The Spirituality of Imperfection | Venerable Pandit

• May 9, 2016
• Rina Vongthongsri
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Venerable Pandit will be giving a public talk at the Metta Centre on “The Spirituality of Imperfection”. With a degree in psychology and Buddhism, this talk will explore understanding one self. Despite your best intentions, and harshest criticisms of others, you are no Saint. Where religion demands you be perfect, spirituality knows you are not. Where your highest aspiration makes you sit on the cushion, your raging mind will give you no peace. This is the spirituality of imperfection, and the long patient battle to tame the mind.

Do not judge the talk by the title. Venerable Pandit used the skilful method to breakdown something that is profound and heavy into easy-to-understand points using stories that are both humorous and mind blowing.

Green Screens to Forest Greens | Ven Pannyavaro

• May 2, 2016
• admin
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Sometimes our spiritual practice is seen as something we do after we set time aside to do it. What if our spiritual practice can be infused into everything we do throughout the day, such that every moment, every movement of the body or the mind, is a seed providing the potential for insight to arise.

The Push and Pull of Samsara | Phra Woody

• May 1, 2016
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Every day, every moment, every interaction that we have with ourselves and the world around us, could generate feelings of pleasure or pain in us. With feelings of pleasure, desire and craving may arise in us, as we pull those things that create pleasure towards us. With feelings of displeasure, aversion may arise in us, as we push those things that create displeasure away from us. This talks will help us use the Buddha’s teaching to we get out of this endless push and pull game.

Phra Ajahn Vuttichai Vutthiyano, who prefers to be simply called Phra Woody, has been a monk for over 21 years. Although native to Thailand, he has lived in America for over 11 years and frequently travels internationally to teach in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and India. Phra Woody founded the Oregon Ariyamagga Okasati Refuge (“OAOR”), a Theravadian Buddhist Hermitage and retreat centre in the Thai Forest tradition under the lineage of Phra Ajahn Jamnian Seelasettho, a well-known meditation master.  Following the tradition of his teacher Phra Woody teaches in an informal style that is filled with humour, joy, and skilfulness.

We have recordings from the second half of the daylong workshop

The Power of Intention | Bhante Jag

• April 24, 2016
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Drawing on the scriptures, Bhante Jag will be exploring in this talk the Power of Intention, and the relationship between Karma, action and volition. Karma is often misunderstood – does it mean the fruits of one’s action or action itself? What role does intention or volition play in our actions? Find out more at this insightful talk.

Bhante Jag, or as he prefers to call himself “Monk Jag“, is an Australian-born monk, residing principally in Victoria. He is one of the two co-founding monks of the Newbury Buddhist Monastery. He has practiced in the Burmese and Thai Theravada traditions, and has a particular interest in the Buddhist scriptures and monastic rules of conduct.

Date: Friday, 8th April 2016