Clear Mountain Podcast

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about orienting ourselves towards experience using the Four Noble Truths, relying on their framework to transmute suffering into Enlightenment, as fusion transforms matter into light.

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks to the Mahāyāna critique of the Theravāda arahant ideal as selfish, questioning the dichotomy and pointing back to present-moment awareness of what good practice entails for each of us.

In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo discusses: 1) the Four Noble Truths 2) the 'Four Noble Shoulds'/'Four Noble Moves', and 3) the 'Four Noble Proofs' as taught in the Buddha's first Discourse the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho discuss the the Nobel Prize winning author Hermann Hesse and his influential books Siddhartha, Narcissus and Goldmund, and others.

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho describes the concept of the demonic and evil in Buddhist thought, along with cosmological depictions of these mindstates and how we can interact with them.

In this interview, Joseph Goldstein speaks about his teacher, Munindra-ji, his encounters with the famous meditator, Dipa Ma, "the experience of zero", moments of awakening, how to integrate deep Dhamma practice into a lay life, the shared insight unifying Buddhist traditions, and more!

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho describes the 12 links of Dependent Origination, or Paṭiccasamuppāda, the Buddha's model for how avijjā, or ignorance, leads to suffering. By understanding the model clearly, we can step outside of it.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Francisco Gable and Rachel Lewis about the practices of compassion and emptiness, especially as taught by Bhante Analayo.

In this session, we discuss the "suffusion with the divine abidings" instructions: "I will abide pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, 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." "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."

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview author, translator, and teacher Bill Porter, aka Red Pine, about the art and practice of translation and encountering living and deceased hermits in mountains and texts.

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho describes the core Buddhist practice of body contemplation, including reflection on the 32 parts, charnel ground contemplation, and contemplation of the elements.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview influential Tibetan Buddhist teacher Anam Thubten, touching on such subjects as Dzogchen, Rigpa, "pointing out instructions", and their possible Theravada correlates.

In this talk, Ajahn Nyaniko speaks about gratitude as a gateway to the wholesome, muditā as rejoicing, and other paths to goodness.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Gil Fronsdal about "Naturalistic Buddhism", the experience of jhāna, Stream Entry, Insight Meditation Center's reliance on dāna, parenting, and other topics. Gil is the founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California and the Insight Retreat Center in Santa Cruz, California.

In this interview, Geshe Delek Wangmo, visiting Sravasti Abbey, speaks about becoming a nun at fifteen, undertaking a 1000-mile prostration pilgrimage, helping build Dolma Ling Nunnery in Dharamsala, and studying for over twenty years to become one of the first women to ever earn the title of "Geshe".

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo shares reflections on how our practice of the five precepts can support our practice of abandoning the five hindrances, drawing out resonances between: 1) ill-will and killing; 2) restlessness and stealing; 3) sensual-desire and sexual misconduct; 4) dullness and lying; 5) doubt and intoxication.

In this interview, Ayya Ānandabodhi speaks about her path to robes, coming into relationship with the body, dealing with grief, "upekkhā" as "a birds-eye view", and more!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Tan Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto focusing on the first foundation of mindfulness - kāyānupassanā. Topics touched upon include mindfulness of the bodily postures, bodily activities, the 32 parts of the body, element meditation, the knowing element, the perception of light, Awakening, shifting foundations of mindfulness, retreat practice, jhāna practice, and much more!

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo, Ajahn Nisabho, and Ayyā Ahiṃsā interview Venerable Thubten Chodron, abbess of Sravasti Abbey in Washington State, about her decades of experience training monastics.

In celebration of the annual three-month Rains Retreat, Ajahn Kovilo challenges listeners to come up with specific determinations in the realms of: - Giving (dāna): How will bring giving more into your life? - Morality (sīla): How will you make virtue more a part of your life? - Meditation (bhāvana): How will you add more mental cultivation to your life?

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Andrew Berns, a professor at the University of South Carolina, about his research into Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, and ancient traditions of magic, and their convergence with elements of Buddhist thought.

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about meditation as the playful exploration of techniques in combination, using the analogy of cooking found in the suttas.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Father Scott, a Trappist monk at Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey in Carlton, Oregon. For more information, visit https://trappistabbey.org/

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Venerable Yangten Rinpoche, touching on such topics as the experience and value of monastic life, prayer and karma, emptiness and interdependence, bodhicitta, and other topics.

In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho ask Yangten Rinpoche about what is required to receive a Geshe degree, the nature of Emptiness, what Theravāda and Mahāyāna can learn from one another, and reflections from his years working as His Holiness the Dalai Lama's assistant. Ven. Thubten Damcho generously served as the translator.

In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the perception of light (ālokasaññā) in meditation and daily life, touching on various metaphors and analogies from the Pāli Canon and from modern teachers.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the importance of hospitality (paṭisanthāra) in Buddhism, reading from the Buddhist Monastic Protocols on hospitality, and discusses how the skill of hosting transfers to skill in meditation.

In this talk from the June 30th "CM3" Almsgiving Ceremony at St. Mark's Cathedral - Seattle, Luang Por Pasanno speaks about the foundations of practice - generosity (dāna), integrity (sīla), and mental cultivation (bhāvanā).

In this talk from the June 30th "CM3" Almsgiving Ceremony at St. Mark's Cathedral - Seattle, Ayyā Ānandabodhi speaks about the power of "puñña" or "merit" as being the nectar of goodness.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Luang Por Pasanno, founding abbot of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, about lessons gained from four decades of training monastics.

In this session, Ayyā Santussikā speaks about the path of faith that led her to robes, and about how sīla and virtue protected a soldier in the midst of Vietnam.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ayyā Vandana, a bhikkhuni from Maharasthra, India.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo interviews the lay yogi, Richard Josephson discussing life in robes, life out of robes, and life in between.

In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho teach about the "Wellbeing Cascade" spoken about in the Upanisa Sutta, which describes how wellbeing (pāmojja) leads to rapture (pīti), tranquility (passaddhi), pleasure (sukha), concentration (samādhi), and eventually to liberation (vimutti). To practice well, we must learn to cultivate the bright states of heart that serve as the foundation for deeper knowledge and vision.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Dr. Eben Alexander, author of the New York Time's Best Seller, "Proof of Heaven", about the near-death experience he had while in a coma, and the new vision of reality and human spiritual evolution it granted him. You can find out more at http://ebenalexander.com/. Additional research may be found at https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/.

In this talk, Ajahn Kovilo discusses the Clear Mountain community as being an example of the six principles of non-decline (aparihāniyā dhamma), also known as the six principles of cordiality (sāraṇīya-dhammā): Loving-kindness by body, speech, and mind, Giving, virtue, and views of Noble kind.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo will speak on interpretations of the Pure Land and the concept of "rebirth by aspiration" as it appears in Majjhima Nikāya 120 (https://suttacentral.net/mn120/en/sujato).

To find out more about Passaddhi Vihara, the budding project of Ayya Suvijjānā and Ayyā Niyyānika, visit https://passaddhivihara.org.

In this session, a continuation of his series summarizing his experience at Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Ajahn Kovilo speaks on attachment to views, specifically to Right Views as they are understood in a Theravāda context.

In this talk, Ajahn Jayasāro speaks about how we often find our way to peace in practice not by striving for a state we have yet to experience, but by letting go of all that is not peace, just as a sculptor chips away all the parts of a stone which are not the form he hopes to carve. Additionally, Tan Ajahn describes how, over time, practice makes us more sensitive to goodness, among other themes.

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how Kalyāṇa-mittata, or spiritual friendship, differs from worldly friendship, and how we must be careful not to bring unwholesome relationship dynamics to Buddhist community.

In this interview, Bhante Jinasiri, who's spent over ten years walking tudong through Australia and Sri Lanka, describes what wandering taught him about faith, resilience, and equipoise, as well as his experience meeting the renowned tudong monk Ven. Ñanadipa during his final months of life in Sri Lanka. Finally, he speaks about the importance of mundane right view and investigating the idea of rebirth. You can follow Bhante Jinasiri at https://substack.com/@jinasiri?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

In this talk, Ayyā Ahiṃsā, Zooming in from Canmore Buddhist Theravāda Community, speaks on a variety of subjects. To learn more, follow Ayya's teachings, or offer support, visit https://www.canmoretheravadabuddhism.ca/

In this Interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Dhamma teacher, Beth Upton about her experience as a monastic in the Pa Auk Meditation tradition, her own personal approach to practice, and how she guides others in the Path of Purification.

Ayyā Suvijjānā & Ayyā Niyyānika speak about various Dhamma themes, each taking turns in sharing their wisdom. To learn more and support the project, visit https://passaddhivihara.org/.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo will discuss a Theravāda approach to the "Guanyin Dharmas" of: 1) listening 2) the wisdom of emptiness 3) great compassion, and 4) "response"

In this Q&A session at Clear Mountain, Ajahn Jayasaro speaks about the nature of Right Effort, how to maintain a continuity of mindfulness throughout the day, and the increasing sensitivity to goodness that indicates progress on the path. The talk, part of Tan Ajahn's recent visit to Seattle, was a great blessing for the community.

In this Q&A session at Clear Mountain, Ajahn Jayasaro speaks about religion as belief vs. education system, balancing compassion and ethics, and a multitude of other topics. The talk, part of Tan Ajahn's recent visit to Seattle, was a great blessing for the community.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo introduces a series of four upcoming talks that will address four specific spheres of insight that he has encountered over the course of having studied four years at Dharma Realm Buddhist University. These spheres are: 1) "Returning to True Suchness" 2) Attachment to Views 3) Guanyin Bodhisattva 4) The Pure Land

In this talk, Ayya Suvijjānā speaks about the quality of appamāda, or "diligence", on the path to liberation of heart. To find out more about Passaddhi Vihara, the budding project of Ayya Suvijjānā and Ayyā Niyyānika, visit https://passaddhivihara.org.

In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the Buddhist understanding of euthanizing pets and "legally-assisted dying", describing how the traditional view diverges from the current liberal consensus in the West. The sanctity of life, and in particular of a human or human-proximate life, is considered paramount.