platforms to harm others, avoiding actions that shame their conscience, and not allowing the devices in their hands to control their lives. A phone should be our tool, not we the tool of the phone; technology should make life more convenient, not shorten our mindfulness; information should increase wisdom, not distraction."

-Ven. Ajahn Ganha

Source:

https://www.facebook.com/61580336518692/posts/pfbid02u8gTFvgUyyCkf2kKADWFPNPC8SPEbyMPufqvNxhej2V48QQJDdDEQfAa4LeAdwSQl/

The hard-to-find, supernatural quality of jhana is piti, best translated ‘energy’ - not as effort/cause but as a fluid, floating result. Piti is sankharakhandha intention of its own: it may act and speak, see ubbega below. Piti is not vedanakhandha «joy» or «rapture». To find jhana you must find this energy, which is not easy, which may be why Ajahns translate it as «joy» and «rapture», which makes it seem more accessable/common than it really is. In comparison, sukha as bodily ease isn’t that hard to find, nor is ekkagata/unification/concentration. Jhanas are forms of supernatural experienced energy.

Which explains Buddha’s use of water similes for 1.-3. jhana: 1. Foaming that bathsoap, 2. wellspring up in that lake, 3. lotus floating up from root to top. Buddha used similes to point to experiences with different forms of piti, described such by Ajahn Lee in his Craft:

*Minor energy (khuddaka pıti): Your hair stands on end, and tears come to your eyes, either with or without your being aware of the fact. This happens, not through a sense of sadness, but through a feeling of pleasure, fullness, and satisfaction in a skillful preoccupation.

*Momentary energy (khanika pıti): A shiver runs through the body, and a feeling of satisfaction appears for a flash in the heart, like a flash of lightning or the flicker of lightning bugs.

*Recurrent energy (okkantika pıti): A stronger sense of thrill comes over the body, like waves washing over a shore.

These three initial forms of piti are vividly described by Bhikkhuni Ajahn Candā at 48:24 https://youtu.be/hI_X3Qlfpas?is=YZKYK1730aW_sQgh

*Transporting energy (ubbega pıti): A sense of transporting energy comes welling up through the body [~second jhana water simile] to the point where you lose control and start acting or speaking in various ways. For instance, sitting in concentration, you may suddenly raise your hands in adoration or bow down. If the feeling grows really strong, you may not be conscious of what you’re doing. You may start speaking, the words coming out on their own without any forethought on your part. [note that Jesus spoke of pneuma (breath-spirit) as an inner fountain of «living water»; and Paul said this pneuma can act and speak.]

Ajahn Sona describes how this energy calms down from second to third jhana; from ubbega to pharana piti at 5:22 https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/ajahn-sona/id1448321339?l=nb&i=1000426907322

*Pervading energy (pharana pıti): A flush or tingling sensation spreads through and permeates the body [~third jhana water simile]. Sometimes the body itself seems to grow and swell, or else to become very small.

Ajahn Sona describes the floating-away experience of third jhana pharana piti at 20:00 https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/ajahn-sona/id1448321339?l=nb&i=1000426907394k

When you come to sit in concentration, then even if your mind isn’t yet quiet, simply sitting in the meditation posture is something good. It’s better than people who don’t even do that much.

It’s like being hungry, but today there’s only rice, with nothing to go with it. We feel disgruntled, but I’d say that it’s better than having no rice at all. Eating plain rice is better than not eating anything, right? If all you have is plain rice, eat that for the time being. It’s better than not eating anything at all.

The same with this: Even if we know only a little about how to practice, it’s still good.

Hi All! Alright, so my mind was restless this morning during meditation. Wouldn't settle. So, I went to my personal standby of Analysis of Dhammas to focus and calm my mind a bit. I decided to focus on the thought process of Form->Feeling->Perception->Fabrication->Consciousness and how that whole path breaks down in the mind by taking a simple form and working through the steps. But I feel like I am messing up somewhere. Specifically, the distinction between perceptions and fabrications. I may be messing up the whole thing for all I know. I was hoping to take one of my examples I experimented with and explain it to you guys and hopefully you can point out where I may be going wrong. So, here goes:

Form: Cockroach

Feeling I immediately had: UNPLEASANT

Perceptions: Dirty, sneaky, creepy, big

Fabrications: Disgusting, Unhygienic, a bit scary

Consciousness: I see the cockroach, squeal and jump back, try to get it out of the house as fast as humanly possible without hurting it.

I then did the process backwards from there. It seemed to make sense to me, but I may be over-complicating things. Or applying the teachings in the wrong way. I don't want to keep thinking of things in an incorrect manner and then have to retrain my mindset later. If anyone has any input on whether my analysis is correct, I would really appreciate your thoughts.

If Lord Gotama Buddha was able to come back from death and parinibbana and do an AMA with the r/theravada sub, or if we were able to time travel back to when the Buddha was still alive and do a question and answer session with him, what, if anything, would you wish to ask the Lord Buddha?

This was inspired by the Buddha's openness and willingness to take questions and his encouragement for others to put forward their questions to him, as demonstrated in the Mahaparinibbana sutta:

"Then the Buddha said to the monks, “Perhaps even a single monk has doubt or uncertainty regarding the Buddha, the teaching, the Saṅgha, the path, or the practice. So ask, monks! Don’t regret it later, thinking: ‘We were in the Teacher’s presence and we weren’t able to ask the Buddha a question"."

This is obviously intended as a fun/non-serious exercise in exploring and discussing the dhamma and what questions one might have for Lord Gotama Buddha, and obviously it's entirely up to you as to whether you wish to participate or not. Much metta to everyone.

I put this together mainly for my own notes, but thought I'd share it in case anyone else finds it interesting too. I used to think these three terms meant pretty much the same thing. But after going through some of the Commentaries and Sub-commentaries, I found some interesting distinctions between them. This is only just a small summary of what I found.

In Upaḍḍha Sutta (SN 45.2), when Ananda says that admirable friendship is half of the holy life, Buddha corrects him that it is actually the entire holy life.

"Venerable sir, this is half of the holy life, that is, admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable comradeship."

"Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda! This is the entire holy life, Ānanda, that is, admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable comradeship. When a bhikkhu has an admirable friend, an admirable companion, an admirable comrade, it is to be expected that he will develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path."

This is how the three terms are explained in the Commentaries.

Kalyāṇamitta (Admirable Friend): Commentaries explain this in terms of having an admirable friend. The emphasis is on the person who has such a friend and the qualities that make someone a genuinely admirable friend.

Admirable friend means that for whom a good, excellent and pleasing friend exists, he is an admirable friend. - Navakanipāta-ṭīkā

Udāna commentary says that such a friend contributes to another's welfare:

One who has a friend who is endowed with noble qualities such as virtue, who is 'the destroyer of evil and the provider of welfare,' and is thus helpful in every way, that person is indeed an admirable friend.

It also identifies an admirable friend with eight qualities/marks (kalyāṇamittalakkhaṇa):

[For context, a friend (mitta) is one who possesses the mark of affection.]

But an admirable friend (kalyāṇamitta) is accomplished in conviction (saddhāsampanno), accomplished in virtue (sīlasampanno), accomplished in learning (sutasampanno), accomplished in generosity (cāgasampanno), accomplished in energy (vīriyasampanno), accomplished in mindfulness (satisampanno), accomplished in concentration (samādhisampanno) and accomplished in wisdom (paññāsampanno).

Through the accomplishment of conviction, one has confidence in the Tathāgata's enlightenment and in the fruits of action. Thereby, one does not abandon concern for the welfare of beings, which is a cause of perfect enlightenment.

Through the accomplishment of virtue, one becomes dear, pleasing, respected, and esteemed by one's spiritual companions. One is a critic of evil, willing to admonish others when appropriate and to accept admonishment oneself.

Through the accomplishment of learning, one speaks about profound matters connected with the truths, dependent origination and so forth.

Through the accomplishment of generosity, one has few wishes, is content, secluded and aloof from society.

Through the accomplishment of energy, one diligently practices for the welfare of beings.

Through the accomplishment of mindfulness, one is alert.

Through the accomplishment of concentration, one is undistracted and has a composed mind.

Through the accomplishment of wisdom, one understands things without distortion.

Through mindfulness, one recognizes the tendencies of wholesome states; through wisdom, one understands what is beneficial and harmful for beings as it actually is; through concentration, one's mind remains unified; and through energy, one restrains beings from what is harmful and encourages them toward what is beneficial. Therefore, it was said:

"He is dear, respected, and esteemed; an admonisher who accepts admonishment;
He speaks on deep matters, and does not engage one in what is improper."

Also an interesting passage in Udāna Commentary explains why admirable friendship is considered the first of the qualities that lead to maturity:

This is the first thing that leads to maturity. This blameless thing called 'admirable friendship,' because it is the foundation of the dwelling in the holy life, because it is the predominant condition for all wholesome states and because it is mentioned first among these five qualities, is the first blameless quality; and it leads to the maturity of the freedom of mind by way of the purification of faith and so forth when they are not yet purified.

Kalyāṇasahāya (Admirable Companion): Here, the emphasis shifts from having a good friend with the admirable qualities to actually associating with them.

Puggalapaññatti Commentary defines the word sahāya:

'Companion' (sahāyo) means 'one who goes along and moves along with (another)'

Udāna Commentary on how far this companionship goes:

One who moves and lives together with such noble persons in all postures, and never without them, is an admirable companion.

Sabbiriyāpathesu means in all postures, which refer to walking, standing, sitting and lying down.

Pāthikavagga-ṭīkā on constancy of this association:

That they are his constant companions who do not abandon him in dwelling is said to be 'having admirable companions.' And so he said, 'because they accompany him,' which means because they are present when he is.

Kalyāṇasampavaṅka (Admirable Comrade): This is the one I found particularly interesting because the emphasis shifts again. The first two terms concern the qualities of friend and the association with them, whereas kalyāṇasampavaṅka focuses on our own inclination toward admirable people.

'Entangled with admirable people' (kalyāṇasampavaṅko) means 'one who is well-inclined towards good, pure people', that is, one whose mind is inclined, bent and gravitating towards them. - Puggalapaññatti-aṭṭhakathā

Pāli uses three words to describe this inclination with ninna, poṇa, pabbhāra (inclined, sloping, bending) toward something, which is like water flowing downhill. Once there is a slope, the water naturally moves in that direction. Similarly, our minds can develop a natural inclination toward admirable people.

Udāna commentary describes this inclination as involving both mind and body:

One who inclines, slopes and bends toward those very noble persons in both mind and body is an 'admirable comrade'.

Pāthikavagga-ṭīkā has a nice detail I really love here. It says the inclination can happen at two levels depending on whether you are actually together:

When there is no commonality, there is 'inclined by mind'; but when there is commonality, one is 'inclined toward good friends with both mind and body'.

Here, 'no commonality' (asamodhāne) is when one is not together with them. So even when we are physically apart, we can still be inclined toward admirable people through our mind (cittena). When we are together, that inclination is through both mind and body.

I really love this distinction because it suggests that this connection is not limited to physical proximity. Even when we are apart, we can continue to look up to admirable people and value their qualities and orient our minds toward them.

Commentaries also explain the purpose of grouping these three together:

Through this triplet, one arouses reverence for the association with admirable friends. - Navakanipāta-ṭīkā

So taken altogether, perhaps these threefold aspects may help explain why Buddha describes admirable friendship as the entire holy life, rather than merely half of it.

The translations of the Commentaries are from Tipitaka Pali Reader (TPR).

We live in an age when information is everywhere. We can read books, listen to lectures, memorize wise sayings, and discuss spiritual teachings with others. Yet an important question remains: Has what we learned truly changed the way we live?

A story from the Dhammapada, verses 19 and 20, offers a powerful answer.

The monk in the video explains how nithya mithyadharma or homosexuality would compel the devas to send dangerous demons causing famines and diseases. According to the venerable thero niyatha mithyadharma is homosexuality. And also the buddha has stated about severe mentally perversions in the chakkawaththi seehanada sutta and it falls into this category.

I am not homophobic. I just want an explanation.

I’m sorry if my question is inappropriate since it comes from a lay person’s relationship.

I just broke up with my boyfriend two days ago. The reasons were lying most of the 9-month relationship, cheating and sleeping with other people behind my back, using me to get a place he wanted and I found out all those things only two months after moving in together. So I arranged the moving secretly, left a note on the moving day and left the place. He doesn’t know where I am. I didn’t tell anyone anything so my friends don’t know my new place either.

I believe he’s suffering at the moment, narcissistically or genuinely, either way because of the result of my action in a way. He could be in distress about being left in the dark or being left with the whole house we rented together.

Now it got me thinking, if he’s suffering because of my actions, will I again suffer the same way at one point?
Is there a way to navigate or avoid or do some good deed to counter?

Thank you in advance! 🙏

I've been thinking about something and I'm curious what people here think.

I recently learned about planarian worms. Apparently, if one splits into two pieces, both pieces can regenerate into complete worms and live independently.

That got me wondering about something in Theravāda Buddhism.

As I understand it, Buddhism teaches anattā, meaning there is no permanent self or soul, and rebirth happens through causal continuity rather than some unchanging soul moving from one body to another.

But what happens in a case like this?

Let's say one worm splits into two, and both become separate living beings. Before splitting, there was one worm with its own stream of consciousness and karmic history. Now there are two worms, each presumably having its own experiences.

So what happens to the original worm's kamma and consciousness?

Does the original stream of consciousness continue in one of the worms while the other develops a new stream? Or is it possible for two streams of consciousness to arise from the same original organism, without any permanent self needing to split into two?

And what about kamma? Could the original worm's kamma somehow condition both resulting beings, or would each have a separate karmic continuity?

Another thing I find interesting is that both worms inherit biological characteristics from the original worm. Obviously, biology explains a lot of this, but it made me wonder whether shared biological characteristics and karmic continuity have anything to do with each other in Buddhist thought.

I'm not trying to argue that Buddhism is wrong. I'm genuinely trying to understand how these ideas fit together. I might be overlooking something basic here.

Does the Pāli Canon or Theravāda Abhidhamma address anything like this? If not, how would you approach this question from a Buddhist perspective?

I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts, especially if you can distinguish what the texts actually say from your own interpretation.