Ajahn Brahm is the popular Buddhist teacher to a growing international audience of people keen to learn meditation and develop a deeper spiritual understanding. He is also the founding father of an emergent Australian forest tradition of Buddhist monasticism focused on being true to the original roots of the Buddha's Teaching of Dhamma and Vinaya.
Ajahn Brahm was born in London in 1951 and earned a degree in theoretical physics from Cambridge University. He became a monk in 1974 in the Forest Tradition of north-east Thailand under the highly esteemed meditation master Ajahn Chah. Ajahn Brahm is today a revered spiritual teacher and guide, and is abbot of the largest Buddhist monastery in the Southern Hemisphere. He is the author of Opening the Door Of Your Heart (a.k.a. Who Ordered this Truckload of Dung?), Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond, The Art of Disappearing and Don’t Worry Be Grumpy (a.k.a. Good? Bad? Who knows?). His public teachings regularly attract thousands to his inventive and insightful talks, which are heard by millions of people online.
Related Episodes
Read Your Mind, Not the Books
Buddhism doesn't follow a specific holy book like other religions do. The essence of Buddhism lies in the truth and wisdom that can be found within one's own mind through meditation, rather than in any written texts. In this talk, Ajahn Brahm, discusses the importance of understanding and applying t...
Tolerance Explored
In this talk, Ajahn Brahm discusses the concept of tolerance. He starts by talking about how sometimes we may need to tolerate aches and pains in the body, but instead of just bearing with them, we should investigate and understand them. This can help us find solutions and can also lead to a deeper ...
Happiness Industry: Joy At Last!
Ajahn Brahm discusses the idea of the "happiness industry," where there is a focus on finding happiness through seminars, classes, and other means. The author argues that this industry may not always address underlying social issues and may just promote changing one's attitude instead of taking acti...
How To Change The World
Thistalk is about the responsibility of Buddhists to contribute to social issues, such as global warming and social activism, as the religion continues to grow in numbers. It compares the Buddha's rejection of becoming a world leader to the temptation of Jesus in Christianity. It emphasizes the impo...
Procrastination/Hierarchy of Life's Meaning
Ajahn Brahm briefly explores multiple suggestions for the topic of the talk, including the meaning of life, the approach to dealing with sick animals, separation, and procrastination. He then goes on to discuss the idea of procrastination as a useful tool in creating stillness and peace, and shares ...
Interconnectedness
This talk is about the concept of interconnectedness, which is the idea that our actions and thoughts have a wider effect on others and the world around us. Ajahn Brahm talks about how small acts of kindness and caring can have a big impact, and encourages people to take responsibility for their act...
Dealing With Your Emotions
This talk is about dealing with emotions from a Buddhist perspective. Ajahn Brahm points out that often people talk about negative emotions such as grief, anger, and fear, but positive emotions like inspiration, love, and compassion are also important. He mentions that emotions can be manipulated, a...
Accountability
Ajahn Brahm introduces the topic of accountability and how it is pertinent to issues such as climate change and ethics. He discuss how the demands of the present can take priority and prevent people from addressing bigger problems. He also talk about the benefits of slowing down and seeing the bigge...
Buddhism and Sects
The title of the talk is Buddhism and Sex, but it is actually about the different sects of Buddhism. The speaker explains that there should be no judgment or hierarchy between different traditions and that it is more important to focus on how one uses the teachings. He gives examples of how monks fr...
The Right To Believe?
The talk discusses the topic of the right to believe and how it affects our everyday lives. Ajahn Brahm brings up the dangers and consequences of holding extreme or harmful beliefs, such as seen in cases of mental illness or acts of violence. He also discusses the prioritization of beliefs and how i...