Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Sumedharama Buddhist Monastery Podcast

Most spiritual frustration comes from a simple, unexamined assumption: "I am somebody, I need to do something, and I'm not sure I can do it right."

In this practical and humorous talk, Ajahn Vajiro explains how the first three fetters—personality belief, attachment to rites and rituals, and doubt—keep us spinning in unnecessary mental cycles. By shifting our focus away from finding the "perfect" technique and toward noticing that which is not thinking, we can begin to use this life as a blessing rather than a burden.

Key Topics Covered:

• The First Three Fetters: Why overcoming self-identity and doubt is harder than hand-to-hand combat.

• Turning Attention Inward: Shifting from paying attention with tension to giving attention with ease.

• Navigating Mistakes & Forgiveness: How to acknowledge fault without carrying the weight of guilt.

• Analyzing Experience: Looking at the origin, properties, danger, and escape in daily life.

  
  

  What if enlightenment isn't about the "I" getting better, but about recognizing that the "I" was never the whole story?

  In this talk recorded at the Manchester Centre for Buddhist Meditation, Ajahn Vajiro explores how cultural conditioning traps us in perpetual self-improvement. Discover how turning your attention inward, embracing uncertainty (anicca), and relaxing into the present moment frees you from overthinking and allows you to live with genuine ease.

In direct reality, nothing stays fixed—every sight, sound, thought, and emotion is constantly shifting and synthesizing. Yet, in our indirect reality, we hold onto fixed identities, past/future narratives, and rigid self-images that create friction and isolation.

In this retreat talk, Ajahn Sucitto explores the relationship between consciousness, perception, and the heart (citta). Learn how relaxing our internal defenses allows us to shift from isolated self-protection into a fluid state of non-separation, ease, and sustained awareness.

Key Topics Covered:

• Direct Reality vs. Fixed Concepts: Moving beyond artificial boundaries of past, future, "me," and "you."

• Understanding Perception & Generic Reactions: How we reach into past memory libraries to judge present experiences.

• Unpacking the "Me Bag": How fixed roles and self-narratives restrict our physical and emotional vitality.

• Relaxing the Muscle of the Mind: Using mindfulness (attention, receptivity, and sustaining) to keep experience moving without getting stuck.

  Discover how turning toward direct sensory reality and relaxing the "muscle of the mind" restores natural vitality, safety, and deep connection with the world around us.

  
  

  
  

What if morality isn't about being "right," but about building the strength required to keep your heart open?

In this episode, we dive into the core of ethical practice (sila) and renunciation. Rather than seeing precepts as restrictive rules, we explore them as tools for containing vital energy, reducing sensory overload, and cultivating true resilience in a chaotic world.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Heart's True Role: Shifting from intellectual judgment to genuine care and sensitivity.

• Navigating Karma: Breaking free from reactive emotional habits and commercial distractions.

• Energy Containment: How restraint and simple living protect your physical and mental vitality.

• Reframing Meditation: Using posture, reclining practice, and stillness to heal burnout and data overload.

Take a pause, let your breath look after you, and join us for this deep exploration of heart-centered practice.

A Dhamma talk given on 2026-09-28 by Ajahn Vajiro at Cittaviveka Forest Monastery, England, UK

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2026-05-08 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma Talk given on 28-08-2026 at Chittaviveka Buddhist Monastery by Ajahn Vajiro.

A Dhamma talk given by Ajahn Vajiro at Hartridge Monastery UK

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2026-05-15 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2026-04-24 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2026-04-17 by Ajahn Gambhiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2026-04-03 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2026-03-27 by Ajahn Gambhiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2026-03-27 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2026-03-13 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2026-03-13 by Ajahn Mudito at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2026-03-06 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2026-02-27 by Ajahn Gambhiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2026-02-20 by Ajahn Gambhiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2026-02-13 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2026-02-06 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given by Ajahn Gambhiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2026-01-30 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2026-01-23 by Ajahn Gambhiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2026-01-23 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2026-01-16 by Ajahn Gambhiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-12-19 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2025-12-12 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-10-31 by Ajahn Narindo at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2025-12-05 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

Q&A

- It I remember well once you spoke about different Dhamma doors (maybe 16 o 64?). Can you speak more about it?

- I have been contemplating on aging and sickness lately, and some sudden illness we never thought that to happen on either ourselves or our family. When that happens, what is the best approach to guard our citta not to be interferred too much?

- When you mention the 4 nutriments. Could you explain a little more the 2 last ones, regarding good/bad karma and consciousness ?

- I’m afraid of boredom. How to rest in inactivity and not feel bored?

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-10-24 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given by Ajahn Gambhiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given by Ajahn Narindo at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2025-10-10 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-10-03 by Ajahn Narindo at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-11-21 by Ajahn Asoko at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-08-22 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-11-14 by Ajahn Gavesako at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-09-26 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2025-09-19 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

Q&A

1 - What's the right effort to bring up different mind states?

2 - In this lay world, i have to act upon something to get my life going, and i valued the sense of space and taking a moment at the time that you mentioned. Could you share how it was for you dealing with a sense of becoming a monk, your own experience ?

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2025-09-12 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-11-07 by Ajahn Narindo at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2025-08-15 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

Q&A

- You talked about aversion and how that feeds a sense of inadequacy. After many years of practice, I still have doubt from time to time on my own capacities to act or decide and have difficulties to be completely free from others judgement. Any additional advice ?

- Ajahn, I follow a certain diet and daily routine to support my practice, and I feel happy and grounded about it. But in social situations, I sometimes find it hard to say no to friends. When I don’t follow my own rules, I feel sad and regret it very soon after. How can I stay with the knowing and make these decisions mindfully in these social contexts?

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2025-08-22 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

Q&A

- Ajahn can you say more about the One bow that is the right One?

- Ajahn, how do I balance effort in daily life without being caught in gain and loss?

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-08-15 by Ajahn Narindo at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2025-08-08 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

Q&A

- Ajahn! How can a layperson become friends with a bhikkhu?

- How to relate wisely to the sense of feeling insuficcient or not good enough?

- How does one befriend someone who you might consider an enemy?

- Ajahn, sometimes when someone very close to me does something that makes me feel nervous or annoyed, I lose my calm and start judging myself. How can I be a good friend to myself and to others in that moment?

- How does a buddhist monk overcome trauma? When we are doing work on ourselves and with some specialized help we discover things that mainly come from our heritage members who we didnt even meet but also our grandparents and parents... how to deal with it? How do you deal with people that caused you trauma but with who you have little contact? Do you contact them and tell them everything? Do we just forgive and let go and keep it to ourselves? Should we cut and sometimes run away from those heritage bonds being it places for instance?

Day 2 of 2 of a workshop given by Ajahn Vajiro on the 27/07/2025 at Sunyata, Ireland.

For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

Day 1 of 2 of a workshop given by Ajahn Vajiro on the 25/07/2025 at Sunyata, Ireland.

For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-08-01 by Ajahn Narindo at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

A Dhamma talk given through Zoom on 2025-08-01 by Ajahn Vajiro at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal. For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.

Q&A

- Thank you so much for sharing this us, Ajahn! Can I ask you to please reiterate the way to let go of the attachments in brief so it was easier to remember? How should one do that?

A Dhamma talk given on 2025-07-25 by Ajahn Narindo at Sumedharama Forest Monastery in Ericeira, Portugal.

For more Dhamma talks, please visit sumedharama.pt.