A Dhamma talk given at Abhayagiri Monastery in September of 2011 by Pasanno Bhikkhu.

Tomorrow I am invited to teach a day-long retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center on the theme of ‘Ajahn Chah’s Teachings on Nature.’ For the past few days I’ve been preparing and have steeped myself in Ajahn Chah’s teachings – swimming in the soup of his biography as well as reading and listening to some of his talks. I’ve enjoyed it immensely. I have no idea what will come out in this evening’s talk, but I think it will be influenced by the things that I’ve reviewed.

I have many recollections of Ajahn Chah. I’m completely biased. I was an early student of his, and I am a monk because of the inspiration Ajahn Chah gave me. For everything I say, everything I’ve learned and the practice I’ve done, I owe a great debt of gratitude to Ajahn Chah. His teaching and his presence still affect me.

One of Ajahn Chah’s unique qualities as a teacher was his ability to explain and encourage people in ways that made the practice very tangible. Some of this was his ability to use …

Excerpt From: Ajahn Pasanno’s ‘Ajahn Chah’s Teachings On Nature.’