Finding Peace Amidst War: A Ukrainian Monk’s Story | Bhante Thithidhammo

Bhante Thitidhammo

AI Generated Transcription

Sol Hanna

Welcome to Treasure Mountain, the podcast that inspires and guides us to find the treasure within human experience. I’m your host Sol Hanna.

Joining us on this episode is a humble monk who was quietly practicing meditation in northern Thailand until he returned to his native Ukraine just three months before the Russian invasion in February 2022. Bhante Thithidhammo was born in the former Soviet Union in 1971. He was a reserved child who enjoyed spending time alone, reading and sometimes visiting Orthodox Christian monasteries for the quiet environment. At age 14, Bhante Thithidhammo and a friend became interested in the mysticism of Tibet and both decided they would like to be monks in Tibet. However it would not be until many years later whilst on a meditation retreat in Thailand when he decided to go forth as a samanera. After six month he disrobed and returned to Ukraine, however, life seemed unfulfilling and he returned to Thailand to ordain again in early 2015 in the Forest Tradition under his teacher Ajahn Suchart in northern Thailand.

Bhante Thithidhammo returned to Kyiv shortly before the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022 and experienced some hair raising situations as the Russian army closed in on his position near Kyiv. Despite enduring many difficulties along with millions of other Ukrainians, Bhante Thithidhammo bears no ill-will and thinks of Ukrainians and Russians (and all humans) as being like one big family. He has gone on to become a teacher to Ukrainians, Belorussians and Russians, both online and in person. He teaches both in Ukrainian and Russian, and is finding that there is an increasing interest in the teachings of Buddhism and practices like meditation.

Bhante Thithidhammo is kindly joining us today from Kyiv and we will be finding out a little about his experiences over the past year or so, and how the practice of Dhamma is helping people find peace amidst war.

I’m so glad that you have chosen to join us as we seek for the treasure within…

Sol Hanna

Welcome to Treasure Mountain. Bhante, how are you today?

Bhante Thitidhammo

I'm fine, hello. Thank you for having me here. I hope your listeners will bear with me for some time.

Sol Hanna

Yes, I should perhaps mention Bhante Thitidhammo's third language is English. So he's doing his very best. And we should all be patient because he's got a very special message for us. Now, Bhante, before we dive into this interview about your recent experiences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to Ordaining as a bhikkhu..

Bhante Thitidhammo

3:13

Well, as you said just before, it was nothing special in my biography. Was born in Soviet Union in 1971. Grew up as a very reserved child. Always like to be on my own. And most of my time I used to spend with reading books. More lately visiting Orthodox church and temples within my city because of their peacefulness, because of the calm. I never understood ideas of Christianity, but the idea of hermit life as a monk was always appealed to me. And then at the age of 14, my friends and I, we became fascinated with mysticism of Tibet and started to read some books about again tibet, China, Buddhism, Zen Buddhism. Later on, I took up some practice about wushu gymnastic and meditate in my own. But, you know, then, like, sort of hit the life with all its ups and downs, mistakes, failures, happiness and sadness. We call it like Russian roller coaster. Ah, one interesting thing. After my ordination, I always felt like I missed something out. Like something must be done. And that's just what happened when I was in my forties, it turned out. Like something, like pulled me out from my life. I explain it very often. Like I jumped in a loved carriage of the train. So in 2014, I find myself in Thailand in one meditation center. Him. And then I learned about some Thai forest monk. His name, as you said, AjahnSuchart. He spent about eight years also in former Solitunians studying at the universities of Moscow and also Kyiv, my native city capital of our country. So he speaks Russian quite well. So I came to him. I asked for ordinary nation first time I asked for kind of temporary one. And that was the way. Firstly I became a samanera for three months and then for maybe three or four months I took full ordination. After that it was some kind of a small business. So I had to came back to my country for a very short time. And when I discovered that there is nothing to. To do for me at that time. I came back in time and in February 2015 I became a monk. Second time up to now. So it happened about eight years ago like this.

Sol Hanna

And I understand before we were talking online for the interview, you mentioned that you were living in Asia, mostly in Thailand, and you returned to Ukraine shortly before the Russian invasion. Could you tell us about where you were and what motivated you to return to Ukraine prior to the invasion?

Bhante Thitidhammo

Well, my monastery is to be more precise, it's kind of chain of forest monasteries. Dhammayut nikaya. It's a kind of sect, but not like sect, but how to say, one of two most popular ordination lineages in Thailand. Located in northern Thailand near Chiang Mai. It's kind of northern capital of the Thailand. Quite big chain of the monastery. Our main Ajan. His name is Luang Por Damasa Atit. He is considered by many Thai people as bodhisattva. So I spent about four years in this in kind of main training temple. And after of that I spent last three and a half years in the temple of my perception underwent quite good dutanga practices. First three years we went for these practices with my Ajahn Suchart and last three years I did it alone walking around northern part of Thai. It's very close to if you know Golden Triangle. It's corner where three countries meet together thai, Myanmar and Loas - we call the Golden Triangle. So next three or four years I spent each vassa (rains retreat) in different temples. But all these temples belongs to one chain. It's kind of one chain temples. And just now I keep in touch with our monks. So we are still together kind of. And to answer your second part of the question, I had to go back just because my passport was about to expire. It was about three or less months left. But at the same time I want to say that I had the idea of kind of set up a forest temple in in my country, in Ukrainian because actually many of my monks, brothers they did want and they want and up to now visited our country, spent some time with me here, especially in winter because I told them that if you could go through maybe a short time as a monk in winter, it would be a very good benefit to your whole practice as a forest monk. So I have this idea, I have this idea just now. The only thing all these my ideas, all these my plans, they now kind of suspended because of the war, of course.

Sol Hanna

I'm sure that's true in terms of having plans suspended. I'm sure that's true for millions of Ukrainians. I wanted to ask, though, when you returned to mean what was the feeling that you had and maybe people around you did you feel that there was an invasion that was about to occur? Or were people more relaxed about it? Did they think maybe it wasn't going to happen?

Bhante Thitidhammo

Um well, what I have to say that I think that for most of the people, in spite of this conflict which became in 2014 with invasion not kind of Russian troops directly, but with annexation of Crimea and all, these activities around Donetsk and Luhansk area. But I think most of our people did not expect this turned out in our relationship between two countries. Because for a very long time our two nations were kind of broader nations. We were together we lived together in a very big country for about 70 years named Soviet Union. You must know this country. And I think for most of the people, this turnout was really shocked. But at the same time I been in Kyiv. This time I haven't seen any kind of panic, any kind of chaos, any kind of emotional expression, people just accept it as is, as a reality. And they tried to keep on. They tried to do it then, years ago, and they tried and do it now. Keep keep working, keep doing their daily stuff, whatever happened. We have some power cuts, we have some shelling up to now, but life goes on.

Sol Hanna

Yeah, it's quite amazing. Would you say that in some ways, the war has brought some good out in people, in the community? Do you feel like that may be the case?

Bhante Thitidhammo

Can you repeat it, please? Again?

Sol Hanna

Yeah, I was just going to ask, do you feel that the war has, instead of bringing panic, has brought am? Like cooperation and brought some good qualities out in people.

Bhante Thitidhammo

Yes. Certainly. Yes, totally it did. Because I do not communicate with people so much. And I did not do it before because as a monk, I used to stay in my own in my kuti (hut), in my at my place. We don't used to walk around and to get in touch with people too much. And maybe the circle of people who really get in touch with us is quite narrow. But what I hear from people, what I hear from some news is our nation is more united, more like one family now than ever. And people express more kindness towards each other, more politeness, more patience. So I think maybe it's not right way to say this, but in some way this events did contribute to some kind of uniting people I don't know how to say it's more precise, more clear, but I think it kind of feature that belongs maybe to any nations who suffer this kind of events.

Sol Hanna

yeah. Now you go back to Ukraine, you want to renew your passport and you're thinking maybe it's possible to start a forest monastery in Ukraine or something like this. And then the war starts quite suddenly and the Ukrainian government put a ban on men of fighting age from leaving the country. Does this mean that you are stuck in Ukraine right now?

Bhante Thitidhammo

Ah, actually, yes, we do kind of closed in within our countries, like many others, like like all others, grown men at the age from 20 to 60 years old. And there is they say that there is some kind of opportunity to go out for a short period of time, but it requires very big bunch of documents and permissions. It's quite impossible for us now, but of, um my attitude to this, we have what what we have and what we can do in this situation is to stay awareness, to stay calm, to try to get maximum benefits from. From this at the month we try to communicate with people more about meta practice, about practice of recollection of the death, something like this. So if you, for example, ask me whether I regret about it or not definitely not. Because I did learn a lot. Not about only my Ukrainian people. I learned a lot about myself, about how my mind works in very different difficult situations. I learned about how my heart works. I get very deep experience from the very fact of the world of this fear. Deep fear which arrives inside you when you hear all these explosions, all these guns. So it's quite amazing experience.

Sol Hanna

Wow, that's incredible. I think a lot of us who are living in countries that are peaceful and relatively safe find that incredible because some of us are dealing with anxiety and fear and we don't have to deal with that situation. But I also find it so interesting that for you is like the war and the harsh conditions, the fearful conditions, really became for you an opportunity to practice the dharma more deeply, which is really interesting. I do want to ask you more, though, about your experience, because at the outbreak of the war, you were living in Kyiv. And just to refresh listeners memory, at the time, there was a three pronged attack by the Russian army into Ukraine, and one of those was coming out of the north and was aimed at taking control of Kyiv and got very close to Kyiv. Bhante could you tell us about your personal experience during this early phase of the war?

Bhante Thitidhammo

Well, if to be more precise, russian troops did not go through Belarus. They go very. Close to it's kind of very nearly to Belarus and certainly they was very close to us, especially to the place where my senior monk and I was staying about 5 km away from front lines. And what I have to say it was certainly an unforgettable experience. All the sounds of sirens, barricades - our house was on a very busy street and they built kind of road block just in front of our windows. And as I remember now we have the first explosions around four or five in the morning on February 24. And firstly we didn't understand what it was at all. And then we had some more and some more and then sirens went on the day after the explosions and started coming more close, even the house begin to shake. And the most profound experience out of that is that kind of very deep, ancient fear, very inner fear. You start to experience. You cannot at first moment, you cannot kind of manage it, you cannot cope with it, because it's really when you feel and when you became aware that just every second you can be killed all kind of torn apart with your body. It's really very deep, very ancient, very strong feelings. And only after that, it was very kind of unforgettable moments. Only after that you’re nowhere. My teacher calls it “knower”. Someone who know only after some one or two minutes, your knower, became walks and observed mind. Observe feeling. Observe your emotions. But it wasn't really very easy. It was really difficult not to get kind of carried it away with all these inner feelings, inner fear, something like this. And the turning point here, I believe, is to try in situations like this, the turning point is to try to maintain awareness, to stay alert, to stay mindful, not to be, as I said, carried away by these emotions, feelings, thoughts. And then, as it says, if there is enough practice of formal meditation, what we do in our sala (hall), in our meditation centers, the mind can pull itself together in very short time. It can be focused and go through all stages of samadhi and go straight onto Vipassana. I think it's practically very difficult, maybe at times like this, but I believe if it succeeds, it yields significant.

Sol Hanna

I find that really interesting, that the thing that you have just told us about is really your inner experience and how obviously there's this tremendous fear which just can arise just quite naturally because there's explosions going off everywhere, there's sirens, it is a genuinely very dangerous environment. But then, I guess you said it's almost like the fear wakes you up, but then you go on and you are able to be mindful. But I guess the challenge was to not be dragged along with ideas about what could go wrong. Did you find that you were able to maintain present moment awareness during this time, or was it just very difficult?

Bhante Thitidhammo

Ah. As I said, truthfully, it wasn't just the very next moment after you get to know what's going on around but then, as I said again, it's very important to have maybe some kind of basic level or maybe some kind of level of knowledge and some kind of experience of previous practices on our eightfold path. It's very important because when you can sustain this state of awareness again I want to say again, I think it's very difficult in situations like this and I think it depends it's very personal in the and I think it depends on what kind of situations. It depends on time, it depends on place. It depends on many things. As for me, I do not state I don't want to state that I kind of achieve some kind of special state of mind but to keep kind of basic awareness, if you remember how it works, if you have some, as I said, basic experience of formal meditation practice, I believe it's very achievable. So it's just the matter of trying, it's the matter of sati (mindfulness), it's the matter of remembering who you are and what are you doing here. I cannot give some kind of one what I try to say I cannot give some kind of one method for everyone and for any kind of cases like this, everyone I think everyone should find their own way how to keep on practicing, how to keep on be aware and mindful in situations like this. But I want to say that we should try, we should remember that we take refuge in Buddha Dhamma Sangha. It means that we took this refuge for 24 hours a day, not only when we are sitting in meditation center or when we go through morning or evening sessions. We must remember about our pavana every time, at any given moment. That's what I try to to see.

Sol Hanna

Very good. I do want to move forward now. We, of course, now know that the Ukrainian defenders of Kyiv were successful and the Russian army retreated from Kyiv, although the war goes on in the south and the east. But I wanted to ask you, it seems that you are in a somewhat unique position being a Buddhist monk in Ukraine right now. I understand there's two other Buddhist monks there, but that's not a whole lot. Has your role as a monk changed since the invasion? So after that initial period, which was very, very dangerous in the months since, how has your role as a monk changed?

Bhante Thitidhammo

Ah. Okay. Now, as we said, as we mentioned at the beginning, I came back to Ukraine in just few months before the invaders’ invasion. So I did not have too much opportunity to get in touch with many our Buddhists in Kyiv in particular, because not so many people came to visit me just maybe two months. They did not know me. Before that I did not do any attempts to promote myself. I just came back. And I would say that for many people, maybe not for many, but for some our people it was like I came from unexpected direction and with unexpected demands for some people. And another reason is that strictly speaking, Thai tradition does not so well known in Ukraine for some reason. Maybe because some years ago, some first man came to Sri Lanka and then he came then he took full ordination in Sri Lanka. And then another man went after him. Although, as you maybe know, and maybe it's very similar to many countries, western countries in my country, Goenka tradition was and he's very popular. And many people, men and women became to know Buddhism exactly through Goenka to tradition. And then they switched to Mahasi Sayadaw techniques and schools Pa Auk Sayadaw and other teachers from Myanmar and Sri Lanka. And the Thai tradition is known mainly for Ajahn Chah’s books and even, and more recently for Ajahn Brahm's Dharma talks on YouTube and many kinds of books. But before, Thai tradition wasn't so popular and well known. When I came back, one of my goal was to spread Thai attitudes towards not only formal practice, but towards the whole meaning of Buddhist practices like formal and informal. And I don't say that something has changed so much. I would say the state of war does not contribute so much to it. Because up to now, our country is not as easy as it been before. As you mentioned, we have martial law in you and moving around the country not so easy. People cannot come to us in just any days when they want. Many of our people went out from Ukraine, and I mean women. A lot of women who used to support monks in Ukraine and in other countries, they went out and they now outside Ukraine. So mostly we get in touch together online.

Sol Hanna

I was going to ask you that. What is the main method of teaching that you do? Is it individual counseling or is it in groups? Is it in person or online? What is the main way that you're teaching at the moment?

Bhante Thitidhammo

I would say it's the same. Both of these properties has their benefits because again, moving around our countries is quite difficult now. And all communication take place online. Sometimes we do. At the beginning of the war, we set up kind of online classes, but not only for Ukrainians, for any who speak Russian. And there were at the beginning some kind of wave of adversary from some Ukrainians Buddhists. Mostly because of the language, because of we three monks here. Mostly we use Russian language because I am actually originated from Russian family and my both senior monks here, they are as well. They are from Russians (families) and to talk about this is kind of different question now but what we do now we do lessons for any who attain our online classes Ukrainians, Belorussians and Russians ah, maybe from any other countries of former Soviet Union. What I want to say that I think I believe that the best way to show the usefulness of the practice is our personal example. Many people the very fact that people see or at least know that there are three of us monk here who despite all the difficulties, all this hardship during the war, we not only stay here, but we continue to practice Dharma and Vinaya, so I think it's kind of the best way to show the right attitude to Dharma to practice as well.

Sol Hanna

I think this is a really interesting point that you've raised. I just wanted to clarify for the listeners who are outside of Ukraine that previously there was the Soviet Union and the common language was Russian. So in all of the different republics, people spoke Russian quite commonly, but also people moved around. So even now there are a lot of people who are Ukrainian background living in Russia and Russian background living in Ukraine. And in fact, even President Volodymir Zelensky, I believe, is from a Russian speaking part of Ukraine. So I think it goes back to that sense that you said at the start, the shock, how could this war happen when we're all really interconnected? I think that was a key thing, that key points that came up. But I did also want to ask, you said that you've also got people who are Belarusian or also Russians who are logging into your online classes. Are they Russians in Russia or Russian speakers in Ukraine? Or are they, in some cases Russians who have fled it Russia because of the draft? Because I know a million Russians have actually left Russia, is what I've heard on the news. Where are those people coming from mostly?

Bhante Thitidhammo

I don't know. I never gave so much thought about this, actually. For me, it's kind of very difficult to accept. For many, it was very difficult. It was like challenge to accept this my point of view for some Ukrainians Buddhist, but my point of view that it doesn't matter for me as long as he or she practice, he or she takes refuge in Buddha Dhamma and Sangha. He or she takes five or more precepts. And maybe it can sound a little bit hard or tough for some people, but for me, it doesn't matter. If someone came to me and ask to give him some kind of teaching, and he asked me, as it must be, he asked me three times, like the first time and dutiyampi (second time) and tatiyampi (third time) I will teach him. I will not ask him, what is your nationality or what is your vision about some kind of politics, matters of. Something like this. For me, what's more important for me is attitude. This man or this woman to practice Buddhism to the idea of this holistic idea of what is the Buddhist way of practice and living and what you do. Just you and what my teacher taught me very often that you should first look at yourself, not look to another. Not to try to evaluate or judge another people, to look our world through yourself. It's one of the characteristics of Dharma psychic called “opanayiko” (leading onwards). So my teacher very often stressed out this that if you even teach people, if you even met meet some people anyway, you should see at your sales first. Not judge people, not evaluate people. So actually, come back to your question. That's why I actually wasn't concerned in this. Why and who is he? Why he is there or she is here? Something like this.

Sol Hanna

Yeah, that's a good point. From a Buddhist perspective, it doesn't really matter who they are, what their nationality is. If they are sincere in their attitude, then I think that's amazing that you can put all that aside and just teach the person in front of you. Even if they're online and you don't necessarily know where they're from. Now, I did want to ask one thing that specifically is I believe that you've even given teaching to Ukrainian soldiers who maybe they've spent a bit of time away from the front and then they have to return. What has that experience been like teaching soldiers who want to practice Dharma but also are duty bound to defend their country?

Bhante Thitidhammo

Yeah, very interesting question and very difficult one because actually Buddhism do not teach how to deal with this situation, especially with the war, how to survive in the time of war. We do not find in Pali Cannon any sutta which can explain this matter. And actually, especially at the beginning of the war, many men mostly asked us what we should do. Because due to martial law now any man can be drafted to the military and must serve their country. Even as monk. Because in my country, buddhism is not like state religion. And anytime we are three of us, we can be pulled out from our places or at least asked to be kind of to serve military in some way. So many men wrote to us or came to us and asked what should we do? Should we take up gun? Should we participate in some kind of activities to help in front line? Maybe not take up a gun, but kind of dig the how to say

Sol Hanna

Trenches?

Bhante Thitidhammo

Yes, dig the trenches or nurse in some, like, medical center. And we we replied we don't know. Of course, we must defend our country, but personal everything very individual. It depends not only on some kind of causes and conditions. Just now, if you see more broad picture, it depends on such matter, like a personal karma. So we don't have one particular question to this one particular answer to this question how to deal how to survive as a Buddhist at the time of the war, as the soldiers? Yes, we do have some of them in our community. They are Buddhists, sometimes they come to us, sometimes they get in touch with us online. What we are talking about, not about the war. Maybe it sounds kind of unusual for you, but ah, the most our talk the most our topic we discuss through is totally related to Buddhism. We talk about sutra, we talk about basic practice or kind of some profound practices of sati (mindfulness) and samadhi and also vipassana (insight). If these guys want to talk about war, we talk. But actually we don't force them, we don't touch this topic because personally I think the idea of war cannot be very good tools for explaining dharma. Because war itself, they can bring to mind kind of unskillful thoughts, unskillful feelings and unskillful emotions. So we usually do not touch with them this topic. What we do sometimes emphasize with them is that we ask them, they understand, of course, but every time when we have opportunity, we try to emphasize that you should try not to do harm, you should not try to engage in direct clashes with an other soldier from another side, you should not try to kill. It's very important. And of course what we teach to them is try to keep ideas of Buddhism inside your heart, not to fill it with cruelty with hate, it with revenge, with rejection. Because any external war will end sooner or later. But to end the internal conflict in your mind is sometimes much harder and takes much more time. That's what we try to explain not only soldiers, but many people now.

Sol Hanna

Wow. That's really quite profound advice. I did want to ask, you mentioned that you find that they don't really want to talk about the war. Do they just want to talk about dharma? Or perhaps there's something specific, like dealing with fear or trauma. Does that come up at all? Or just people want to just put that to one side and focus on learning more about the practice?

Bhante Thitidhammo

No, we sometimes talk about this, but not so often. Actually, we have one guy who is kind of very profound in this level. He was Buddhist for a very long time before the war and he even wrote some kind of an analogy of satipatthana (the foundations of mindfulness) especially for soldiers. Very interesting work. I read it. It's not very differs from traditional satipatthana. But he especially includes some kind of specific advice how soldier in the front line when he sit inside this range, when he just hear all the sounds, all this shooting, what he should do with his for example, object like breath maybe like elements. Also he includes the very deep profound practice of marana-sati - recollection of death. But I don't think it suits to everyone because it's kind of very profound practice and one should have very deep, very strong level of the understanding what's going on here

Sol Hanna

With that soldier, he wrote a book kind of applying satipatthana the foundations of mindfulness to the role of a soldier. He wrote a book about that. Is that right?

Bhante Thitidhammo

53:49

It's not a book. It's not kind of a book. It's kind of essay. Yes, kind of essay about how to sustain awareness, mindfulness exactly on the front line and how to practice satipatthana. Yes. He wrote kind of this essay, but I'm not sure about was it spread somewhere else or not? Because actually Ukrainians Ukraine country is considered to be very strict Christianity, Orthodox country and Catholic in. In the west and when sometimes people get interested what we do and who we are. But this interest mostly kind of curious, kind of who is this and what are you doing here? Like, when someone maybe, I think, be when someone see some guys sitting in this kind of branch and read some unusual texts and spell some unusual words, maybe someone really can be interested in what are you doing here? What are you reading? What kind of practice you apply? But I asked another, my layman, - who as well soldier now - I asked him whether he tried to expand our ideas to his camera. He said, yes, he tried, but actually he failed. And maximum at maximum at least he said me. At least it was like 5 to 10 minutes. Curiosity, not not more something like this.

Sol Hanna

I'm just finding it just so interesting because, I mean, none of us really knows how we're going to react being put under that kind of pressure where there's imminent danger like that until it actually happens. So I guess my last question is it's quite a big one, is how can we find peace during a time of war? Is it even possible to find any peace? And if it is possible, how can we find some peace during a time of war?

Bhante Thitidhammo

Yeah, this is really a tough one, and I believe there is no one answer to this question. Everyone, I think, should find their own answer. Ah. As a monk, what we can do is to make this person to think of it. I think, I believe that try to find peace during the war is maybe not a very wise approach to this. We should try to find peace before the war. And there is some book in Chan Buddhism. Maybe not in Chan Buddhism. I don't remember the exact name because I read it many years ago in my youth. But in this book said that the best war is the war that didn't happen, and the best politics is the politics who did not get to this last stage because the war itself is the last stage of the politics. And if both politics are quite wise, they, I believe, will not get the quarrel between two countries to that level. I think it's devices solution to this question because, as I said, war mostly manifests the negative qualities of mind like hated, aversion, revenge, cruelty and maybe the worst qualities of this is these characteristics of mind they inherited. So our second generation, our third generation, even when the war is over, they are still engaged in this. Again, hated, aversion revenge to opposite side. But it takes a very deep understanding. You must understand what's going on and how to accept what's happening in very deep level and to again to find this answer, to find this right answer at the time of war, you must start training just from basics like this simplest thing. Again, as we talk about Buddhist now as a Buddhist we should try to like start from sila, from morality and start again from yourself. When you train yourself, you affect another people, your practice, your mindfulness. Awareness, it's really influenced and other people in better way, I believe.

Sol Hanna

Well, look, thank you very much, Bhante Titamo, for spending some time with us and helping us to understand the experience that you're going through and that also many other Ukrainians are going through and also how perhaps we can have a wiser approach, more mindful approach even during a time of war.

Bhante Thitidhammo

Thank you Sol it was very. It's a pleasure for me to be here and I think I hope maybe we will do it again sometimes.

Sol Hanna

62:52

Yes, let's hope so. Thank you very much. And thank you to all our listeners for joining us for this episode of Treasure Mountain with Bhante Thitidhammo and giving us a totally fresh perspective on upon not just the war in Ukraine, but how it can affect us in our practice and so forth. If you enjoy this podcast, I'd appreciate if you could share this episode with your friends or other people who you think could benefit from its Sage advice. And don't forget to click on the follow button on your podcast app so you get the latest episode turning up in your stream. Treasure Mountain podcast is part of the Everyday Dharma Network. You can find out more about the Treasure Mountain Podcast by going to the link in the show notes for this episode. You can also find out on the Treasure Mountain website information about previous episodes and guests, as well as transcriptions of our interviews. And if you go back to the Everyday Dharma Net homepage, you can discover more about the three other podcasts on the network and links to subscribe to any and all of them. I hope you will join us again for our next episode, and until then, may you all have happiness and peace.