Oct 1: Today we continued with sila, morality by Ajahn Brahmali and Bhante Bodhidaja. They encouraged us to see moral behaviour as a gift of safety to others and ourselves. Todays discussion was Part 1V #12, the second half.
Oct 5: Tonight we started Part 3 with Bhante Bodhidhaja discussing not taking what is not offered. We also did a guided meditation by Ven. Chandako of Vimutti Buddhist Monastery in New Zealand. The meditation was on taking the body apart and then reassembling it twice, while asking ourselves "is this part what I consider me?" He feels this meditation is excellent for helping us reaize anatta....no permanent aspect to our "self", just a river of changes due to causes and conditions.
Oct 8: Ayya Ahimsa of Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery joined us this morning to give us a talk on being one's own best friend. Sadly there were internect connectivity difficulties so she will offer this talk next month. As a group we shared reflections on this topic. The main conclusion was the importance of having a balance between studying, hearing Dhamma, helping others AND attending to our own practice.
Oct 12: Tonight we contined with the talk from Oct 5th on not taking what is not given (Part 3).
Oct 15: This morning Ajahn Brahmali and Bhante Bodhidhaja discussed morality as it applies to speech (Part V #13). This is known as Right Speech in the Noble Eightfold Path.
Oct 19: Tonight we started with a guided meditation (Part 3 at 57:14) by Bhante Bodhidhaja on the positive aspects of the second precept.....taking care of the belongings of others. Then the Dhamma talk was on the third precept: appropriate sexuality (Part 4).
Oct 22: Today we continued with the talk from last week on morality as it applies to speech (Part V #13).
Oct 26: Tonight we finished listening to Bhante Bodhidhaja's talk on morality as it applies to sexuality (Part 4)
Oct 29: This morning we finished listening to Right Speech by Ajahn Brahmali and Bhante Bodhidhaja (Part V #13)