Q&A 23-12-20

00:38 1) Dear Ajahn, concerning the three levels of samādhi: khanika, upacara and appana. How much time can one spend in each level of samādhi? Also, is it the case that in the Theravada tradition when one reaches appana samādhi, one is not aware of the five physical senses? How could these three levels be described from the perspective of someone who is experiencing them? Thank you.
17:35 2) Dear Ajahn, if it's all empty, there is nothing, and there is no self, what is being reborn?
34:17 3) Dear Ajahn, may I know how can we tell the correct or suitable limit for the social media one should consume, knowing that one will get affected easily from social media especially, with the recent news of the war. I haven’t been looking at social media for the past week. This has been very helpful. But returning to the social lay life, we have to be in touch with some news. Thank you.
45:03 4) Dear Ajahn, you once shared that, as a novice, struggling with meditation, you left the meditation hall and encountered your teacher waiting for you on the path, who advised you to not try so hard during meditation. How can one find the right balance between too much and too little effort in meditation? Are there questions one can ask oneself to help steer oneself to the middle intensity? What signs in our practice indicate that we should actually lift our game and push ourselves to try harder? Conversely, if meditation feels miserable or boring, is that a sign that we’re meditating at too high an intensity or without gentleness /self-compassion?
52:05 5) Dear Ajahn, is it OK to experiment and come up with our own mediation techniques? For example, if I am doing breath meditation, and I experience a pang of emotion in my body, then can I project my mind deeper into this bodily sensation to explore it, and stop focusing on the breath? Or is that a bad thing to do, because during breath meditation, our focus is to drop anything that diverts our attention away from the breath, whether it’s emotions, thoughts or physical sensations? Can you please suggest any criteria or questions we can ask ourselves to help us assess when we might be going down the wrong path when one experiments with modifying meditation techniques?

[@theinngu5560]

Just started watching and felt very happy when Ajahn Achalo said ‘our friends in Iran’….may the Buddha’s teachings spread among the people of Iran. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@theinngu5560]

And everywhere else

[@Sepidehriahi]

Hiiii!! I am a Buddhist and from Iran, Tehran. Where are you? Maybe we can make our small Sangha in Tehran? 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@senglim2911]

Thank you Ajahn for clarifying that consciousness is reborn and karma is the fuel. Sadhu sadhu sadhu.

[@njuimidz]

Very, very, very interesting and valuable Q&A session, dear Ajahn! I really enjoyed it and learned quite a lot, so simply saying thank you just doesn't feel enough.
Wishing you a joyous New Year filled with merit, blessings and every success. Live long and prosper 🙂🙏♥️

[@fodizi]

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu!

[@pasindu.m.wanniarachchi]

Very wise dhamma opinions (From Sri Lanka)

[@tranquil2600]

Sadhu, Ajahn! Thank you for that beautiful explanation regarding anatta and rebirth. It is unfortunately common to see Nibbana being taught as a kind of "great suicide", even by Theravada monks. Wishing you well 🙏.

[@theinngu5560]

Ajahn Achalo, Love what you teach about committing and effort 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@yanhuachen8632]

🙏❤🙏

[@lukemckean6155]

I hope one day I can stay up late at night here in Australia to join the zoom session. I go to bed so early 😂🙏🏻❤️💎🇦🇺

[@peacemakers111]

When are this Zoom Sessions and how can one join?

[@ronaldtan1434]

Namo Amituofo

[@deepikakedare2141]

🪷🪷🪷🙏🙏🙏

[@johnwhite2031]

Promo*SM