Live from Birken: Dhamma Q&A with Ajahn Sona (12.31.2023)

Описание: NOTE: Vote in poll for livestream time in early 2024 here https://www.youtube.com/@AjahnSona/co.... (first post)
Join us on Sunday as Ajahn Sona answers Dhamma questions from listeners around the world. Questions may be submitted during the live chat (opens ~8:00am day of stream) or in advance, here: https://bit.ly/LivestreamQnA

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Index of Questions

00:00 - INTRO
00:24 - RETREAT PRACTICE: Greetings from my personal retreat! Today my mind got flooded with memories of various dhammic experiences from past retreats. While I like to reflect on them, the emotional intensity seems like a subtle distraction. Would you please advise on how to work with that?
03:09 - NEW POLL FOR LIVESTREAM TIME: Vote in our poll this week for your preferred time of our live broadcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@AjahnSona/co...
07:58 - DEATH OF THE BODY: When the body dies, is there anything I should focus on during the process? Would it be advisable to project loving kindness as the body passes? Are there any mistakes I should avoid during the process of my body dying?
22:00 - JURY DUTY: I have been summoned to perform jury duty for a murder trial without the death penalty. Any advice from the Buddha on how to proceed?
24:26 - HOUSEHOLDER RESPONSIBILITIES: Over the last year my responsibilities with children, elders, work and my household have been overwhelming. I find that I have little time left for the practice. I feel like I am going backward in the practice, or losing the foundations I previously built. These householdering obligations are very real, and important, but how can I create more balance?
29:29 - SHARING DHAMMA: I am starting a new job in a place where people come to connect with nature, to rest & take a break from their everyday life. The thought of me sharing the practice of loving kindness & breath meditation to people who are open to it brings me great joy, since these teachings have had great impact in my life. What are your thoughts of laypeople sharing these practices?
32:19 - DIFFICULT EMOTIONS: When old childhood wounds get triggered, (again and again), how does one eliminate them for good, from the mind?
38:33 - STAGES OF ENLIGHTENMENT: Please help me understand what eliminating the 1st fetter looks like. Is it just a commitment to the idea of no self or being free of any suffering related to the self? It's confusing because if I didn't have an attachment to my self, I wouldn't imagine I'd struggle with other fetters like ill will.
42:24 - RECOLLECTION OF PEACE: Please reflect for us on the tenth anussati, Upasamānussati, the tenth recollection.
46:33 - SETTING INTENTIONS: I would appreciate any advice you have for setting right new year's intentions.
48:49 - TOO MUCH DHAMMA?: Is there such a thing as too much dhamma? I’m asking if it is wise to take a break from a group and investigate and reflect on the tools one received so as to proceed wisely for the next journey, allowing experiences of daily lives to be acknowledged.
51:47 - BREATH MEDITATION: When observing the breath at the nostrils, a cool sensation is felt upon inhaling at the front of the nostrils and a warmer feeling from behind at exhaling. This makes it difficult to cultivate a static nimitta. However, by concentrating on the borderland where the cool meets the warm, I seem to find a middle ground. Does this allow for the cultivation of a stable nimitta undisturbed by oscillations?
54:43 - MEDICATIONS & MEDITATION: Does the neurological injury of being on psychiatric medications hinder one’s progress on the path toward samadhi and jhana?