Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
User1249x
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Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by User1249x »

Do you know of some impressive meditation monks?

Tell me about them.
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JamesTheGiant
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by JamesTheGiant »

Ajahn Brahmavamso is one. Whatever you think of the man himself and his personality, his meditation is impressive and above the 4th jhana. And this is proper Hard Jhana, not Jhana-Lite.

Sayadaw U Teijania is another amazing meditation monk. I don't know anything about his meditative attainments but on one of his retreats he said he went 2 years without losing continuous awareness. This was in response to my question about my day on retreat, where one day I only lost awareness three times for less than 30sec each. Two years!

There are bound to be hundreds of little-known meditation monks out there in the jungle/mountains/wherever but we'll never know about them.
SarathW
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by SarathW »

without losing continuous awareness.
Hi James
What do you mean by this?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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JamesTheGiant
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by JamesTheGiant »

SarathW wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:34 am
without losing continuous awareness.
Hi James
What do you mean by this?
Continuous and uninterrupted conscious awareness of whatever meditation object, whether it be breath or sensation or whatever. Not losing the focus on the meditation object.
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DooDoot
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by DooDoot »

JamesTheGiant wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:44 amAjahn Brahmavamso is one. Whatever you think of the man himself and his personality, his meditation is impressive and above the 4th jhana. And this is proper Hard Jhana, not Jhana-Lite.
I can't know anything about the mind of Ajahn Brahmavamso since my mind does not have psychic powers but I am impressed with his book: "Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond" and would highly recommend it. Maybe the only decent book I have read on how to meditate (apart from the suttas) because it accords with the instructions in SN 48.10 and at the end of MN 118. At least the meditation method is "heartwood".

:anjali:
Last edited by DooDoot on Tue Oct 16, 2018 7:12 am, edited 6 times in total.
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SarathW
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by SarathW »

"Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond" and would highly recommend it.
Is there a link to free download?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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JamesTheGiant
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by JamesTheGiant »

SarathW wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 8:56 am
"Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond" and would highly recommend it.
Is there a link to free download?
Unfortunately the copyright is owned by Wisdom Publications, the same company who charges very high prices for the Suttas translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi.
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DooDoot
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by DooDoot »

JamesTheGiant wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:11 am Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond"
Intro: https://www.wisdompubs.org/sites/defaul ... review.pdf
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/paticcasamuppada
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ToVincent
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by ToVincent »

Anyone with a profound knowledge of the wrongly translated Nikayas, could come up with such meditative attainments.
:buddha1:
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Volo
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by Volo »

ToVincent wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:08 am Anyone with a profound knowledge of the wrongly translated Nikayas, could come up with such meditative attainments.
:thinking: Could you clarify?
dharmacorps
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by dharmacorps »

Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Ajahn Amaro. Ajahn Sumedho. Those are 3 monks who I think have well rounded meditation practices along with great wisdom. I can't really say much about Ajahn Brahm other than that I have found Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond to be really different than my experience in meditation.
SarathW
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by SarathW »

I have found Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond to be really different than my experience in meditation.
Could you give an example where you think his teaching is not in accordance with the Sutta?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
budo
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by budo »

These days I personally follow Ajahn Sona and Bhikkhu Analayo. In the past I followed Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Henepola Gunaratana and Ayya Khema/Leigh Brasington methods, which all of those Anapanasati variants gave me results. I supplemented these with Ajahn Tong/Mahasi Sayadaw techniques as well.

Analayo's latest book has Satipathana meditation exercises, free here https://www.windhorsepublications.com/s ... ion-audio/

Ajahn Sona 5 series guide videos on Anapanasati are great as well -
dharmacorps
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by dharmacorps »

SarathW wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 8:13 pm
Could you give an example where you think his teaching is not in accordance with the Sutta?
That's not what I said. I said his description of meditation isn't what I experience. I have no idea what he based his meditation instructions on-- it may be the suttas, but is probably more commentary oriented.
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Volo
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Re: Who are the contemporary meditation monks?

Post by Volo »

dharmacorps wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:19 pmI have no idea what he based his meditation instructions on-- it may be the suttas, but is probably more commentary oriented.
As with most of contemporary western meditation teachers it is based on his own experience, and only "inspired" by suttas or commentaries. E.g. if the teacher has nimitta, he would say one needs it, if not, he would call it heresy. The same is with deep/light jhāna, etc. Therefore all what they (contemporary western teachers) say might be useful as it is the case with anyone's personal experience, but better eventually to rely on serious ancient meditation manuals like Vism.
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