Purifying the Mind / Ajahn Anan

The Things of the World Belong to the World | Ajahn Anan

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
May 8, 2021
2021. 04. 21 | The mind under the influence of delusion grasps the things of this world, such as the body, as a self, a ‘me’ or ‘you’. Grasping things as a self is nothing but suffering. So we train our minds to put down the heavy burden of grasping things as self through the path of virtue, collectedness, and wisdom in order to reach true lightness and freedom from all stress.

 

Concentration With Wisdom, Like the Back & Blade of a Knife that Cuts Off Defilements | 2 Oct 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Oct 4, 2026
“Wrong concentration (micchā-samādhi) in worldly matters is often accompanied by craving that causes harm, such as scammers who use mindfulness to deceive their victims, or Devadatta, who had concentration but lacked wisdom. This differs from Right Concentration (sammā-samādhi), which leads towards peace and purity.
Luang Pu Chah compared concentration to the back of a knife, which pounds and weakens the defilements, and wisdom to the knife’s sharp edge, which cuts and uproots self-identity view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi). Similarly, there was once a monk who subdued his fear until he realised that ghosts arise from mental fabrication.
Abandoning the defilements is like gradually reducing sweetness for someone with diabetes—it requires time and perseverance. By regularly practising mindfulness of the breath, luminous wisdom can arise in the mind, enabling us to let go of the sense of self.”

 

Speak Less, Practice More | 07 Oct 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Oct 8, 2026
In this Dhamma talk, Luang Por Anan shares essential Buddhist teachings on mental training, guiding practitioners from the foundational Four Noble Truths to the realization of ultimate liberation. Addressing the realities of aging, sickness, and death, Luang Por emphasizes living with non-heedlessness, cultivating unwavering faith, practicing material generosity, and offering the gift of forgiveness
Drawing from the Thai Forest Tradition of Luang Pu Mun and Luang Pu Chah, Luang Por outlines the daily monastic routine, moderate eating, limiting speech to reduce mental proliferation, and overcoming sloth through early morning meditation. Through persistent effort, practitioners learn to observe mental phenomena without clinging, walking the middle path free from attraction (liking) and aversion (disliking).

 

Worldly Wealth Perishes, Noble Wealth Endures | 9 Oct 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Oct 11, 2026
“When disasters strike, worldly possessions, whether houses, money, or other valuables, can be swallowed up by the forces of nature and disappear in an instant. External possessions are merely conventional things that are impermanent, like a sandcastle that collapses when struck by the waves.
Yet even when our external possessions are lost, we must protect the mind from dwelling on the loss. We should continually cultivate ‘noble treasures’ (ariya dhana), the treasures within, including faith, morality, mindfulness, and wisdom. These are noble qualities that no natural disaster can ever destroy.
As long as we still have mindfulness and physical strength, we can always pick ourselves up, keep going, and rebuild what was lost. Such times also give society an opportunity to practise generosity and loving kindness by helping one another, so that together we can overcome the crisis with minds firmly established in the Dhamma.”
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A Guide to Stream Entry | Ajahn Anan | 25 Sep 2023

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Sep 26, 2023

 

The Danger of Sensuality & How Body Contemplation Frees the Mind | 11 Oct 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Oct 13, 2026
This Dhamma talk shares monastic practice heavily relies on the memorisation and regular chanting of the Patimokkha, monastic discipline to calm the mind and dispel ignorance and sense desire. Practising renunciation is essential for overcoming the inherent suffering and lack of true value found in worldly attachments and sensual pleasures, which are likened to illusions, traps, and burdens. To actively reduce lust and craving, monastics exercise strict sense restraint and mindful discipline regarding consumption and daily habits.
Additionally, Ajahn Anan shares Luang Pu Chah's teaching for practitioners to contemplate the body as an unattractive heap of bones, fluids, and decomposing matter to diminish physical attraction. Ultimately, this dedicated mental training and internal purification lead to profound peace, joy, and spiritual insight.

 

Purity of Conduct : Dhamma Video Conference #191

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Sep 6, 2019

 

Heedfulness is the Heart of the Practice | 16 Oct 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Oct 18, 2026
“Time passes quickly like dew on the tips of grass. The Buddha therefore warned us to abide in heedfulness, which is the heart that gathers together all 84,000 sections of Dhamma teachings. If one lacks mindfulness, one is like a person who is already dead, even though still breathing.
Practice begins with keeping the precepts and meditation practice, comparing the five faculties to driving a car. Mindfulness controls the speed, Samādhi holds the steering wheel steady, faith and effort are like the fuel that drives the car, and wisdom is the compass that indicates the direction.
When one contemplates impermanence until one sees the body as merely the four elements, the Citta will abandon clinging, changing from convention to liberation, while diligently building noble wealth through true faith, in order to reach the Buddha in one’s own heart-mind.”
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From Virtue and Stillness to True Freedom | 26 October 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Oct 27, 2026
This Dhamma talk marks the conclusion of the 42nd Rains Retreat (Vassa) at Wat Marp Jan, connecting contemporary monastic practice with the ancient tradition established during the Buddha’s time.
Ajahn Anan reflects on the fundamental purpose of monastic ordination: renouncing worldly pursuits to cultivate virtue, mental stillness, and wisdom, ultimately leading to liberation from suffering.
He recounts his early years at Wat Nong Pah Pong under Venerable Ajahn Chah in 1976, recalling the simplicity of life in the remote monastery, where electricity came from a generator, as well as his experiences with ascetic wandering and physical hardships. From walking for hours to drinking bitter herbal teas, these challenges became opportunities to cultivate patient endurance and develop wisdom.
Ajahn Anan encourages the monks to practise with dedication and perseverance, upholding discipline and mindfulness to steady the wandering mind. As virtue strengthens and concentration deepens, wisdom arises to see things as they truly are, guiding the mind towards unshakeable peace and ultimate freedom.
“It’s not that we want to get more rains retreats. It’s not that we want to accumulate seniority like that. But what we want is to practice to train our minds to give rise to good qualities and more good qualities in our minds each rains retreat.”
— Ajahn Anan

 

Harmonious Ways: The Power of Peaceful Coexistence | 23 Oct 2026

Ajahn Anan Dhamma
Oct 29, 2026
“Living together peacefully and harmoniously in a large community requires rules and discipline to guide us. It is like gathering scattered flowers and stringing them together into a beautiful garland. In the same way, having shared rules helps people from different places live together in an orderly and peaceful manner.
The key to building harmony is to overcome greed and selfishness. This means sharing communal resources fairly and treating one another with loving kindness through our actions, speech, and thoughts. Most importantly, we must learn to let go of attachment to our own views, conceit, and clinging to the sense of self, so that we can prevent arguments and conflicts within society.
When everyone works together with mindfulness, wisdom, and courage, they can overcome great dangers, just like the herd of wild boars in the story that joined forces to overcome a great threat. This spirit of unity in following the Path and supporting one another becomes a protective shield, helping society overcome obstacles and live together in lasting peace and happiness.”
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