Professor Collobert quotes the Saṁyutta Nikāya

Connected Discourses on the Unconditioned

SN 43.14–43. The Taintless https://suttacentral.net/sn43.14-43

She explains that in the Pali Canon the Buddha referred to the goal of the Path is Nibbana. It is like the extinguishing of a fire, the freedom from suffering. The Buddha's choice of metaphors for Nibbana still intrigues us and Professor Collobert goes on to explain, from her experience, the skills and patience required to follow the Buddha's Path.

" I can let go of craving by not grasping at it, but by observing it."

Professor Collobert speaks on the central role Right View plays in the Path to Freedom. To reach the end of suffering (tanha) - cessation, we need to realize and understand the three characteristics of impermanence, ignorance and craving. She starts by helping us understand the role of views in our lives...
Further readings:
www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/n…wheel377.html
www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/b…oend.html#ch2

Jim explains how his first teacher Roshi Kapleau would teach how to listen to a dhamma talk - a sense of listening with the whole body. He continues and asks "What is it that hears sound?".

Professor Collobert begins with noting the complexity of our conditioning and how the many meditation subjects taught by the Buddha - when practiced with commitment - will reshape our mind. This practice leads to understanding how our experience is based on the illusion of self....

Ajahn Viradhammo begins. It's about trusting in awareness.. Trust on the outer level and inner level..so yes, awareness on the outer level, he mentions an example of checking the delivery of the measure of the cords of fire wood being brought to the monastery as an outer level, a worldly dhamma. And the importance of establishing a good foundation for the contemplative life is cultivating a good lifestyle and then having that in place we are talking about stream of consciousness....this is where the ideas of dependant origination, anicca, dukkha come from ....in that sense where stream of consciousness fit in with trust.. so there is a sense of peace, of happiness? .....

Ajahn Viradhammo points to the bringing in of more silence into the mind rather than trying to control thoughts. He points to another dimension of the mind that he is interested in...the unchanging, the timeless, nibbana...turning towards just this moment in a very simple way...stillness of being...non-desire

So training in non preconception...availability.......

Listen to sound....let the sounds come to you ...notice that sound is in awareness...

Ajahn Viradhammo encourages sleepy retreatants to choose to opt out of the sitting and have a cold shower, or do walking practice or to take a nap if their fatigue is too much. Fore the others he begins by asking them to listen to sound and feel the body. . .notice silence . . . awareness is unchanging . . . the foreground changes . . the background is silent.. conscious.. awareness. . .be the background.. . . .

Ajahn Viradhammo speaks about his early spiritual search, this search has a loneliness that we have no language for. He continues with sharing his experience of entering into the spiritual life.

Ajahn Viradhammo receives a request to give or lead the retreatants in ‘taking on’ the eight precepts for the length of the retreat.

After 7 minutes approximately he offers reflections on this path as a contemplative, a monk in the Thai Forest Sangha tradition of Ajahn Chah. It is from this perspective that ‘Luang Por Viradhammo speaks of his understanding of ‘homage’ to the Buddha and knowing the possibility of awakening in this life. This path brings optimism to his life as has living within the vinaya (the precepts taken on by the monks in a Buddhist Sangha) . . . . .

Bhante Rahula answers meditation questions about Right View by encouraging first the development of mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of feelings, and mindfulness of mind. With increased concentration using mindfulness then mindfulness of Dhamma and Right View and Dhamma Vipassana can be understood. He speaks to about restlessness, how his day is structured and ends leading a guided meditation.

Tan Sirimedho reflects on the Buddha's teachings on three areas - attending (thinking) to a task or something; giving up

(sensations, habits, hindrances) and abiding (developing) in the attainment say faith. Tan Sirimedho thinks of it as stages of development.

Bhante Rahula speaks about sankharas or mental imprints, which are all part of conditioned phenomena that we begin to perceive through meditation practice.

He says.." we need to fish them out of the sea of samsara"

Bhante J leads a guided meditation ( 20 minutes) where our mind is focusing with right thinking and happiness on the breath. He encourages us to recognize the joy that comes with the breath and centre of gravity of the body.

Ajahn Pavaro reads from Stillness Flowing, The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah. He offers his reflections and answers questions.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/index.html#benefits

Ajahn Cunda starts his dhamma talk by quoting Ram Dass .." If you ever think you're enlightened you should go live with your parents and see how that works outs". Ajahn Cunda then goes on to explain he attended his nieces wedding and how this challenged him to develop non violent communication skills. Compassion can mean setting boundaries.

Ayya Nimmala answers questions and encourages abiding in awareness and to use the qualities of wise reflection. Analysis can lead to paralysis.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/index.html#benefits

Bhante Jinananda speaks about becoming a monk at 12 years old in Sri Lanka. This is a very traditional practice in a Buddhist culture and also after visiting the temple and paying respects the family will usually make a wish for good fortune.

Bhante J points out good fortune, nirvana is not possible through wishing.

Rather he explains the benefits of practicing morality, the five precepts that the Buddha taught brings benefits...

Virtue sila © 2005

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/index.html#benefits

Ajahn Sona induces a sense of joy into the meditation period and then follows with a dhamma talk that draws the similarities between the time of the 5th Century BC and now 2022.

Bhante Rahula speaks about the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Satipathana Sutta