Thai Forest Dhamma

in the tradition of Lungphu Mun Bhuridatto

and his western disciples

Deutsch Francais Thai Indonesian

June 2019 - Kuala Lampur

5 days meditation retreat at Bodhi Park, Shah Alam

Visit to Malaysia (June 2019) (8 talks)
Date Title Description Duration
23 Jun Don't fall into the trap of automatic living
The world holds you faster than you think; Think about what you are doing - Is it important or not?; Retreat means going back inside ourselves; We have so many choices every moment - We just don't see them
01:34:12
22 Jun Stand up for your right to be happy!
You can only change your life in the present moment!; A clever way to cut-down on greed; Don't forget your evening reflection!; Reflection brings us back to the human realm; Make boredom interesting!
55:05
22 Jun Only few people have little sand in their eyes...
What is so difficult about meditation practice!?; Think about what is important in your life; Nothing is difficult when you really want to learn; The quickest way to get into samadhi...
53:26
21 Jun It's easier to fight a whole army than to fight one's 'Self'
Show the kilesas who is the master!; Whatever we want, we have to give first; Use the laws of the universe to your advantage; Buddhism is the only true religion
47:42
21 Jun The biggest hurdle in meditation is the body!
If you are tired of life then find the way out!; So busy we forgot to be human; Get out of the body and see that it's not you
59:58
20 Jun All our life we work for the body - In the end it dies!
The human realm is the perfect place to find the way out ; The first thing we have to learn is concentration; Don't expect to learn to concentrate in 5 days!; Give your citta a rest!
01:03:52
20 Jun So many different teachings - How can we not get confused?
The importance of understanding dukkha; There's only one power ruling you - The kilesas!; Fighting the kilesas in our quest for liberation
01:24:14
19 Jun Do we have a choice in life or not?
Where do we end up if we don't keep the 5 precepts?; How many people on this earth know the true religion?; Have you ever heard of dukkha?; Samadhi - The free happy-pill!
59:12

May 2018 - Kuala Lampur

5-days meditation retreat at Bodhi Park - Shah Alam organized by Ti-Ratana Community Center Penchala

Visit to Kuala Lampur (May 2018) (15 talks)
Date Title Description Duration
6 May Ask yourself – 'Why was I born?' No meaning to life?
Ask yourself – 'Why was I born?' No meaning to life? So easy to go to hell, so difficult to go to heaven How we waste our time Kilesas: the rulers of ourselves
1:33:32
6 May Who is the real CEO of our citta?
Who is the real CEO of our citta? How useful is this body? Are you ready to come out of the hamster wheel? Words are just pointers to reality
40:52
6 May Metta - Guided meditation
Guided meditation on Metta given at the end of the 6 days retreat in Kuala Lampur.
17:44
5 May So, are we ready to die!?
Silence is the most profound Dhamma So, are we ready to die!? Why are we so afraid of death? Overcoming the fear of death
1:17:25
5 May Constantly planning – but forgetting to live
It's up to you to make your life better! Comfort prevents us from hearing the heart Constantly planning – but forgetting to live
1:15:07
4 May Meditation practice – there's no puzzle to solve!
Meditation practice – there's no puzzle to solve! Thinking doesn't solve any problems Stop thinking! (Calm meditation) Striving for deliverance from dukkha
1:07:54
4 May Controlled demolition - dealing with anger
“Controlled demolition” - dealing with anger Learning to deal with fear Fear: an affair of the kilesas Learn to do investigation like the little children do Pain: a trick of a magician Avijja Become human again – become aware!
1:01:48
3 May Following our desires makes us look like zombies
Opening the gate to the deathless Meditation practice is the way to overcome good and evil We have to learn to become responsible Know what you are doing, why, and the effect it has Following our desires makes us look like zombies
1:46:15
3 May Why aren't we getting results from our meditation practice?
Why aren't we getting results from our meditation practice? Why don't we do something to get out of the 'Hamster wheel'? Without desire there is no dukkha The world becomes perfect when you make yourself a better person
1:10:56
2 May Cutting down the tree of greed and hate
The purpose of chanting Cutting down the tree of greed and hate How talking can ruin our practice Reaching the stage where thoughts and memories stop
1:14:35
2 May Training the mind is not an easy task
Training the mind is not an easy task Finding happiness requires effort 40 hours a week to maintain the body – what about the mind?
1:07:21
1 May Life is not in the past or future – it's in the present moment
Where should we look for happiness? Life is not in the past or future – it's in the present moment Constantly finding fault with others – why not with ourselves? The fault line is within us – and it constantly erupts/quakes Trust in your kamma and you don't have to worry
14:20
1 May So much entertainment that we forget our purpose in life
Take a few steps back and look at your life So much entertainment that we forget our purpose in life How do we distinguish ourselves from robots? Reflecting on our actions makes us human Does talking to a box make us human beings?
42:31
30 Apr Time is something precious – why do we need to kill it?
The Dhamma doesn't come from books – it comes from the heart! There's no one to complain about but ourselves Time is something precious – why do we need to kill it?
1:21:01
29 Apr The law of kamma – your life is in your hands
Can the Dhamma really be captured with a smartphone? Silence is the most profound Dhamma teaching The law of kamma – your life is in your hands Your life is in your hands – no one else is responsible
1:16:42

November 2017 - Penang

5-days meditation retreat at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang

Talks in Penang, Malaysia Nov 2017 (13 talks)
Date Title Description Duration
6 Nov Avoid going to hell by doing the right things (morning)
The Physical heart: an indicator for our wrongdoings Make meditation your number one priority Watch your heart – that's where everything arises
29:27
5 Nov The way out of the hamster wheel (evening)
The law of kamma: difficult to accept and really scary! What real meditation practise is all about
01:38:05
5 Nov Modern technology – destroying our human value (morning)
Stop worrying, just be aware of what is going into the heart Before correcting others, correct yourself
01:12:17
4 Nov What are the dangers of our existence? (evening)
01:05:39
4 Nov Centering the mind is hard work (morning)
Finding the right meditation teacher
59:44
3 Nov Appana-samadhi: a preview of nibbana (evening Q&A)
Q&A
48:31
3 Nov Entering the stream opens the door to the deathless (evening)
Are you still not tired of the body? Now do you know what the purpose of life is? So much dukkha, but we don't want to see it
59:20
3 Nov Why do we think the body is beautiful? (morning)
Don't look what others do, look what you are doing Do something worthwhile, while you are a human being
01:08:09
2 Nov Dealing with anger before it explodes (evening Q&A)
How to deal with anger in a controlled way A good way to learn how to deal with anger
51:36
2 Nov We are living in a world of our own symbols (evening)
Why do we put up with so much dukkha?
01:09:58
2 Nov Eating, working and sleeping – Isn't there more to life than this? (morning)
Vipassana means seeing inside your heart
50:39
1 Nov How to advance your meditation practise as a layperson (Q&A)
The kilesa-thieves: stealing our time, attention & energy Reflection makes us human beings Ask yourself, is what you are doing really useful?
01:07:39
1 Nov As long as we can breathe, we can practise meditation
fight for your right to be happy? Learning through experience
52:59

May 2017 - Penang

10-days meditation reatreat at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang

Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017 (23 talks)
Date Title Description Duration
24 May Do the work and you'll get the results
Kamma is so just. Let's become human beings. Investigation is that what cleans the citta. Stop thinking - that is the best thing. Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:23:35
23 May Stop thinking and start living!
Experience the realm beyond thinking. Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:08:07
22 May Whatever we need is right there in the heart
What is the purpose of our life? We are born to wait for death. What are you going to do with the time that you have? The teachings of the Lord Buddha are still up to date. We are completely unaware of what is going on. Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:12:31
21 May To be controlled or not controlled. That is here the question
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:09:50
20 May Q&A concerning asubha practice (evening Q&A)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
38:09
20 May About death and asubha practice (evening)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
48:16
20 May Your life is lived, but you are not living your life! (morning)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:31:15
19 May How to develop asubha practice (evening Q&A)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:20:45
19 May How to develop sati and concentration (evening)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
29:18
19 May Being busy with our life, while forgetting to live (morning)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:32:51
18 May How to stop living on autopilot (evening)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:02:15
18 May We live like being on autopilot (morning)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:16:52
17 May What exactly is the citta? (evening Q&A)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:01:40
17 May Tips and tricks to live a happy life (evening)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
50:15
17 May We have multiple choices but not freedom (morning)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:23:38
16 May The basics of investigation (evening Q&A)
Starting out investigation, Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
38:23
16 May A recipe for happiness (evening)
Why do we do the things that we do?, Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
01:04:58
16 May Death is coming - don't just wait! (morning)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
39:59
15 May Who is really in control of us? (evening Q&A)
Talks in Penang, Malaysia may 2017
57:08
15 May What makes us truly human? (evening)
Choose the path you have never walked before, happiness costs only effort, what is really important in your life?, Talks in Penang, Malaysia May 2017
54:32

November 2016 - Penang

Visit to Malaysia – 3-days retreat given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary (07/11 to 10/11) (17 talks)
Visit to Malaysia – Talks given at Sri Lankan Temple (04/11 to 06/11) (5 talks)
Visit to Malaysia – Talks given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary (01/11 to 04/11) (7 talks)
Date Title Description Duration
10 Nov Get a handle on your life and observe what you are doing (morning)
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia). Human beings: without access to our heart, how do we differ from robots?; Attitude: observe what you are doing, do good deeds, don't do unwholesome things, be generous, have respect and gratitude; Anicca, anatta & dukkha: they are core principles of Buddhism; Kilesas: they build the castle of "self", everything we want, we like or don't want or don't like. Everything we think we are, it's the kilesas; Avijja: it's the master mind, we need to get rid of it and then we're free; The 10 fetters to overcome to become liberated; Problems & difficulties: they arise in our own hearts, so it's here we have to look not outside; Meditation retreat: we restrain the senses to see more clearly the kilesas; Session of Q&A: Samadhi: we need a firm base of practice, we need to have a fix point of reference. "it's useless just to concentrate on awareness"; Experience of one-pointedness: "all what you know is that you dive in and then you dive out"; How to listen to a Dhamma talk with the heart; What kind of Dhamma and meditation for children; How to start body contemplation: focus on one part of the body until you can visualize it;
1:22:42
9 Nov Q&A – About generosity, body contemplation, pain, women's ordination & the present moment (evening)
Session of Q&A given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary – Malaysia. Generosity; Body: measure the time you spend cleaning your body, you should do at least as much for your heart; Evening reflection: how to do it and the benefits to see and realize what one is doing during the day; Pain: only fighting pain, you will always loose but you can try to understand it; Sickness and kamma; Old age, sickness and death: we don't want to see them; Women and ordination: even in the time of the Lord Buddha, the bhikkhunis have to pay respect to the bhikkhus even young monks and there was a reason for this; Present moment & past: memory is very important to investigate and see what one is doing; Heaven and Hell.
41:30
9 Nov We are heartless people, for we live disconnected from our hearts (evening)
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia). Retreat: it means “retreating” to ourselves; Dream: we live in a dream, dreaming about the future and the past, never in the present moment; Lord Buddha's teaching: so logical and easy to understand, yet difficult to do; Science: we cannot rely on it when we practice, but on the knowingness inside our heart; Kilesas: why do we let them come up? Why do we deprive ourselves from happiness? That's something we should ask ourselves; Training meditation is like learning to walk: falling over and trying again without giving up; What is avijja: wanting to know and understand but not in line with the truth; Social-networking: why do we need to post our whole life on this? Is it out of boredom or to prove something? Kamma: it's written in our genes at birth (like the time of our death); Desire (food, sexual craving): we always need something different, not satisfied with what we have; Problems: they only exist in our head, the moment we start to think; How to use money wisely according to the Lord Buddha: 30% for the present needs, 30% for generosity and 40% as savings for the future; Kamma: examples of what leads to wealth, beauty, ugliness etc. Sotapanna: the 3 fetters to cut to enter the stream.
1:21:53
9 Nov How do we investigate the body to reach Sotapanna or Anagami? (afternoon)
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia). Dukkha: how to investigate pain, boredom, loneliness, greed, irritation, anger; Body investigation - how to start: take a part of the body ('hair', or 'hand' or whatever) until we can see or visualize it internally; Sotapanna: method and practice how to realize that the body and the citta/mind are not the same thing (required to enter the stream); Body contemplation: everything that comes into contact with the body (cloth, food) becomes dirty or disgusting, why is that so?; Loathsomeness / asubha practice: it brings up a lot of irritation and anger, the practitioner should be warned, it's a good sign; Anagami: method or practice how to end and overcome greed and hatred, and go beyond good and bad; Session of Q&A: Investigation: method how to question the kilesas until the knowingness from the heart arises; How to fight sleepiness.
52:05
9 Nov What exactly is pain? (morning)
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia)
49:01
8 Nov Q&A – About sati helping sila, laziness, anger, sharing merits & metta practice (evening)
Session of Q&A given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary – Malaysia. Stories of Ajahn's aneurysm (4 times); Importance of the practice of sati to keep the precepts: “you cannot perfect sila without sati and panna”; Overcoming laziness: tips to get disciplined; Strictness of Luangta Maha Bua; The wrong view of the Buddhism in the West “don't worry, be happy, we are buddhists”: “if somebody makes you angry, it's your anger”; Jhanas: “Luangta teaches that if you want complete mastery of the Jhanas, you need 18 years of complete hard work and solitude” (if you haven't developped them in previous lives), but upacara samadhi is sufficient for our practice; Sotapanna: can one attain it by listening to Dhamma?; How sharing merits works: “Of course it works”, like transferring money. It works depending on the connexion you have with the person; Wrong view about Metta meditation: you cannot spread it around, first you need to find it in your heart and then you can invite beings to have a share; How to develop the “body scan” and remove tensions.
1:20:29
8 Nov Stop dreaming - start practicing! There is no happy pill! (evening)
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia). Old age, sickness, death, a monk: the 4 signs that made a deep impression on the mind of the Lord Buddha. The 4 stages of liberation and the 10 fetters: sotapanna, sakadagami, anagami and arahant; Hell and Heaven: these worlds do exist, it's not like some teaches "Hell on earth, heaven on earth", this has nothing to do with the Lord Buddha's teaching; Body decaying & old age; Dukkha: observe one day of your life, if you see it's too much dukkha, "just get the hell out of here" and the way to do it is to practice meditation; Body: what pleasure does this body really give to us? Only when we get rid of unpleasant feelings, then we find this body comfortable; The 4 elements (earth, water, air and fire): everything in this Universe (even thoughts and feelings) is made out of them; Body: it's not something nice or beautiful, it's a chemical factory or a sophisticated biological robot; Pain investigation: do you think the body dies when you seat 3 or 4 hours in meditation? Compare it when you sit 12 hours in the plane (with all the entertainment and distractions), you don't even notice the pain;
1:20:01
8 Nov Wake up! Get a handle on your life (afternoon)
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia)
39:01
8 Nov Get to know yourself (morning)
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia)
49:12
7 Nov Q&A – About walking & sitting meditation, kilesas, pain, sleepiness & over-eating
Session of Q&A given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary – Malaysia. Explanation how to do sitting & walking meditation. Is desire always bad? Turning bad desires into good desires “We need to have the desire to get to Nibbana”; How to stop thinking?; Breath meditation: don't focus on the abdomen; About avijja & the kilesas: avijja is the mastermind, kilesas are its soldiers; Pain investigation: we use it to unhide the kilesas; Trick to fight sleepiness: bring up a situation that made you really angry or excited; Over-eating: “you don't care about the body, you only care about the tongue”;
32:25
7 Nov Retreat means going back into our hearts!
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia)
1:35:53
6 Nov Q&A – About kamma, free will & anatta
Session of Q&A given at Sri Lankan Temple - Mahindarama Buddhist Temple (Penang / Malaysia). Kamma: intention creates kamma; Principle of anatta: “there is 'sadness', not 'I' am sad”; Ants & mosquitoes: “they are beings, don't kill them”; Body: when we start practicing, we realize we have a body with a lot of unpleasant feelings; Kamma & free will: “everything is not pre-determined, every moment you have the choice”; Judging others: in Buddhism, you focus on yourself;
37:28
6 Nov The true Dhamma comes only from the heart
Talk given at Sri Lankan Temple - Mahindarama Buddhist Temple (Penang / Malaysia).
1:53:51
5 Nov Q&A – About kamma & its fruits, intentions and precepts
Session of Q&A given at Sri Lankan Temple - Mahindarama Buddhist Temple (Penang / Malaysia). Kamma: impossible to get rid of bad kamma with good kamma, you have to get the result of it, but you can dilute it if you do a lot of good. Stories of Arahants still getting results of previous bad kamma; Body: you have to take care of it (wash it, feed it, cloth it), it can 2 hours but people spend all their life taking care of the body; Kamma: intention creates kamma, but generally we don't know our true intentions. You can even kill (like a hangman) without doing bad kamma if you don't have the intention to do it; Fruits of kamma: most of it, you will get in the next life, not this life. The 5 precepts and the 3 virtues (generosity/respect/gratitude): they can lead you to heaven; The 8 precepts helps you to become more pure.
25:50
5 Nov The three stages of samadhi
Talk given at Sri Lankan Temple - Mahindarama Buddhist Temple (Penang / Malaysia). Understanding the truth of dukkha: not only 'suffering' (wrong translation), it's also boredom. restlessness, dissatisfaction, discomfort, pain & suffering. - 5 precepts: following the law given by the Lord Buddha not to go down to the lower realms - Outmoded? The Teaching is always up-to-date because the kilesas have not changed - Samadhi: all worries and fear disappear because thoughts disappear; 3 stages of samadhi: description of khanika, upacara and appana samadhi; Appana samadhi: this is a preview of Nibbana as Luangta Maha Bua describes it; Body: like a car or a biological robot, but the driver (i.e the citta) is not the car, "we are not the body"; Body contemplation: "looks what comes out of this body. do you think the body is still a nice thing?"; Investigation of the mind / nama khandhas: impossible to go through as long as you have not finished to investigate the body first; session of Q&A.
1:39:33
4 Nov Each time we are born, we need to train this body (afternoon)
Talk given at Sri Lankan Temple - Mahindarama Buddhist Temple (Penang / Malaysia).
1:47:52
4 Nov Q&A – About combining breath & Buddho, real metta and how to choose the right teacher (morning)
Session of Q&A given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary – Malaysia. Advice for beginners: combining breath and Buddho, the mind doesn't slip away so easily; Metta meditation: a lot of fake metta practice ('spreading metta'), the real metta is in your heart, you need to go there first and invite beings to share it then; Different teachers, who to trust?: like the Lord Buddha said to the people of Kalama, try it and see if the results are wholesome by yourself; Sleeping well: if you have trouble with sleep, Buddho is the best medecine, when the mind gets calm, it wants to sleep; Light appearing in meditation: don't pay attention about it, or if it's stable, try to bring it to the heart.
19:34
4 Nov Happiness arises when the heart is empty (morning)
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia)
1:34:36
3 Nov Q&A – About the purpose of life, the nature of the kilesas & Nibbana
Session of Q&A given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary – Malaysia. Need to know what you want in your life: being a human, going to heaven, getting out of the cycle, but you need to know not to waste your life; Choices: every moment, you have choices, but you need to fight to go against the likes & dislikes of the kilesas; Human life is very precious, but we forget that; Buddho: everything subsides (anger, greed, all sorts of feelings) when you put your attention on the Buddho; Blindness: we're like blind people when we talk about the Dhamma and fight about our views; Investigation: like a physicist, we have to catch every moment of the experience; Greed & anger is rooted in the body, delusion is rooted in the mind khandhas (mainly thoughts and memories); Kilesas: don't call them defilements, they are the soldiers of avijja, we need to fight them; Confusion about kilesas and anatta: some thinks they are liberated because they considered kilesas are not-self/anatta, but that's not the Nibbana of the Lord Buddha where kilesas don't arise anymore at all.
1:05:32
3 Nov There is nothing in the world that has more value than Dhamma
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia)
1:19:47
2 Nov Q&A – About the citta, knowingness, heart & mind
Session of Q&A given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary – Malaysia. Is “Citta” and “Knowingness” the same thing? Is “heart” and “mind” the same thing? In Thailand, it's almost the same, in the West, it was separated by the Greeks 2000 years ago; “The knowingness of the citta is the only permanent thing” - “the everlasting tourist” in the words of Luangta Maha Bua; Moment of death: it's important to recall the good deeds that a dying person did for him to go to a good destination; Pain investigation: you go to the point where you really think you're going to die; Heart: only the heart has the ability to let go, not the mind; Evening reflection: you show the heart what it does and when it sees clearly that something has bad results, it lets go; Body investigation: you can see all part very clearly and know your body much more than any doctor can, “it's the citta who built this body”.
1:10:43
2 Nov Don't get bossed around! (the principle of anatta)
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia)
1:45:20
1 Nov Do we want to become human beings or stay just being sophisticated robots
Talk given at Bodhi Heart Sanctuary - Penang (Malaysia)
1:47:25

All Videos in Malaysia

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