Venerable Ajahn Sumedho – Selected Pointers for Meditation/Reflection
Meditating with a group helps to develop a habit. It's easy to find excuses not to meditate at home. Just like meeting friends at the gym for group fitness class can motivate you to work out, finding a meditation group can provide the necessary encouragement for developing a consistent practice. The Bhagavad Gita tells us that in meditation you strive to still your thoughts. Make your mind one-pointed in meditation. The mind is restless and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by practice. When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place. Another benefit of group meditation is that most groups will have coffee/tea following meditation that offers a wonderful chance for members to share thoughts and teachings. At this week's group meditation at the Sage House in Vernon, BC - the group leader Stan Eaman gave a reading based on the teachings of Ajahn Sumedho. Ajahn Sumedho (born Robert Karr Jackman, July 27, 1934) is one of the senior Western representatives of the Thai forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism and a former disciple of Ajahn Chah. He was abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, UK, from its consecration in 1984 until his retirement in 2010. A bhikkhu since 1967, Ajahn Sumedho is considered a seminal figure in the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings to the West. Ajahn Sumedho is a prominent figure in the Thai Forest Tradition. His teachings are very direct, practical, simple, and down to earth. In his talks and sermons, he stresses the quality of immediate intuitive awareness and the integration of this kind of awareness into daily life. He is known for his engaging and witty communication style, in which he challenges his listeners to practice and see for themselves. Students have noted that he engages his hearers with an infectious sense of humor, suffused with much loving kindness, often weaving amusing anecdotes from his experiences as a monk into his talks on meditation practice and how to experience life (“Everything belongs”). Here you can enjoy some of Ajahn Sumedho thoughts in this short video:
The Emily Dahl Foundation January 2025
