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TheIsland

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When I lived withAjahn Chah, he

often admonished us notto worry about teachingothers but instead toworry about teachingoneself. The foundationof teaching is always toteach oneself, to teachand encourage oneself.Then, later, one mayteach others from theperspective of knowinghow to teach oneself.One looks after oneselfand then one looks afterothers.

There is a funda-mental differencebetween study to find ajob in the world andstudy of Dhamma. Whenwe study in the world, it rarely leads to adecrease in greed, hatred and delusion. Yetthis is fundamental to our individual studyin the Dhamma. We need to ask if greed,hatred and delusion are decreasing,because that is when we experience thefruits of practice. The study of Dhamma isthe study of internal truths. Ajahn Chahencouraged his students to close the booksof external study and open the book of theheart. In the heart, you can learn muchmore about what leads to happiness andwell-being than in the books of externalknowledge. When we lack familiarity withthe ways of the heart, we do not recognize

the moods and impres-sions that quickly lead tosuffering. We must learnhow the moods and con-tacts of the mind eithertrick us or support us.When we can understandthat, then we can have achance of establishingtrue happiness in theheart.

The focus of externalknowledge tends to beupon the worldly dham-mas, those for praise andwealth. The knowledgeof the Dhamma, on theother hand, leads torelinquishment or let-ting go. One is not ableto let go until one under-stands in the heart. The

worldly knowledge available in booksdoes not really change the heart. As a layman, I knew all about greed, hatred, delu-sion, impermanence, suffering and not-self. You can read all about these ideas inthe books. But this knowledge didn’t real-ly change my heart. It was necessary toturn the attention back to the heart itself.

Once after a Dhamma talk, a drunk-ard came up to me and said he knew allabout impermanence, suffering and not-self, but this intellectual knowledge hadnot helped him. He still had attachmentsand difficulties. He was not able to let go

Inside:

FEARLESSMOUNTAIN

Spring 2006 • 2549 Volume 11, Number 1Newsletter of the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery

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The Heart of aPilgrim

From the

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On Sabbatical

TeachingOneselfby Ajahn Jundee

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Community

The last few months of 2005 were characteristically event-ful, with work projects being consolidated and complet-

ed, as well as a number of teaching events taking place bothin the monastery and within the wider community. Duringthe fall months, Ajahn Prateep and Anagarika Minh An spentmany hours each day hunting for a mysterious water leak thatwas draining the supply to our tanks. Ajahn Sudanto and acrew of helpers also spent many hours working up in the for-est, building a new water softening shed and helping KathyLewis to build a new meditation platform for Casa Serenaguests. As the days grew shorter, the crews would often con-tinue working in the forest in the dark, having begun in theearly afternoon. Meanwhile, down at the Dhamma Hall,Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro would be giving readingsfrom Bhikkhu Bodhi’s new anthology of the Buddha’s teach-ings, and engaging in question-and-answer sessions with therest of the community.

In early fall, the fourth annual two-day bicycle pilgrimagefrom Spirit Rock Meditation Center to Abhayagiri Monasterytook place, with a visit to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.The bicycle journey combined aspects of a recreationalcycling event with those of a pilgrimage. Many challengesfaced the riders during this 150-mile ride, including a widevariety of hills between Marin and Mendocino counties. Theriders were supported by a large volunteer crew. During thetwo days there was time for meditation and Dhamma teach-ings as well, with Ajahn Amaro and Anagarikas Aaron andMinh An following along in the monastery van and meeting

the group at vari-ous points alongthe way. The lastand final stop wasAbhayagiri Mo-nastery, where theriders were metby Ajahn Amaroand other mem-bers of themonastic com-munity, and tookpart in a closingceremony ofchanting andblessings.

The dayafter the bicyclepilgrimage, AjahnAmaro, Ajahn

Sudanto, and Tan Satimanto attended the 11th AnnualMonastic Conference, together with over 30 other monasticsfrom different Buddhist traditions. The event, held at ShastaAbbey in Mt. Shasta, California, was originally conceived by agroup of Western nuns of the Gelugpa Tibetan tradition andhas evolved into a much-cherished opportunity for Buddhistmonastics living in the West to meet and share their practicesand experiences. It is both an occasion for old friends toreconnect and for others to meet for the first time.

This year’s event was comprised of nuns and monks of fif-teen different lineages, including Soto Zen, Chinese Ch’an,Gelugpa and Nyingmapa Tibetan lineages, two varieties ofVietnamese Zen, and both Sri Lankan and Thai Theravada—a grand and colorful array of robes and streams of knowledgeand experience. The gathering is mostly designed to be anopportunity to meet and support each other, rather thanbeing filled with academic expositions, however there were anumber of presentations on this year’s theme of “Practice,”which included an offering from Ajahn Amaro on theDhutanga, or “austere” practices.

Ajahn Brahmavamso (affectionately known as AjahnBrahm), an English monk, disciple of Ajahn Chah, and abbotof Bodhinyana Monastery in Perth, Australia, stayed with usfor three days in November. Having come to the U.S. on a toursponsored by the publishers of his recent collection of storiesand teachings, entitled Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?,Ajahn Brahm took some time out to “spend Thanksgivingwith family,” as he put it. On his way to the monastery hestopped by the Angela Center in Santa Rosa to see AjahnAmaro, who was leading the annual retreat, which by allaccounts was a treat for everyone there. At the monastery hehad time to reconnect with Ajahn Pasanno and meet with thecommunity, answering Dhamma questions and offering amuch-appreciated talk. It was a lively and joyous three days.

On December 9, Anagarika Aaron formally requested theGoing Forth, or Pabbajja, as it is called in the Pali language, ina ceremony held after our regular evening puja. After com-pleting a year in training as an anagarika, he decided to makea further one-year commitment to being a samanera, ornovice monk. Many members of his family came to themonastery to witness the occasion (including his step father,who arrived unexpectedly, having ridden his motorbike all theway from Tucson, Arizona), as did a large group of lay sup-porters from different locations—creating a warm and sup-portive atmosphere. Ajahn Pasanno led us through the formalproceedings, carefully explaining each section and conveyingboth the literal and symbolic meaning of the chanting and thegesture of going forth. After the exhortation had finished, theajahns revealed Aaron’s new name, Thitabho, meaning “one ofunwavering radiance.”

FROM THE MONASTERY

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Ajahn Prateep left Abhayagiri in November in order tohelp Ajahn Nyanadhammo and the Sangha at Wat PahNanachat prepare for the WAM (World Abbots’ Meeting),which was to be held there in January. It was felt that his skillin building and construction would be supportive to the WatPah Nanachat community at this time, since there was a planto build some new kutis and washroom facilities before thelarge gathering of senior Western monks arrived. He intendsto return to the community in spring of this year. PamelaKirby completed her year as caretaker of Casa Serena inOctober. We thank her for her diligence and care in makingCasa Serena a conducive place for lay women to practice.Anagarika Kevin also left the community early this year; wewish him all the best for the future and extend our gratitudeto him for his wide ranging service to the monastery.

Tan Jotipalo returned to the monastery in earlyDecember, having spent the better part of 2005 living atArrow River Forest Hermitage in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Asmany are aware, he also spent several months accompanied byAustin Stewart on a pilgrimage heading north up theMississippi River. They both became ill, however, and the pil-grimage, which had been rich with many blessings, insights(and challenges) had to come to an end sooner than it washoped.

Ajahn Pasanno left Abhayagiri in late December for histime of sabbatical (see page 13) and also to take part in thegathering at Wat Pah Nanachat and the CALM pilgrimage (seepage 7). Around the same time, Ajahn Amaro, Ajahn Sudanto

and Debbie Stamp also left for Thailand.Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Sudanto took partin the above events, and also had an opportu-nity to reconnect with old Sangha friendsfrom around the world, such as formerAbhayagiri residents Tan Thanuttaro, whohas been living in Thailand for the last littlewhile, Tan Achalo, who has been staying withTan Ajahn Anan (a much respected discipleof Luang Por Chah) at Wat Marp Jun, TanHasapañño, who is currently staying at thesecluded Wat Dtao Dum on the Thai-Burmese border, and Tan Phasuko and TanNyaniko, who met the group in Bangkok andwent on to Wat Pah Nanachat. Both ajahnsreported having a very fruitful and nourish-ing time, particularly in terms of the qualitiesof kalyanamitta (noble friendship) and asense of communality and harmony withinthe wider Sangha. Debbie also took part inthe bus tour and other activities, and will bespending February and March on retreat at

Wat Boonyavat, the monastery of Tan Ajahn Dtun, also ahighly revered disciple of Luang Por Chah.

During this year’s winter retreat, the monthly talks atBerkeley Buddhist Monastery have been led by Fred(Santideva) Kral, Kathryn Guta and Rev. Heng Sure. Theretreat itself has been supported by an excellent crew—Michael Dietzel, Bruno Casolari and Lee Mintz staying for thefull three months, with Alex Perotti staying for the first monthand Catherine Direen staying for the last. Their selfless givingand harmonious nature have benefited the community great-ly over this time.

Teachings

From September 16 to 19 Ajahn Amaro and a group of sixAbhayagiri residents made the journey to Tucson, Arizona,

to receive three days of teachings from His Holiness the DalaiLama. The teachings were centered around the eighth chapterof Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara (The Bodhisattva Way ofLife), an eighth-century Sanskrit text. Ajahn Amaro joined apanel of other Western Buddhist teachers in offering evening-session commentaries on His Holiness’s teachings. Much grat-itude goes to Samanera Thitabho’s family, who generouslyoffered lodgings and hospitality to five of us during this time.

Abhayagiri once again hosted the annual Spirit Rock TeenRetreat from September 2–4. Fifteen teens and nine adultswere here this year, with both new and old faces in attendance.

Spring 2006 3

Monastic gathering at Lake Siskiyou, near Shasta Abbey

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O ff on a journey—one that I anticipated would be an adventureof the heart, regardless of what and how things unfolded. I loveboth the countryside and the history of Thailand, so the idea ofa pilgrimage was exciting. It was not my first trip to Thailand;

therefore the culture and the customs were somewhat familiar and com-fortable. Especially dear to me are the Thai people, whose approach to lifeis deeply influenced by the Buddhist teachings and its psychology.

In 1974 I sat my first vipassana retreat with the Canadian Buddhistnun Dhamma Dinna, and it left me with the feeling that I had “comehome” after years of spiritual searching. My practice and study of theDhamma began earnestly at that time. Then, some years later, I met AjahnPasanno and was introduced to the teachings of Ajahn Chah, whichimpressed me because they were so simple and straightforward. The foresttradition was the root of both my teachers, and so I was hoping that thispilgrimage would provide a deeper understanding and connection toTheravada Buddhism and in particular to Buddhist meditation. I also hadan inner feeling that this trip would provide some clarity and direction notonly for my own practice but also for future sharing and teaching of theDhamma to my students.

To begin the pilgrimage we all gathered together and stayed severalnights at Sathira-Dhammasathan. This beautiful seven-acre retreat centerand monastery is located within the Bangkok city limits, but it feels worldsapart. Formerly an undeveloped rice paddy, the grounds are now gracedwith mature trees, lotus ponds, winding paths, and numerous meditative

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From January 1 to 17, 2006, the elevenwomen and men who make up the CALM(Community of Abhayagiri Lay Ministers)group journeyed on a pilgrimage to Thailandunder the guidance of Ajahns Pasanno andAmaro. This group recently completed overthree years of training aimed at enhancingtheir leadership abilities and grounding themfurther in the Dhamma in order to betterserve Abhayagiri and beyond. The Thailandpilgrimage was envisioned as a way to linkthe CALM members more firmly to the rootsof the Thai Forest Tradition and to strengthenties with fellow lay supporters there.

The CALM group visited many Thai for-est monasteries, met with senior monastics,toured meditation centers, witnessed Buddha-rupa pouring ceremonies, sponsored andserved at an outdoor kitchen during AjahnChah’s memorial celebration, and more.Following are reflections from group memberJayanta (Shirley Johannesen) of BritishColumbia, Canada.

The Heart of a Pilgrimby Jayanta

Spring 2006 5

structures. The venerated Buddhist nun MaeChee Sansanee Sthirasuta isthe founder and director. A well-known and respected nun, she usesDhamma to bring peace, harmony, and respect—without discrimina-tion—into a world of suffering. MaeChee radiates a pure heart, a joyoussmile, and a lot of power. As a result of these wonderful qualities, the cen-ter is thriving with life and energy, which I experienced as a natural man-ifestation of her practice and dedication to the Buddha’s teaching. Overmany years she has developed a wide variety of programs: teaching medi-tation to convicts in prison, providing support to abused and desertedmothers, and educating youth. It was very inspirational to see the center,meet the people involved, and learn about all that is being offered byMaeChee Sansanee’s community. I came away not only with ideas forfuture projects but also with a contented heart, knowing that many of myown Dhamma undertakings are similar (although on a smaller scale!). Iam convinced that right intention and a pure heart will lead to inner andouter peace and harmony.

Further along on our journey we visited and stayed a night at WatSunandavanaram near the Burmese border. Venerable Ajahn MitsuoGavesako, a Japanese disciple of Venerable Ajahn Chah, is the abbot. Aswith Sathira-Dhammasathan, this monastery serves several distinctgroups of people. Although the physical setting is different, the focus onhelping others is the same. Ajahn Gavesako teaches insight meditation andruns classes at the monastery both for the general public as well as for largegroups of civil servants, county officials, and students. One of his projectsinvolves working with the government to protect the forest and to reforestsome of the devastated areas around the monastery. Another is the MayaGotami Foundation, whose goal it is to provide education, moral training,food and clothing to rural students in need. He has also established a pro-ject to help victims of the Tsunami disaster in southern Thailand. Here inthe West, we might categorize this as “engaged Buddhism,” but for AjahnGavesako and others like him, it is simply living the Dhamma. Learningabout his many efforts created a further opening and inspiration to theendless possibilities of sharing, giving, kindness, and compassion.

Something very dear to my heart is meditation. For over thirty years Ihave had the opportunity to do extensive practice and study, both formaland informal, in community and in solitude. So, needless to say, I was alsoexcited to visit some of the quieter forest monasteries that focused on indi-vidual practice. They had a familiar feeling of ease and comfort—althoughI had to be very mindful of the many cultural differences such as when tobow and in what sequence. The abbots at these monasteries are highlyesteemed disciples of Ajahn Chah; just to be in their presence was anhonor. Peacefulness emanated through their gentle facial expressions,shining eyes, wide smiles, and quiet composure. I felt privileged to meetthe senior teachers, to pay respects, to make offerings, to talk with them, tolisten to the Dhamma, and to hear their personal stories. They encouragedus to ask questions and wanted to know where we were from, the trainingwe have had, and our connection with Abhayagiri monastery. I felt a greatdeal of gratitude for their dedication to the practice, to keeping theDhamma alive, and to sharing the Buddha’s teaching.

As we travelled and stayed at the different forest monasteries affiliatedwith Ajahn Chah, the accommodations ranged from simple and basic(where there was no electricity and a trip to the toilet—in the forest, in thedark of the night—was an adventure) to simple and elaborate. In some

(continued on page 6)

From top: lotus pond at Sathira-Dhammasathan;Ajahn Anan; Jayanta, Usa, Pesala, Mettika,Cittasubha and Ladawan; meal offering.(Photos by Kondañña and Geof Karlson.)

locations our mosquito nets were greatly appreciated and at one monasterywe joked about the “five-star” restroom—and what a treat it was! Althoughour accommodations were simple and shared, I noticed that the Thai peo-ple (even the obviously wealthy) seemed very content without all the luxu-ries that we (and they) are likely accustomed to. For me personally in thesesettings, I experienced some quiet and spaciousness of heart/mind, joy, anda great appreciation for the austere beauty of the simplicity.

Many of the monasteries were in the forest, in mountainous terrain,and had abundant wildlife all around. Kutis (meditation huts) were scat-tered in all directions, along with walking paths, a meditation hall, akitchen, and a few other buildings. I found these places to be physicallysimilar to Abhayagiri. A favorite monastery for our group was Wat PooJom Gom, a small forest retreat facility that Ajahn Pasanno had establishedalong the Mekong River. Ajahn Pasanno was also instrumental in thedevelopment of the Nature Care Foundation to protect the forest in thatarea and the formation of a cooperative handicraft center to provide alivelihood for the local people. What wonderful Dhamma work he and theother monastics have done, and continue to do. Our time there was veryrich as we explored the area, met the people, and relived some of AjahnPasanno’s stories.

As CALM members and representatives of Abhayagiri Monastery, wehad the privilege, for three days, to sponsor an outdoor dana kitchen atAjahn Chah’s annual memorial celebration. It was the first time thatfarangs (foreigners) had taken part in preparing and offering food to themonks and the pilgrims at this celebration. We were indeed a novelty andattracted long lines of curious Thais waiting to taste one of our funnelcakes. Dressed in our colorful “Abhayagiri Kitchen Crew” aprons, our“sukha” and “mudita” crews worked either the four-to-seven a.m. or three-to-seven p.m. shift. The first afternoon a 15-year-old Thai schoolgirl, Ah,stopped by the kitchen and ended spending the rest of the shift helping uswhile practicing her English. She was such a delight, fitted right in withour booth, and was invaluable as a translator. What really impressed mewas that she came again early the next morning. I can’t imagine my 14-year-old granddaughter getting up at 4 a.m. to help make funnel cakes! Iwas also warmly touched by the recognition and gratitude expressed to usby both the pilgrims and the monastics. Ours seemed like such a smalloffering compared to everything that we were experiencing and receiving.I trust that our presence there (and the offering of funnel cakes) will helpnourish and strengthen future ties with Abhayagiri’s many friends andsupporters in Thailand.

The formal part of the Ajahn Chah memorial celebration was hugeand “awesome”! The procession included 770 monks, silently and humblycircumambulating Ajahn Chah’s chedi—followed by thousands of lay pil-grims dressed in white, each holding a bouquet of flowers, candle, andincense. What a contrast to the small handful of monks and laypeople thatI experience at Abhayagiri. I talked with many people who had traveledfrom other parts of Thailand and from other countries. They had come toWat Pah Pong to pay respects, to make offerings, to show gratitude toAjahn Chah for his life, his teaching, his wisdom, and for establishingmonasteries not only in Thailand but around the world. He has definitelyhad a major influence on Theravada Buddhism—and we in America havethe good fortune of having access to this tradition through Abhayagiri andVenerable Ajahns Pasanno and Amaro.

The monks get a lot of support and respect in Thailand, more than I

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The Heart of a Pilgrim

(continued from page 5)

From top: on almsround; Thai-style house; AjahnPasanno as tour guide; Buddharupa pouring (Photos by Kondañña and Geof Karlson.)

Spring 2006 7

have seen in the West. Joy and happiness arose when I saw the great rever-ence that the Thais have towards the Western monks at Wat Pah Nanachat.The monastics walk on daily almsrounds as part of an ancient tradition—maintaining a relationship between the monks and the surrounding com-munity. The faith, devotion, and generosity of the lay supporters werewonderful things to experience and be part of. I saw very young childrenat the monastery, with their parents holding their hands in añjali (payingrespect), and placing food in the alms bowls as the monastics walked thevillage pathways on pindabat. The mounds of food were incredible, andmany people arrived at the monastery loaded down with all sorts of dona-tions. To join the fray of the numerous volunteers in the kitchen—sorting,organizing, arranging the long buffet tables, and then offering the meal—was great fun. The Thai lay people are always smiling and willing to help.Even though I only knew a few Thai words, they would explain and showme what to do. I learned a lot about “presentation” as the food was care-fully and beautifully arranged on the trays.

In America most people come to learn meditation and are later intro-duced to virtue (precepts) and generosity (dana). It is the other wayaround in the East. I am very grateful to the Thai people for their patienceand kindness in guiding us in monastic etiquette, as well as for their hos-pitality and graciousness in hosting us at the many events we attended. Iam greatly inspired by their example and their happy faces. The Buddha’steachings are based on a foundation of virtue and generosity. From myown practice, giving and helping others creates a good feeling and sense ofspaciousness in my mind/heart, resulting in warm and heartfelt connec-tions. On the pilgrimage I experienced this kindness and generosity in somany different ways. Generosity was not just expressed through materialthings, but included generosity of time and service and giving of oneself.

Abhayagiri Monastery is small in comparison to Wat Pah Nanachat,and is the only Ajahn Chah branch monastery in the U.S. However, thebond between Abhayagiri and the other Western monasteries was very evi-dent as the abbots gathered for the Abbots’ Meeting. I feel that we all ben-efit immensely from the connection to such a large and stable Thai foresttradition. For the CALM group it was an exciting time to meet with AjahnChah’s senior disciples and one thing that resonated with me was how for-tunate we were to be on this pilgrimage—a result of Ajahn Pasanno’sparamis of generosity, energy, patience, wisdom, determination, and kind-ness. How humbling How appreciative How very true!

Gratitude. At the top of the list is Ajahn Pasanno, for his commitmentto Abhayagiri Monastery and to the CALM group. Ajahn Pasanno is cer-tainly highly regarded and respected in the West, but to witness the esteemin which he is held in Thailand, everywhere we went, was truly amazing.The Thais would quietly and humbly approach him with hands in añjaliand make the traditional three prostrations in the meditation hall, on thepathway, or wherever they happened to meet him. I could feel their joy andhappiness when they met him and this would bring a smile to my face.

What a joy it is to be a part of Ajahn Chah’s lineage and to worktogether with both the lay and the monastic communities. It is indeed arich experience to lend a hand and to support the tradition. It is such alovely circle of giving and receiving between the monastic and lay com-munities. It is a chance to express how much the teachings mean to me andto the support that is given. I am most grateful and very happy to be ableto serve Abhayagiri and the larger community whenever the occasion pre-sents itself.

From top: CALM “kitchen” at Wat Pah Pong;Mettika serves funnel cakes; ruins at Ayutthaya;Jayanta. (Photos by Kondañña and Geof Karlson.)

10 Fearless Mountain

The Island That You Cannot Go Beyondby Ven. Ajahn Sumedho

Adifficulty with the word Nibbana is that its meaning isbeyond the power of words to describe. It is, essentially,

undefinable.Another difficulty is that many Buddhists see Nibbana as

something unobtainable—as so high and so remote that we’renot worthy enough to try for it. Or we see Nibbana as a goal,as an unknown, undefined something that we should some-how try to attain.

Most of us are conditioned in this way. We want toachieve or attain something that we don’t have now. SoNibbana is looked at as something that,if you work hard, keep the sila, meditatediligently, become a monastic, devoteyour life to practice, then your rewardmight be that eventually you attainNibbana—even though you’re not surewhat it is.

Ajahn Chah would use the words“the reality of non-grasping” as the defi-nition for Nibbana: realizing the realityof nongrasping. That helps to put it in acontext because the emphasis is onawakening to how we grasp and hold oneven to words like Nibbana or Buddhismor practice or sila or whatever.

It’s often said that the Buddhist wayis not to grasp. But that can become justanother statement that we grasp andhold on to. It’s a Catch 22: No matterhow hard you try to make sense out of it,you end up in total confusion because ofthe limitation of language and percep-tion. You have to go beyond language and perception. And theonly way to go beyond thinking and emotional habit isthrough awareness of them, through awareness of thought,through awareness of emotion. “The Island that you cannotgo beyond” is the metaphor for this state of being awake andaware, as opposed to the concept of becoming awake andaware.

In meditation classes, people often start with a basic delu-sion that they never challenge: the idea that “I’m someonewho grasps and has a lot of desires, and I have to practice inorder to get rid of these desires and to stop grasping and cling-ing to things. I shouldn’t cling to anything.” That’s often theposition we start from. So we start our practice from this basisand, many times, the result is disillusionment and disappoint-ment, because our practice is based on the grasping of an idea.

Eventually, we realize that no matter how much we try toget rid of desire and not grasp anything, no matter what wedo—become a monk, an ascetic, sit for hours and hours, attendretreats over and over again, do all the things we believe will getrid of these grasping tendencies—we end up feeling disap-pointed because the basic delusion has never been recognized.

This is why the metaphor of “The Island that you cannotgo beyond” is so very powerful, because it points to the prin-ciple of an awareness that you can’t get beyond. It’s very sim-ple, very direct, and you can’t conceive it. You have to trust it.You have to trust this simple ability that we all have to be fullypresent and fully awake, and begin to recognize the graspingand the ideas we have taken on about ourselves, about theworld around us, about our thoughts and perceptions andfeelings.

The way of mindfulness is the way of recognizing condi-tions just as they are. We simply recognize and acknowledge

their presence, without blaming them orjudging them or criticizing them orpraising them. We allow them to be, thepositive and the negative both. And, aswe trust in this way of mindfulness moreand more, we begin to realize the realityof “The Island that you cannot gobeyond.”

When I started practicing meditationI felt I was somebody who was very con-fused, and I wanted to get out of thisconfusion and get rid of my problemsand become someone who was not con-fused, someone who was a clear thinker,someone who would maybe one daybecome enlightened. That was the impe-tus that got me going in the direction ofBuddhist meditation and monastic life.

But then, by reflecting on this posi-tion that “I am somebody who needs todo something,” I began to see it as a cre-ated condition. It was an assumption

that I had created. And if I operated from that assumption,then I might develop all kinds of skills and live a life that waspraiseworthy and good and beneficial to myself and to othersbut, at the end of the day, I might feel quite disappointed thatI did not attain the goal of Nibbana.

Fortunately, the whole direction of monastic life is onewhere everything is directed at the present. You’re alwayslearning to challenge and to see through your assumptionsabout yourself. One of the major challenges is the assumptionthat “I am somebody who needs to do something in order tobecome enlightened in the future.” Just by recognizing this asan assumption I had created, that which is aware knows it issomething created out of ignorance, out of not understand-ing. When we see and recognize this fully, then we stop creat-ing the assumptions.

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Awareness is not about making value judgments about ourthoughts or emotions or actions or speech. Awareness is aboutknowing these things fully—that they are what they are, at thismoment. So what I found very helpful was learning to be awareof conditions without judging them. In this way, the resultantkarma of past actions and speech as it arises in the present isfully recognized without compounding it, without making itinto a problem. It is what it is. What arises ceases. As we recog-nize that and allow things to cease according to their nature, therealization of cessation gives us an increasing amount of faithin the practice of nonattachment and letting go.

The attachments that we have, even to good things likeBuddhism, can also be seen as attachments that blind us. Thatdoesn’t mean we need to get rid of Buddhism. We merely rec-ognize attachment as attachment and that we create it our-selves out of ignorance. As we keep reflecting on this, the ten-dency toward attachment falls away, andthe reality of nonattachment, of non-grasping, reveals itself in what we cansay is Nibbana.

If we look at it in this way, Nibbanais here and now. It’s not an attainment inthe future. The reality is here and now. Itis so very simple, but beyond descrip-tion. It can’t be bestowed or even con-veyed, it can only be known by each per-son for themselves.

As one begins to realize or to recog-nize nongrasping as the Way, then emo-tionally one can feel quite frightened byit. It can seem like a kind of annihilationis taking place—all that I think I am inthe world, all that I regard as stable andreal, starts falling apart—and it can befrightening. But if we have the faith tocontinue bearing with these emotionalreactions and allow things that arise tocease, to appear and disappear accordingto their nature, then we find our stabili-ty not in achievement or attaining, but in being—beingawake, being aware.

Many years ago, in William James’ book The Varieties ofReligious Experience, I found a poem by Charles A.Swinburne. In spite of having what some have described as adegenerate mind, Swinburne produced some very powerfulreflections:

Here begins the sea that ends not till the world’s end.Where we stand,

Could we know the next high sea-mark set beyondthese waves that gleam,

We should know what never man hath known, noreye of man hath scanned . . .

Ah, but here man’s heart leaps, yearning towards thegloom with venturous glee,

From the shore that hath no shore beyond it, set in allthe sea.

(from “On the Verge” in A Midsummer Vacation)

I found in this poem an echo of the Buddha’s response toKappa’s question in the Sutta-Nipata:

Next was the brahmin student Kappa:“Sir,” he said, “there are people stuck midstream

in the terror and the fear of the rush of the river ofbeing, and death and decay overwhelm them. Fortheir sakes, Sir, tell me where to find an island, tell mewhere there is solid ground beyond the reach of allthis pain.”

“Kappa,” said the Master, “for thesake of those people stuck in themiddle of the river of being, over-whelmed by death and decay, I willtell you where to find solid ground.

“There is an island, an islandwhich you cannot go beyond. It is aplace of nothingness, a place of non-possession and of nonattachment. Itis the total end of death and decay,and this is why I call it Nibbana [theextinguished, the cool].

“There are people who, in mind-fulness, have realized this and arecompletely cooled here and now.They do not become slaves workingfor Mara, for Death; they cannot fallinto his power.”

(from SN 1092–95, Ven. Saddhatissatrans.)

In English, nothingness can sound likeannihilation, like nihilism. But you can

also emphasize the “thingness” so that it becomes “no-thing-ness.” So Nibbana is not a thing that you can find. It is theplace of no-thingness, a place of nonpossession, a place ofnonattachment. It is a place, as Ajahn Chah said, where youexperience “the reality of nongrasping.”

From the introduction to the forthcoming The Island: AnAnthology of the Buddha’s Teachings on Nibbana, by AjahnPasanno and Ajahn Amaro, to be published Fall 2006.

Ajahn Sumedho was ordained in Thailand in 1966 and is cur-rently abbot of Amaravati Monastery outside London.

Here, Ananda, havinggone to the forest, tothe foot of a tree or toan empty hut, a monkreflects thus: “This ispeaceful, this is sublime,that is, the stilling of allformations, the relin-quishment of all acquisi-tions, the destruction ofcraving, cessation,Nibbana. Anguttara Nikaya 10.60

12 Fearless Mountain

even though he understood the concepts of impermanenceand suffering and felt their sting. There is a qualitative differ-ence between knowledge and attention directed outside. Whenattention is directed towards the heart, the natural develop-ment is mindfulness and wisdom. When mindfulness and wis-dom have an opportunity to function freely in our lives, it isnatural to turn towards letting go and relinquishment.

The teaching of the Buddha is often not palatable to thosein the world because it goes against the direction or flow ofthe world. It is important to understand that there are two dif-ferent directions. There is the direction of the world and thedirection of the Dhamma. If that weren’t the case, therewouldn’t have to be a Buddha to point out the Dhamma.However, it is necessary for a Buddha to come along and pointout a different direction. Then there is an opportunity to stepback from the pull of the worldly tendencies and settle intothe stream of the Dhamma. The Dhamma stream takes a dif-ferent direction, the direction leading to peace and clarity.

For myself, I don’t have much external knowledge. Beingfrom the countryside and from the outer provinces, I didn’t goto school much. My temperament is more inclined to studythe natural phenomena that I experience. When I came totrain with Ajahn Chah, he understood my nature and gave methe simple meditation object of Buddho. I worked withBuddho for quite a while. I wasn’t interested in the externalstudy of books. I had faith in the teaching of the Buddha andconfidence in Ajahn Chah, yet there was still an underlyingdoubt. Would I ever get anywhere? What is all this Buddhostuff? But as my meditation practice grew, I learned thatBuddho was a mirror to understanding the movements,thoughts and impressions of the mind. I saw the way the mindgoes out and entangles itself. Buddho became an increasinglystable mirror to understand the mind itself. My practice con-tinued from that base.

What one considers as intelligent or stupid, accomplishedor unaccomplished is different in the world and in theDhamma. What do we know? What don’t we know? How doesour intelligence or foolishness manifest? We need to recognizeour own ignorance or lack of knowledge. When we do that, itshows a humility that is wisdom. Even if there is understand-ing and intelligence, we need to see that it is only understand-ing. We need to recognize the limits of understanding andintelligence. Once, a disciple came to visit Ajahn Chah. AjahnKuhn didn’t talk much and loved solitude. He would comefrom time to time to check in on his practice with AjahnChah. When Ajahn Chah asked how he was getting on withhis practice, Ajahn Kuhn replied that he still seemed prettyfoolish and ignorant. Ajahn Chah said that was all right. Hedirected him to look after the ignorance and know that it isthere. The wisdom of the world and the wisdom of Dhammaare not the same thing.

Ajahn Chah praises someone who knows how to lookafter his ignorance. Views, opinions and intelligence can easi-ly intoxicate someone who doesn’t do this. Problems in theworld often come from intelligent people who don’t under-stand their boundaries. When a rice stalk is green and unripe,it stands up straight. As it matures and ripens, the stalk bendscloser to the ground. The same is true with humans. If wedon’t know the difference between intelligence and foolish-ness, we will be trapped in our lack of understanding. We willstand up straight with pride and arrogance. With true wisdomand understanding, there is a humility and gentleness.

Understanding ourselves is central to our practice. To dothis, we reflect on natural things within us rather than goingfor external knowledge. A pot that is empty makes a lot ofnoise. A pot full of useful things doesn’t make much noisewhen you bang it. We also don’t need to make a lot of noise.We need to put useful things into our container, and thesethings are mindfulness and wisdom.

One of the teachings Ajahn Chah emphasized over andover again was “speak little, eat little, sleep little.” He encour-aged us to reflect on this. Why did he do this? Humans by theirnature do not to understand balance. Rather, there is the ten-dency is to refer to extremes. We may know what is a lot anda little, but we don’t know what is just right. If someone tellsus to speak, eat and sleep just enough, we will usually interpretthis exhortation according to our preferences and defilements.We won’t reflect deeply on what really is just enough.However, we can use “little” as an entryway and in this wayfind balance. We can reflect on what is just enough. We needto challenge ourselves and pull away from following prefer-ences and standards that are comfortable for our defilements.

Ajahn Chah emphasized that we should not follow ouruntrained minds. Eating, speaking, sleeping little, we can putthe brakes on our conditioning, habits and tendencies. We cansee the reactions in the mind. When we follow our habits wecannot recognize clearly where our defilements lie. In theearly days of practice with Ajahn Chah, he often suggestedthat we push our favorite foods to the side. So too, when youare moved to start a conversation, you might try to put thebrakes on. What underlies the movements and tendencies ofmind that lead us to indulge in sleep? What are the motiva-tions? The standard is set at “little” to help us turn the atten-tion around into the heart. The natural flow of the mind is outinto the world. We need to learn to work with that. We needto train to see the mind itself.

Adapted from a talk given to the CALM group in January.2006, translated by Ajahn Pasanno.

Ajahn Jundee was born in Ajahn Chah’s home village in UbonProvince,. He has been a monk for over thirty years and is cur-rently abbot of Wat Pah Ampawan in Chonburi, Thailand.

Teaching Oneself (continued from page 1)

Spring 2006 13

Ajahn Pasanno on Sabbatical

Ajahn Pasanno will be spending the nextyear or so on retreat in Thailand. He

departed Abhayagiri in December 2005. Ithas been a very long time since Ajahn wasable to spend an extended period on his ownwithout being engaged in a teaching andleadership position. He has been particularlybusy these last few years. During AjahnAmaro’s recent (and much deserved) sabbat-ical, Ajahn Pasanno was the focus of the community’s atten-tion, day in, day out.

Ajahn Pasanno intends to use the coming period of timeto deepen both study and practice. A well-kept and spaciouscave dwelling has been offered for his use during the dry sea-

son, and according to all reports, it is aninspiring place to practice. During thevassa (rainy season), when the cavebecomes damp, he will reside in a kutibuilt for him in the nearby hills. Theonly contact he willhave with other peo-ple is on the occasionof the daily mealoffering and a publictalk now and then.

The communitywishes him the bestfor the coming year!

Clockwise from top left: walking meditation path in the cave; sign at entrance tocave (“Cave of the Lion’s Roar Sangha Hermitage”); with kuti/cave donors (KhunNong kneeling on left); kuti with antique teak doors and windows; on the medi-tation platform inside the cave. (Photos by Kondañña and Geof Karlson.)

Buddhist Bicycle Pilgrimage, Fall 2006The Buddhist Bicycle Pilgrimage hits the road for its fifth year! This inspiring journeywill bring together riders, volunteers and monastics, who will venture from Spirit RockCenter to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to Abhayagiri over the span of two days.Don’t miss this opportunity to build community, experience the challenges of pilgrim-age, and enjoy the great outdoors all at the same time! We’re looking for volunteers,riders and supporters.

For more information (and photos!), visit www.dharmawheels.org or email buddhistbike@yahoo.com.

Turn

ing Our Wheels

Fo r t h e D ha r m

a

14 Fearless Mountain

The group was ledby Heather Sund-berg, leader of theSpirit Rock FamilyProgram andlongtime support-er of themonastery. Thegroup’s stayincluded followingthe Eight Precepts,and activitiesranged from silentmeditation, chant-ing, and Dhammadiscussions tohikes on the land,solitary forest

meditation, and communal work.Ajahn Amaro once again participated in the Mind and

Life Dialogues, held in Washington, D.C., in November 2005.The topic was “The Science and Clinical Applications ofMeditation,” reflecting the growing interest in meditationwithin modern medicine and biomedical science that hasarisen over the past thirty years. Ajahn gave a presentation onthe Buddha’s teaching of the Four NobleTruths and the Discourse on the Two Arrows(S 36.6), which was reportedly well receivedand much appreciated by those present. FromNovember 18 to 27, Ajahn Amaro andTaraniya led the annual Thanksgiving retreat,held at the Angela Center in Santa Rosa. Asidefrom Ajahn coming down with a severe coldand missing out on the last few days, theretreat went very well, and it was a rewardingand valuable time for all.

Ajahn Pasanno co-led a yoga and medita-tion daylong with Cator Shachoy in earlyDecember. The subject was “Mindfulness ofthe Body,” and the day of teachings drew fromAjahn Pasanno’s experience practicing withthe Buddha’s teaching on the FirstFoundation of Mindfulness and Cator’straining in Iyengar yoga and Buddhist medi-tation. Also in December, Ajahn Amaro led adaylong retreat at Spirit Rock on the theme of“Entering the Silence,” and then went on to

the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City to offer someDhamma reflections and to have an informal tea with thechildren’s Dhamma group there.

Development

This year the monastery began its long-awaited construc-tion of the final buildings belonging to the first phase of a

four-phase building plan. The first of the buildings to go upwas the Cloister duplex. There were many monks and lay sup-porters who gave their time and effort to make the construc-tion of this building go smoothly. We have almost completedthe construction of the two new buildings that will form partof the cloister area. One is an office complex, while the otherconsists of much needed bathrooms and a resting room withdisabled facilities. They will hopefully be completed and readyby the end of March 2006.

The community is also currently planning the construc-tion of two new elders’ cabins. One of these cabins will bebuilt for Ajahn Pasanno, while the second will be built for vis-iting elder monks. It is hoped that one of the same design willbe constructed for Ajahn Amaro in 2007. In addition, onecabin of simpler design will also be built this year. We havedesignated the sites for these and begun preparing the loca-tions in order to begin construction in the spring.

—The Sangha

Mon

aste

ry p

hoto

Ven. Ahimsako, dancing on the dirt

(continued from page 3)

Mon

aste

ry p

hoto

New cloister office building (back left) and restrooms (back right) under construction

FROM THE MONASTERY

Spring 2006 15

We hope you can join us at Abhayagiri for these days of community, Dhammastudy, meditation, and renewal. The Upasika Program exists to provide an

opportunity for lay women and men (upasikas/upasakas) to deepen their practiceand their relationship to the monastery.

This year’s program will feature a modified format for the afternoon studysession, with each of the year’s five Upasika Days focusing on a single topic. Topicswill range from sutta studies, devotional practices, practice in daily life, and more.Each presentation will allow for group interaction and questions-and-answers.

More details of the program follow:

Purpose* To enhance individual practice and increase self-discipline through making a

formal commitment to spiritual training.* To deepen both the intellectual and experiential understanding of the Dhamma.* To have more supportive contact with like-minded people and the ordained

Sangha.* To be better equipped to communicate the Teachings to others.

Guidelines * To undertake to live by the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts, with the

Theravada Forest Tradition as the focus of one’s practice.* To attend regular gatherings with other Upasikas, either at the Monastery or in

your own homes.* To visit the monastery and formally take the Refuges and Precepts at least

quarterly.* To observe the Uposatha Days of the full and new moon in some fashion appro-

priate to your living situation.* To practice meditation daily.* To find some time each year to go on retreat.* To attend at least one festival day or communal gathering at the Monastery each

year.* To cultivate a basic working knowledge of the Teachings.* To support the Sangha according to your means and abilities.* To keep to the training for at least one year after having made the formal com-

mitment.

Those interested in making such a commitment are invited to visit Abhayagirion one of the Upasika Days (see right), or to arrange to visit at some other mutu-ally convenient time. The commitment ceremony for new Upasikas is quite sim-ple: each individual brings from home a small tray of traditional offerings—can-dles, flowers, and incense. At the appropriate time, each person comes forward tooffer their tray and to request the Three Refuges and Five Precepts. Afterwards, theafternoon study and practice session begins.

Everyone is most welcome to attend the Upasika Days, whether or not theyhave made a formal commitment to the program. There is no “in” or “out” group,nor any “secret teachings” for an inner circle! This program is offered freely as anopportunity to draw closer to the teachings and to make a public statement ofone’s intentions and aspirations as a support to one’s practice.

2006 Upasika Program to Feature a New Study Session Format

Program Dates

April 2*

June 24

August 12

October 21

December 3

Schedule

10:30 am~ Meal offering(bring a dish to share)

1:00 pm ~ Chanting,meditation, Refuges/Precepts, Teachings

& Discussion

*Commitment ceremony for continuing and new

program participants. Pleasebring an offering of flowers,

candles, and incense if you wishto formally join the program or

renew your commitment.

For more information, visit www.abhayagiri.org, or

contact Mettika Hoffman at cindyho@mcn.org or

(707) 964-4606.

UPASIKA PROGRAM

ABHAYAGIRI MONASTERY16201 TOMKI ROAD REDWOOD VALLEY CA 95470

SPRING 2006

NEWSLETTER

FEARLESSMOUNTAIN

NON PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDAUTOZIP

SANGHAPALA FOUNDATION

Return Service Requested

June 3–4

10th Anniversary!

(see below for details)

Abhayagiri Monastery10th Anniversary Celebration

Saturday, June 3 Open House with monastery tours, photos and video of Abhayagiri past andpresent. Reminisce with special guests and friends who have helped makeAbhayagiri what it is today.

Sunday, June 4 Special Puja in gratitude to our teachers, mentors, and the mountain ofblessings which the monastery is built upon.

Join monastics and lay friends—including Ajahn Visuddhi, one of the founding monks, visitingfrom England—in sharing stories and reflections from over the years.

The meal offering will take place at 11 a.m., followed by reunion activities beginning at 1 p.m.

For more information on activities or accommodations, call (707) 485-1630 or email sangha@abhayagiri.org.