我進醫院已經三個星期了，臥在床上， 我決定：‘為什麼不打坐？’  然後我從

未建立，但我只是能做到。我的身體太弱了，我從未試過跷腿—完整的蓮花座，半蓮花，四分之一蓮花，不論什麼。這些之外，我只是臥下。假如你看過一些人在醫院裡發燒—你的腿散落在那裡，你的手臂散落在那裡。我從未在打坐的書中看過那種特定的姿勢。但是，我卻進入了一次很美好的禪境。當我出定後，我感到極快樂。我之前發燒，但現在沒了。我真的不能相信我透過這個姿勢進入了這麼深度的禪定。我說這個的唯一理由是，你可以，姿勢不是真的很重要，只要你能放下你的身體。疼痛沒有在讓你粘住它。所以請讓你的姿勢舒適

---ajahn brahm

It’s been three weeks since I have gone into that hospital, lying on the bed, I decided, ‘ why not meditate!’ and I never set up, I just could do that. My body was too weak, I never tried to cross my legs—full lotus, half lotus, or a quarter lotus , whatever it may be. So instead I was just lying down. If you have ever seen someone in the fever in the hospital—your legs all over the place, your arms all over the place. That particular posture I have never seen in any books of meditation. But nevertheless, I got into a really fantastic meditation. And when I came out afterwards, I felt so blissed out. I had a fever before, now its gone. I really cant believe that I can get into deep meditation in such a posture. The only reason that I say that is, you can, the posture is not so important as long as you can let go of your body. The aches and pains are not keeping you stuck to it. So please keep your posture comfortable

---ajahn brahm

<40:57

2024-03-07 Ajahn Brahm Hong Kong Retreat Day 1 Evening Talk

誰相信有天界眾生？我從不相信，直至我出家的第六年。那年我在pupah 頭陀行，我在山上整日行走，我已經喝盡水了，然後那裡又沒有井和河流，我真的很口渴。當我去到山脊上，我看見在山谷有個村莊，那裡通常都會有士多來賣香煙，然後，當然還有百事。我通常不喜歡百事，但當時我是一位年輕比丘，真的很熱，然後又沒有水，百事會是很絕妙。但作為比丘，你不能索取東西，你沒有錢，你也不能買

我記得一個故事，關於一個比丘在二戰時期，那時他住在緬甸。其他比丘說‘你要離開緬甸，快些，因為假如泰國向日本投降，所有泰國比丘都會被視為敵人’然後許多比丘，泰國比丘，都被英軍很差地對待，他們害怕比丘們會是間諜。所以他們對這位比丘說 ‘請你，Luang pu chob ，離開緬甸。你不能走到大路上，它們全被英軍控制。你要去到樹林裡，那些山上。清邁北部的山很偏僻。所以他帶著所有物品，沒有隨從，走上山以回到泰國，

那裡幾乎沒有村莊。他很飢餓，口渴和疲勞，然後開始想自己可能不能夠在這次旅程中存活。然後他記起好比丘通常都會被天界的眾生所支持，當他們需要支持的時候。所以他就下了一個決意 ‘假如真的有天界眾生，這裡有一個好比丘，他持戒，禪修，請來幫他吧。‘ 他在森林中間，他在道路的角落轉了彎，然後在五十米外，他看見有一個穿得很好的男人。穿得很好，住在森林的人，然後穿得很好！ 他帶著一盒飯，金屬托盤，有咖哩和其他東西在底部。

他站在那裡，穿得很好。然後當luang pu chob 經過他，比丘不允許停下來然後問。然後這個男人，不知從哪裡來，合掌然後說‘ Mimon krab’ 這是邀請去接受什麼的意思。所以這位比丘就停下來了，然後那個男人拿著真的很熱的飯，很好的咖哩，不是在森林可以拿到的，但就如曼谷的食物。

所以Luang pu Chob，他是其中一位大森林僧，沒有人會質疑他說的話是否真確。通常，當某人供養你這樣的食物，你不允許去問他，你只是給他祝福。但luang pu chob 忍不住了，他問 ‘你從哪裡來？’ 他許多日都不見有村莊，那不是在森林裡可以得到的食物。那個男人沒有回答，他指向上方。然後基本上沒有其他解釋—這位男人是位天神。

回到這個鬼佬比丘，

在山脊上，我看見一個村莊，我真的很口渴，乾枯。然後我說，‘我是一位科學家，假如有天神，證明它。假如有天神，我是一位好比丘，我持戒，我禪修，致力於成為一位好比丘。假如有天神，可以給我百事嗎？’

這會給我足夠的能量去完成旅程。然後我走到那個村莊。我的眼向下望，就如一位好比丘應該有的那樣。我不會左右顧盼，只是以平常速度前進。我的眼邊看到我在經過那間店鋪。我經過了，但沒有人攔下我。然後我想‘ 或許沒有天界的眾生了’

然後我就聽見有人在我背後跑來 ‘Mimonkrab ‘ 他帶著連著飲管的百事。這很可能只是巧合。但什麼緊接著發生？首先，泰國的神奇數字是什麼？另一個人也來到，帶來另一瓶開了的百事。然後第三，第四，第五，第六，第七，第八，然後第九位。我就像 ’ ok, 我接受那裡有天神了。‘ 它們都在桌子上，每一瓶我都喝一點。這從未發生過。我作了一個決意，然後天界的眾生想和我說’是‘ ，他們真的存在。 我不能說這是巧合，我只是和你們說真相。

Who believe in heavenly beings? I never believe the heavenly beings existed until my sixth year of monk. I went on Tudong in Pupah. I had been walking all days in the mountain, I ran out of water , and there was no wells or rivers , and I was really thirsty. When I came to the ridge of the mountains , I　saw that there was a village at the valley, and there was always a store which sold like cigarettes , and of course pepsi. I don’t usually like pepsi, but when I was a young monk, it was really hot, and there was nothing like water around , pepsi will be wonderful. But as monk , you cannot ask for things. You don’t have money, you cant buy either.

So I recalled a story about a monk during the second world war, who was staying in Berma . And the other monks said, ‘ you have to get out of berma fast, because when Thailand surrendered to the Japanese, all Thai monks will be considered enemies.’ And many monks , thai monks, are treated very badly by the British soldiers, they afraid them to be spies. So they tell this monk, ‘ please, luang pu chob, get out of Berma , you cant go to the main road , they are all controlled by the British soldiers. You have to go to the jungles, the mountains. ‘The mountains there in northern Chiangmai is very remote. So  he was walking with all his possessions , no attendants, went on to the mountain to be back to Thailand .

There were hardly any villages. He was getting hungry , thirsty and tired , and he started to consider that he may not survive the journey. And so he remembered that good monks were always supported by heavenly beings , whenever they needed support. So he made a determination , ‘ if there are heavenly beings, here is a good monk who keeps his precepts, he meditates, please come help him.’ He was in the middle of the jungle. He turned the corner of the path, and about 50 M ahead of something , he saw a well dressed man. Well dressed , people live in the jungle, and well dressed , and he had one of the bentos with metal trays, having curry and other thing else put in the bottom .

He was standing there, well dressed . And when Luang pu Chob walked past him, monks are not allowed to stop and ask. And this man, in the middle of nowhere, put his hand up and said ,’ mimon krab.’ It was an invitation to accept something . So this monk stopped, and that man get the really hot rice, fine curries, not something you get in the jungle, but its like Bangkok food.

So Luang pu Chob, he was one of the great forest monks, no one doubts what he was saying was truth. Usually, when someone offered you food like that, you are not allowed to ask, you give him blessing, that’s all. But Luang Pu chob couldn’t help himself, and asked ,’ where were you from?’ He hadn’t seen villages for days, it was not the food to get in jungle . The man never answered, he pointed (upwards). And theres basically no other explanation that this man was a heavenly being.

So back to this kuailo monk.

On top of the ridge , I saw this village, I was really thirsty, dehydrated , and I said, ‘ I am a scientist, if there are devas, prove it. If there are devas, Iａｍ　a good monk, I keep my Vinaya, I mediate, devoted to being a good monk. If there are heavenly beings, can I have pepsi?’

This will give me energy to complete the journey . And I walked into the village , my eyes down as a good monk should, not looking to the left or looking to the right, walking with usual pace. The corner of my eyes saw that Iｗａｓ　walking past the store. I walked past, no one stopped me. Then I thought ,’ then maybe there are no heavenly beings at all.’

Then I heard someone running behind me ,’ mimon krab’  with an opened pepsi with a straw. That was kind of convincing that it could just be a coincidence . What happened next ? first of all, what is the magic number in Thailand ? Another man came behind, with another opened pepsi , and the third one, the fourth one, and the fifth one , and the sixth one, and the seventh one, the eighth one, and the ninth one. And Iｗａｓ　like , ok, Iａｃｃｅｐｔ that there are devas . They are all on the bench, and drinking a little bit from each bottle. This never happened before. I made a determination, and the heavenly beings wanted to tell me yes, they do exist. I cant give that a coincidence . I am telling you the truth

信徒：ajahn brahm ,在阿姜查的例子中，他中風然後許多年都不能說話。假如心和大腦的功能是不同的，我們怎樣理解這個？因為阿姜查有個很絕妙的心。

Ajahn brahm : 的確，但大腦說話的功能壞掉落。然後有一件軼事。wat nong pah pong的比丘們開了一個會。 阿姜查不想要任何醫學的介入，基本上就讓他自然地去世吧。但泰國的皇帝那時說‘不’ 你不能夠和國王爭論，當我們只是平民百姓。所以比丘們接受國王為醫護付費。他們24小時一星期七天都輪班，持續了許多年，也有一些比丘來侍奉。

然後，一次，其實許多次了，但有一次，阿姜查停止了呼吸。當他停止了呼吸時，醫護人員都很害怕，他們要做些什麼。然後其餘兩位比丘說‘不用，你不用做些什麼’  ‘他要死了！沒有呼吸進入他的身體！他不能這樣活！’ 醫護人員知道阿姜查總有一天會死，但就是不想阿姜查在他們的輪班中死去。所以他們有了一個討論，醫護說，他們會每五分鐘為他抽血，如果血液開始缺氧，他們就會做些什麼。然後比丘們說 ‘好吧，就這樣。‘

這其實被記錄了的。雖然阿姜查沒有在呼吸，但他的血液完全充滿氧氣。那些醫護很驚嘆，那不預期會發生的啊！然而，那沒有危險，氧氣是如何在他沒有呼吸時進入的？這是另一個問題。但是，這發生了許多次，只有比丘們知道阿姜查在做什麼。他進入了禪那！

這顯示雖然阿姜查不能夠說話，他的心依然很強。但大腦受損了。

這就是科學的其中一個問題，他們甚至不接受心是可能的。

我的朋友Bernard曾和霍金爭論，霍金說 ‘不不不，心是不可能的’

就算在愛恩斯坦的量子理論，你要去看哥本哈根解釋，那確是心創造了現實。沒有心，你就不會存在。這就是第一次心成為了科學的一部分，但許多人依然否定它。這是一個明顯的東西來說明心是存在的。

Disciple :Ajahn brahm, in the case of Ajahn chah, he has a stroke and he cannot speak for many years . If mind and the brain function in different manners , how do we understand this？ Because ajahn chah has a really excellent mind

Ajahn brahm: indeed, but the brain function of speech is broken. And it is one of the anecdotes , that monks at wat nong pah pong had a meeting , Ajahn chah does not want any medical intervention, basically let him pass away. But the king of Thailand at that time said ‘ no’ . You don’t argue with the king while we are citizens. So the monks accepted that the king of Thailand pay for the medics, 24-7 they go on a shift which lasted for many years . But there were also a couple of monks who came to serve.

And , on one occasion, actually for many times, but it was one of the occasion, Ajahn chah stopped breathing .When he stopped breathing, the medics were very afraid , they had to do something . And the other two monks said , ‘ no, you don’t have to’ .’ He is going to die! There;s no breath going into the body, he cant live like that!’ The medics knew that Ajahn Chah had to die one day, but they didn’t want ajahn chah to die on their shift. So they had a discussion, the medics said that they would take the blood for every five minutes, then once the blood got deoxygenated , they had to do something . And the monks said,’ ok, go ahead.’ .

It is actually recorded,  what they found even though ajahn chah was not breathing at all, was that the blood was fully oxygenated . So the medics were stunned, that did not suppose to happen . But nevertheless, there was no danger , how did the oxygen get in although he was not breathing , is another question. . But nevertheless, this happened many times , that only monks know what Ajahn Chah was doing. He entered into jhanas

This showed that although ajahn chah could not speak, his mind was still so powerful. The brain was damaged .

That’s one of the problem with science, that they don’t even accept that the mind is possible.

My friend Bernard argued with Steven Hawkins , Steven Hawkins says ,’ no no no, the mind is not possible ‘

Even in Einstein’s Quantum theory , you have to look up for the Copenhagen interpretation, and that is indeed the mind, which creates the reality , without that mind, you wont exist . It is the first time, that the mind becomes part of science, but still rejected by many. It is an obvious thing that the mind exist !

More about ajahn brahm:

https://www.knownsee.com/.../%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C.../ajahn-brahm

(English version below)

【Ajahn brahm 對四念住的詮釋】

信徒：ajahn , 有兩個情景

一個人整日修習安般念不轉業處，看著呼吸的生滅

另一個人只是在坐禪當中修習安般念，但也修習身，受，心念住

我可以問，他們誰人會先覺悟嗎？

Ajahn brahm : 兩個也不。首先，當你說覺知心，是什麼意思？

信徒：心念住，例如有貪，無貪

Ajahn brahm : 那是個很難完成的念住。很多時候，我會問，你是否讀得正確？對於心念住，很多時候你要知道禪那是什麼。很多時候，人們不知道禪那是什麼，所以他們不能完成念住

另一樣關於念住的事情是，你看到他生起與滅去，那是個很差的翻譯。假如你深入看大念住經，這些用詞都有解釋，你知道呼吸生起的原因，你知道呼吸消失的原因，不只是看到生滅，但你看到它為什麼生起，為什麼滅去。

你看到心的原因，它究竟是什麼。你看到它消失。為什麼？不是看它來然後走。看見事物來然後走，為什麼它來然後走？無論如何，念住的第一部分，已念住的前提開始，你在專注身，受，心，法前第一件事要專注什麼？

信徒：去除五蓋？

Ajahn brahm:確實！什麼是vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ？在英語，它是指捨棄貪婪與憂傷，那是說英語的人的廢話，它完全不合理。當你看著這些字詞：vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ。那是五蓋的同義詞，然後呢看看增支部，我不是嘗試當一位學者，我確實在禪修，修習它。Abhijjhā意味著五蓋的第一蓋，domanassaṃ在兩部經都用作第二個蓋。我通常對義註沒有什麼信心，但它說你在做四念住前，第一部分就是要大大地抑制頭兩蓋。所以你在做念住前，你首先要抑制五蓋。我會這樣做，有些經典會這樣給它權威性，你可以自己查查看

它意味著，假如你體驗過這些禪那，假如你出定，五蓋會被抑制，它們會消失一段長時間，arati 和tandi 也會一起消失。arati 的意思是不滿意tandi 的意思是疲累。當你進入這些深定，不只是五蓋，但不喜歡和疲累也會消失。你會精力充沛，沒有什麼可以讓你難過。那是其中一個途徑，假如任何人惹惱你，而你剛剛體驗完禪那，我看著你然後說，‘不不不，你太年輕了，不會能夠體驗禪那。’ ‘香港人不能體驗禪那’ 然後你看他們的反應‘ Umm，你這個鬼佬’ 假如你被冒犯了，那就不是禪那。假如你體驗到其中一些深定，你不能被冒犯，然後你會體驗到清明的心

【當那樣東西消失了， 你才徹底明白】

信徒：那麼假如我這個問題是在出禪那後問的呢？

Ajahn brahm :當你出禪那，我會給你一個譬如。這是freddie 聽過許多次的譬如，所以會很容易翻譯。那是關於蝌蚪和青蛙。很久以前，有一隻蝌蚪住在寺院的湖里。蝌蚪很聰明，他進入了蝌蚪學校，和大學，學習化學。那隻蝌蚪專科於水，最後成為一位教授。他讀了所有書，完成所有學習，就連水性的阿比達摩也學過了。你認為蝌蚪會知道水是什麼嗎？他懂得所有理論，但完全沒有關於水的深入理解和清楚，並不比魚明白更多。生於水，但他並不知道水是什麼

蝌蚪和魚的分別是，有一天，小蝌蚪長出來手臂和腳，然後成為了青蛙。然後一日，青蛙跳出了水，去到乾地，那是一個關於乾地的很奇妙的體驗。當他體驗過乾地，之前他有所有理論，現在他有親身的體驗了，之前一直在的東西，現在沒了。那就是水。當青蛙跳出水，他就能明白水是什麼

一樣，當你進入禪那然後出定，你可以回憶起什麼在禪那中沒了，定義那個。

在初禪，你會沒了身體和所有五根，不再在了。現在你有機會去知道身體是什麼了，透過你的第六根，你的心。

當你進入第二禪，那個沒了的東西是你的意志，你的選擇。所以你會變得非常非常地靜止。你知道意志是什麼嗎？有些人會說他是造作者，選擇，做決定者。你明白它嗎？你當然不明白，直至你進入二禪你才會明白。現在它離開了，就如青蛙，他知道水是什麼。所以當東西消失了，不是生滅，而是離開了，一段長時間。

所以禪那的體驗是那麼的重要

【透過轉換禪那而觀照的覺悟方法】

信徒：所以一個人可以在禪那中待許多個小時，比如說，在初禪，然後跳到二三四禪，然後跳回去。透過觀察某些東西的存在和消失，一個人就能取得覺悟？這是你的方法對嗎？

Ajahn brahm : 不，那不是我的方法。那是佛陀的方法。假如你看經典，然後和其他比丘討論，他們也都會說同樣的東西，那就是八正道，最後一部分是四禪。

【要享受禪修才會成功入定】

我會說一個關於蓮花的譬如。你不是從一個禪那跳到另一個，你在你本身在的地方走得更深。這就是我們怎樣打坐，你只是坐在這裡，開始打坐。我已經教了呼吸怎樣運作，那不是透過用力而做到的。所以你可以體驗呼吸的快樂。

就連隆波間夏，他曾經來過澳洲待幾個月。人們常常問他 ‘你可以教我們你的禪修方法嗎？’ 他一向都會回答‘你吸入，舒服～呼出，舒服～’ 那很奇怪，因為他是第一位我聽見的比丘教導要去享受禪修。那時是舒適的～ 我強調 ‘舒適·～’ 。 你要愉悅地做事，容易地。

【安般念的步驟】

然之後我研讀巴利文，你在呼吸禪修法開始前，你首先要做的便是確立面前的念。在什麼前面？在鼻子？肚子？ 它的意思不是在某人的前面，而是你把它放在首位，列表中的第一項。那是你做任何呼吸禪修前的一樣東西，確保你的念是強和被確立的。

這些日子，許多人都有不同對於念的定義。我的定義是，你只是覺知，你活在當下，沒有過去，未來，只是在當下。當你在看的時候，你不給他名字，你不在思考，你不用如freddie 般摘錄筆記去翻譯。有時在腦袋中，你嘗試記下它，嘗試找出它是什麼意思，這是我作為物理學家學到的東西。你做你的實驗，你回憶起儀器的所有讀數，但你不曾下任何結論，直至實驗完結。

在你禪修也是同樣的，在你禪修時，想著你可以多平靜，事實上你變得平靜。在你看呼吸前，你要覺知那大程度的平靜和靜默(註釋：之前 ajahn brahm 有教導放鬆到極點而取得平靜的方法)。然後它一向都會發生，一會兒後，你會平靜和寧靜，很舒適，呼吸會來到你那裡。它就在那裡！它在那裡的原因，是因為你的身體消失了，你不能感受到你的屁股，你的膝蓋…..它消失的原因是因為沒有東西在動，所以周圍的聲音，呼吸和風

當我在樓上休息時，我很疲倦，然後我現在是老比丘了。我想你們許多都嘗試不要製造噪音，但你們仍然在製造噪音，但你沒相關。它一向都會是一樣的。你在說中文，我不知道你們在說什麼，你很大幫助，我可以睡半個小時。但假如你說英文，那就很不同了。但無論如何， 我沒有放太多注意力去背景的噪音，然後它們就會消失，就如我的身體，當一會兒後它就會消失，什麼剩下？我的身體什麼東西還在動？ 就是那個呼吸。那很自然，當所有東西都在消失，你的呼吸還在那裡，你甚至不用去找它。所有打擾你的東西都消失了。然後你可以看你的呼吸。你甚至不用嘗試去看呼吸。一會兒後，呼吸會變得很暢順，呼吸進的感覺，呼吸出的感覺，它們變得那麼的相似，不要去害怕，當它們變得那麼的相似時，它也會消失

那就是呼吸禪修法的一個很美妙的東西。那就是，假如你學習安般念，首四個階段的呼吸出入，平息它。之後你就會開始體驗到一些喜悅， 喜和樂。學者們發生什麼事？關於那裡發生什麼，你不像平時那樣在感覺那個呼吸。那是心行，那其實是知道呼吸，那個平靜，美麗和喜悅，它們現在來到你的心了，而不是身體的感受，心的感受開始主導，那很重要。因為你開始享受禪修了，現在你呼吸得很舒適～有時人們會覺得你瘋了。 享受禪修？比這個更好，你在禪修中得到極樂，呼吸進，那很好，呼吸出，很多個小時

當你進入到這些禪修的境界， 當你愛禪修， 你不能滿足。 所以有時在禪修營， 鍾響了， 但人們繼續坐， 他們不去任何地方。 有時在一些我主持的禪修營， 你會發現， 吃飯的鐘響了， 然後那是一天之中最後的一頓飯， 人們就會錯過那頓飯， 不吃東西直至第二天。然後， 他們不移動， 因為打坐比那更有價值。 你會拿到喜樂， 然後那是打坐的重要部分。 那讓它非常有趣。 只是心不想做其他東西， 他在享樂!我已經成為比丘49年了， 然後這年是第五十年， 為什麼？為什麼比丘？

信徒：快樂

Ajahn brahm:對， 快樂。舒適～真的舒適～那就是靜坐時發生的東西， 不可思議地增強了快樂。掉進那極樂當中， 真的很快樂。那就是心--那個第六根--如何體驗。在安般念的第九階就更大力量。在那時，你覺知心，呼吸走了，你仍然呼吸進出， 但你意識不到它們。有更強大的東西， 那就是心。佛陀怎樣解釋它? 那就是你在心中看到的光， 叫做禪相。那和義註沒有關係。那在upakilesa sutta (MN128)， 佛陀用了整個經說了關於禪相的障礙、隨雜染。 這是禪修的直接、直路。這就是人們坐著打坐， 身體消失了，呼吸平靜得很舒服， 你就開始看到心中的光， 你叫這些做禪相。最終， 他們變得穩定， 然後你和它融合， 那就是初禪了

然後每一種禪那， 更上的就更加快樂。這就是佛陀怎樣形容這些體驗。這種快樂、極樂 ， 其中一種快樂， 就連初禪， 佛陀也形容為覺悟之樂。 Sambodhi 是佛教中覺悟的用詞。實際上它指的是， 當你在初禪， 你就嚐到覺悟的味道。那不是覺悟， 但很接近。 你們每一位也可以。去做到這一點， 你不用成為比丘或比丘尼， 但如果你出家會容易些。 但無論如何， 你們每個人也可以做到的。 你深入你的蓮花， 深得坐在你身體中的蓮花花瓣消失然後盛開。 你進入你的心， 但那不足夠。 那是個很棒的體驗。 蓮花中是什麼？

沒有什麼.

你中心裡的是什麼？

沒有東西.

OK ?

【Ajahn brahm annotating satipattana】

Disciple : Ajahn ,for there are two scenarios

One person practise anapanasati throughout without changing the kammathana , observe the arise and fall of the breath

Another person practise anapanasati in his sit meditation, but also practise mindfulness of the body, feeling and citta in his daily life. 

May I ask which one will get enelightened first?

Ajahn brahm: Neither. First of all, when you say about being aware of the citta, what do you mean?

Disciple: The satipattana of the citta, like lobha alobha 

Ajahn Brahm: that is a very difficult satipattana to complete. A lot of the time, I will ask if you have read it properly. Much of the citta satipattana, you know what jhana is, what you know in jhana. A lot of time people do not know about  what jhana is , so they do not complete satipattana at all.

The other thing about satipattana , is that you see it rise and fall, that is a terrible translation . If you look into the satipattana sutta, these terms are explained , you know the causes, for the arising of the breath , you know the causes for the breath to disappear, not just seeing the rise and fall, but you see why it arises, why it falls.

You see the cause of the citta, what actually it is . You see it disappear, why? Not to see it comes and goes. It is very easy to see things come and go, why they come and why they go? So anyhow, the first part on the satipattana , it starts off with the prerequisite  of the satipattana. What is the first thing you focus on before you focus on the body, Vedana, citta , and dhamma?

Disciple: removing the five hindrance ?

Ajahn brahm:　Exactly !  what is  vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ? In english, it simply means abandoning grief and convetousness in the world , which is an English speaker nonsense, it doesn’t mean any sense at all. When you actually look at these words : vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ。 That is a synonym of the five hindrance . And you specially see in the Aṅguttara Nikāya , I am not trying to be a scholar here, I actually practise it, the loke abhijjhā stands for the first of the five hindrances, domanassaṃ is used in two suttas, is a synonym of the second hindrances. I don’t usually have much faith on the commentary, but it says that the first part of the satipattana, before you do the four satipattanas , that is to restrain a lot the first two hindrances. So before you do the satipattana, you have to restrain the five hindrances, I will do that . This is quite in some suttas which gives it authority, you can check it up yourself .

 It means that, if you have experienced these jhanas, if you have emerged , the five hindrances are supressed , they are not there for a long period of time, together with arati and tandi. Arati means discontent, tandi means weariness ; when you get into these deep meditation, not just these five hindrances , but also weariness and dislike disappear. You are energized , and nothing is gonna upset you. It is one of the ways , if anyone of you ,  say that you have just experienced jhana . I look at you and say ‘ nono , you are too young to experience jhanas.‘ ‘people in Hong Kong cannot experience Jhanas’  and you wait to see their experience ,’ um this kuai lo ‘ if you get offended , that is not jhana . If you just experienced one of these deep meditation , you cant be offended, and you also experience the clarity of mind .

So to overcome the five hindrances of the mind is the gist of jhanas. Once you have experienced the jhanas, you can contemplate , actually what they are 

【When that thing disappears , you will know thoroughly about it】

Disciple : then what if the question is asked after one has emerged from jhana ?

Ajahn brahm：When you have emerged from Jhana, I will give you a simile . That is a simile that Freddie has heard of many times before , so it is easy to translate. It is about the tadpole and the frog .  Once upon a time , there is a tadpole living in a lake of a monastery . Tadpole is very smart , he goes into tadpole school , and also university, studying chemistry. And the Tadpole specialized in water, eventually became a professor . He reads all the books , done all the studies, and even the Abhidhamma about the nature of water . Do you think that tadpole knows what water is? He knows all the theory , but none of the clearance or deep understanding of the water , no more than a fish who can understand what water is . Born in water , with the life in water , he doesn’t know what water is . 

The difference between the tadpole and a fish , is one day, the little tadpole grows arms and legs , and becomes a frog . Then one day, the frog jumps outside of the water onto dry land, which is a very strange experience about dry land. Once he has experienced dry land , he has all the theories , now he has the experience , something which is always there, is now missing , that is water . When the frog can go outside of the water , he can understand what water is .

That is the same when you have entered into the jhana and emerge from the jhana, you can recall that something is missing in the jhana , define that. 

In the first jhana, you have missed the body and all the five senses , not there anymore. Now you have the opportunity to know what body is ,  with your sixth sense the mind. 

When you get into the second jhana, the thing that is missing is your will, your choice,  that’s why you get very very still . Do you know what a will is? Some people call it a doer , choice, make decisions. Do you understand it? Of course you don’t, until you have entered into second jhana. Now its gone, like the frog, he knows what the water is . That is why when things really disappear, not rise and fall, but gone , for long periods of time. 

That is why the jhana’s experience is so essential 

【The method of switching between jhanas and contemplate until enlightenment】

Disciple : so one can stay in jhanas for many hours, and just for example , in the first jhana, then jump to second , third and forth jhana , then go back. By observing the existence and disappearance of something , and one can get enlightened ? This is you method right?

Ajahan brahm: no, that is not my method. That is lord buddha’s method. If you look at the suttas and you discuss with other monks , they say all the same. It is the eightfold path , the last part is the four jhanas . 

【Enjoy is the key to deep meditation 】

I think I　will say about the simile of the lotus . You do not jump into one another, you go deeper in  what you already are. That is how we mediate, you just sit down here, start meditating ,  I have taught how it works for breathing , but that isn’t  done with force . So you can just experience the joy of the breath .

Even ajahn ganaha , he came to stay in Australia for a few months . People always ask him, ‘ can you teach us your method of meditation?’ he will always say ‘you breathe in, sabai ~ breathe out , sabai~ ‘  it is weird, because he is the first monk who I have heard that teaches about to enjoy meditation. That time was sabai~ I　add the emphasis of sabai ~ that is what it was . You have to do things pleasantly , easily. 

【The steps of anapanasati】

Then afterwards I study pali, before you start to do the breath meditation , the first thing you have to do , is to establish mindfulness in front of you . In front of what? Where? At nose ? tummy? Abdomen?  What it means is not in front of the person, you keep it front , you give it priority , number one on the list.  Something you must do before you do any breath meditation, make sure that the mindfulness is strong and established .

These days, many people have many different definition of mindfulness . My definition which I　have, is you not only aware , you are in this moment, no past, no future, right here. When you are watching, you are not giving it names , you are not thinking , you don’t need to take notes like Freddie who has to translate it. Sometimes in your brain you try to memorize it, try to figure out what it means , this is something I　learn as a physicist , you do your experiment , you recall all the readings on your instruments , but you do not make any conclusion until the end of that experiment. The same thing for your meditation, during your meditation, think how peaceful you can become, actually you become peaceful,  before you start watching your breath , you have to aware that great degree of peace and silence . And that always happens, that after a while , you are at peace and silence , very comfortable, the breath comes to you. It is there. The reason it is there, is because , if your body disappears, you cannot feel your bottom , your knees … The reason it disappears is because nothing is moving . So the ambient sound, the breath and the wind . 

When I take a rest upstairs, I am tired, I　am an old monk now. I think a lot of you, try not to make a lot of noise , you are still making noise, it doesn’t matter . It is always the same . You are speaking in Chinese, that I　don’t know what you are talking about , that is very helpful, I can have a nap for half an hour. If you talk in English, it will be very different.  But anyway, Iａｍ　ｎｏｔ giving too much attention to the background noise , and it soon disappears . Just like  my body, it disappears after a while , what is left with? What else is moving at my body? (ajahn brahm breathes loudly ~) the breathing. Its natural, everything else is disappearing , your breath is there, you don’t even need to find it . Everything which disturbs you, disappears . And you can watch your breathing. And you don’t even need to try watching your breathing , something you can watch. Then after a little while , the breathing comes very  smooth, the feeling of the in breath , the feeling of the outbreath , becomes so similar , that not to be afraid of. When it becomes so similar, it disappears as well. 

That is a wonderful thing of breath meditation  That if you study the anapanasati , the first four stages of breathing in and out , calm it down . Then you can start to experience some joy , the piti sukha . What is happening for the scholars ? what is happening there, you are not feeling the breath , that you normally do. It is cittasankhara , that is actually knowing the breath,  the peace and beauty and delight , is now coming for the mind , rather than from the body sense , mind sense is going to dominate , that is important . Because now you begins to enjoy the meditation . Now you are actually breathing sabai ~   sometimes people think you are crazy. Enjoying meditation？  Much better than that , you are blissing out in the meditation , breathe in , is great, breath out ~ for many hours . 

As much you get into those stage of meditation , when you love meditation, you cannot get enough of it . That sometimes in retreats,  the bell goes and people continue to sit down , they don’t go anywhere . Any in some of the retreats I hold , you find that , the bell goes for the meal, and that is the last meal of the day, and people miss out the meals , fast until the next day. And, they don’t move  , Meditation is worth even much more. It is liking to get joy and happiness , and that is the important part of the meditation . That makes it really interesting . Just the mind doesn’t want to do anything else , its having fun.  I have been a monk for 49 yeaars, and this year the 50th year. Why? Why monk? 

Disciple : happy

Ajahn brahm: yes, happiness .Sabai ~ really sabai. And that is what happens in the meditation , it is incredibly boosted in bliss . Dropping in that real bliss,is really happy. That is how the mind experience , the sixth sense. And it gets even much powerful in the ninth stage of anapanasati .In the ninth stage of the anapansati, you are aware of the citta . The breath is gone , you are still breathing in and out , but you are not aware of that , something is more powerful, and that is the awareness of the citta . And how is that explained by the buddha ? that is where you see the beautiful lights in the mind, called nimittas . That is nothing to do with the commentaries . That is in the upakilesa sutta (MN128). Where the buddha spends the whole sutta talking about the obstacles , the upakilessa to these nimittas . This is the direct, straight path of the meditation . This is where people sitting there, the body disappears . The breath calms down to be really sabai, you start to experience lights in the mind , you call that nimittas . Eventually they become stable . And when you merge into one of those , then it is , the first jhana. 

And each of these jhanas , there is even more bliss . It is how the buddha describes this experiences . The type of happiness,  bliss , one of the pleasure , in even the first jhana, he describes it as, Sambodhi sukha . Sambodhi is the buddhist word for enlightenment . What that actually means, is when you are at the first jhana, you are experiencing the taste of enlightenment . It is not enlightenment , it is close enough , each one of you can. You don’t need to be a monk or bikkhuni  to do this, but if you ordain, it is easier. But anyway ,everyone of you can do that.  You go deep into your lotus , so deep that the petals sitting in your body disappears and open up . You get into your mind , that’s not enough. that’s an amazing experience . And you go deep and deep into the lotus . Whats inside in the lotus? Whats there? Whats middle of the lotus ? 

Nothing~

 What is in the central of you ? nothing

. OK ?

(English version below)

信徒：ajahn,在你上一年的禪修營當中，你提到關於放鬆到極致來進入禪那的方法。請問你可否再詳述這個教導？

Ajahn brahm: 我很肯定你記得這個譬如。

杯中的水代表我的心。

現在我要讓我的心完全地寂止

（ajahn brahm 拿起了那個杯子）

它停止移動沒有？

還在移動～但我還不夠具念

現在我會具念了

它停止移動沒有？

所以現在我專注（那杯水震動得更厲害了）

它停了沒有？

那很奇怪，當我專注然後嘗試，他總是移動得更厲害

所以我怎樣讓他靜止？

（ajahn brahm 放下了那杯水）

放鬆～到極點～

它還在動，但越來越來地少。只要你有足夠的耐性，你就可以等到它完全地靜止

我不能把它拿得那麼靜止。但現在我可以靜止數小時。你可以看到我完全不用用力

這就是我們所說的放下了。捨離，停止抓住。別管它，然後它就會自己靜止

你有沒有聽過無我？你不做它，你放下它。那個自我消失，它不曾成為什麼，完全地靜止

假如你不明白這個比喻。阿姜查也有個譬如。你看著外面樹叢上的樹葉。為什麼他們在動？因為風。當風不吹，樹葉還會動。但越少越少越少。你可以保護大樹或樹叢免受風吹，有夠長時間。樹葉就會變得完全寂止。風代表想要些什麼。但如果你在打坐中想要些什麼，你就做了些什麼。假如你停止想要，風就會停止，心就會靜止。但如果你想要些什麼，你就不能嚐到那個靜止。

明白嗎？

當你經歷過，你就會明白

Disciple : ajahn, in your retreat last year, you have mentioned about the technique of relax to the max to enter into jhana. Could you elaborate more on this teaching ?

Ajahn brahm: I am sure you can remember this simile .

The water in the cup represents my mind.

Now I have to get my mind into perfectly still.

(ajahn brahm holds up the cup )

Has it stopped moving yet?

Still moving ~ But I’m not mindful

Now I will be mindful ~

Has it stopped moving yet?

So now I concentrate (the cup of water trembles even more)

Has it stopped moving?

This is strange, when I concentrate and try, it always moves more

So how can I make it to be still?

（ajahn brahm puts down the cup of water）

RELAX~ TO THE MAX~

It’s moving ~ but less, and less , and less. As long as you have enough patience . You wait until it becomes perfectly still.

I couldn’t hold that still, and I　can be still for hours. That you see with no effort

That is what we mean by letting go. Renounce, stop grasping . Leave it alone and will get still by itself.

Have you not heard about anatta? You don’t do it, you let go.  The self vanishes, never it becomes, perfectly still.

If you don’t understand that simile, Ajahn chah has a simile . You look at the leaves on the bushes outside. Why do they move？ Because of the wind . When the wind stops blowing, the leaves still move. The less , the less ,the less. You can protect the tree or the bushes from the wind ,long enough. The leaves become perfectly still. The wind is wanting something . But if you want something in your meditation, you do something. When you stop wanting , the wind does stop, the mind become still. But if want something, you don’t taste this stillness.

Understand?

Once you experience it ,you will understand

（english version below ）

-佛陀說，一個人如果有放棄，捨棄的心，他會很容易獲得禪定，近乎自動地-->獲得深定的根本原因是放棄，捨棄的能力

-建立一個正確的態度：不論它是否符合你的期望，每一次禪坐都在讓你邁向未來的成功（內在的平靜）

-透過以下建立一個穩固的基礎

1. 不要想過去和未來 （例如你的責任，你的家庭，你的記憶，‘這個疼痛何時才會消失？’ ‘我之後應該做什麼？’ ）但只是具念於當下

2. 克服内心的喋喋不休-->透過完全的具念於當下，那麼你就不會有空間在心裡說話

-你會發現留意一樣又一樣東西會是心的負擔-->所以只是追隨一樣東西—你的呼吸就足夠了

-當來到呼吸禪修法的時候，專注點的位置並不相關，不要定位於任何地方，因為我們正要拋棄身體的認知-->只是知道呼吸的出入

-之後，念就會延伸到呼吸的每一刻—呼吸的整個過程。只是嘗試活在當下，包括呼吸與呼吸之間的停頓

-漸漸地，你會傾向於心的一境，寂靜

-呼吸會開始消失，之後就要覺知於這個美麗的經歷。從一刻到另一刻都覺知。當美麗的呼吸消失，保留那個美麗，平靜和快樂

-之後，快樂會生長，然後會變得非常強-->你就會抵達禪那的境界

-進入禪那後，假如你問‘我之後應該怎樣做？’-->這個心語便會粉碎你的禪修。這意味著上述所建立的基礎還不夠強

-ajahn brahm 強調，每個人都有進入禪那的能力。最細微的疑惑就正正是那個障礙

-The buddha says, a person who has the mind of giving up , abandoning ,renouncing , gain samadhi so easily, almost automatically--> the root cause of attaining these deep meditation is the ability to abandon, let go

-Set up the right attitude: for every meditation, no matter if it live up to your expectation or not , it is adding up to your later success (inner peace)

-Build a strong foundation by 

1. not thinking about the past and the future (e.g.your responsibility, your family, your memory, ‘when will this pain disappear?’ ‘what should I do next?’) but just be mindful of the present moment

2. overcoming inner chatter  be totally mindful of the present moment , then you wont have any space for inner chatter 

-you will find that paying attention to one thing and another is a burden to the mind --> follow one object-- the breath --instead

-when it comes to breath meditation, the location of the focus point is irrelevant . don’t  locate anywhere, because we are trying to abandon the perception of the body  --> just know the breath going in and out

-and then mindfulness will expand to every moment of the breath-- the whole process of breath. Try to be  always at the present moment , including the  pauses between breaths

-gradually , you will be inclined to the unity of the mind, the silence

-Breath will start to disappear . then be aware of this beautiful epereience ,  be aware from moment to moment. When the beautiful breath disappears, keep the beauty, peace  and joy .

-and then bliss will grow and become very strong -->then you reach jhana state

- after that ,if you ask ‘What should I do next ?’--> that is the chatter which shatter the meditation. This means your foundation as mentioned above is not strong enough 

-Ajahn brahm stresses that everyone has the ability to get into jhanas.  The slightest doubt is the obstacle 

Summarized from 

https://youtu.be/87xE6ROki80?si=-Beam4YnGc06Kp3-

信徒:我發現 ajahn 很容易就能散發慈心。 但有時當我嘗試散發慈心， 心仍然會保持中捨。 請問 Ajahn 可以教導一下嗎?

Ajahn brahm: 不要試， 只管做

Student : I find that ajahn can spread metta very easily. Sometimes I try to spread metta, but the mind remains neutral . Could ajahn please advise ?

Ajahn brahm: don't try , just do it

問：阿羅漢死後，是不是連識都沒有留下來了？

 Ajahn brahm：正確

 學生：那麼阿姜曼看到過去諸佛的解釋是什麼？

 Ajahn brahm：這是對某事的解釋。

 你不能看到過去的佛。 

 Ajahn Tet  是比Ajahn Maha Bua 更資深的弟子。 

 當他讀完阿姜曼的傳記後，他不允許任何人為他寫傳記。 

 他在他去世前親自寫了自己的傳記。

 阿姜曼的傳記很有爭議

2024年3月4日

Student : is it when an arahant dies , there is not even consciousness left behind ?

Ajahn brahm: correct

Student : then what is the explanation for ajahn mun's seeing past buddhas?

Ajahn brahm : this is the interpretation of something.

You cannot see past buddhas. Ajahn Tet is a more senior disciple than ajahn maha bua. After he had read the biography of ajahn mun , he  didn't allow anyone to write his biography. He wrote it himself before he died.

Ajahn mun's biography is very controversial

信徒:現在我在修習安般念， 雖然嘗試了很多， 但依然看不到光或禪相。 請問 Ajahn 有沒有一些貼士?

Ajahn brahm: 你打坐得太辛苦了。 不要試， 只是平靜地和呼吸在一起。

在大念住經裡， 它把念描繪成真的在當下。

不要嘗試捉住呼吸， 只是要 善良和具念。

Student : now I am practising anapansati, although trying hard , but I still cannot see light or nimitta . Could ajahn give me some tips?

Ajahn brahm:. You work too hard. Dont try . Just  be peaceful with the breath.

In the mahasatipattana sutta , it describes mindfulness as being really at the present moment.

Don't try to hold on to the breath, but just be kindful 

(English version below)

信徒：ajahn brahm , 請問識和心是否同樣的東西？（根據SN12.62,佛陀把心，意，識說為同樣的東西）

Ajahn brahm: 不～有多少種識？

信徒：6

Ajahn brahm：它們是否同樣的東西?

信徒：不

Ajahn brahm: 所以你從來不說識（單數），但識s(眾數)。它們是完全地不同的。當你說心的時候，是在說什麼呢？

信徒：意識？

Ajahn brahm: 對的。意識是否實在且不變的？

信徒：不

Ajahn brahm:當然不啦！它來了就走。有時佛陀會給一個關於識流的比喻，當他在說心的時候。 現在，當我回到今早的島，那裡的水是否一樣？完全地不同！可能看似一樣，但完全不同。你的意識，你的心一直在變

信徒：但luang ta maha bua 說心是常的，你怎樣理解這個？

Ajahn brahm:他不能這樣說，我完全地不同意。心永遠不會是常的。就連佛陀都說，（心在一天生滅）許多許多次。你將身體當作是常的比較好，因為它基本上就和昨天一樣，你的爸爸媽媽可以辨認到你。心轉變得那麼快，快到你根本不能證明心是常的這個見解。我不知道luang ta maha bua 有沒有說過。別人翻譯它，所以他有沒有說過（我們不知道）

信徒：我終於找到一位ajahn 同意我的論點了，因為有許多泰國的ajahn ，他們都說心是常的。阿羅漢死後，心會留下。

Ajahn brahm :佛陀從來沒有這樣說過。佛陀在Aggivacchasutta (MN72)中說過一個比喻，有人問佛死後心去到哪裡？他說，假如有一把火，它建基於水，玻璃或什麼什麼的。為了讓你們更加容易明白，一個蠟燭，蠟燭上的火是什麼？火是三個緣的合成：蠟，蠟燭芯，熱力。 這三樣來到一起，我們就稱它為火。有一天，蠟終究會用盡，或者蠟燭芯會燒盡，或者風吹散了熱力---任何一個因素。火會有什麼後果？

信徒：他會離去

Ajahn brahm : 去到哪裡？

信徒： 沒有地方

Ajahn brahm: 沒有地方！假如他是一把很好很好的火，然後讓你追踪它往哪裡跑了，你也讀了些經文。那把火有如此的善業，它不是會去到天堂，然後所有‘好火’就會聚在那裡一起直到永遠嗎？當然不是！ 假如它是把很壞的火，燒毀了你的屋子，那把火會否下地獄？當然不會！ 佛陀曾經說， 那個火的原因，當熄滅了，火去哪裡了？--這個想法不再能夠應用。 涅槃這個字。Nibutto是它的過去分詞。它的意思是涅槃了。在佛陀時代，就算是小朋友都明白。問題是，當人們說那裡沒有什麼的時候，人們會把‘沒有東西’當作‘有某些東西’

就有一個故事關於阿那律尊者，佛陀其中一位大弟子。在他的早年，他出生於一個很富有的家庭。他不曾做過很多工作。那時他有些笨。他那時在玩波子，然後在賭博。他把自己的午餐（蛋糕）作為自己的賭注。但他不斷輸。所以他命令僕人拿更多的蛋糕。僕人回到家中然後拿來更多的蛋糕。但他輸得更厲害了，每次賭博，他都會輸掉。所以他叫他的僕人再拿更多的蛋糕。 僕人說，已經沒有蛋糕了。然後那時她的用詞是 ‘natthi 蛋糕’

‘你拿了蛋糕了嗎？’ 阿那律對僕人說

僕人回答：‘natthi 蛋糕’

但當阿那律尊者望入籃子的時候，他看到一個他一生中看過最驚人美味的蛋糕。因為那時阿那律尊者的過去業，讓他永遠也不會聽到‘沒有‘ 這個詞。無論什麼情況，都會有些東西預給他。然後天界的眾生，為了讓這個年輕人的業力完整，便放了一個天界的蛋糕去他的籃子裡。僕人覺得沒有蛋糕了，便說natthi蛋糕。當他揭開了它的時候，便發現有一個天堂的蛋糕在裡面。阿那律嘗了那個天堂般的蛋糕的時候，便這樣 ‘wow ,太美妙了！我的媽媽一定在藏起這些‘natthi’蛋糕！’

‘natthi’蛋糕的意思是沒有蛋糕，但卻變成了‘有些東西’。 人類總是嘗試從‘沒有’中創造出‘一些東西’。實際上，它是指，它走了，沒有了蛋糕

或者，任何受過英式教育的人，會知道Alex in the wonderland through the looking glass，在棋的遊戲中遊玩的紅色皇后。最後抵達最終的方塊的人會成為皇后。Alice 經歷了很長的旅程後終於有資格成為皇后。然後她遇到了一個很久以前就抵達那裡的皇后。皇后問‘在旅途中，你有否遇過任何人？’

Alice 回答‘我在旅途中遇見 ’‘沒有人’‘ 

然後皇后問‘那很有趣。因為我的信使來得早一點點，他也說，他遇見 ’‘沒有人’‘你們碰到同樣的人了！‘

然後，當信使確認他沒有遇到任何人時，皇后便問信使‘你太慢了，’‘沒有人’‘在你前面，’‘沒有人’‘一定走得比你快‘

如果你以英文讀懂它，他們把’‘沒有人’‘當成一個人類，然後’‘沒有人’‘是某人的名字

試想像一下你的父親在你出生時給了你一個名字’‘沒有人’‘

‘有沒有人完成了他的家課？‘ ’ ’‘沒有人’‘完成了他們的家課‘

當你考試及格了 ‘’‘沒有人’‘考試合格’

當你在上班，‘’‘沒有人’‘在上班’

因此那很有趣，從沒有東西創造出某些東西。

在佛教中那很具爭議。但，當你發展出一些很深的定時，首先，你可以看著事物消失，整個身體消失，你不能夠感受任何東西。就如其中一個故事，一個在perth 的男子，一般上他會打坐40分鐘。但在某星期天的下午，他和他的妻子說，自己要到睡房打坐，那時他的妻子在電視上看電影。一個半小時之後，他依然還未離開他的房間。於是她便去查探丈夫—他正以打坐的姿勢坐著，沒有絲毫的移動，非常靜止。他甚至沒有在呼吸。於是他的妻子便叫了救護車，然後救護車很快地來了

當擔架去到他的臥室時，他仍然在打坐。他們檢查了他的脈搏，發現沒有任何脈搏，他也不在呼吸。然後他們把他放進救護車，把他帶到最近的醫院。當他進入了急症室時，那天是星期天的下午。護士找不到任何生命的跡象。所以他們把他推進手術室，也檢查了他的EEG 和ECG。 ECG 是一條平線—那裡沒有心跳，EEG 也是平的—沒有腦的活動。這是真的發生了的事情，是真的事情。

那時，醫生發現了一件怪事，雖然這人看似死了，但是他的身體仍然是暖的。通常如果你在ECG EEG有一條平線，你的身體就會變冷。但是假如你有讀經，佛陀其實有定義到，假如你進入了深定，你的身體不會變冷，你不會說那人是死了的

那時那個男人的妻子崩潰了，看著救護員用電流，除颤器，嘗試把他從平線中救活，也有用到腎上腺素。每次他們會把電流放到他的身體。他們會把他電到彈起來。但都沒有起色。一再一再地，他們也不能喚醒他。

但當時，他終於決定要出定了。 ‘這裡在搞什麼鬼？我明明剛才在我的臥室中啊！’ 然後儀器開始 ‘嗶～嗶～嗶～’ 全部開始正常運作了。其中一件幸運事是，那天是星期天的下午。當值的醫生的父母是從印度來的移民。他的印度父母曾對他說，當他們進入了很深的靜止時，將會暫停所有在心裡的事情，然後會完美地靜止。他看過，所以明白在發生什麼事。

之後發生什麼事？他們給了他一個徹底的檢查，然後發現他什麼事都沒有。所以他們不把他留下來，但讓他回家。他走回家，沒有用到救護車。沒有什麼是需要的。他絕對健康

我問他‘那時發生了什麼事？當你在救護車上，他們用電流電你的時候’ ‘沒有什麼，他們只是這樣說’

‘你是否處於一個昏迷或者無意識的狀態？’ 

‘不！我處於一個一生之中最清醒的狀態，但不覺知五根，只有第六根—心。當他們用電流電我的時候，我根本感覺不到什麼，內裡只有快樂，完美地具念。‘這就是在深定中所發生的事情，世界是離你那麼遠，你的心是那麼的靜止和美麗。如果你想知道心是什麼，那個經歷便是了。在深定中，五蓋會離開，那意味著，五蓋中其中一蓋—疑蓋會離開。現在，你很肯定，那不是一個夢，也不是一個幻想。這就是我們所說的洞察了

Student : ajahn brahm, may I ask is consciousness and citta the same thing? (according to SN12.62, buddha says that the citta and the consciousness is the same thing)

Ajhan brham: no~ how many types of consciousness are there? 

Student : 6 

Ajahn brahm: yeah. Are they the same ? 

Student: no 

Ajahn brahm: so you never say consciousness, but consciousnesses . And they are all totally different . When you talk about the citta , what are you talking about?

Student: the mind consciousness ? 

Ajahn brahm : yeah . Is mind consciousness solid and permanent ?

Student: no

Ajahn brahm: of course not. It comes and goes. Sometimes the buddha gives the simile of the stream of consciousness when he talks about the mind. Now when I go back to the bay this afternoon , that water is it the same ? it is totally different. May look the same, but it is totally different. This type is your consciousness , the mind consciousness. Your citta it always changes

Student: but luang ta mahabua says that the citta is permanent, how do you perceive this? 

Ajahn brahm: he cant say that. I totally disagree. Citta is never permanent. Even the buddha says that many many many times in one day (does the citta arise and fall) . You had better take this body as permanent , it looks basically the same as yesterday, your father and mother can recognize you. The mind changes so fast, so much impossible to justify the idea that your citta is impermanent. I don’t know whether luang ta maha bua has said that. People translate it , so that what did ajahn maha bua actually did say ( we don’t know )

Student: I finally have found an ajahn who agrees with my conclusion, because many ajahns in Thailand says that the citta is permanent . After an arahant dies, the citta remains.

Ajahan brahm: the buddha never says that. The buddha gives a simile in Aggivacchasutta (MN72) , somebody asks where does the citta go to when he dies. He says, if there is a fire, based on water , glass or something. To make it simpler to understand. A candle, what is the flame on the candle? Flame is the combination of three causes: the wax of the candle , the wick ,and the heat. The three things come together , that is what we call the flame . So one day, it has to happen, that the wax burns out, or the wick is all burnt out, or the wind blows the heat away any one of the causes, what happens to the flame? 

Student: it is gone 

Ajahn brahm: go to where?

Student:  nowehere

Ajahn brahm:　No where! If it is a really really good flame , and allow you to follow where it is going , and you even read some suttas. The flame has such a good karma, isn’t it will go to the heaven , and all the good flames will be there ever and ever after ? of course not. If it is a very bad flame , and it burns down your house, will the flame go to hell? Of course not. The buddha once says , the causes of the flame , being extinguished , where it is going to , that idea doesn’t apply anymore . In other words, when the flame goes out , nibutto . The word nibanna , the word nibutto is the past participle . it means it is nibannaed . In the times of the buddha, even the children will understand . The problem is when we say there is nothing there, people take nothing to something .

There is one story about Anuruddha , one of the buddha’s chief disciples . In his early life, he was born in a wealthy family. He hadn’t done too much work, he was a bit stupid, the young man. So he was playing the marbles with other children. And he was gambling . He gambled his lunch which cakes are given, but he kept on losing , so he ordered the servants ,’ give me some more cakes’ . The servant went home and got some more cakes. He gambled worse, every time he gambled, he lost. So he asked his servant , ‘get me some more’ , and the servant replied ,’ there is no more cake’. And the word she used is ‘natthi cakes’. 

‘you got the cakes?’ said Anuruddha to the servant 

And the servant repleid, ‘natthi cakes’ 

But when Anuruddha looked into the basket, he saw the most amazing delicious cake he could ever see in his life. Because it was Anuruddha’s karma in his previous life, that he would never ever hear the word as ‘not’ , in what circumstances there will be some in there for him. And the heavenly being, in order to keep this young man’s karma intact, then serve him some heavenly cakes into the basket. So the servant thought there were no cakes at all, natthi cakes. When he opened it, there were heavenly cakes in there . Then Anuruddha tasted the heavenly cakes in there , and was like ‘wow , this is wonderful, my mother must have been hiding these wonderful ‘natthi’ cakes. 

‘natthi cakes’ means no cakes at all, but became something . Human beings are all trying to make something out of nothing. It really meant, it was gone, no cakes at all.

Or anyone who has had English education, may know the story of Alex in the wonderland through the looking glass, and the red queen, who pace around the chess game. And the little girl who reaches the final square she can become the queen. Alice who has gone through a long journey which qualifies her as a queen. And then she met a queen who had got there a long time ago. And the queen said , ‘ on the journey, on the journey, did you meet anyone on the journey ? ‘ 

Alice said ,’ I met no one on the journey.’

And the queen said’ that is really interesting , because my messenger came a little earlier, and he said he met no one on the journey as well, you have met the same person!’ 

And when it was confirmed that the messenger had met no one in the journey , then the queen said to the messenger ,’ you are so slow, ‘no one’ is actually before you , ‘no one’ must have walked faster than you .’ and so when you understand that in English , they are making ‘no body’ a person , and ‘no one’ as the name to somebody. 

Imagine your own father gave you a name when you were born ‘ no one’ .

‘Have anyone done their homework? ‘ ‘no one has done the homework’

When you pass your exam, ‘ no one has passed the exam’

When you go to work, ‘no one is going to work’ 

So there is a lot of fun, making something out of nothing 

And that’s quite controversial in Buddhism. But , once you have developed some deep meditation, first of all you can watch things disappear, the whole body does, you cant feel anything . Like one of those stories, one man in perth, usually he meditates for 40 minutes. But on Sunday afternoon, he told his wife, he was going into the bedroom to meditate , his wife was watching some movies on the TV. And after an hour and a half, he still hadn’t come out  from his room. So she went to check on him. He was sitting on a perfect meditation posture , not moving at all ,really still. He wasn’t even breathing. So his wife called the emergency number , and the ambulance came very quickly then. 

When the tray went into the bedroom, he was still meditating . And they checked his pulse , and noticed there was no more pulse , he wasn’t breathing . And they put him straight into the ambulance , they took him to the nearest hospital. When he went into the emergency department, it was Sunday afternoon . And the nurse found that there was no sign of life . So they pushed him into the emergency surgery room, and checked his EEG and ECG, the ECG is a flat line – there was no heartbeat, the EEG was also flat –no brain activity. This is something  real , something really happened 

The doctor that time noticed one strange thing about this the person look so dead, his body was still warm. Usually if you have flat lines on ECG EEG, your body becomes cold . But if you read the way in the sutta, the buddha also defines or tells that, if you are in a deep meditation , your body doesn’t go cold , you don’t call , the person is dead. 

So if venerable ajahn you, you don’t see him breathing , don’t send him to the hospital yet , feel his body, if it is still warm, leave him alone .

The man’s wife at that time was freaking out, looking of this , using electric shock , defibrillator , they tried to take him out of the flat line. Supposed to used adrenaline . Everytime they put some electric shock on his body, they take him off the table and set him to the shock . But then nothing worked . Again again and again, they couldn’t wake him up. 

But then, he decided to come out of the meditation . ‘whats happening here? I was in my bedroom!’ , and the machines were like ‘beep ~ beep~ beep~’ all started to work normally. One of the fortunate things , that it was Sunday afternoon. And the doctor who was in duty, his parents had migrated from india. So his hindu parents had told him, sometimes they got into such a deep stillness, that had suspeneded everything in the heart and became perfectly still. He had seen that and had an understanding of what was happening.

Then what happened the next? They gave him a thorough checkup, and found that there was absolutely nothing wrong with him at all. So they didn’t keep him there, but let him go home.  He walked home . No ambulance. Nothing was needed . He was perfectly healthy .

I ask him ‘ what was happening in that time, when you were in the ambulance , being put down electrics , do you know that? ’  ‘no, they only say about that’

‘were you in a trance or unconsciousness?’ ‘no! I have been most aware I have ever been in my life so far , not aware of the five sense , but the sixth sense of the mind. I cant feel a thing when they were putting a shock throughout my body , but just blissing out inside , perfectly mindful’. That’s what happens in deep meditation , the world is so distant from you , your mind is just so still and beautiful. If you want to know what citta is, that experience is . And, at the end of the deep meditation things which happened, is that the five hindrances are gone. Which means that, one of the fifth hindrances, is doubt. Now you know for sure, it is not a dream or a  fantasy, it is real. That’s what we called insight

當人們沒有内在的快樂 (禪悅)，他們就會開始透過那麽多、沒多大幫助的外在途徑，來尋找快樂。他們在別人的肯定中看：你怎麽好、你怎麽妙、你怎麽美好，然後被認爲那麽好。但當然，那些特質會褪去的：你的美麗、你在運動、生意上的能力、你的成功。他們會褪去的，別人會拿取那個位置的

When people don’t have their inner happiness （happiness gained from meditation） , they start for seeking happiness in so many outside ways which are not really helpful. They see it in other people’s  affirmation: how good you are , how wonderful you are, and how you are lovely and regarded so well. But of course , those qualities will eventually fade away: your beauty, your abilities in sports or in business, your success , that will always fade while other people take  that place.

----Ajahn brahm

26 May 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=358&v=gYXPtABY8mk

Background : a girl quoted ajahn brahm that the purpose of the life is to learn to be a wiser and kinder human being, she asked why we keep forgetting our past lives in reincarnations

Ajahn brahm: it is not that you forget it. You sometimes forget the details 。Your character, your inclinations,---what really moves you and motivates you---that develops from life to life. If you are a very good person now, you should be a very good person in your next life.

It is kind of a joke but i always encourage to ask questions as I often recited about when somebody asks the buddha

‘ why does somebody rich but another people poor’—buddha gives a good answer which is kind of from the past

‘why are some women beautiful while others are ugly? And you notice that I wasn’t looking at you , I wasn’t looking at anybody. Because someone complained once! ‘why are you mentioning the word ‘’ugly’’ when you are looking at me ? ajahn brahm!’

But the main part of the story was , why are some people intelligent, while another stupid?

You may have heard children, you really love for them care for them, you encourage them to be good at school, give them extra tuition , give them everything you could possibly can , give them a good education, but they cant do it . kamma from the past is the cause .

And the kammic reason why people are stupid in the next life, is because they do not ask questions in this life! That’s in the suttas! That makes sense to me

22-3-2023 HKU public talk

More about ajahn brahm

https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6%E5%80%91%E8%88%87%E8%91%97%E4%BD%9C/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm

信徒：是否呼吸禪修法為進入禪那的唯一一道閘門？

Ajahn brahm:不

信徒：你是否能夠不經過呼吸禪修法直接進入禪那？

Ajahn brahm:是

有時你只是僥倖成功

有時是你放下得很深

Ok 這是一個沙彌聆聽阿姜查其中一個法談的故事。他只是11-12嵗。所以有時在泰國的寺廟裏，我有這些年輕的沙彌。寺廟成爲了一個社會安全網。所以通常年輕的男士會一直成爲沙彌，直至16-18嵗。他們在寺院取得教育然後去到最近的學校。但當他們到16-17歲，他們就會去到大些的學校然後還俗，那就是他們長大的地方。

所以這個只是11-12歲的沙彌在聆聽阿姜查的法談。他的法談有時是很棒的，但通常都是沉悶的。這位小沙彌想，‘我只是個小沙彌，可能其他比丘可以聽阿姜查的，但爲什麽我要呢？‘ 然後他很負面，開始想：’阿姜查何時會停止？他何時停止？他何時停止？‘ 然後他不斷重複，就如一個咒語。’ 他何時停止？他何時停止？他何時停止？‘然後就在一刹那，他把問題調轉：‘我何時停止呢？’ 然後那位沙彌停止了。他進入了美麗的禪那，一個極樂的狀態。

然後當他開眼，他完美地在一切時間裏覺知，極樂地覺知。那是很早的早上。他在那裏打坐了數小時，他沒有聽到比丘們鞠躬和最後的念誦，然後移他們的東西返回小屋。他甚至忽略了早上的托缽，但他毫不在意那天沒有食物。他剛剛才在此生首次體驗到這個美麗的禪坐。

他沒有用到呼吸禪修法，他只是用了 ‘停止’ ，然後他就停止了

Student :is breath meditation the only gateway to jhanas

Ajahn brahm: no

Student : is it possible that you get into jhana directly without going through the breath meditation

Ajahn brahm: yes

Sometimes you just fluke it

Sometimes you let go so deeply 

Ok, this is the story of the novice monk listen to one of our ajahn chah’s talks. He was only about 11 or 12 years of age. So sometimes I have these young novices in monasteries in Thailand . the monasteries become a social safety net. So usually the young men they stay as a novice til about 16 or 17 18. They get an education in the monastery go to the nearest school. And but when they get to 16 or 17, they go to a bigger school and then they just disrobe, its just where they grow up.

So this novice of only 11 or 12 was listening to one of Ajahn chah’s  dhamma talks, and his dhamma talks sonetimes they were amazing , but often they were so boring, and this was going on for a long time . And this little novice was poured out of his little head , he said I’m only a small novice maybe the other monks can listen to ajahn chah , but why do I have to ? and then he got so negative , he started to think ‘ when is ajahn chah going to stop? When is he going to stop? When is he going to stop’ and he kept on repeating him this almost like a mantra to himself -- ‘when is he going to stop’, ‘when is he going to stop’, ‘when is he going to stop’ . and then in just a moment, he turned the question around –’when am I going to stop’ and that novice stopped . he entered a beautiful jhana , a blissful state . and when he next opened his eyes, he’s perfectly aware all this time , blissfully aware.

 It was the early morning , he had been meditating there for hours, he hadn’t heard all those monks do their bowing the last bit of chanting , and moving all of their stuff and going back to their huts. He had even missed the morning almsround . but he didn’t mind at all  going without food that day . he has just got this beautiful meditation for the first time in his life. He didn’t use breath meditation, he just used ‘stop’, and he stopped .

------AJAHN BRAHM

《00:58:09

25-3-2023  Evening Q&A

More about ajahn brahm

https://www.knownsee.com/.../%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C.../ajahn-brahm

有些案例是一些人再生於剛死去的人。

泰國有一個著名的老師， 然後他説了他出生的記憶

是在這泰國南部的村落裏發生的：

一個男孩離村落的湖邊太近，然後他遇溺了，他掉進去被浸了5-6個小時。你沒有可能在這個情況底下生存的。所以當村民發現了，他們便拼命地尋找他。然後4-5小時後，他們在水底找到了他。

他們之後透過他的脚來拉他，把脚吊起，任何水都能透過地心吸力出來，然後許多水走出來。

他們只是簡樸農村的村民，他們驚訝地發現那個男孩開始呼吸，他生存下來了！

然後在他後來的生命，他成爲了一個和尚,也很出名。然後那位著名的和尚給了關於這件事的記憶

他説，他憶起看見這個强大的光，然後他就在這個男孩的身體了。然後那是他這一生最早的記憶。換句話，他再生於一個男孩的身體—當這個男孩的身體死去

那是件奇怪的東西。但他是個著名的比丘。因此你相信他的説話

There are some cases which people have been reborn into people who’ve just died.

There‘s one of the famous teachers in Thailand , and he told his meomories of his birth. What happened  in this village in the south of Thailand:

A boy went too close to the village lake , and he drowned in the lake he fell in and got submerged for about 5or 6 hours. Theres no way you can survive that. So the villagers once they found out this boy had slipped into the water and drowned , they desperately search for him. And under the water , after 4-5 hours , they finally found his body and they dragged him up to the surface .

And you know they dragged him by their legs, lifting up the legs for any water through gravity could come out , and so lots of water came out.

And to their surprise , they were simple villagers this was maybe 50-60 years ago, the boy started breathing again. He survived!

And later on in his life, he became a  monk , and became quite a well-known monk. And the well-known monk gave his memory of that .

He said, he remembers  seeing this incredible powerful light, and then he was in this child’s body. And that’s the earliest he can remember of this life. In other words, he got reborn into a young boy’s body , after this young boy’s body had died.

This is weird stuff, but this was a well-known monk. And because of that you trust what he says

《1:13:03

------AJAHN BRAHM

26-3-2023  Evening Q&A

the more you disappear, the more you let go, the more you are not , then the better your practice is going . if somebody comes along, and says , ‘ my practice is really good’ , ‘ I got deeper meditation than anybody else’ ,’ I am fully englightened’ , then that’s a dead giveaway that are nowhere near enlightenment . this is your sense of self-disappearing, vanishing , no one there. So any pride, any ego, any possession ‘ this is mine’ disappears. That’s how you know that your meditation is going well

你越消失、你越放下，你就越‘不是’，那你的修行就越好。假如有人來到然後說，‘我的修行真的很好’、‘我比其他人取得更深的禪定’、 ‘我是完滿覺悟者’，那就是一個暴露無遺的證據表示離覺悟還很遠。這是你自我消失的感覺、消失、沒有人在那裏。所以任何驕傲、自我、擁有‘這是我的’ 消失。那就是你的靜坐怎樣去得好

《1:02:00

------AJAHN BRAHM

26-3-2023  Evening Q&A

信徒：因爲禪相可以被描述為心的反射，（待續）

Ajahn brahm:  不那麽是心的反射，但是是心的解釋。心只是在你前面，你怎樣向你自己描述？所以我們用我們看見最近的影像

信徒：假如一個沒有戒德或更差的人死掉，他會否看見一個醜陋或可怕的禪相？（待續）

Ajahn Brahm：可以。但假如他們來過Ajahn brahm 的演講，他們會知道看見一個可怕的禪相不要緊。會有一處是純潔和漂亮的，不會如其餘那麽可怕和骯髒。專注漂亮的部分，然後禪相就會變得越來越美麗。然後你就可以去到某些漂亮的狀態

信徒：所以這樣會否推動那人去下界？

Ajahn brahm:對的，你會去下界，但只是暫時性的，數劫而已（笑）

Student : since the nimitta can be described as the reflections of the mind, 

Ajahn brahm: its not so much reflections of the mind, but the interpretations of the mind. The mind is right there in front of you , how do you describe it to yourself? And that’s why we use the nearest possible image to what we see

Student : if someone dies after a life without sila  or worse, will he or she see an ugly or frightful nimitta?

Ajahn brahm: can be. But if they have come to Ajahn brahm’s talks , they will know it doesn’t matter if you see a frightful Nimita , to be one part of it which  is pure and beautiful, which is not as frightful or dirty as the rest. Focus on the beautiful parts, and that nimitta will become more beautiful and more beautiful and more  beautiful . And then you can get into some beautiful states

Student :if so will this propel that person to a lower realm?

Ajhan brahm: yes, you go to the lower realm, but just temporary, only for a few eons (laugh ) 

38:00

------AJAHN BRAHM

26-3-2023  Evening Q&A

信徒：我明白打坐的利益，我很想能夠做到它，但它真的很悶，我應該怎樣做？

Ajahn brahm: 那是因爲你做了東西讓它沉悶。當你的正念提升，我已經提及它了。每一下你吸入的呼吸都是不同和獨特的。你讓它有趣

我對那些說悶的人說這個：我給你一個測驗，香港人喜歡測驗。我不太喜歡測驗。但我給你一些東西去向著做。你擅長於測驗嗎？你們有些是。你想‘ok，那個測驗是什麽？’

當你吸入、呼出，哪個比較長：吸進和呼出之間的停頓，還是呼出和吸進之間的停頓？它們哪個較長？

打坐一整晚之後你再和我說（大衆笑）

你可以讓他有趣。有時開始時讓它有趣，我發展出不同看呼吸的方法

現在爲了强調它，我現在請你們閉上眼睛然後看三下呼吸。第三下呼吸之後打開眼。

。。。

然後我保證你們從吸入開始：呼吸入、呼吸出。呼吸入、呼吸出。呼吸入、呼吸出—那就是你三下呼吸。

我想你們再看三次呼吸，但這次先呼氣出然後吸入。呼吸出然後呼吸入。呼吸出然後呼吸入。所以第三個呼吸之後請你再打開眼。

然後我發展了它，它叫朝後式靜坐。呼吸出然後再呼吸入，然後你就會驚訝，它和你呼吸進之後呼吸出完全不同。假如那還不能讓它有趣，你可以呼吸進三下然後呼吸出一下。假如你想讓它有趣，它就會變得有趣

Student : I understand the benefits of meditation, I really want to be able to do it, but it is really boring! What should I do ?

Ajahn brahm: so it is because you do something which it becomes boring . when your mindfulness increases , I mentioned this already, that every breath which you breathe in is different and unique. You make it interesting .

What I’ll tell people saying that it is boring . I give you a test, people like test in hongkong . I don’t really like test , but give you something to work towards. Are you good at tests? Some of you are. You think, ’ ok, what is the test?’

When you breathe in and out, which is longer ? the pause between the inbreath and the outbreath , or the pause between the outbreath and the inbreath—which is longer?

You tell me after you have meditated all night (students laugh)

You can really make it interesting . sometimes to make it interesting in the beginning , I develop the different ways of watching the breath.

Now to emphasize this, I now ask you all, please close your eyes and watch 3 breaths. After the 3rd breath then please open your eyes.。。。

And I guaranteed that you started with the inbreath : inbreath and outbreath , inbreath and outbreath, inbreath and outbreath – those are your three breaths . now when I say close your eyes , I want you to watch 3 breaths, but this time outbreath first and in, outbreath first and in, outbreath first and in. so after the 3rd breath open your eyes.

And I develop that , it is called backward breath meditation, breathe out first and then in. and you will be surprised that it will feel totally different that you breathing in-out in-out , out-in this time. If that doesn’t make it work to become interesting, you can breathe 3 in breaths to 1 outbreath. It does become interesting if you want to make it interesting.

Sometimes I saw my nephews playing video games on iphone, that looks so boring to me. Is it boring? Depends on what age you are. At my age, yes it is boring. But they love it , they put so much money in it. So is the breath really boring ? is meditation really boring ? no way! That is the most interesting thing that you could ever do. You just find it out yourself , you just make it interesting to begin with , and then afterwards you find it so beautiful and so interesting  .

look I really were tired after the interviews but nevermind I love to do it . so I go meditating , so you got energized again. I know I can do this, by doing some meditation and you can get the full power back to your body, that’s how I do to pass my final exams in Cambridge . meditating half an hour between the morning exam and the afternoon exam. That’s  how I do to get some inspiration. If I do something and I get exhausted ,  you know when you are exhausted, all the people who come to listen your talk , and that is such a  small here. I remember over in the buddhist fellowship in Singapore, they have an idea that I can have a concert that I can play , and of course I have my place acting in that play, I don’t know if any of you have ever saw that . but after I have given a Friday night talk, but not an hour , you know it always ends late. And getting up at 3 oclock in the morning to get myself showered and get to the airport to get the early morning flight from perth to Singapore . and as soon as I go from singapore airport to this theatre straightaway , not going to anywhere to just this theatre, then given a little bit idea of what I am supposed to do. And then people started to getting in and you have to perform.

And then when it is finished , everyone else is looking for something to eat, but me , I cant eat after the afternoon, there wasn’t even a cup of tea for  me.

So there is another performance that evening in an hour and two times, poor ajahn brahm. I just found a quiet corner in that theatre, sat meditation, really tired at first and  after about an hour, body lifting up. I don’t mean levitating , but just get all those energy , and the afternoon performance was no problem at all。

What performance ? I wasn’t singing and dancing, it was just really cliché, this lady was saying that how she had problems with her relationship with her husband. After a while she found a book, by this western author ajahn brahm, and that saved her marriage. And she said , ‘I always would like to be with ajahn brahm ‘ she said. Its all made up in the script, and that was my cue to come on the stage. I enjoyed it a bit of fun, but nevertheless, that how I overcome tiredness . it’s the most powerful thing ive ever learnt. That’s why I find it just amazing.

If you find it boring, it must be my fault,  I haven’t sold it to you yet. You know that people have these sales things and a good salesman can sell you anything. So anyway this is legitimately good

------AJAHN BRAHM

26-3-2023  Evening Q&A

More about ajahn brahm

https://www.knownsee.com/.../%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C.../ajahn-brahm

正念有許多種，但在念住經你被預料會有已去除五蓋的正念。vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ--那是你實行念住的前提。因爲你去除了五蓋，所以你的正念很强大

你知道我作爲佛教徒讀的第一本書是什麽？我在劍橋大學圖書館佛學會一年級時念的就是念住經。它被兩位斯里蘭卡比丘所翻譯。我讀完簡介就想去斯里蘭卡。之後我由斯里蘭卡旅游到緬甸，因爲在緬甸你可以修習念住。

他們想，‘因爲佛陀說任何人如果修習念住7日，就會至少成爲三果聖者或完全地覺悟。他們想，‘那是一筆很好的交易’ ，你知道嗎？去了緬甸幾個星期，覺悟，然後回到斯里蘭卡教學。在簡介中，他們去了那裏，修習念住，他們很勤奮然後追隨所有的指示。但兩個星期後，他們仍然未覺悟。他們再做一次，再一次他們沒有覺悟，所以他們改爲把書由巴利文翻譯成英文

當我讀到這裏時，我想，佛陀不會説謊，那有什麽地方出錯呢？佛陀說，假如你修習四念住，你就會成爲至起碼三果聖者，但爲什麽人們沒有成爲三果聖者？

對於我，唯一一個具邏輯性的理由就是，他們不能按照佛陀所建議的那樣做。然後當我學習巴利文，你就會看到爲什麽。因爲他們沒有弱化五蓋地修習念住—所以如此。他們進入得太快，沒有做任何準備功夫來讓念住變得有效、這就是原因。

所以正念要去到那麽強的級數—你沒有很大的貪欲、惡意、掉舉、昏睡—你的心是强的

現在人們說正念就像是一個大一統的事，沒有去明白正念有不同的層次

there are all types of mindfulness , but in the Satipatthana sutta, you are supposed to have the mindfulness which is free from the five  hindrances. vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ, that is the prerequisite before you do that satipatthana , you have weakened the five hindrances, so your mindfulness is powerful.

So if you are going to do the satipatthana say, and as the buddha said…

You know what is the first book as a buddhist I read? I got the book in the Cambridge university library buddhist society first year, was the satipatthana sutta. And the translation is by two srilankan monks. And I read the introduction, and I decided to travel to srilanka , so I  travel from sri lanka to Burma. Because in Burma , you could practise the satipatthana。so they thought， ‘ Because the buddha says anyone who practise the satipatthana for 7 days, were at least become a non-returner or fully enlightened . and they thought  ‘that is a good deal.’  And you know just go to Burma  for a couple of weeks , get enlightened , and go back to sri lanka to teach . and in the introduction , they went there , they practise satipatthana, they were diligent and follow all the instructions , but after 2 weeks , they still weren’t enlightened . So they did it again, and again they weren’t enlightened , so they translate the book from pali to English instead .

When I read that, I thought, the buddha doesn’t lie. So what is wrong there? The buddha says if you practise the four foundations of mindfulness, that you become at least a non-returner. Why do people not become  non-returners?

And the only logical reason for me , I was a student ---they cant be doing it as the buddha advise. And later on when I learn my Pali, you saw the reason why. Because they were doing the satipatthana without having weakened their five hindrances—that’s why. They were going into it too fast without doing the preparation required to make satipatthana effective . and that is the reason why.

So mindfulness has to go to such a strong level, that you really have got not much desire left , no ill will , not restlessness , no sort of slough and torpor—your mind is strong.

People now talk of mindfulness , as if it is a monolithic thing, rather than understanding that mindfulness has all sort of different levels

------AJAHN BRAHM

26-3-2023

信徒： (背景： 在香港大學的公開講座中， ajahn brahm 解釋了為什麼佛陀先要被邀請才教導眾生)

在你的禪修營， 你說過進入禪那或覺悟後， 意志會被抑制。

Ajahn brahm : 是的

信徒：那是否指那個狀態之後， 那個人會變得不活躍， 只會做恆常的事而不會做新的東西？

Ajahn brahm: 的確! 有時你看見一些人出禪那後， 他完全地滿足然後不會想再做任何東西。 所以有時你要說“來吧， 是吃飯的時間了” 你給他們通知然後他們的例行程序會再次開始

有時他們覺悟後， 你要和他們說“ 請為了眾生的利益而教導吧” 他們才會起動然後教導

Student ：(  background :in a public talk in HKU , Ajahn Brahm explains the reason why buddha had to be invited before he preached )

In your retreat, you mentioned that after enlightenment or jhana, the will is suppressed.

Ajahn brahm : yea!

Student :. So does that mean after that state, a person will become inactive , will just do something regular but won't do new things.

Ajahn brahm : indeed . Sometimes you see someone who comes out of jhana, he's perfectly content and do not want to do anything . Thats why Sometimes you have to say 'come on , it's time for lunch ' you give them notification and the routine will start again. 

Sometimes after enlightenment , you have to  ask them ' please teach for the benefit for the sentient beings ' before they got to go and   teach 

信徒： 我可以問， “我是”的思維和身見有什麼分別？ 它怎樣聯繫到渴愛和慢？( 初果到三果仍會有 “我是”的思維， 但已經斷身見)

Ajahn brahm : 那和 khemaka  相關, 她也解釋了。 她說她明白無我， 但那是一個殘餘的習慣。那狀況她還未完全放下。 那就像你洗衣服， 然後肥皂的味道還在。 但當你再徹底地洗時， 肥皂的味道就沒有了。

那是“我是”的思維， 而不是“我是”的見。 “我是”的思維只是殘餘慣性的趨勢， 它將會離去。

信徒：你是否指伺等思維？

Ajahn brahm : 不是那種思維， 思維被認知這個條件所構成，然後認知又被見所構成。 當見完美， 認知和思維都會變得完美， 但那要一段時間。

信徒：所以見已被糾正， 但認知還沒有

Ajahn brahm : 對， 完全地清晰!

Student : May I ask  how is the thought of 'I am ' different from sakyaditthi and how is it related to craving and conceit ?

Ajahn brahm:  yes, that is with khemaka and she has explained that , she said she knew  there is no self , but it is a residual habit , the condition which she hasn't totally  let go of yet . So it's like washing your clothes , and the smell of soap powder is still there . After you have washed it around , the smell of soap powder won't smell anymore.

That is the thought 'i am ' , instead of the view 'i am ' . The thought ' I am ' is just residual habitual tendency , which is about to go. 

Student : so it is vicara those thoughts , you mean ?

Ajahn brahm : it's not those thought , it's just thinking is conditioned by perception , and perception is conditioned by view. When the view becomes perfect , the perception and thoughts become perfect . It takes a while of time.

Student : oh , so the view is corrected but the perception has not been corrected.

Ajahn brahm : yea, totally  clear

Student : may I ask how is the suppression of doubt different from being gullible?

Ajahn brahm: it is when doubt disappears , you see clearly , it is not gullible at all , you can't be fooled 

Student : you will be pretty smart ?

Ajahn brahm : so clear . The Buddha has not doubt, he is no fool

信徒： 我可以問疑(蓋) 的抑制和容易受騙有什麼分別嗎？

Ajahn brahm : 當疑消失， 你會看得清楚， 不會是易受騙的， 你不能被愚弄。

信徒： 你會變得聰明？

Ajahn brahm : 很清明。 佛陀沒有懷疑， 但他不是傻瓜

Student : if I really want to enter jhana, what will be your further advice?

Ajahn brahm: just relax to the max(imum)

Student : for my spirit (entering body) problem, is there any further advice?

Ajahn brahm: no, just any spirit inside of you , you can say , ‘ oh! Spirit you can stay  here as long as you like, you can look after me I can look after you, we can be friends. When that spirit soften and is kind to you , it is easy for it to say ‘ oh I have done my job, and now I get to leave

Student: so more metta and transfer of merits?

Ajahn brahm: yeah , just you know, was just  general kindness as always to your body and mind. And things get all the way better even though, get better and better. 

It was one of my favourite stories, I think I didn’t tell you that a monster enters the emperors palace? Everyone in that palace says , ‘get out of here! You don’t belong’ what happened to that monster is that it just got bigger bigger and bigger, until when the emperor came back, he knew exactly what to do. He said ‘ welcome monster! Has anyone got you a cup of tea?’ and he was really kind to the monster, kind words, kind deeds or kind thoughts . and the monster grows smaller, until that the monster grow so small, one more add of kindness, and the monster vanish completely away. That’s how we get rid of spirits. So much kindness that after a while the monster vanishes completely away.

Student: but 2 years already! 

Ajahn brahm : 2 years is nothing. You learn so much from this. So often spirits or monsters may come a couple of years, and any couple of years, people say that is nothing. You learn so much from this, without that monster, you will never met me, you say thankyou monster

Student: thankyou monster 

Ajahn Brahm: ok?

Student: ok

25-3-2023 

Student : may I ask what is the bliss of being an arahant

Ajahn brahm: how many of you are looking forward to your retirement? Good. 

When you retire you don’t have to get up early to go to work, you don’t need to save a little bit more money, you don’t need to deal with people who want your job, or you don’t need to deal with boss who is always criticizing you , you don’t have the stress trying to sell something which other people don’t , you got no temptation to break the precept such as lying. You don’t need to come home in the evening, you have retired , you are having a good time. That is only physical retirement 

Imagine you retire from the world , really retired , you have nothing else which you need to be done . Perfectly at peace , you don’t have to worry about sickness and illness , the mind is so much stronger than the body . If you are sick , it is just a small irritation, but not a problem . In fact it is nothing which is a problem for you anymore. Even old age and struggling to walk , or buddha struggle to do anything – it is not a big deal anymore. Even buddha says whenever he needs, he can just sit down and go into deep meditation, and just leave the body , I don’t mean floating to the air , its deep into meditation so there is no feeling of  pain or anything . And often such strong meditation , sometimes it has an ache or a pain on your knee , sap sap sap, and the pain goes, that is how strong the mind can become. So that will be pretty happy state to be with, isn’t it? Would you like that? Nothing to fear, nothing to worry about , just nothing to do ,except just being kind to others and teaching them.

Every now and again someone you teach, something you say works  , and it heals them. As a monk, I tell you I don’t get any money , I don’t even see them here, counted by Gerald or carol or somebody , and they get sent to monastery somewhere. And this time I think is gonna go to the retreat centre of Melbourne , which still need some funding . but  that’s not how I get paid . if one of you come up and thank me for saving your life. That happens many times , 

one of that times, I was in London getting some talks , I was going from one place to another , I was going to oxford to give a talk. And I was at  Paddington station underground , and going to mainline train to get to oxford. Just walking to the concourse of Paddington station, and there is a woman come running up to me. She was afro English and she said, ‘ you are the youtube monk! And I kind of like that, because many of my talk you know are going on youtube. So what are you doing at Paddington station, you are supposed to be in Australia !’  And she is almost with adoring eyes , she said , ‘ I want to thankyou for saving my life!’ she was about mid 20s, going through one of the relationship  breakdown being hard to endure, and she said it was devastating , it was so unfair and cruel to her, she never thought of having an end of relationship with that guy, he let her down. And she went to psychiatrist and psychology therapist , but none of them helped. She was contemplating suicide. Out of desperation, she went onto the internet , and got one of my talks . And she listened to the whole of it—1 hour.  And then she listened to another one, straight afterwards and another one , she binged on ajahn brahm’s talks, but it worked for her. And she said thankyou for saving my life. 

What that means to you ? its one of the wonderful purposes to help people , literally save their lives, that is the word they said. That’s my payment . The joy , you can say something or do something  and teach something which really works for people. 

You cant expect to change the lives of everybody . But there are a lot of people who has done as my payment 

That what the bliss of being a good monk. People listen to , and just you can help people. Imagine how it feels like, that is really cool

25-3-2023 evening Q&A

信徒：你説過輪回和再生，可以再說多一點他嗎？可能是你在打坐時所體驗到的

Ajahn brahm : 我不太肯定我何時取得它。 但我記得在有一次很深的禪定中，當我出定， 我問自己一個簡單的問題，當時心非常平靜 ‘ 我最早的記憶是什麽？’  當你在禪定的平靜當中，那是個憶起過去世的很好的方法。在那種平靜當中，就如被良好訓練的狗，你叫他拿你的拖鞋來，他便立刻去然後帶來。

所以心帶我到早期的記憶。在此我要小心，根據我的律藏，我不能宣稱自己有任何超能力。那很接近，我不會再進一步，但我會向你顯示怎樣做到

直截了當地，我憶起當我還是嬰兒時，我在嬰兒手推車裏被我媽媽推著。

（憶起這事的時候）我是一位比丘，在澳洲的禪堂中。那不是你今天午餐吃了什麽的記憶，那是重新體驗。那就像我回到了在嬰兒手推車時的嬰兒，我可以探索它。然後有一樣東西我發現而又能夠增添它的真實性的是，我的視覺不如我的嗅覺重要。我透過母親的氣味而認得我母親，而不是她怎樣看還是怎樣説話。我也是透過氣味而認得我在那裏花了數小時的嬰兒手推車。那很奇怪。隨你在那裏體驗多長，然後回來

然後我和一些醫生確認 ，尤其是兒科醫生和照顧初生嬰兒的人。然後我很驚訝地發現，當一個孩子出生，嗅覺為五種感官的主導。大腦在這方面發展得比其他多，他們透過氣味認得別人。假如你是媽媽又有孩子，不要換香水，你會讓他困惑的

你可以更深一層：我更早的記憶是什麽？那種記憶，當我從禪定中出來的時候，我沒有任何的懷疑。那很真實。對於我很奇怪—沒有疑惑。我不是一個囂張的人，我只是知道—那是我！然後我意識到爲什麽。那是對於那些認識上座部佛教的人。當你進入深定，當你出來之後，五蓋被抑制，它們毫不活躍。其中一個蓋，即第五個蓋就是疑惑。然後我現在知道疑惑是什麽。你有那些經歷，你很清晰、你明白它們，然後你沒有任何疑惑。你可以只説‘是的我知道’ 心沒有扭曲，那很大力量

所以如果假如你在深定後有那些經歷，你會知道那是你

我一定要說這個，我是個負責任的比丘。假如你做這個，有個很好的深定，那你隨後便問你自己：‘我最早的記憶是什麽？’有時我有些學生會報告說他們見到他們在完結中的過去世，死亡近乎是這一生最强烈的體驗。那通常是很不悅意的，不一定，但通常是。他們會對我投訴，‘ Ajahn brahm ，不要再建議別人做這個！’但我還是會。因爲假如你獲得不悅意的過去記憶，便立刻說‘早些，謝謝！’ 然後你就會得到你過去世死前的記憶—那些更有趣、更好待的。

要記得那種記憶不是你吃過什麽午餐那種，你不是在嘗它，你不是在從新體驗你的午餐。但那不是記憶，那是你重新回到那裏

Student : you have talked about the reincarnation and rebirth, could you tell me more about it , maybe what you have seen or sensed in your meditation.

Ajahn brahm:  I am not quite sure when I got this for this life, but I remember in one of my meditation, very deep , and coming out of the meditation, and I asked myself a simple question , the mind is really peaceful ‘ what is my earliest memory’ . that is a very fantastic way of recalling your early lives or previous lives, when you  are in a state of meditation with meditative peace . straight away in that type of meditation, that type of stillness, that is like one of the dogs who has been well trained, go and get my slippers and they  just go immediately and bring this up. 

So the mind brought me back the  early memory.. I gotta be careful here , according to my Vinaya, I cannot claim to have any supernormal state. This is getting close, and I am not going to go further, but I will show you how it works. 

Straight away, I remembered being a baby in a pram being pushed by my mother. I was a monk in a hall in Australia , that is around 40 years beforehand. And that is not the memory of what you have had for lunch today, that is a reexperience, it was like I was back to the baby in the pram, and I could explore it. And one of the thing which I can discover therin, which gives it authenticity, was that everything I saw, my sight is not as important as smell. And I recogniazed my mother by how she smelt – not by how she looked or how she talked . I recognized my pram which I spent so many hours by how it smelt. And that was weird. You experienced as long as you wanted, and you came back out . 

And I checked that out with the doctors who I knew, especially paediatrician , or people who looks after kids when they are born. And then I was surprised  that I knew that , as soon as a kid is born, the sense of smell, is the dominant of the five senses. The brain has actually grown that part of nervous system more than anything else, they recognized people using smell. If you are mother, don’t change your perfume when you have a baby, you confused it . 

And things like that, you could go deeper if you wish: what is my earlier memory . those kind of memory , when I come out of meditation, I have no doubt at all, that was really real, that is quite strange to me, the absence of doubt . I was not an arrogant person, I just know that – it is me! And then I realized why. That is for those who know about therevada Buddhism. That when you get into deep meditation, when you come out afterwards, the five hindrances are just suppressed , they are not active at all. One of the five hindrances , no. 5 , is doubt. And now I understand what doubt is . you have those experience , you are clear, you understand them, and you don’t have any doubt at all, you can just say ‘yes I know’. The mind is not distorted , its powerful. 

So if you have those experiences after deep meditation, you would know that were you.

I must say this, I am a responsible monk. If you ever do that, have a nice deep meditation, then ask yourself afterwards ‘what is my earliest memory’ sometimes some of my students report that they see their past lives ending, that is closely the strongest experience of this life—your death. That is usually very unpleasant, not always, but many the time. They will complain to me , ‘ ajahn brahm , don’t ever advise people to do this ever again!’  but I do , because what happens, if you do get the memory of the past, which is unpleasant , immediately just say ‘earlier please’ , and then you get earlier before your death  of previous life—something a bit more interesting and  easier to be with .

Remember the memory is not what you have had for lunch again, you are not tasting it, you are not reexperiencing your lunch, its not the memory , it is you are back there

22-3-2023 hku public talk

Student : what is the relationship between the brain and the mind? 

Ajahn brahm:  that is a good question. The brain is  physical. Once the being is born, the brain takes over after a few weeks, before the mind is dominant. 

I say that because this was the first time it happened. There is a couple, they were not buddhist , they are basically atheists . when  they had their second child and just brought the child home. That they tell the elder son: ‘please say good nightto your brother peter’. So the elder son went over to the cart :’good night peter’ 

And then peter replied ‘good night paul’

It was only 2-3 weeks old, that is impossible they thought! Without any prompting, paul repeated again to his younger brother peter ‘ good night peter’ 

And peter  replied again with father and mother paying full attemtion : ‘good night paul’

They were so concerned and confused and so they came to see the buddhist monk.

‘are we crazy?’

I said ‘no’

That sometimes , rarely , it sometimes happenes. The mind of baby is able to create speech, the brain is not.

I know another example of that:  there is a baby boy and took 7 steps and said’ I am the chief and this is my last life. ‘ That is surely the buddha.

That is my favourtie story because sometimes people research, and they found that the baby who was born in the united states . As soon as he came out of the womb, he is a male, he took a one look around and his words were :’ oh no ! not again!’  that is not a joke, it is a real story , it makes me laugh.

If you were reborn and you could speak, what will you say? 

That is a sign of mind taking over at birth. And then usually you use your brain the most of your life, but there are a few times over hypnosis, you could access your mind to some extend. In deep meditation you could do that too. It is something that will happen at the end of your life, which  now has a medical term assigned to it. That is called terminal lucidity . There is any sort of doctors or nurses whowork in palliative care , and they may have come across this. Someone has been in a coma for days, someone with alzheimer’s or dementia, they haven’t been able to remember things for days, and somebody visiting them , and they say ‘where have you been since last time Freddie, nice to see you freddie’. They haven’t recognized you for ages, and then a couple of minutes later they pass away. It is the lucidity which comes at the endof your life. It is called terminal lucidity

I have asked people ‘ please, tell me if you have experienced that.’ And there is one doctor who came up at the end of one of my talks and said , in one weekend , one of his patients—that is in a hospital in perth – started to enter the dying process. Dying is not an event, it is a process which the body went into an irreversible decline. And this person he rushed into the bedside, the  person is in a coma, he has given all his instructions ‘ if I die, here is all of  my relations telephone number, please sms them as soon as possible, call them and tell them to come as soon as possible’. So he was calling the closest relations, he came to this male’s daughter Julie . She answered the phone ‘ Julie, bad news, your father is dying , please come to the hospital as soon as possible.’  And that is when his father opened his eyes – he hasn’t opened for days – and said’ please tell Julie how much I love her , and he closed his eyes and passed away. 

That happened, not happened on everybody, but on a significant number of people: when they are dying, the brain stops , and the mind takes over . And that could actually motivate parts of the body that could speak

22-3-2023 hku public talk

信徒：是否真的不需要專注任何一樣東西， 但只是放鬆就可以進入禪那？

Ajahn brahm: 是的

信徒：甚至不專注呼吸？

Ajahn brahm: 你不用專注任何一樣東西，你不做任何東西。 任何時候我這樣做，我也會有點保留，因爲那是我們比丘和比丘尼的規則：假如你宣稱如這個深入的禪定，如果你說真話然後你是和在家人説的，你就犯捨墮， 那違反了我們律藏的規則。假如你説謊，那是大罪，你不再是比丘了，那是個嚴肅的事情。 所以有時我們也沮喪。（那些人會問：）你不能解釋事情嗎？

這些日子，有一次當我去斯里蘭卡，我被問到：Ajahn brahm 你說很多關於深入的禪定禪那，你也寫書說關於它們。你能進入禪那嗎？

他使我尷尬

我回答的方式，我也和你們分享，因爲·那也教導你們許多關於深定。我對那位斯里蘭卡比丘：Ajahn brahm 不能進入禪那‘ 他們也知道那不是一個直接的答案

‘你是什麽意思？‘

Ajahn brahm 要先消失。當我消失，自我的感覺和擁有的感覺和所有的控制、造作等想法消失,然後禪那很自然地發生

我不能進入它們.gerald 你不能進入jhana ，但Gerald 先消失，然後它就在那裏。

Freddie 你不能夠進入禪那。當freddie 消失，沒有餘下freddie，那你就找到世界中其中一樣最簡單的東西了

所以有時它就是一點笑話，但内裏也是有許多的真理

所以當你教導別人關於jhana，那就是在教導別人死亡是怎樣的。死亡101（課）

它是不可思議地怡人，它毫不嚇人。現在你知道你仍然在生然後你再回來，你會知道死亡時怎樣的“五種感官消失。所以我一某種權威地說，他們不用害怕死亡。

死亡，是，通常是不怡人的。但當你過了那一點，那是很平靜、美麗的。然後當你知道你在做什麽，那是不可思議地美好的。可以嗎？

Student : is it really no need to focus on anything but just relax and we can enter jhana?

Ajahn brahm: yes

Student: not even on breathing ?

Ajahn brahm;you don’t have to focus on anything, you don’t do anything. Its like whenever I talk like this , I am always a little bit reticent, because its one of our rules as a monk or a nun as well, that if you claim things like this deep meditations; if you are telling the truth and you are telling to lay people, you are offending the pacittaya , its against the Vinaya rules; if you are lying about it, it’s a large offence, you are no longer a monk. It’s a serious thing. So we get frustrated sometimes, cant you explain things?

These days, there is a time when I am visiting sri lanka, I am asked with the question: ajahn brahm you talk so much about deep meditation jhanas, and you write books about them, ajahn brahm, can you enter jhana?

They put me on the spot.

The way I answered , I am sharing with you, because it also teaches you about many parts of the deep meditations. I said to this senior sri lanka monk: ‘ajahn brahm  cannot enter jhana. ‘ They knew me that is not a straight answer.

‘what you mean?’

Ajahn brahm has to vanish first, once I disappear, my sense of self and ownership and all the controlling and doing those ideas disappears, then the jhana happens naturally.

I cant enter them. Gerald  you cant enter into the jhana, byut Gerald  disappears, then it is there for you.

Freddie it is not possible for you to get into jhana, once freddiev vanishes, there is no Freddie left,  then you will find one of the easiest things on the world .

That is one of the reason why people do see lights, when they die. A lot of what you take yourself to be , and all of your ownership and possessions  which define you, they are all taken away from you. But it is a great opportunity.

So sometimes, it’s a bit of a joke, but theres a lot of truth to  it as well.

So when you teach people about jhana, its like teaching people how death is like. Dying 101.

And its incredible pleasant, it doesn’t scare you at all. Now you know you are still alive and you come back again, you know what dying is like : five senses vanishing. That’s why  I say with kind of authority, they don’t need to be afraid of death .

Dying yes is often unpleasant. But death itself, when you go past that point, its very peaceful , and very beautiful. And if you know what you are doing, it is incredible nice . ok ?

25-3-2023 retreat (evening)

信徒：請問燒紙扎品是否對亡者有用？

Ajahn brahm: 如果他們覺得那有用，那就有用，如果他們不覺得有用，那只是浪費時間而已

信徒：所以那取決於那個鬼是否覺得那有用

Ajahn brahm : 對的

Student : Is burning paper craft useful for the deceased ?

Ajahn brahm : it is if they think that is useful , then it is useful ; if they don’t think it is useful , it is a waste of time 

Student : so it depends on whether the ghost thinks that it is useful 

Ajahn brahm : yes . 

21-3-2023

（Ajahn brahm 舉起了一杯水）這杯水就像我的心，我的工作就是要讓這杯水完全地靜止。

它靜止了嗎？（不）

現在我放我的注意力下去，它停止移動了嗎？

我不在專注，現在我專注…

這就是許多人打坐的情況了，這就是它們怎樣感到沮喪

那是一個很容易打坐的方法，你放下他然後隨它去（Ajahn brahm 放下了杯）

它還在移動，然後越來越少、越來越少。一段時間後，它就完全地靜止

(Ajahn brahm gets a water with his hand ) this  water is like my mind , my job is to put this water to perfectly still

Is it still yet ?(no)

Now I put attention, is it stop moving yet ?

I am not concentrating , now I concentrate ..

That is how many people meditate . That is how people get frustrated enough 

It is a very easy way to meditate—you put it down and let it go. (ajahn brahm put down the water)

It is still moving , and less and less and less. And over a time , it becomes perfectly still

01:11:54<

23-3-2023

Ajahn brahm: You need some mindful meditation that I taught last Friday to some students in sri lanka , I think you have heard of me saying this a month before (student name), about the emperor’s 3 questions :

What is the most important time?

Now! Any time we have ever had. When you are meditating , what is the most important meditation object? The most important meditation object, is  whatever you are aware of right now, whatever it is. The only thing to do, is to care for it , don’t try to cure it , don’t try to get rid of it, don’t try to get rid of things, get out of things. All to do is,  whatever you are aware of , be with it right now.  

Develop a wonderful sense of opening the door of your heart . If it is something that you don’t like, often it just tends to change. Be  peace, be kind to what you are aware of  right now. Don’t even see if it is future or past. The mind is very peaceful , it’s peaceful, the mind become still , happy, and I will imagine that your problem you have then will be overcome. Very simple form of meditation, but very effective.

No stress. If you are trying to watch the breath and trying to overcome the steepness in meditating on that . Not by itself wherein too much tightness

Student: so just embrace the present 

Ajahn brahm: yes. If your eyes closed , what are you aware of, just stay with it care for it.If it changes, its fine , because any changes of you , objects come into. It’s a beautiful attitude and relationship of being kind. Its so easy to meditate. Don’t try to get rid of something or try to get something. Led by itself is it stressing the mind

21-3-2023

信徒：Ajahn brahm ,我可以知道閻羅王的職權嗎？他是否能決定來到的人會投生到哪裏？

Ajahn brahm:他只是提醒他們某些行為，那是由他們的

信徒：那是否他不能決定，只是由他們的業力？

Ajahn brahm: 是。如果我是位有權的天神，我會原諒所有人

Student : Ajahn brahm,  may I know what is the power and job of king yama , is it he can decide which realm for the people coming to his place will go to ?

Ajahn brahm :he just reminds some of their deeds, its up to them

Student : so is it he cannot decide but its up to their karma

Ajahn brahm : yes. If I am a deva with power, I will forgive everybody

21-3-2023

The other thing about karma which I love to say , is when you do any bad karma, you don’t just get it back one by one. If you hit a nun , you don’t get it back a hundred times  or a thousand times , its more than that , millions of time or something. When you do a good act of karma, it comes back  to you many times. A bad act of karma comes back many times. So if you do the maths, remember I was a mathematician , physicist , before I became a monk。 you ‘ve done so much bad karma each one of you , and me; there is no way we can pay all back, its too much. But you also have done so much good karma, there’s no way you  can exhaust all. A good kind act get paid back millions of times over. So we have got such a store of good karma and such a store of bad karma. 

Why is one type of karma comes into fruition, other types don’t ? you can understand why. Right now ,  what is your mind state like ? If you get a bad mind state, you are attracting bad karma from the past. Therefore if you are in a miserable mood, more bad things happened on you. But if you can be in a good mood , a kind mind, so amazing how many good things happen on you, you are attracting  the store of good karma from the past

Karma  is an amazing thing, you have so much good karma each one of you

其他關於業力的而我又喜歡說的是，當你造任何惡業，你不只是逐個地拿回。假如你打一個僧尼，你不會只是拿回100倍或1000倍的報應， 那是比這個還要多，會是百萬倍或是怎樣的。當你做一件善業，也會以許多倍回報給你。惡業也是。假如你計計數（請記得我在做比丘前是一個數學家、物理學家），你們每個人曾做過許多惡業，我也是。我們無法全部償還，太多了。但你也做了許多善業，你們也無法耗盡所有。一個好、良善的舉動能夠以百萬倍回報你。所以我們已有那麽多山野和惡業的庫存。

爲什麽一種業會成熟、另一種則不？你可以明白的。現在，你的心是什麽狀態？假如你有一個壞的心的狀態，你就在吸引過去的惡業。假如你在一個痛苦的情緒，更多的惡事就會在你身上發生。但如果你心情好、有良善的心，那是驚人的—有多少好事會發生在你身上，你在吸引過去善業的庫存

業力是個令人驚奇的東西，你有非常多的善業，你們每個人

Expectations Cause Suffering | Ajahn Brahm | 24 June 2022

《49：21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z8q_FWbWa8

        很多人喜歡預知未來。有些人迫不及待想知道事情的結果，就去找算命先生預測。我有個忠告：如果那算命先生窮困潦倒，可千萬別相信他！

 修禪的僧人常被認為是高超的算命師，可是在這方面他們通常不太合作。 

 一天，一位跟隨阿姜查很久的在家弟子想請這位禪修大師預言他的未來。阿姜查拒絕了：好僧人是不算命的。可是那個人提醒阿姜查說有多少多少次他供養了食物。有多少多少次他捐款給寺院，有多少多少次他不顧工作和家庭的需要而用自己的車接送阿姜查。阿姜查看他立定主意非問不可，就同意只為他破例一次。 “伸出你的手，讓我看看你的手掌。”

 阿姜查從來沒有為任何弟子看過掌紋，這次對他是特別優待！而且阿姜查被公認為具有大神通力的聖人，只要是阿姜查說的，就一定會發生，肯定會。那弟子欣喜若狂地伸出手掌。只見阿姜查的食指沿著那人的掌紋緩緩移動，還時不時地自言自語：“哦，有意思”、“好，好，好”、“太妙了”等等，那可憐的人被撩撥得心急火燎。

 阿姜查終於讀完了，他放下那弟子的手掌，對他說：“弟子，你的未來是這樣的。” “是，是，”弟子忙不迭地說。

 “而且我是不會搞錯的，”阿姜查接著說。

 “我知道，我知道，那麼，我的未來將會怎樣呢？”弟子已經急得快按捺不住了。

 “你的未來是不確定的。”阿姜查說，而且他果然沒錯！

《用‘無我’來放下》  <Using non-self to let go>

ajahn brahm 

（括號為版主注，可以省略）

'首先，我們的身體。我們是否擁有我們的身體？你擁有它嗎？它是你的嗎？當你老一點，你就會發現身體怎樣不受控制。假如身體有一個主人，那就是大自然了，但不是你。

它生病，它受傷，它變老，它又好起來了。而你只是對它有一點點控制，不是很多。但是你可以明白，何時你認爲身體是你或你的，你就會受折磨；因爲當你認爲這個受蚊子叮的身體是你的，你就受折磨。但是如果你能夠想象這隻蚊子不是在叮你的身體，而是在叮我前面的麥高峰，你會爲他擔心嗎？你會關心嗎？你不會，因爲麥高峰不是你的。

假如你能夠認知，甚至只是透過想象：蚊子在叮的脚和手不是你的，折磨就會消失，關注也會離開，平靜就會生起。假如你不把東西當作是你的，結果就是放下。放下的相反是什麽？它叫擁有，我不會叫他控制。我之所以叫他擁有，是因爲是因爲擁有常會伴隨這擁有者。所以我們（透過）看著我們擁有什麽，或更確切地說看著認爲是我們的東西(接著去訓練)；就是在抵達佛陀‘無我’的教導，像我之前所提到的。 假如那裏有一個我，一個靈魂，那就會有東西屬於我們的。假如有東西屬於我們的，那就一定要有個主人。這是雙向的。

--------------

所以你看看‘無我’的教導，你認爲你擁有什麽？你擁有你的身體嗎？如果是這樣，你會受折磨的。假如你認爲你擁有身體，你就會依戀它。假如你認爲你擁有身體，你不會能夠放下的。我看過很多人陷入這樣的困境：接近死亡時的疼痛但又不肯放下。有時看著別人臨死時剧烈的移动、掙扎著呼吸、掙扎著找一個舒服的姿勢、掙扎著讓死亡不要來，是很悲哀的。

就算他們在疼痛之中，他們寧願要疼痛都不要死亡，爲什麽？依戀著身體。爲什麽他們會依戀著身體？因爲他們覺得那是他的。他們不能夠放下，就像小孩子拿著洋娃娃和泰迪熊。當有人想拿走它們時，‘不要！放下他！那是我的！你不能拿走他！’你可以在小孩看到這個現象，你也知道那個小孩是愚蠢的。

但是，這個洋娃娃，正正就是我們的身體，我們帶著走的身體。當大自然要拿走他時，你會不會尖叫？你會不會哭：‘不不不！我還很年輕，我還有很多東西要做。還未得，明天吧，不要今天，不要現在！’

---------------

這就是我們所説的依戀，然後依戀的原因就是‘自我’或‘靈魂’的幻象。這’擁有‘的幻象，你其實可以在生命裏看到的。當你的身體受到疾病、疼痛的威脅。就譬如打坐時脚上的疼痛，有什麽問題？真正的問題是什麽？是疼痛還是因爲你認爲是你的疼痛？爲什麽你就不能放開你的疼痛？爲什麽你就不能跟隨著呼吸然後和呼吸在一起？

假如你看近一點，你會走向讓你關注的東西，一些你認爲和你有關的東西；那些你認爲應該要做的東西。你會走向那些你認爲你有責任的。你走向你的脚，是因爲你認爲那是你的脚；那是你的痛。這時你要做一些東西：假如你能在那刻覺察到，你就要用一點想象，無我：  ’那不是我的，不關我的事，那不是我要關注的，讓身體自己照顧這個疼痛。 我可以照顧我的呼吸、禪相或者我的心。‘ 你就能做到了。

只有當你覺得你明白你並不擁有他們時，你才可以把他們放開。依戀建基於’擁有‘的幻想。

-------------------

Using non-self to let go

AJAHM BRAHMM

“First of all, our body. Do you possess your body? Do you own it? Is it yours? The older you become the more you realise just how out of control this body is. If there is an owner to this body, it's nature, not you. It gets sick. It hurts. It gets old. It gets better again. And you have just a little influence over this, but not that much. However you can understand that whenever you assume this body to be you or yours, you suffer because as soon as you think that this body which a mosquito is biting belongs to you, you suffer. If you could just imagine this mosquito was biting not your body but say, this microphone in front of me, would you worry about it? Would you be concerned about it? You would not, because this microphone isn't yours. If you could actually perceive, even like through your imagination, that this arm or this leg which the mosquito was biting wasn't yours, suffering will disappear straight away. The concern would be gone. There would be a sense of peace. Whenever you regard something as not yours, the result is this thing we call "letting go". What is the opposite of letting go? It is called owning. I won't call it controlling. I'll call it owning now because the owning always assumes an owner, and so we look at what we own and what we possess or rather what we think we possess, and this is the way of accessing the teaching of anatta using the Buddha's teaching which I mentioned earlier. That if there's a self, a soul, a me, there'll be things which belong to me. If there's things which belong to me, if there's possession, there has to be an owner. These two go together.

So you look for the teaching of anatta, just what you think you own. What do you own in this world? Do you own your body? If you do, you suffer. If you think you own your body you'll be attached to it. If you think you own the body you will not be able to let it go. I've seen many people in that predicament, close to death in pain but not willing to let the body go. Sometimes it's very sad to see a person thrashing about in the last few moments of their life, struggling for the breath, struggling for a comfortable position, struggling to stop death happening. Even though they're in pain, they'd rather have that pain and discomfort than have death. Why is that? It's attachment to the body. Why are they attached to their body? It's because they think it's theirs. They can't let it go. It's like a child with a little teddy bear or a doll. Someone's trying to take it from you. "No, leave it, it's mine. You can't have it". You won't let that teddy bear or little doll go. You can see that in a child, and you know that the child's being stupid. However, this little doll, this little teddy bear is also the body we carry around with us. When nature takes it back, do you scream? Do you cry "No, no, no. I'm too young to die. I've got too many things to do. Not yet, tomorrow maybe, but not today, not now"?

This is what we're talking about with attachment and the cause of this is this mirage of self and soul. This mirage of ownership. You can actually see this happening in certain moments of your life, when the body is threatened by sickness, by disease, or even just simple pain, when there's a pain in the legs when you're meditating, What is the problem? What is the real problem? Is it the pain or is it because you think it's my pain? Why can't you let go of the pain? Why can't you just go to the breath and just stay with the breath?

If you look closely you'll know you'll go to that which concerns you, which you think is your business, which you think is what you're supposed to be doing. You go to that which is your assumed responsibility, that which you own or think you own. You go to the pain in your legs because you think it's your legs. It's your pain. You have to do something about it. If you could realise at that point, or do a little imagining, not self: "This is not mine. Nothing to do with me. This is not my concern. Let the body look after the pain. I can look after the breath or look after the nimitta or look after the mind." You could do it then. When you understand you don't own these things, only then can you let them go. Attachment is born by the illusion of ownership.”

https://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebmed055.htm

<Ajahn brahm explaining nibanna>

《Ajahn brahm 講解涅槃》

Singaporean student: Bhante, what happens to the five aggregates after one becomes awaken?If the false idea of self is eradicated at arahant,  what happens to the five aggregates?

Ajahn brahm: When you become enlightened, in other words,;you attain , no  ,attain is the wrong word ; you experience nibanna; that means the five aggregates are in the disentagling mode , as in where you are putting in, you are disappearing, the cause of the process of continuing has been taken out—the illusion of a self. That means you continue until you die, and when you die, that’s when the five aggreagates—the body. Experiences( vedana), perception, will ( the main part of sankhara), and consciousness (let me make a point, consciousness is the six consciousness e.g. mind consciousness, all those consciousness ) cease without remainder, nothing more comes up. Nothing get destroyed, just the process is now finished, its nothing disappears. But the process ends. That’s what nibanna called, parinibanna. THE word pari means total , nothing remaining. So the five aggregates are vanished

新加坡學生： 尊者，當一個人覺悟後，他的五蘊會怎樣？ 假如在阿羅漢身上我的錯見已經被根絕，五蘊會怎樣？

Ajahn brahm :當你覺悟了，換句話説；你獲得，不，獲得是錯的字；你體驗涅槃；你的五蘊就是處於一個非纏繞的狀態，就是你所説，‘你’消失了。繼續的過程那個原因已被取出—那個‘我’的幻覺。那表示你會繼續直至你死去。當你死亡，五蘊—身體、感受、認知、意志（行的最主要部分）、識（六識）就會無餘地停止，再沒有什麽發生。沒有什麽被消滅，只是那個過程完結了，沒有什麽消失，但那過程完結。這就稱爲涅槃。對於般涅槃，般是指完全的，沒有任何東西餘下。所以五蘊消失了

、

Expectations Cause Suffering | Ajahn Brahm | 24 June 2022

《44：17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z8q_FWbWa8

🌹Ajahn Brahm.... 

You're An Idiot Buddhist!

你是個傻瓜佛教徒!  Ajahn brahm 講述

Someone calls you an idiot. Then you start thinking, “How can they call me an idiot? They’ve got no right to call me an idiot! How rude to call me an idiot! I’ll get them back for calling me an idiot.” And you suddenly realize that you have just let them call you an idiot another four times.

一些人叫你傻瓜。之後你就開始想：

他怎麼可以叫我傻瓜？

他們沒有權利說我傻瓜!

我要他們還!

然後突然你發現你讓他們再罵你四次傻瓜

Every time you remember what they said, you allow them to call you an idiot yet again. Therein lies the problem.

每一次你憶起他們所說，你是在容許他們再叫你傻瓜。這就造成問題了。

If someone calls you an idiot and you immediately let it go, then it doesn’t bother you. There is the solution.

假如某人叫你傻瓜，然後你立即放下，那就不會困擾你。這就是解決方法。

Why allow other people to control your inner happiness?

為什麼容許別人控制你的內在快樂呢？

The person with you has just told you that you’re an idiot. Rather than responding to these unfriendly words, reflect on the suffering state of the person before you. And, be assured that they are suffering. 

那個和你一起的人剛才說你是傻瓜。與其對他不友善的言語作出反應，不如反思在你之前那個人的受苦狀態。然後，請被擔保，他們在受苦。

For, unless they’re enlightened, that is, they’ve let go of the causes of suffering, they do experience an underlying unsatisfactory quality to existence, even if they’re not conscious of the fact. And the offending words that spew forth from their lips are the direct result of their suffering state. 

除了他們覺悟了，那表示他們已經放下了受苦的原因，否則他們還會經歷潛在不讓人滿意的存在素質，就算他們意識不到現實。

然後那些從他們唇裡噴出的冒犯言語，就是他們受苦狀態的直接結果。

They are subject to the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and impersonal conditions of the universe that we all are. Identifying with the person that they think themselves to be, they react against the world in the only way that they know how, which at the present time takes the shape of distasteful diction. They are truly a pitiable being, and feeling compassion for them will result in immediate forgiveness for anything done that wasn’t nice. 

它們受制於無常、不滿意、 與我們身處的宇宙，那些非個人狀況。

透過確認“那人”的身份，那個他們自以為是自己的“那個人”； 他們對這世間，作出他們唯一知道的反應。那就形成那些令人不快的措辭了。

他們是真正可憐的人，對他們悲憫會讓我們立即寬恕他們不友善的東西。

The compassionate one simply wants to help others escape their self-made, self-perpetuating prisons. Seeing them in this light, it’s hard to hang on to the stuff that they said to you, since you are more concerned with their well being than what they say.

那些有同情心的人只是想幫助別人逃離他們自己做成、自己存續的監牢。

這樣看他們，我們很難再握住他們對我們說的東西。因為你比較關注他的幸福，多於他們所說的。

《How to introduce the happiness of meditation to others in need?》

《怎樣對有需要的人介紹禪修的快樂？》

Nathan :Ajahn brahm it seems that everyone around me right now  is sad, I want to show that meditation that part is my thing. How can I help them? Thankyou !

Ajahn brahm : sometimes you can’t help them by talking . But if you just sit down and meditate , and they watch you. Afterwards they will come out and ‘wow you look so much more peaceful and happy afterwards. 

Sometimes there are many ways in encouraging people, not just by words, but by examples , and they will come and ask you questions .

Oh I can’t resist this story.

That was when I used to teach meditation in brumberry, in the prison out there . And then I have a free afternoon. I tell this story because it happens in November …how many years ago now? And so, the beach was empty. I walk to there not away from the city , around a mile or two miles something . And there was house and other things on the other side of it , but there was no one on the beach. It was a very beautiful , cool afternoon, I just sat down there and meditate for two hours.

And when I  came out of my meditation, a beautiful meditation , there were people on the beach , I didn’t mind that. But there was someone sitting next to me , someone sitting on the other side. You have heard this story, haven’t you?  

Now I am a monk ok? The person sitting on my left is a beautiful red head , with a bikini , 17 years old ; and I turn round there was a brunette on the other side, also in a bikini, sitting next to me, on the beach, with a monk in the middle . (ajahn brahm scratches his head)

How did that happen! Just opposite is brumbrery high school. And it was the last exam in the year 12 , they just finished it that day in the afternoon. And what do students do after finishing their year 12 exams? Yeah ! the beach ! Get the babe wasn’t going to the beach, and of course I was meditating peacefully and didn’t hear them or what they are up to, until the girls’ there, they are very beautiful young lady , and they just saw me were really still , so they sit around me to wait me coming out of the meditation , so they can talk: what the hack you are doing ? that is really impressive.  

But for me, it was very scary ，what if you have taken a photograph or someone taken a photograph, fortunately it was the day before iphones , how could I explain that ! (Ajahn brahm laughing ) I will get into a big trouble 

Nathan : Ajahn brahm,  似乎我身邊的人都很悲傷，我想顯示給他們我很享受打坐，我應該怎樣幫助他們？

Ajahn brahm: 有時你不能透過交談來幫助他們。但如果你坐下然後打坐， 他們會看到你。之後他們會出來然後說‘ 哇! 你打坐之後看來比之前更平靜與快樂！’

有時有許多方法可以來鼓勵他人，不只是透過語言，但透過作爲榜樣，然後他們就會來然後問你問題。

噢！我不能制止自己說這個故事。

那時我曾經在brumberry 的監獄那裏教禪坐。然後我有一個空閑的下午。 我說這個故事是因爲它發生在11月。距離現在多久了？然後那個沙灘是空的。我步行到那裏，那裏不是離城市很遠，只是1英里或2英里。然後在它對面有屋子和其他東西，但就是沒人。那是一個美麗、涼爽的下午，我坐在那裏兩個小時。

但當我出定後，那是一個美麗的禪坐，有人在沙灘裏，我不介意。但有人坐在我的旁邊，你們都聽過這個故事對嗎？

我是一個和尚，ok? 那位坐在我隔壁的是一個17嵗漂亮的紅髮女士，穿著比堅尼。然後我擰轉另一邊，那裏有一位深褐色头发女子，也是穿著比堅尼的，夾著一個和尚在中間。（Ajahn brahm 抓他的頭）

那怎可能發生！ 對面就是brumbery 中學，然後那是第12學年最後的考試，他們在下午剛剛完了考試。學生們在完了12學年的考試之後會做什麽？ Yeah ! 沙灘！去找寶貝兒不是去沙灘的。然後我當然在平靜地打坐然後聽不到他們在做什麽，直至那些女孩在那裏，她們是美麗又年輕的姑娘。她們見到我非常靜止，所以她們就坐在我隔壁等我出定，之後就可以説話：你在做什麽？那很震撼啊！

但對於我，那很可怕。假如你拍了照或其他人拍了照…幸好那時沒有iphone…我怎樣解釋！（ajahn brahm 笑）我會陷入大麻煩！

Extracted from

The Four Jhanas | Ajahn Brahm | 13 November 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQrqbUc9Jb8

<1:03:09