From this videoconference talk from 17 May 2019, Ajahn Anan discusses Visakha Puja and The Four Noble Truths.
An excerpt: “This week we are approaching the commemoration of the Visakha Puja… And we know well that this is the day that the Buddha was born, became enlightened and entered parinibbana, or final enlightenment, on the full moon of the 6th lunar month. The Perfectly Awakened One was born as a Bodhisattva on the full moon of Visakha, with his parami, or spiritual perfections, completely full. And this would allow him to fulfil an aspiration to become enlightened as a Buddha in this very life. But to get to this day the Buddha needed to build the 10 paramis such as effort, endurance, sila, metta, wisdom, and so on, to the level where he was willing to sacrifice his own bodily parts, and even his own life for the purpose of becoming enlightened as a Buddha.
Can we see that the virtue of great compassion that the Buddha possessed is unlimited and unbounded?”
Note: One can read Dhamma talk transcripts at the Wat Marp Jan ‘Reflections’ page, which also includes questions and answers with Ajahn Anan, which are not in the audio files. See: https://watmarpjan.org/en/dhamma-reflections/reflections-archive/
From this videoconference talk from 10 May 2019, Ajahn Anan discusses winning the lottery and one’s merits.
An excerpt: “This topic today should teach us that we should be firm in goodness, we should have virtue, maintaining the 5 moral precepts. We don’t steal from others. We have lovingkindness (metta) and compassion (karuna) to others.”
Note: One can read Dhamma talk transcripts at the Wat Marp Jan ‘Reflections’ page, which also includes questions and answers with Ajahn Anan, which are not in the audio files. See: https://watmarpjan.org/en/dhamma-reflections/reflections-archive/
In this videoconference talk from 5 April 2019, Ajahn Anan discusses his recent birthday celebration and the quality of mudita.
An excerpt: “Today on the occasion of my birthday, all of you, the monastics, lay men and women, are intent to show your respect and ‘mudita’ (sympathetic joy). This pali word, mudita, also translates as tenderness. It is the mind that has tenderness. When we meditate by bringing up thoughts of sympathetic joy for others good fortunes, this can lead us to experience a very blissful state of mind. Developing this mind of mudita is very difficult to develop in meditation. This is because it is the nature of the mind to have regular thoughts of envy, ill-will, and harm. When we have delusion in the mind, then we have this feeling of “me” and “mine” and then there is no acknowledgment of the goodness of others.”
Note: One can read Dhamma talk transcripts at the Wat Marp Jan ‘Reflections’ page, which also includes questions and answers with Ajahn Anan, which are not in the audio files. See: https://watmarpjan.org/en/dhamma-reflections/reflections-archive/
In this videoconference talk from 5 October 2018, Ajahn Anan discusses the proper way of practice – how to relate to the desire for enlightenment, how to let go with wisdom, and more.
An excerpt: “It is important to be able to enter the stream of the Dhamma of the Buddha, and for us to become an ariya puggala, a Noble being, in the Buddha-sasana. But when we practice Dhamma, we have desire (craving) arise. This desire becomes an obstacle…. Because the desire that arises is like a rock that lies on top of our heart and makes it heavier. And it makes Dhamma practice progress slowly. The real practice must purify the mind, or it takes away the heaviness.”
Note: One can read Dhamma talk transcripts at the Wat Marp Jan ‘Reflections’ page. These include questions and answers with Ajahn Anan, which are not in the audio files. See: https://watmarpjan.org/en/dhamma-reflections/reflections-archive/
In this videoconference talk from 30 November 2018, Ajahn Anan discusses the stories of two monks from the Buddha’s time who dealt with different sicknesses but both succeeded in their practice in the end.
An excerpt: “Though his body wasn’t strong and his health was no good, but with his wisdom and intelligence, he could listen and receive the Dhamma of the Buddha, and could have knowing and clear seeing arise instantly. He could overcome his mental defilements, and there was no need to be born again into samsara, this round of birth and death and suffering, again. Can you see that wisdom and intelligence is important to fully cut off the mental defilements.”
Note: One can read Dhamma talk transcripts at the Wat Marp Jan ‘Reflections’ page. These include questions and answers with Ajahn Anan, which are not in the audio files. This talk’s transcript can be found here: https://watmarpjan.org/en/two-sick-monks/
In this videoconference talk from 12 October 2018, Ajahn Anan discusses the vegetarian festival and the benefits of vegetarianism.
An excerpt: “So may we be confident that the good things we do in the present will certainly have good results which will arise, and the bad things that we receive are from the past bad actions that we have done. May we be confident in this and then be determined to give up unskilful actions, to do meritorious actions , and to purify the mind.”
Note: One can read Dhamma talk transcripts at the Wat Marp Jan ‘Reflections’ page. These include questions and answers with Ajahn Anan, which are not in the audio files. See: https://watmarpjan.org/en/dhamma-reflections/reflections-archive/
From this videoconference talk from 14 February 2020, Ajahn Anan discusses the importance of lovingkindness, or metta, and giving.
An excerpt: “It’s like the trees in a drought—the trees are dry because they lack water. It is similar to a tree standing upright but close to death, like it has no life, the leaves have all fallen. This is like the mind of a person that is dry and that has no goodness. One can feel that life doesn’t really have much value. When we become aware of this, then we come and search for the way out. When we can meet with goodness, meet with Dhamma, and then practice Dhamma, then this will moisten and freshen up our minds. Just like when it rains, the ground becomes moist, then the trees and grass become green. The rivers and dams become full. Underneath the ground, the soil is fertile.”
Note: One can read this talk and others at the Wat Marp Jan ‘Reflections’ page, which also includes questions and answers with Ajahn Anan, which are not in the audio files. See: https://watmarpjan.org/en/dhamma-reflections/reflections-archive/
From this videoconference talk from 3 April 2020, Ajahn Anan discusses positive things that we can learn from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Note: Much of this talk is talk is taken from a social media post that was originally mistakenly attributed to Bill Gates. The post has been revealed to not be from Bill Gates but from an unknown source.
An excerpt: “So Covid-10 makes us change the way we do things and encourages us to protect each other and to have self-sacrifice and loving-kindness to each other. It is the quality of metta, loving kindness that supports the world, which is a truth the Buddha taught.”
Note: One can read Dhamma talk transcripts at the Wat Marp Jan ‘Reflections’ page. These include questions and answers with Ajahn Anan, which are not in the audio files. See: https://watmarpjan.org/en/dhamma-reflections/reflections-archive/
In this videoconference talk from 26 October 2018, Ajahn Anan discusses the annual Kathina ceremony, which is a ceremony held after the end of the rains retreat when 5 or more monks have spent the rainy season retreat together in one monastery.
An excerpt: “The Buddha said that the benefit of the Kathina offering is not just for the people offering the cloth, but to every person in the ceremony. Every mind coming together with harmony will have the same benefit. This harmony has great benefit – in the worldly way and in the Dhamma, one will meet with success. May all your minds be intent to have forgiveness to each other and to have harmony.”
Note: One can read Dhamma talk transcripts at the Wat Marp Jan ‘Reflections’ page. These include questions and answers with Ajahn Anan, which are not in the audio files. One can read transcripts here: https://watmarpjan.org/en/dhamma-reflections/reflections-archive/
In this videoconference talk from 7 December 2018, Ajahn Anan discusses clinging, truthfulness, and five types of blessings that the monks often chant.
An excerpt: “Ven. Cakkhupala become totally enlightened, free from having to go around the never-ending cycle of birth and death again. But those with clinging and attachment must be born and die in this cycle of samsara. The spiritual perfection of truthfulness is important. Because if one has the perfection of truthfulness, then khanti parami, the spiritual perfection of patient endurance, will follow. If we keep our vows, this becomes strength and power that helps our mind progress well.”
Note: One can read Dhamma talk transcripts at the Wat Marp Jan ‘Reflections’ page. These include questions and answers with Ajahn Anan, which are not in the audio files. One can read this talk’s transcript here: https://watmarpjan.org/en/clinging-truthfulness-and-the-five-blessings/