Ajahn Sona

The 37 Requisites of Enlightenment (7): Reintroducing the Requisites

September 03, 2023 18:00 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MB

Talk 7 (of 12) from an in-person retreat at Birken Forest Monastery in May of 2023.

The 37 Requisites of Enlightenment (6): The Four Foundations of Mindfulness

September 03, 2023 17:58 - 49 minutes - 45.9 MB

Talk 6 (of 12) from an in-person retreat at Birken Forest Monastery in May of 2023.

The 37 Requisites of Enlightenment (5): The Four Roads to Psychic Power (Iddhipāda)

September 03, 2023 17:57 - 50 minutes - 46.8 MB

Talk 5 (of 12) from an in-person retreat at Birken Forest Monastery in May of 2023. In this talk Ajahn Sona discusses the Four Iddhipāda.

The 37 Requisites of Enlightenment (4): A Path of Exertion and Effort

September 03, 2023 17:48 - 43 minutes - 40 MB

Talk 4 (of 12) from an in-person retreat at Birken Forest Monastery in May of 2023. In this talk Ajahn Sona discusses the Four Right Efforts.

The 37 Requisites of Enlightenment (3): Perfecting the Craft of Dhamma

September 03, 2023 17:47 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MB

Talk 3 (of 12) from an in-person retreat at Birken Forest Monastery in May of 2023. In this talk Ajahn Sona discusses the Five Powers.

The 37 Requisites of Enlightenment (2): Two For the Price of One

September 03, 2023 17:44 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MB

Talk 2 (of 12) from an in-person retreat at Birken Forest Monastery in May of 2023. In this talk Ajahn Sona discusses the Five Faculties.

The 37 Requisites of Enlightenment (1): The Buddha's Phone Number

September 03, 2023 17:43 - 37 minutes - 34.9 MB

Talk 1 (of 12) from an in-person retreat at Birken Forest Monastery in May of 2023. An introduction to the 37 Requisites and an overview of Right Effort.

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment (6) - Moving to Perfect Balance

January 08, 2023 21:55 - 41 minutes - 38.5 MB

Talk 6 (of 6) in a 6-day Virtual Retreat. Given at Birken Forest Monastery, December 2022.

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment (5) - Coasting to Freedom

January 08, 2023 21:51 - 35 minutes - 33.4 MB

Talk 5 (of 6) in a 6-day Virtual Retreat. Given at Birken Forest Monastery, December 2022.

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment (4) - Refreshing Energy, Joyful States

January 08, 2023 21:50 - 36 minutes - 34.2 MB

Talk 4 (of 6) in a 6-day Virtual Retreat. Given at Birken Forest Monastery, December 2022.

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment (3) - The Investigation Begins

January 08, 2023 21:47 - 27 minutes - 26.3 MB

Talk 3 (of 6) in a 6-day Virtual Retreat. Given at Birken Forest Monastery, December 2022.

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment (2) - No Surprise...Mindfulness is Necessary

January 08, 2023 21:45 - 36 minutes - 34.1 MB

Talk 2 (of 6) in a 6-day Virtual Retreat. Given at Birken Forest Monastery, December 2022.

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment (1) - The Structure of the Enlightened Mind

January 08, 2023 21:42 - 30 minutes - 28.5 MB

Talk 1 (of 6) in a 6-day Virtual Retreat. Given at Birken Forest Monastery, December 2022.

The Natural Elements (5) -The Elements of Peace

August 09, 2022 01:32 - 24 minutes - 23.3 MB

Talk 5 (of 5) in a 5-day Virtual Retreat. This talk focuses on the kasinas of the four primary colors, and was given by Ajahn Sona at Birken Forest Monastery, June 2022.

The Natural Elements (4) -The Color Kasinas

August 09, 2022 01:29 - 35 minutes - 33.2 MB

Talk 4 (of 5) in a 5-day Virtual Retreat. This talk focuses on the kasinas of the four primary colors, and was given by Ajahn Sona at Birken Forest Monastery, June 2022.

The Natural Elements (3) - Transforming the World Around You

August 09, 2022 01:26 - 31 minutes - 29.9 MB

Talk 3 (of 5) in a 5-day Virtual Retreat. This talk focuses on the air and fire element kasinas, and was given by Ajahn Sona at Birken Forest Monastery, June 2022.

The Natural Elements (2) - The Sign of Success

August 09, 2022 01:22 - 42 minutes - 39.7 MB

Talk 2 (of 5) in a 5-day Virtual Retreat. This talk focuses on the earth and water element kasinas, and was given by Ajahn Sona at Birken Forest Monastery, June 2022.

The Natural Elements (1) - Better Than Magic

August 09, 2022 01:17 - 32 minutes - 30.3 MB

Talk 1 (of 5) in a 5-day Virtual Retreat on the element and color kasinas given by Ajahn Sona at Birken Forest Monastery, June 2022.

The Highest Blessings (6) - Finally Secure

January 28, 2022 06:35 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MB

Talk 6 from The Highest Blessings Virtual Retreat, recorded December 2021 at Birken Forest Monastery.

The Highest Blessings (5) - The Physics of Generosity

January 28, 2022 06:34 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MB

Talk 5 from The Highest Blessings Virtual Retreat, recorded December 2021 at Birken Forest Monastery.

The Highest Blessings (4) - On Family

January 28, 2022 06:32 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MB

Talk 4 from The Highest Blessings Virtual Retreat, recorded December 2021 at Birken Forest Monastery.

The Highest Blessings (3) - Begin Well, End Well

January 28, 2022 06:31 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MB

Talk 3 from The Highest Blessings Virtual Retreat, recorded December 2021 at Birken Forest Monastery.

The Highest Blessings (2) - Leading Up From Magnificence

January 28, 2022 06:30 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MB

Talk 2 from The Highest Blessings Virtual Retreat, recorded December 2021 at Birken Forest Monastery.

The Highest Blessings Retreat (1) - Shaping a Better Life

January 28, 2022 06:28 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MB

Talk 1 from The Highest Blessings Virtual Retreat, recorded December 2021 at Birken Forest Monastery.

Maranasati: Buddhist Reflections on Death

July 17, 2021 15:00 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MB

Ajahn Sona offers a Dhamma reflection on the practice of Maranasati, the Buddhist recollection of death.

Vesak - The Buddha's Birthday: Dhamma Talk and Q&A with Ajahn Sona

May 28, 2021 02:21 - 1 hour - 59.7 MB

Vesak is the celebration of the birth, Enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, celebrated by Buddhists on the full moon of May. On this auspicious day, Ajahn Sona offers a Dhamma reflection and answers questions from around the world. Opens with a Dhamma Talk; Q&A begins at 23:52.

Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (9) with Ajahn Sona

May 09, 2021 19:00 - 56 minutes - 52.3 MB

Teatime at Birken (9 of 9) streamed live as part of the Virtual Metta Retreat (December 23-31, 2020). Index of questions: 00:00 - Welcome 00:30 - How does one practice Loving-kindness when entangled with unskillful people? 09:12 - In the past, I used to end my sittings with a smile and start to laugh. Is this “laughing-kindness” like “Loving-kindness”? 11:41 - In a Jataka story, the Bodhisatta practices patience (Khanti). Isn’t it a practice of Loving-kindness as well? 15:34 - What st...

Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (8) with Ajahn Sona

May 08, 2021 19:00 - 58 minutes - 54 MB

Teatime at Birken (8 of 9) streamed live as part of the Virtual Metta Retreat (December 23-31, 2020). Index of questions: 00:00 - Welcome 00:32 - Beings in nature are inevitably food for other beings, so how does sending Loving-kindness fit in with the food chain? 05:02 - What do monks do when they are having ongoing health problems? 10:59 - How does Metta practice relate to the compilation of death? 15:09 - Sometimes Metta fades and it’s tiring to keep generating it. Any suggestions?...

Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (7) with Ajahn Sona

May 07, 2021 19:00 - 56 minutes - 52.8 MB

Teatime at Birken (7 of 9) streamed live as part of the Virtual Metta Retreat (December 23-31, 2020). Index of questions: 00:00 - Welcome 00:20 - How does one get the right balance between breath meditation and Metta practice? 07:35 - How does kamma relate to past actions? What releases us from negative past actions and corresponding results? 19:00 - How does one balance retreating from the world when opportunities arise to make active contributions in the world? 24:02 - How do we...

Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (6) with Ajahn Sona

May 06, 2021 19:00 - 56 minutes - 52.6 MB

Teatime at Birken (6 of 9) streamed live as part of the Virtual Metta Retreat (December 23-31, 2020). Index of questions: 00:00 - Welcome 00:28 - Can Metta protect one from greed and sense desires? 10:54 - How can one be “a graceful receiver” in a relationship, rather than the giving end? 21:04 - Is there a way to cultivate Metta without words? 24:52 - Does Loving-kindness require vulnerability and forgiveness for oneself and others? 27:33 - You’ve said that one should not be g...

Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (5) with Ajahn Sona

May 05, 2021 19:00 - 56 minutes - 52.2 MB

Teatime at Birken (5 of 9) streamed live as part of the Virtual Metta Retreat (December 23-31, 2020). Index of questions: 00:00 - Welcome 00:23 - Does Metta include patiently bearing with the unpleasant? 07:34 - Can you speak of Metta towards objects or natural elements? Like, towards snow. 16:18 - What is the middle way in cultivating Metta powerfully without trying to force it? 22:24 - Do you need to be a Buddhist to recieve or radiate Metta? Does speaking Pali help? 26:31 - ...

Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (4) with Ajahn Sona

May 04, 2021 19:00 - 51 minutes - 47.8 MB

Teatime at Birken (4 of 9) streamed live as part of the Virtual Metta Retreat (December 23-31, 2020). Index of questions: 00:00 - Welcome 00:33 - Which requires greater effort - overcoming bodily or mental unpleasant feelings? 10:33 - How do we give meaning to Loving-kindness as kusala-kriya - skillfully moving towards the ultimate release of suffering? 23:05 - Could it be that the pandemic has brought good conditions for the development of Metta? 32:53 - Can Metta lead to the Jhanas ...

Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (3) with Ajahn Sona

May 04, 2021 01:00 - 52 minutes - 49.2 MB

Teatime at Birken (3 of 9) streamed live as part of the Virtual Metta Retreat (December 23-31, 2020). Index of questions: 00:00 - Welcome 00:36 - Did the Buddha teach Metta in the same structured approach as taught by lay retreat teachers? 08:46 - Is a sweet feeling in the middle of the chest a natural response when cultivating Metta? 16:30 - How do you work with joy and energy when they get in the way of sleep? 19:30 - How does Metta transform perception? 29:27 - Can the notion of...

Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (2) with Ajahn Sona

May 02, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 56 MB

Teatime at Birken (2 of 9) streamed live as part of the Virtual Metta Retreat (December 23-31, 2020). Index of questions: 00:00 - Welcome 00:41 - When using Metta to induce a sense of safety, images arise of the possibility of not being safe. How to best work with this? 11:01 - Of the Four Divine Abidings, is Metta the most important for our daily lives? 23:03 - How can one skillfully relate to remorse over harmful speech done in the past? 29:09 - How does one get to an embodied exper...

Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (1) with Ajahn Sona

May 01, 2021 19:00 - 58 minutes - 54.3 MB

Edited HD version of Teatime at Birken (1 of 9) streamed live as part of the Virtual Metta Retreat (December 23-31, 2020). Index of questions: 00:00 - Welcome 01:57 - What is the relationship between Metta and the Seven Factors of Enlightenment? 06:02 - As Metta arises in the body, what sensations arise as a result? 18:15 - Is the development of good ethics (Sila) the foundation for generating Metta? 26:20 - When on this Metta cruise on the canoe, is it OK if I want to be on a ya...

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