Why did you become a monk?
Probably the #1 question we get is, “Why did you become a monk?” That question has many factors and answers. However, a better question is, “How did I actually get the nerve to become a monk?” Read More
Murder He Won’t
A friend of mine once told me his story about how he had a knife in his hand and was raging with anger. He was going to kill his wife and her new found lover. Below is a short retelling of the story in third person. The Story My friend from the former Soviet Union did his first Goenka meditation retreat in 1999. The retreat was free and was very popular around the world. (dhamma.org). Before that, he was already into martial arts and Taoism and although they talked about meditation and controlling the mind, he did not really feel […]
The Swastika
Today, as I was washing my bowl, I saw a local Myanmar monk with a swastika tattoo on his arm. Was he racist? No.
Monastery-wide Sickness Happens
While I have said quite a lot to inspire people about life as a monk around the world. I should give you both sides of the story to be fair.
What is a Kuti?
A kuṭi is a small hut or lodging that a monk lives in and it is one of the basic four requisites: Robes, Food, Lodging, & Medicine. They come in various sizes and qualities and I have prepared a small showcase of pictures which can show more than just the words.
The Mantra of Loving-Kindness
This video is an instruction on how to practice loving-kindness meditation. The simplest way is to repeat the Loving-Kindness phrases (mantras). The discussion goes into the details. I hope you enjoy this. May you be happy! May you be happy! May you be happy! Repeat “May I be happy” over and over again (in your mind) until the timer goes off. Repeat “May you be happy” over and over again (in your mind) until the timer goes off. Put your phone on airplane mode, but use your phone to set your timer for 5 minutes to start. Gradually increase it […]
Covid-19 Lockdown @ Pa-Auk
We recently had a meeting to cover all the basics for social distancing and cutting the monastery off from the outside world.
Walking Meditation Inside The Home
There are many people who are inside their homes, so I thought it would be good to make a small 10 minute video on how to do basic walking meditation inside the home. Here it is.
Having Fun At The Pa-Auk Dentist Clinic
Having Fun At The Pa-Auk Dentist Clinic (Repost/refurbish from June, 2015*)
Because dentists are very expensive in America and the Pa-Auk dental clinic has pretty good sanitary conditions (for Myanmar), I went for a checkup before my trip to Hawai’i.
500+ monks at Pa-Auk Main. Some slippers go missing, but not these.
500+ monks at paauk main. Some slippers go missing so people mark them with different patterns as a passive way to prevent loss. However, the slippers in the center were not as passive.
Sabbe Satta -All Beings
reposted from https://withmetta.net (2016) . When a Buddhist monk says “sabbe satta,” that is a shorthand for metta practice. “Sabbe satta” means “all beings.” One of my friend’s collects the leftover food and cakes and says or acts on this everyday after each meal at the Mudon Pa-Auk monastery. But in reality, even though he says “sabbe satta,” he really just seems to feed the birds with the leftover food and cakes. One day, I said to him, “So you are going to feed the birds?”He said, “Sabbe Satta.”He continued, “When we feed the birds, we feed all beings. This is because when the […]