Greetings from Wat Buddha Dhamma;

I have not updated this Blog for some time, mainly because I have not been ‘rambling’ very much the last while. Following my trip to Indonesia last year, I have not left Australia and, since I am still waiting for results of my visa application, am not able to travel overseas.

Last year, following the Rains Retreat, I did, however, take a road trip with Ajahn Khemavaro and Anagarika Luke to visit one of the Buddha in the Bush properties in central north NSW near Bourke. This is a 10-hour drive from WBD but we took our time, staying overnight in the town of Dubbo.  We also stopped at Lithgow in the Blue Mountains for a picnic lunch in the park, the spectacular Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum in Bathhurst and the Bornore limestone caves outside of Orange.

The second day we drove the short distance to the property at Byrock where we had our lunch beside the reservoir amongst the herds of feral goats, and 37C temperatures. This area is called ‘The Gateway to the Outback’ so is extremely dry although still having some scrub forest growing through the red clay.

We returned to WBD by the northern route passing through Bourke, Brewarinna, and Walgett, for an overnight in Narrabri to visit Mt. Kaputar National Park. The park is an old volcanic cone rising up to 1,500 m out of the surrounding flat plain. In the morning, we hiked through the Waa Gorge to a towering rock face and then visited the more famous Sawn Rocks, a tower of basaltic crystals beside a paved walkway.*

We headed to WBD the following day passing through the Upper Hunter weaving through the open-cast coal mines and then along a scenic valley next to Yengo National Park to Mangrove Mountain.

  Bornore Caves, near Orange, NSW

In the earlier part of this year several senior Thai Ajahns visited. Ajahn Dtun opened the new monastery near Kempsey, Wat Buddha Metta; Ajahn Piak visited Wat Dhammacakkha near Brisbane and taught a weekend at WBD, and Ajahn Liam spent several days at WBD giving teachings to many of our devoted disciples. We also had short visits from Ajahn Karuniko from Chithurst Monastery and Ajahn Sukhacitto from Germany.

I was scheduled to offer some teachings at Ratanagiri in northern NSW, however, a cyclone blew in and my trip was cancelled. Just as well since flood and storm damage was quite extensive. I then arranged a visit towards the end of June, the Sunday workshop turning out to be a warm, sunny day with a keen group of meditators. However, for most of my time there it was cloudy and wet. I departed Gold Coast in a rain shower and thick cloud. Then, just as we flew over the Upper Hunter region the skies cleared and I could look right down into the gaping black pits of the coal mines which we passed the previous year. Then we passed over the rugged, thickly wooded Yengo National Park, crossed the Hawkesbury River at Wisemans Ferry – I could see the ferry crossing – over the yellow sand quarries of Maroota, and then into the suburbs of Sydney crossing the coast over the northern beaches with Sydney harbour and the CBD stretched out below, before banking west into Sydney Airport.

                                                Wattle in bloom at WBD

The theme of my teaching at Ratanagiri, as well as that at talks at WBD lately, has been on selflessness or the practice of going beyond self-making. This is really the essence of the Buddha’s teaching and I think that it is important to keep this goal in mind to give us the right perspective on what practice is all about.

All aspects of the Buddha’s teaching of the Eightfold Path – Morality, Meditation and Wisdom – involve the practice of selflessness. We give up some of our personal urges to follow the moral standard, we give up personal mental habits to train the mind in meditation and we contemplate the nonpersonal nature of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and no permanent self to experience wisdom.

The point is to be able to develop these aspects of the path without bringing self into it. When we think about it, we may notice that this is really a lot easier said than done. How many times have we noticed ourselves thinking ‘Look how virtuous I am following these precepts.’, or ‘My meditation is going really well.’ Ideally, we do the practice, without being the practice. And, perhaps more importantly, we can work at selflessness at any time with selfless acts of kindness, generosity of time or a smiling ‘hello’, not to mention letting go of self-centered thoughts.

Many people believe that cultivating the spiritual qualities of generosity, morality and meditation lead them to some higher realm of existence. In essence, though, cultivating these qualities is really about creating a greater degree of selflessness, which is a higher realm of existence. When we are caught up with our selfish problems, isn’t that like being in a hellish realm? And when we can step out of our self-centered worries or forget ourselves for a while, isn’t that like heaven? The spiritual practices are merely a skillful means to realize selflessness, which is a higher realm of being.   

When I lived with Ajahn Chah at Wat Pah Pong my main interest was to understand the special quality which caused him to be such a wise and skillful teacher. I recorded his talks and conscientiously translated them at my hut. I went to his hut many evenings to listen to his dialogues with various people and asked him my own questions. However, I was unable to discover his secret source of wisdom. Finally, after a critical period of confusion over his inconsistency in giving people answers, it dawned on me that really, ‘there is no Ajahn Chah’ as we usually conceive of him. In essence there was just mindfulness and wisdom functioning, and no permanent self behind it. In other words, the reason Ajahn Chah was such an exceptional teacher was because he was selfless – no permanent self manifesting, just the Dhamma functioning. With this realization I could then understand his inconsistency in responding to people because he was responding to the unique situation which they embodied and he responded to – different every time.

Similarly with us, if we can be more mindfully present with what is happening right now, without being preoccupied with our own self-interest and self-interpretations, we may notice that we are able to respond more accurately to what reality requires. Whenever we notice thought of ‘I’ or ‘mine’ arising, we can try to let them go and attune more to the way things really are.    

Wishing you all progress on the path to selflessness.

Metta,

Ajahn Tiradhammo 

*Some fine shots on YouTube ‘A Geological Wonder, Sawn Rocks – Mt. Kaputar National Park’ – Sawn Rocks at the start and Waa Gorge near the end.

Picture Gallery March 2025

Sunday 27^th October 2024

Arrival                                9:00  – 10:00 am                         
Almsround & Lunch         10:00  – 12:00 pm
Ceremony                        12:00  –   1:00 pm
Guided Tour                      1:00  –  2:00 pm

The Robes Offering Ceremony marks the end of the Rains Retreat. On this occasion we rejoice in having spent the past three months at the Wat dedicated to the cultivation of peace and kindness. This is a rare opportunity to take part in an old and inspiring Buddhist ceremony and a chance to connect with other practitioners.

The core values that are celebrated during the Kathina are those that make living together in harmony possible; qualities like kindness, compassion, patience and acceptance.  In our sometimes confusing and competitive world, it is important to remember that our own sense of well-being cannot be secure unless it is founded on acts of generosity and goodwill to others.

The ceremony will include taking the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, auspicious chanting and Dhamma talks by Luang Por Tiradhammo and Ajahn Khemavaro. After the ceremony there will be a monastery tour, where visitors can see some monks’ huts.

For further info, please call 0409 389-887 between 8-10 am and 11am -1 pm or email: wbdretreats@gmail.com.

Robes will be available for offering at the monastery.  
 

Community List for Rains 2024

Monks
LP Tiradhammo               
Ajahn Khemavaro                                                    
Ajahn Bhuripanyo

Layguests

Luke
Annie
Tam
Rob
Rebecca
Kristine
Phil
 

Wisdom of Stillness
New Year Retreat
with Ajahn Khemavaro

Saturday 28^th to Wednesday 1^st January 2025
                             New Year Retreat Registration                             

For further enquiries, please email:  wbdretreats@gmail.com or call the office at 0409-389-887 between 8 – 12 noon.
 

Recent Talks on YouTube:

Nourishing the Mind with Meditation
by Ajahn Dtun 

True Happiness
by Ajahn Dtun 

The Path to Arahantship
by Ajahn Dtun 

Buddhism and Psychology
by Ajahn Tiradhammo

Letting Go Letting Be
by Ajahn Khemavaro

Freedom from Desire Not Freedom of Desire
by Ajahn Khemavaro

Kathina 2023

Doubts and other Demons

Q: What can I do about doubts? Some days I’m plagued with doubts about the practice or my own progress or the teacher.

A: Doubting is natural. Everyone starts with doubts. You can learn a great deal from them. What is important is that you don’t identify with your doubts. That is, don’t get caught up in them, letting your mind spin in endless circles. Instead, watch the whole process of doubting, of wondering. See who it is that doubts. See how doubts come and go. Then you will no longer be victimized by your doubts. You will step outside of them, and your mind will be quiet. You can see how all things come and go. Just let go of what you’re attached to. Let go of your doubts and simply watch. This is how to end doubting.

Q: These days, there seem to be so many teachers and so many different systems of meditation that it’s confusing. Which one should I follow?

A: It’s like going into town. One can approach from the north, from the southeast, from many roads. Often these systems just differ outwardly. Whether you walk one way or another, fast or slow, if you are mindful, it’s all the same. There’s one essential point that all good practice must eventually come to-not clinging. In the end, you must let go of all meditation systems. Nor can you cling to the teacher. If a system leads to relinquishment, to not clinging, then it is correct practice.

You may wish to travel, to visit other teachers and try other systems. Some of you have already done so. This is a natural desire. You will find out that a thousand questions asked and knowledge of many systems will not bring you to the truth. Eventually you will get bored. You will see that only by stopping and examining your own heart can you find out what the Buddha talked about. No need to go searching outside yourself. Eventually, you must return to face your own true nature. Right where you are is where you can understand the Dharma. 

An excerpt from Still Forest Pool by Ajahn Chah