The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Retreat Dharma Talks at Meditationszentrum Beatenberg

Exploring Animate Reality

An 8 day residential retreat.

2024-05-25 (9 days) Meditationszentrum Beatenberg

  
2024-05-25 Opening talk and standing meditation 21:43
Ajahn Sucitto
2024-05-26 Exploring the body 40:42
Ajahn Sucitto
Ajahn examines the theme of body, its elements including boundaries, moving meditation and voice.
2024-05-26 Guided and silent meditation 43:19
Ajahn Sucitto
2024-05-26 The inanimate and the animate 1:21:28
Ajahn Sucitto
Examining themes of the inanimate and the animate, Ajahn explores citta and provides walking meditation instructions.
2024-05-26 The use of devotional practices 38:28
Ajahn Sucitto
Using devotional practices to cultivate sati. Includes meditation instruction and a 20 m silent sit.
2024-05-27 Bhavana 15:51
Ajahn Sucitto
Ajahn investigates bhavana/cultivation and suggests a step-by-step-practice, using developing skilful conditions.
2024-05-27 Manas versus citta experience 56:31
Ajahn Sucitto
Ajahn explores manas versus citta experience, using maps, breathing and walking to investigate.
2024-05-28 Guided Standing Meditation 29:07
Ajahn Sucitto
2024-05-28 Boundaries 59:12
Ajahn Sucitto
Examining the theme of boundaries, Ajahn explores the four foundations of mindfulness and self.
2024-05-28 Q&A 57:12
Ajahn Sucitto
Q1 You mentioned vedana as the knowing of a feeling tone. I always thought that vedana occurs very fast and almost unconsciously How could one practice or investigate vedana a more deeply? 23:51 Q2 What is conscience from the Buddhist point of view? 28:21 Q3 How come the mind prefers to get involved with negative instead of positive stuff? 30:31 Q4 What actually do we need a mind for? In another words is there a quick and easy way to distinguish useful and harmful thinking? 40:24 Q5 Where do you see similarities and differences between dhamma practice and positive neuroplasticity? How can we cultivate more joy? 37:01 Q6 If I don't proceed according to the map, then how do I know if I'm doing something wrong or whether it just takes time? 54:16 Q7 Is it easier to stay grounded when speaking to others? It seems easier to say grounded when not speaking to others.
2024-05-29 Animate conditions 54:31
Ajahn Sucitto
Exploring the territory of body, mind and heart and a kiss the frog practice.
2024-05-29 Receptive attention - body-breathing-meditation. 43:48
Ajahn Sucitto
2024-05-29 Q&A 36:55
Ajahn Sucitto
Q1 Can it be that Qi Gong releases long forgotten memories? 06:40 Q2 If everything is empty, who or what dies and what is reborn if rebirth is not only a concept? 16:19 Q3 Does the Buddhist path result in the loss of loved ones because they're not on that path. For example partner, family, friends? Is there a way to have both? I feel that one side goes at the cost of the other. 20:14 Q4 I've been feeling quite bored sometimes today. How do you recommend to deal with this phenomenon? How could it be explained from a Buddhist point of view? 27:13 Q5 When I'm meditating sitting down, I sometimes feel that I'm losing the perception of a three-dimensional space. I can still feel my body but I don't feel like there's an up or a down or left or right. Is this something common?
2024-05-30 The process of samadhi 56:59
Ajahn Sucitto
2024-05-31 Challenging mind states 51:15
Ajahn Sucitto
Ajahn explores kaya and citta sankharas; building up resources; sabotage programs; mudita as a resource.
2024-05-31 Q&A 56:21
Ajahn Sucitto
Q1 If I remember it well citta follows moving, shifting energy. How can we feel moving energy? Is it the feeling of the breath or sound? What is non-moving energy? 08:37 Q2 what's the difference between virya, translated as energy, and citta energy? 12:12 Q3 You don't seem to use the word awareness which is often used to denote the knowing of something. Is there a connection between the felt energy and awareness? 28:28 Q4 How do you reconcile the fire of an animated heart with Buddhism's perfume of disengagement and dispassion? 32:36 Q5 how can sensation and the sequence that leads to it be described in a subtle energy approach? 43:43 Q6 What's the difference between vedana and emotion? 44:48 Q7 Sadness, sorrow, fear, joy. Are the emotions or more fixed states? 49:20 Q8 Observing the breath seems quite important, but as soon as I focus on the breath it gets forced and heavy. Do you have any advice on observing the natural breath without interfering? 52:17 Q9 What does it mean when you say the breathing is a messenger? What is the message?
2024-06-01 Dukka and the end of dukka 56:38
Ajahn Sucitto
Ajahn explores dukkha and the end of dukkha and the role of the 7 enlightenment factors, shifts of energy, identity and sabotage programs, disengagement/viveka, dispassion/viraga, cessation/nirodha.
2024-06-01 Q&A 51:25
Ajahn Sucitto
Q1: You seem to be talking about citta as a persisting permanent thing not as arising every split second. Any comments? 11:34 Q2: How can I deal with not fully maintaining Buddhist standards after the retreat? 17:27 Q3: You said: Keep warming what can be warmed and the things that can't release yet ... it's not ready. Could you elaborate more on this please? 24:08 Q4: You wrote a book called Unseating the Inner Tyrant. The critic consumes a lot of energy. How do you restore that energy after a rage? Is there a shorter path to finding balance? 32:59 Q5: There's a lot of fear in my citta. How come? 34:46 Q6: I was afraid of coming to this retreat, and now I'm afraid of going out. 38:16 Q7: What is the relationship between tanha, craving, as the fundamental cause of dukkha and the three root kelasa, defilements, based on the scriptures and or their experience for interpretation? 47:51 Q 8: What is the effect of serious illness physical and psychological on the citta? Can they limit or make it impossible to take care of the citta?
2024-06-02 GM - breathing , transition 20:02
Ajahn Sucitto
2024-06-02 GM - 60 min (alternative length) breathing, transition 60:10
Ajahn Sucitto
2024-06-02 Closing remarks 50:05
Ajahn Sucitto
An exploration of proliferations, kamma and self and the eightful path
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