New Book by LP Thiradhammo
After more than five years of research, a new book has manifested. It is titled, ‘Beyond I-Making: A Contemplative Investigation of the Concept of Anatta and the Path to its Realization‘,  various ebook versions are available for download:
 
PDF format (~ 5.23 MB)
epub format (~ 1.02 MB)
mobi format (~ 3.57 MB)

For more of LP Thiradhammo’s teachings, click here:  LP Tiradhammo’s Blog

Buddha Statues Casting Ceremony in Thailand

In February, Ajahn Khemavaro attended the Buddha Rupa casting ceremony at Ajahn Dtun’s monastery in Chonburi, Thailand.  He also visited LP Piak in Bangkok.
Picture Gallery  

A Bush Meditation Retreat and Biodiversity Conservation Workshop was held at Kempsey Hermitage in January 2022
Picture Gallery

Upcoming Retreats

Spiritual Indulgence 
March Weekend Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 25^th to Sunday 27^th March 2022
Weekend Retreat Registration
Fully Booked–Waiting List Open
  
The Wisdom of Stillness
4-Day Easter Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 15^th to Monday 18^th April 2022
(*not Tues 19/4 as advertised on Eventbrite)
Easter Retreat Registration
Fully Booked–Waiting List Open

Vesak Weekend Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 13^th to Sunday 15^th May 2022
Weekend Retreat Registration
Fully Booked–Waiting List Open

Queen’s Birthday
Long Weekend Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 10^th to Monday 13^th June 2022
Long Weekend Retreat Registration 

To register for upcoming retreats, please register at Eventbrite or click on link attached to that retreat. Register early as space is limited due to COVID distancing requirements.  

Rains Retreat 2022
14^th July to 11^th October
You are cordially invited to spend the
Rains Retreat at the Wat. 
To serve and to deepen your practice. 
Minimum stay of one month and priority will be given to those who can commit for the entire three months. 

To register for the Rains retreat, please complete the application form on the WBD website.

For more info regarding the monastery, visit our website www.wbd.org.au.  For further enquiries, please email wbdretreats@gmail.com or call the office at 0409-389-887 between 9 – 12 noon.

Recent Dhamma Talks on YouTube

The Benefits of Positive Intention
by Ajahn Tiradhammo

Sutta Discussion: #11 Liberation and the End of “I-Making”
by Ajahn Tiradhammo

New Year Retreat–Five Spiritual Powers
by Ajahn Khemavaro

New Year’s Eve Q & A 
by Ajahn Khemavaro

Picture Gallery:

Robes Offering Ceremony 2021

Visit to Amber Forest Hermitage (Enfield Range Rd.  Cooplacurripa NSW) in February 2022 
Buddha in the Bush Project
 

 Excerpt from Introduction of Beyond I-Making: A Contemplative Investigation of the Concept of Anatta and the Path to its Realization
                                                                                    By Ajahn Thiradhammo
While researching the Pali Canon for my previous book, Working with the Five Hindrances, I occasionally came across an intriguingly cryptic phrase:
‘I-making, mine-making and the underlying disposition to conceit’ (ahaṅkāra-mamaṅkāra-mānānusaya). This phrase was intriguing because it suggests a completely new perspective to the universal inquiry into self and selflessness, and provides a glimpse into the unique realization which the Buddha was awakened. He designated this realization with the Pali term ‘anattā’, which is usually translated as ‘non-self’, ‘not-self’ or ‘no-self’. While the translation is literally correct, it unfortunately fails to convey the correct meaning of what the Buddha is saying. The Buddha did not deny self. What he denied was that self has any permanent, imperishable essence. The Buddha realized that self is essentially a constantly changing process, artificially created through the interaction of craving and ignorance. And, since it is ‘made-up’ by activities which we have some influence over, craving and ignorance can also be ‘unmade’ so that the deleterious effects of grasping self as permanent can come to cessation. Where the phrase ‘I-making, mine-making and the underlying disposition to conceit’ is mentioned, the emphasis is upon its cessation in the context of full awakening. The Buddha awoke to the realization that the cessation of ‘I-making, mine-making and the underlying disposition to conceit’ is ultimate well-being through complete liberation from the suffering which ‘I-making’ entails. All the Buddha’s teachings facilitate this realization, some indirectly (for example the practice of ‘selfless’ generosity) and some directly (for example, meditations on impermanence).
This is, of course, exactly what the Buddha’s teaching excels in, giving us an extremely wide range of perspectives applicable to a variety of temperaments. The Buddha’s teaching guides us from the delusion of self-centredness to a liberating reality-centredness, and thus Buddhist spiritual practice is ultimately directed to liberation from the insidious ‘I-making’ process. In order for this experience to be realized, the Buddha provided many approaches. Therefore, through investigating the various contexts in which this phrase is used in the Pali Canon, it is possible to understand the processes leading to the cessation of I-making, mine-making and the underlying disposition to conceit, and the means to arrive at liberation.

Recent Reflection from LP Tiradhammo’s Blog

December 2021

Greetings from summerly Wat Buddha Dhamma, 10 Mile Hollow, Wisemans Ferry, NSW 2775, Australia.

Another Rains Retreat has passed, extra peacefully this time since we were in lockdown for the whole three months. This year, eight monastics and five laity resided for the retreat. Similar to last year, Ajahn Khemavaro gave the weekly Saturday evening talks and I gave the weekly Sutta Class. The Sutta Class theme was ‘Beyond I-making’, following the outline of my forthcoming book. The video talks can be viewed at:  WBD YouTube Channel

Fortunately, some lockdown restrictions were eased in time for the Robe-offering ceremony on November 7^th.This was offered by the three Anagarikaas, of three different nationalities: Thai, Sri Lankan and Australian. The ceremony was thus multiethnic with the offering announcement in five languages, including Pali and Vietnamese.

Ajahn Sudhammo, unfortunately, was not able to attend the Robe-offering ceremony as he returned to Nigrodharama Monastery, near Seymour, Victoria as soon as the border was opened. He had been expecting to spend the Rains Retreat there but was locked out due to the resurging Covid pandemic. Then the initial lockdown kept being extended, eventually for 100 days! Nevertheless, his calm and steady presence here was much appreciated.

At the time of writing, Australia has just opened its borders to international travellers. However, due to the uncertainties still surrounding international travel, and my own inertia from staying here for several years, I am not planning any travels at present.

One of the insights which has become clearer to me while working on my book is just how programmed human beings are by feeling. At its simplest, human beings’ whole life is directed to pursue and maintain pleasant feeling, and avoid or escape unpleasant feeling. The development of civilization is simply the development of more and easier ways to fulfil this fundamental human drive.

Then, if we investigate feeling, what we discover is that most people experience the most pleasant feeling when they can escape, forget or lose their everyday (painful) selves in some form or other. The worst method, of course, is in intoxication, since one not only loses one’s sense of self but also one’s self-control, and both physical and mental health also suffer. Slightly less deleterious is losing oneself in art, music, dance, theatre, movies and other forms of entertainment. While sometimes this can expand one’s sense of self it can also bring up very strong emotions which maybe cannot be properly processed. Much less deleterious is losing oneself in nature or some form of healthy sport (extreme sports perhaps excluded). This is usually a very calming, relaxing and refreshing experience allowing a releasing of one’s excessive focus on self. On a more positive note is losing oneself in spiritual exercises such as prayer, chanting, meditation, etc. (However, if this becomes too obsessive it can lead to fanaticism.) The only major problem with all these methods is that they are all only temporary – one eventually returns to one’s old self again, hopefully at least somewhat more healthy and/or wiser.

The Buddha, of course, had a very unique answer to this universal human dilemma – ultimately, there is no self from which to escape. The escape from self is actually an escape from unpleasant feeling embedded in specific experiences; and if dealt with skilfully, unpleasant experiences can be successfully resolved to give the complete ending of unpleasant feeling and a new experience of well-being.

Of course, while the theory is very straightforward, putting it into practice can be somewhat more challenging. The main thing to keep in mind is to apply a step-by-step approach, the pleasure of peace dawning in stages. The first step then is to clearly observe the nature of the unpleasant feeling which we are attempting to flee. This, of course, is the key step in unlocking the whole backlog of unresolved negativity and ignorance wrapped around suffering.

Fortunately, the Buddha provides us with a wide range of skilful means to deal more wisely with difficult issues. The most useful of all the skilful means is the development of friendliness or metta bhavana. While this practice is usually taught as a way of spreading universal well-being or kindness throughout the world, most practically it is first necessary to develop friendliness towards one’s own unpleasant experiences. Only when we are truly openly friendly towards our selves in all of its aspects can we really share well-being with others.

Thus, we start by developing friendliness towards our own aches and pains, our annoyances and irritations, our anger and frustrations, etc., etc. How friendly can you be to these experiences? This is, of course, a developing process. Can you really be openly friendly, welcoming and accepting of all the unpleasant aspects of your self?

At the very least, this practice allows us to come a bit closer to our unpleasant experiences, which we have turned into our enemies and then avoided, ignored or actively fled from for so long. With this new attitude you may notice that perceiving unpleasant experiences as enemies actually makes them more unpleasant! By fighting with unpleasant experiences your body becomes more painful through contraction and toxic chemicals in the blood, and the mind becomes more painful through the toxic effects of hostility, negativity, frustration, fear, etc. However, responding with kindness and friendliness changes the rules, and thus the results, of the game. Try it out.

Coming closer to unpleasant experience allows the possibility to see it more clearly. And often just the act of being more aware of the basic issue, takes away its sting (not to mention that it can even be pleasantly interesting). At other times, maintaining some consistency of awareness reveals its inconsistency – the issue is actually a fluctuating series of events, memories, emotional reactions, ideas, etc., etc. Where is this thing we are turning into a monster out of fear?

Sometimes, of course, there is some obvious issue which is causing us suffering. This can benefit from some deeper, contemplative investigation directed towards revealing its root cause. Thus, from a calm state of mind we investigate how it manifests in the body, as an emotion, as a state of mind. Can it be sensed as an image, a sound, a texture? When does it arise and cease? How does it arise and cease? Can we allow it to cease?

Gradually, our ignorance and fear of unpleasant experiences eases and we can more peacefully see them as unstable, impersonal processes, which are part and parcel of the on-going web of life. The compounded fear and hostility around unpleasant feelings gives way to a receptive and peaceful well-being.

Wishing you all good health, well-being and the peace of Liberation.

For further reflections from LP Tiradhammo, click here:  LP Tiradhammo’s Blog

Upcoming Retreats

Ajahn Chah Memorial
Weekend Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 14^th to Sunday 16^th January 2022
To register, click on link: 
Ajahn Chah Weekend Retreat Registration
Fully Booked, Waiting List Only
 
Spiritual Indulgence
February Weekend Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 11^th to Sunday 13^th February 2022
Weekend Retreat Registration
 
Still Mind Happy Mind
March Weekend Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 4^th to Sunday 6^th March 2022
Weekend Retreat Registration
 
Spiritual Indulgence 
March Weekend Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 25^th to Sunday 27^th March 2022
Weekend Retreat Registration
  
The Wisdom of Stillness
4-Day Easter Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 15^th to Monday 18^th April 2022
Easter Retreat Registration
 
Vesak Weekend Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 13^th to Sunday 15^th May 2022
Vesak Retreat Registration
 
Queen’s Birthday
Long Weekend Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro
Friday 10^th to Monday 13^th June 2022
Long Weekend Retreat Registration 
 
Rains Retreat 2022
14^th July to 11^th October
You are cordially invited to spend the
Rains Retreat at the Wat. 
To serve and to deepen your practice. 
Minimum stay of one month and priority will be given to those who can commit for the entire three months. 

To register for upcoming retreats, please register at Eventbrite or click on link attached to that retreat. Register early as space is limited due to COVID distancing requirements. 
For further enquiries, please email wbdretreats@gmail.com or call the office at 0409-389-887 between 9 – 12 noon.

Recent Dhamma Talks on YouTube

Good Kamma Weekend in Kempsey #1
Good Kamma Weekend in Kempsey #2

Sutta Discussion: #10  Cessation of Conceit: “I am” and Underlying Dispositions
by Ajahn Tiradhammo

Sutta Discussion: #11 Liberation and the End of “I-Making”
by Ajahn Tiradhammo

Friends in the Holy Life
by Ajahn Khemavaro

How to be in Love with Life
by Ajahn Khemavaro

Picture Gallery:

Robes Offering Ceremony 2021

Good Kamma Weekend at Kempsey 26-29 November
Buddha in the Bush Project

Picture Gallery click here: Kempsey Weekend

YouTube: Buddha in the Bush at Kempsey Part 1

YouTube: Buddha in the Bush at Kempsey Part 2

Robes Offering Ceremony 2021

Sutta Class Rains Retreat 2021
by Ajahn Tiradhammo

Guided Meditation 
by Ajahn Tiradhammo

Giving Yourself to the Practice
by Ajahn Khemavaro

Being a Monk in the Thai Forest Tradition
by Ajahn Khemavaro

Happiness is Avoiding Fools and Having Clarity
by Ajahn Sudhammo

WBD Nature Conservation Project 
by Biodiversity Conservation Trust of NSW

Following the NSW government COVID 19 Road Map, the monastery will be open to all visitors, vaccinated and unvaccinated, beginning Monday, 18th October.

Visitors will still be required to provide their name and mobile number for contact tracing. Masks are required for the kitchen, Dana Room, and Sala. Maximum occupancy of 20 for Dana Room and 30 for Sala. For overnight visitors, vaccination is strongly encouraged but not mandatory.

For more info regarding what you can and can’t do under the rules, please click here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/what-you-can-and-cant-do-under-rules

26th July to 22nd October

During the Rains Retreat the community at WBD will focus on formal meditation practice, cultivating stillness, compassion, and wisdom. Due to the current NSW COVID restrictions, the monastery is closed to the public. Day visitors will be welcomed back once the restrictions are lifted (September?). We will not be able to accommodate overnight guests until early November.

Emails will be answered between 5-7 days. If it’s urgent please call the office at 0409-389-887 between 11 am and 12 noon. Thank you for your support.

Community List for Rains 2021
Monks
LP Tiradhammo
Ajahn Khemavaro
Ajahn Sudhammo
Venerable Panyannda

Layguests
Anagarika Miles
Annie
Araliya
Megan
Krystian
Yuliana
Anders

For new talks on YouTube, click below:
WBD Dhamma Talks on YouTube

Picture Gallery
Vesak 2021

Robes Offering Ceremony
Sunday 14th November 2021
Activities include: Shared Meal, Auspicious Chanting, and Dhamma Talk
10 – 3 pm

For further enquiries, please email: wbdoffice@gmail.com or call the office at 0409-389-887 between 9 – 12 noon.

True and False Refuges

To many refuges they go–
To mountain slopes and forest glades,
To parkland shrines and sacred sites–
People overcome by fear.

Such a refuge is not secure,
Such a refuge is not supreme,
Such a refuge does not bring
Complete release from suffering.

Whoever goes to refuge
In the Triple Gem
Sees with right discernment
The Four Noble Truths;

Suffering and its origin
And that which lies beyond–
The Noble Eightfold Path
That leads the way to Suffering’s end.

Such a refuge is secure,
Such a refuge is supreme,
Such a refuge truly brings
Complete release from all suffering.

                                                               Dhammapada Verses #188-191

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Laurence Mills, the former Phra Khantipalo.   He was a well known teacher in the Theravadan tradition and was also well known to Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. He is considered one of the seminal figures of Buddhist teaching in Australia.  He died on Monday 5 July after many years of ill health, during which time a number of his former students supported him with much care and compassion.    

Laurence was born in 1932 in London, studied horticulture; then while called up for service in the British army read books on Buddhism and shortly after, in 1961, he ordained as a Buddhist monk.  After 15 years in Asia, studying and practising in forest monasteries, he came to Australia in 1973, having been invited to help establish Wat Buddharangsee in Sydney.

In 1978, along with Ayya Khema he founded Wat Buddha Dhamma, a forest monastery outside of Sydney, teaching and conducting many retreats there.  He encouraged women to ordain; as early as 1984 he ordained three nuns.  He designed and built the beautiful Meditation Sala at this Wat, which was miraculously saved from the Summer 2019-20 bushfires.

Through the 1970s and 80s, he travelled widely throughout Australia giving public talks and conducting retreats.    He was a renowned Pali scholar and author of many books, such as ‘Buddhism Explained,’ ‘What is Buddhism?’   ‘Calm and Insight’ and ‘Buddha- My Refuge’ 

In 1992 he disrobed and pursued an interest in the Dzogchen school of Tibetan Buddhism. He married and co-founded the Bodhi Citta Buddhist Centre, in Far North Queensland, before ill health caused him to retire from active teaching.  Late in life Laurence briefly became a novice again at Quang Minh temple. However following a further decline in his health, he entered residential aged care where he remained until the end of his life.

A memorial service will be held at Quang Minh Temple, 18 Burke Street, Braybrook, Victoria 3019

On Monday 12 July 2021

Sangha dana                       11.00am

Ceremony                           12.45pm

Laurence indicated his preference that attendees NOT dress in sombre- hued clothing at funerals

Please check the Laurence Mills Facebook page for livestream details closer to the day.