Aruna Ratanagiri Dhamma Talks

(keywords) (slightly edited version) The Teaching of the Cobra, filtered through perceptions, uncertainty, conceptual level, intuitive level, felt level, letting go, unfortunately limited, clinging to forms, resistance, arguments, intuitive, excruciating consequences, flippant, precepts, drinking alcohol, fifth precept, poison, blood-brain barrier, numbing, the open-hearted state, our spiritual workshop, compulsive contraction, deeply relevant, becoming stuck, embodied awareness, over stimulation, guided meditation, compassionate open-hearted awareness, aligning.

This brief, non-traditional exercise of disciplined attention aims at helping meditators return to a state of embodied balance and alignment. It should always be applied with gentleness and care.

This brief, non-traditional exercise of disciplined attention aims at helping meditators return to a state of embodied balance and alignment. It should always be applied with gentleness and care.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) The Teaching of the Cobra, filtered through perceptions, uncertainty, conceptual level, intuitive level, felt level, letting go, unfortunately limited, clinging to forms, resistance, arguments, intuitive, excruciating consequences, flippant, precepts, drinking alcohol, fifth precept, poison, blood-brain barrier, numbing, the open-hearted state, our spiritual workshop, compulsive contraction, deeply relevant, becoming stuck, embodied awareness, over stimulation, guided meditation, compassionate open-hearted awareness, aligning.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) new year’s resolution, modesty, truthfulness, assessing truthfulness, asking our heart, centre of the chest, open window, children playing, giggling, parents caring, Handel’s Messiah, retreat, extreme sports, abseiling, free diving, novels, movies, love stories, vulnerable, joy, enthusiasm, evangelical, conflation, falling in love, denied dukkha, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair, norovirus, collude with the collective assumption, 5 hindrances, demonize, kilesa, indictment, pistachio ice-cream and pecan cookies, eating distraction, sloth and torpor, freeze, backlog, rag, reintegrated, imagined fear, offended, turn off the news, compassion.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) primary work, Dhammapada verse 301, cittabhavana, desire, tanha, fear, anxiety, present generated dukkha, old unmet dukkha, adopted dukkha, paranoid, complex, chaotic, satipatthana sutta, sati, recipe book, CJD, disposition, conjure up, numbness, fire, daring, contentment, a con, addiction, nekkhamma parami, repertoire of skilful means, authentic interest, cutting through, seeing through, burning through, abstractions on feelings, reintegrated into the heart, heedful suppression, competence, fanciful ideas, honesty, no judgement, spiritual warrior, hungry man teaching.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) Metta, mudita, feeling threatened, personal survival, medical prognosis, collective crisis, 4 Divine Abidings, ICU, ideals, preparation, run aground, humility, tried and tested, The Discourse on the Greatest Blessings, unshakeable, stages of training, reputation, health, habitual addictions, indulgence and denial, psychotherapy, pontificating, Mahamangala Sutta, apparent sense of self, meditation retreat, daily meditation, 5 precepts, contented head, wide-open heart, belly at ease, aligning, heart-broken, 10 parami, vectors for transformation, dana, sila, nekkhamma, boundary-building, agents of suffering, deluded personality, transformed relationship with ‘I’.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) Forest Sangha Calendar 2025, 50th anniversary, Wat Nanachat, contentment, blasé, wringing our hands, waiting, ocean, tumultuous, study and practise, 37 Bodhipakkhiya dhamma, Requisites for Awakening, knowing directly, unitive intelligence, music appreciation, compulsively comparing, one-bowl-eaters practice, ascetic practice, control freak, addiction to preferences, addiction to ascetic practice, yabber-yabber, conventional theistic religion, self-inflated, contributing compassion to the world, Venerable Mahapajapati Bhikkhuni, enamoured, alluding, cardamom, free to feel fear.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) Sangha gatherings, kathina, Elders’ Council Meetings, burden of suffering, reaping rewards, old pain, criticism, cynicism, unmet pain, DDB, denied dukkha backlog, solitary practice, a right pickle, lost in samsara, reconfigure views, reading Braille, raw data, ouch, intense illness, heavenly messengers, assailed, ICU, capacity of heart, nivarana, anger, vibhava-tanha, rage, feel fully offended, feel accurately, daring, momentum, overwhelmed, loathing washing dishes, avoid using force, assertive, standing in ma bu, spick-and-span, Morrinsville, open-hearted awareness, allowing the native sensitivity, let rip, passionate rage, contraction in my guts, affluence, entertainment, incremental moments, cleaning our teeth, hunching our shoulders, heart wide open, 50 years, Nimbin.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) Buddhist meditators, compulsive thinking, self-critical, fire and smoke, irrational fear, chronically disconnected, broken glasses, fully want, open-hearted awareness, vociferous lifestyle gurus, satipatthana sutta, kayanusati, Ajahn Chah, feeling investigation, habits of denial, backlog, pressure, retreat, self harming, anxiety, assailed, zealous, resilience, humility.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) 8 precepts, moral precepts, renunciate precepts, refining the practice, pressure, dam, leaks, Andalusia, transformation, mindfulness of breathing, energy, brahma-viharas, 5 khandas, insubstantiality, insight, liberation

(keywords) (slightly edited version)Dhammapada 418, dreich, Ajahn Chah, ‘Living With the Cobra’, upadana, clinging, Middle Way, All Blacks, thrash, porridge, lashings of chilly powder, organic sultanas, Harnham power porridge, 5 spiritual faculties, intentional inhibitions, indriyasamvara, energy extravagant, anger, balanced aliveness, rejection, feeling enquiring, just-knowing awareness,

(keywords) (slightly edited version) 10 Qualities to develop as protection, inner stronghold, refuge, ultimate refuge in Budddha, Dhamma Sangha, intermediate training, development of qualities worthy of respect, ethical conduct, sila, intention, aspiration, knowing the teachings, being well-learned, chanting, good and profound friendship, kalyanamitta, receiving feedback, readiness to do any task at hand, enthusiasm for Dhamma, putting forth effort, motivation, contentment, being happy with whatever is present, sati, recollection, mindfulness not forgetfulness, wisdom.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) Dhammapada 297, vigilance, chaos, conditioned and unconditioned existence, false stories, protection, Awakening, aligning, orienting, three poisons, greed, hatred, delusions, indignant, aggressive, loss, grief, anger, indictment, Ajahn Chah, Reading the Natural Mind, Awakened Beings, wanting, symbols, Buddha image, approximations, theism, anthropomorphizing, saying grace before eating, gratitude, forgiveness, individuated sense of ‘I’, control freak, Psalm 130, prayer of supplication, ‘Through the goodness that arises from my practice…’, conscious wish, Mahamangala Sutta, imperturbability.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) Explosion, emotional reaction, Kosambi monks, Nalagiri, Cinca, Mahamangala Sutta, Nagampatti, imperturbable, unshakable, actuality, heedless habits of clinging, culprit, upadana, Dhammacakkappavattana sutta, pancupadanakkhandha dukkha, the agents of limited being, holding, infancy, reputation, Brahman, medical prognosis, edgeless awareness, Jivaka, obstructing kamma, incremental moments, DDB, Ajahn Chah, charnel grounds, fear of ghosts, rejections, anger, intensity, daring, trying to have special experiences, integrity, lotus, physical exercise, cankama, walking meditation, Luang Por Wan, formal meditation, formal study, learning chanting, and physical exercise, kalyanamitta, good friends, confessional, priest, recitation of the 227 rules, intervention, acupuncture, support.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) Ajahn Chah, crazy monastery, giggling, International Forest Monastery, misunderstanding, translation, the disease of unawareness, Buddho, 'the one who knows', selfless, just-knowing, citta, jit, heart, mind, merely thinking, abstractions, clinging, upadana, craving, desire, diabetes, collapsing heart awareness, compulsive behaviour, noting, ouch, centre of our chest, feeling awareness, fascinating carry on in our heads, senses and sense objects, disembodied, What Is Contemplation, pathways, percolate, AI, Chat-bot, abdication, the prison system, deems, punitive approach, punishment, Dhammapada verse 5, hatred, recidivism, Norway, commission, omission, silent meditation retreat, unlove, compassion.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) Dhammapada verse 228, praise and blame, stories whirling around in our heads, hurt, talented, sensitive, self awareness, unique, genetically, kammically, deluded notion, exceptionality, one-upmanship, Abhidhamma, conceit, 9 different types, ditthi mana, the knot of deluded egoity, conundrum, sati-pannya, disciplined attention, discernment, Rangiputa Beach, Pohutakawa, vedananusati, labouring this point, conscious caring, compassion, feeling investigation, stove, 8 worldly dhammas, retreats, the open-hearted state, Wat Hin Mak Peng, conscious relationship, irrational wanting, spew out onto the world, pursuit of aliveness, numbness, addiction to distraction, electric shock, befriend ourselves.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) Dhammapada verse 198, free from misery, accurate record, apocryphal, moot point, Rohini River, drought, water wars, rivers of blood, clear and calm, unwise, unhelpful, beauty, worthy, burden of remorse, upadana, clinging, obstruction of the heart, stubbed toe, pain, suffering, disembodied, concept and actuality, anesthesia, indulge in feelings, depression, numbing ourselves, affluence, distraction, something missing, aliveness, treats, samsara, sacca parami, honesty, laziness, gritting my teeth, exercising here-and-now whole-being judgement-free awareness, public speaking, boredom, addiction, the open hearted state, extreme sport, hymns, bhajans, meditation, shakti, bliss, hang-gliding, forms and spirit, projecting, slaves to the world.

(keywords) (slightly edited version) misperception of reality, two extremes of feeling, neutral feeling as Middle Way, anapanasati, whole-body Eightfold Path, mindfulness in daily life, divine abidings, radiance, five khandas, six senses, insubstantiality, empty, peace

(keywords) (slightly edited version) Dhammapada verse 290, wisdom, going for refuge, joy, confidence, beach, picnic, confidence, initial faith, impermanence, skilful means, tranquillity, deeply relaxed, dissolving habits of denial, DDB, denied dukkha backlog, upaya, armour, anger, sadness, disappointment, addiction to alcohol, wowed, Ajahn Chah, knowing so much, approximations, Abhidhamma, dosa mula citta, fire, patience, interest, knowing directly, discriminative intelligence, feeling investigation, denigrate, not-knowing, cancer, sila, sati, indriyasamvara, our spiritual toolkit, looking at the Buddha’s finger, Venerable Sariputta, intentional inhibition, exuberance, wanting to be sure, vibhava tanha, spacious open-hearted awareness, psychotherapist, empathy, meeting our embarrassing inadequacy, amazing.