Purifying the Mind / Ajahn Anan

Two Qualities, One Path: The Balance of Samatha & Vipassanā | Retreat Day 5 | 15 July 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Jul 15, 2026

 

Assisted Dying and Parental Care | Retreat Day 5 Q&A

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Jul 16, 2026

 

Competing in the World, Free in the Heart | Retreat Day 7 | 17 July 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Jul 17, 2026

 

Wisdom Trains the Heart—Transforming Chaos into Stillness and Peace | 17 July 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Jul 18, 2026

 

Intentional Virtue and No Desire for Growth | Retreat Day 7 Q&A | Ajahn Anan

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Jul 18, 2026

 

The Faith and Opportunity to Ordain | Ajahn Anan | 18 Jul 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Jul 20, 2026

 

Practice as a Layperson | Retreat Day 8 | 18 July 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Jul 22, 2026

 

Can Laypeople Reach Awakening? | 19 Jul 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Jul 25, 2026
"Can Laypeople Reach Awakening?" — A retreat closing blessings by Tan Ajahn Anan, translated from Thai into English.
In this Dhamma talk, Tan Ajahn Anan explains some of the traditional practices that monastics undertake during the Rains Retreat (Vassa) and shares practical ways that laypeople can cultivate Dhamma in their daily lives during this period or after returning home from retreat.
He encourages simple but meaningful practices such as meditating every day, observing the Eight Precepts on Wan Phra (Uposatha) days, limiting oneself to two meals a day, cultivating abundant loving-kindness and compassion, and contemplating the body to develop mindfulness of the body and feelings. Through these practices, we gradually strengthen mindfulness, reduce defilements, and deepen our understanding of the Dhamma.
May this teaching inspire you to continue your practice and help you establish a meaningful plan for your own Rains Retreat.
This Dhamma talk was given on 19 July 2026 to the participants of the in-person retreat before departing from Wat Marp Jan.

 

From the First Discourse to Letting Go of Self-View | 31 July 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Aug 3, 2026
“When the Buddha delivered His First Sermon, Venerable Aññā Koṇḍañña—who had accumulated great spiritual perfections (pāramī) and possessed deep concentration—became the first to attain the Dhamma Eye. He realised that whatever arises naturally passes away.
Later, the Buddha taught the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (‘The Discourse on the Characteristic of Non-self’), explaining that both form and mind are impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not-self. When the five ascetics contemplated this truth and saw it clearly, they let go of their attachments and all attained arahantship together.
We too should put the Dhamma into practice and diligently cultivate meditation to abandon ‘self-identity view’ (sakkāya-diṭṭhi)—the mistaken belief that this body is who we are. The more we can remove the word ‘I’ from our hearts, the more we will discover true happiness.”
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Rain Nourishes the Earth, the Dharma Nourishes the Heart—Training in this Rains Retreat| 7 Aug 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Aug 7, 2026
“The Rains Retreat is a three-month period during which the Sangha remains at one monastery to intensively cultivate morality, concentration, and wisdom. Lay practitioners can likewise use this period to train and refine their own minds by reducing the distractions of social media and turning to the cultivation of mindfulness instead.
Both monastics and laypeople should make a sincere resolution to cultivate spiritual perfections. Monastics may undertake practices such as eating only one meal a day from the alms bowl or observing the nesajjika practice of not lying down to sleep. Lay practitioners, on the other hand, can diligently commit themselves to chanting, meditation, and offering alms, thereby refining the mind just as a mango gradually ripens to perfection.
Practising the Dhamma during the Rains Retreat is like rain nourishing trees with life-giving moisture. In the same way, nourishing the heart with goodness and virtue allows the mind to become joyful and flourish. If we practise with heedfulness, these three months will become a period of profound significance in our lives.”
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Serenity and Insight: Interconnected in the Noble Eightfold Path | 14 Aug 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Aug 15, 2026
“Training the mind through sitting meditation is considered to contain morality within the practice itself. If the mind becomes distracted, contemplate the body through asubha meditation, seeing its unattractive nature as being like a piece of wood. This helps the mind become peaceful, light, and at ease, until the breath can be seen more clearly.
Samatha and vipassanā develop together within the Noble Eightfold Path. When the mind is firmly established, vipassanā becomes increasingly clear. We then use the mind’s calmness to contemplate the body as impermanent and not-self, or observe the breath: the in-breath arises and remains, while the out-breath passes away, until we come to see the Three Characteristics.
Therefore, we must put forth effort and not become attached to the happiness of concentration. We should continually remind and teach the mind, learning to separate the mind from its sense objects, like water and oil, until we are able to let go of clinging and ultimately see the highest Dhamma.”
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Gratitude & Appreciation: Lifelong Blessing of Knowing & Repaying Parents' Goodness | 21 Aug 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Aug 22, 2026
“The Buddha taught that recognising and repaying the kindness of our parents is one of the highest blessings in life. Our parents are willing to sacrifice everything for their children without expecting anything in return. Therefore, we should not remember their kindness only on Mother’s Day once a year. Instead, throughout the entire year, we should regularly ask how they are doing and care for them attentively every day.
The intelligence, wisdom, and body we have today are the foundations for life that our parents have given us. This begins from the time our mother was pregnant with us, when she constantly worried about us and prayed for our safety. Our parents patiently raised us and supported our education until we gained the knowledge and skills needed to earn a living and support ourselves. Therefore, caring for and loving those to whom we owe a debt of gratitude is equivalent to loving and supporting ourselves.
However, the highest way of repaying their kindness is to introduce them to the Dhamma and help them establish an inner refuge; to encourage them to observe the precepts and make merit. Our parents are regarded as being like arahants to their children. The benefits arising from this gratitude and repayment of kindness will protect us, bringing prosperity into our lives and ultimately helping us attain the Dhamma Eye.”

 

The Joy of a Generous Heart and the Misery of the Stingy | 28 Aug 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Aug 29, 2026
“Anāthapiṇḍika’s generosity helped cleanse the mind of defilements, filling his heart with happiness and making him dearly loved by others. This was in stark contrast to the miserly mango-orchard millionaire, who clung tightly to his wealth and eventually passed away alone, with no one to remember him.
Greed darkens the heart, as seen in the case of an Indian family who ended their lives in protest over a loan. In truth, merit is like candlelight—the more it is shared, the brighter it becomes. King Bimbisāra’s dedication of merit helped his departed relatives find relief from suffering in their realm of existence.
The highest form of merit is giving with wisdom, without expecting anything in return. Through this, we refine the heart, allowing it to become open and light, pure, and peaceful and cool within the true home of our own heart.”
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Boundless Emptiness & Spirits | Ajahn Anan Retreat Jul-Aug 2022 | Day-2 Q&A

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Jul 31, 2022

 

Emerging From Darkness, To The Path of A Heart Filled With Light | 11 Sep 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Sep 13, 2026

 

Contemplating the Body unto Emptiness, Releasing the Self | 12 Sep 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Sep 14, 2026
In this Dhamma talk, Venerable Ajahn Anan guides us in contemplating the body as impermanent, unsatisfactory, and empty of a lasting self. By observing the body according to reality, attachment gradually weakens and the sense of “me” and “mine” begins to dissolve.
This practice helps us understand that the body is simply part of nature—arising, changing, and eventually passing away. As wisdom develops, the heart learns to release its burden, bringing greater peace, freedom, and insight into the true nature of existence.

 

Tuning to the Middle Way: Balanced and Consistent Effort | 1 Sept 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Sep 15, 2026
How much effort is “just right” in Dhamma practice?
In this Dhamma talk, Luang Por teaches the importance of finding the Middle Way — balancing effort with letting go. Practising too strictly can exhaust the body and agitate the mind, while being too relaxed can lead to heedlessness.
True Buddhist practice extends beyond sitting meditation. We can cultivate mindfulness while walking, eating, working, studying and carrying out our daily duties.
Through consistent practice, mindfulness and samādhi gradually strengthen. We learn to observe craving, aversion and self-criticism without getting caught in them, continually adjusting our practice towards balance.
Day by day, we train the mind towards greater peace, clarity and wisdom — remembering that the days and nights are relentlessly passing by.

 

Overcome Anger and Ignorance With Samadhi and Loving Kindness | 18 Sep 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Sep 22, 2026
“Anger is like holding a glowing red coal in our hand. It burns our own heart and causes us pain before we throw it at someone else. It also creates karmic enmity that binds us together without end. Luang Por therefore emphasised that one should practise concentration and mental cultivation to restrain anger, and radiate loving-kindness as a protective shield against danger.
To uproot ignorance, which deceives us into clinging to ‘me’ and ‘mine’, we need to use wisdom to contemplate that this conditioned body is a nest of disease, and that ultimately we must face separation and death.
When we understand that the time we have in this life is uncertain, we will stop being angry and harbouring ill will, and instead turn towards practising generosity, morality, and meditation, while contributing to society with loving-kindness, following in the footsteps of Luang Pu Chah, in order to lead the mind towards emptiness and the realisation of Dhamma.”
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Preparing for the Last Moments of Life | Ajahn Anan

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Apr 29, 2021
2021. 04. 17 | After hearing news of a disciple in hospital with stage four cancer, Ajahn Anan gave this talk about how we should prepare ourselves now for our last moments.

 

Tools for Peace | Ajahn Anan

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Sep 27, 2026