Clear Mountain Monastery Project
Dharma talks from monastics at Clear Mountain, an aspiring Buddhist Forest monastery in the greater Seattle area. The Forest Tradition represents a return to the simple way of life taught by the Buddha. Monastics aspire to live as the early disciples did: dwelling in the forest, studying the teachings, and devoting themselves to meditation. To learn more, visit https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org.
Episodes
In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how we can create true spiritual community, referencing the the six principles of harmony taught by the Buddha in the Kosambiya Sutta (MN 48 - https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN48.html). Understanding kalyāṇa-mittatā, or spiritual friendship, as relationship predicated on mutual support of shared spiritual values rather than resonance of personality, we can cultivate a truly inclusive ...
In this interview, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Ajahn Mahā Dam (https://www.facebook.com/buddhakhanti/), who was handicapped during the Walk For Peace.
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:01:27 – Early Faith and Becoming a Novice
00:03:24 – Moving to Thailand at Age 14
00:04:03 – Ajahn's "Second Birth" as a Buddhist
00:05:41 – Challenges of Language and Adaptation
00:07:07 – Sustaining Monastic Life as a Youth
00:09:34 –...
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo takes a cue from the Christian Calendar, speaking to the symbolism of Holy/Glorious/Low Saturday–the day after Christ's Crucifixion and before his Resurrection–as a metaphor for being with and understanding dukkha, suffering.
Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!
- Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)
...
This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's two-part interview with Bhante Paññākāra. You may find PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/vgo0mhBAotM
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:51 - Encounters with Suffering on the Road
00:09:14 - Walking Meditation and Mindfulness of Breath at the Edge
00:18:55 - Ajahn Mahā Dham's Accident and Amputation
00:24:32 - "Protest" and Police Encounters
00:38:40 - Personal Relationship to the Triple Gem: Bu...
In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about the quality humility in Buddhism, and how to let go of pride and conceit. Though anattā, or "not-self", can seem like an abstract concept at first, Buddhist practice teaches us over time the embodied sense of what means to let go of a sense of self and ensuing suffering. In humility we find true majesty of spirit.
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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online...
This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's two-part interview with Bhante Paññākāra. PART TWO is scheduled to air April 1st here: https://youtu.be/r_AhRfLJJNw
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:23 - How is Āloka?
00:04:00 - Key Moments of Faith and Ordination
00:14:51 - Choosing Theravāda
00:23:12 - Making Vows
00:30:52 - Āloka Sighting
00:31:55 - Daily Vows and the Practice of Tudong Pilgrimage and Wearing Rag-robes
00:39:54 - How Bh...
https://www.friendsofclearmountain.org/land/
00:00 Introduction
02:13 Monastics speak
15:45 Board & Land Development Team speak
44:18 Audience sharing with Q&A
On Sat. March 21, 2026, Clear Mountain's monastics, Board, and Land Development team announced to the community that the Friends of Clear Mountain Board had taken a final vote to approve acquisition of the 90-acre North Bend land for Clear Mountain Monastery...
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Bhante Sumitta, founder of “Dhamma USA” (https://www.dhammausa.org/). Topics discussed include Bhante Smnitta's going-forth at eleven, the benefits of loving-kindness, cultivation of metta, teaching Dhamma to children, the emerging bhikkhuni order in Sri Lanka and the US.
Bhante Sumitta's Biography:
Bhante Sumitta is the founder of “Dhamma USA”, a community-based charity...
The 4-Part guided meditation on "sharing merit" that preceded this talk can be found here: https://youtu.be/cK__2ma48vs
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks to the practice of "sharing merit" (pattidāna-mayā puññā) based on the "Verses of Sharing & Aspiration" chant on page 33 of the Chanting book (https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/30/Chanting-Book-Vol-1-Web.pdf):
"Through the goodness that arises from my...
Ratthapala was a wealthy young man who heard the Buddha teach and immediately wanted to ordain. His parents refused - he was their only son, raised in privilege. So he lay on the floor and declared he would die there if not permitted. After seven days of fasting, they relented. He quickly attained arahantship and later returned home. His father tried to lure him back with piles of gold and his former wives, but Ratthapala was unmov...
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho converse with Bhante Rahula, founder of Paññabhumi Monastery in Guadalajara, Mexico (https://dhamma-pb.org/ and https://www.bhanterahula.com/). They talk about how the monastery served as a refuge during recent political upheaval, the role of monastics in times of tumult, favorite hidden gems in the Suttas, reasons for ordination, and more!
Bhante Rāhula Bio
Bhante Rāhula, born i...
In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho speaks about how we can use Buddhist cosmology to understand the mind and its refinement. Where the standard lists of mental factors and contemplations taught by the Buddha often provide the necessary language for practice, the variegated world of Buddhist cosmology contains great wisdom as well.
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Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!
- Wednesda...
This is PART TWO of Clear Mountain's interview with Jack Kornfield. Watch PART ONE here: https://youtu.be/selbulve5z0
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:35 - Early Years: From Dartmouth to Haight-Ashbury to Peace Corps to the Thai Forests
00:05:28 - Meeting Ajahn Sumedho
00:07:26 - Meeting Ajahn Chah and Being the Second Western Monk at Wat Nong Pah Pong
00:10:00 - Life in Caves (Wat Tam Saeng Pet), Walking alms barefoot
00:12:25 ...
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks to the Buddha's teaching of 36 kinds of feelings (vedanā) as alluded to in "The Many Kinds of Feelings Sutta" (MN 59 - https://suttacentral.net/mn59/en/sujato?lang=en) and elaborated upon in "The Analysis of the Six-Sense Fields" (MN 137 - https://suttacentral.net/mn137/en/sujato?lang=en). Ajahn Kovilo summarizes these feelings down to three pairs ... with illustrations:
1. Householder/Carceral...
After the Laundry the Ecstasy: Ajahn Chah, Enlightenment, & a Dhammic Life’s Legacy | Jack Kornfield
This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Jack Kornfield. PART TWO is scheduled to air March 4th: https://youtu.be/Bi7XYeCVOrY
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:29 - How many times did you ordain, and what were those circumstances?
00:05:39 - Jack asks the Ajahns about Clear Mountain
00:08:05 - What's the purpose of this podcast?
00:09:84 - Is Enlightenment a permanent end to greed, anger, and delusion, or is it temporar...
In this talk, Ajahn Nisabho describes how the Buddha's Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing (MN 118 - Ānāpānassatisutta - https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false) can help provide us wiht a roadmap for how the mind can sublimate into increasingly refined states of samādhi, or meditative calm. Just as machine learning uses self-play to attain mastery over domains, our approach to medit...
From Esquire CEO to Dancing With Life: From Long Poor Saṃsāra to Luang Por Sumedho | Phillip Moffitt
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Phillip Moffitt, founder of Dharma Wisdom (https://dharmawisdom.org/), Life Balance Institute (https://dharmawisdom.org/signup-for-weekly-teachings/.
Biography of Phillip Moffitt:
Phillip Moffitt is a longtime Buddhist meditation teacher and writer whose work is rooted in the Theravada tradition. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he has spent more than 25 years offeri...
Happy All-entine’s Day! The Who-, What- & Where-Methods of Loving-Kindness Meditation | Ajahn Kovilo
In this Valentine's Day session, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about the Metta Sutta (https://suttacentral.net/kp9/en/amaravati?lang=en), detailing three methods for practice:
1) the Who-Method - focusing on who on spreads metta to,
2) the What-Method - attending to what phrase or words one uses to practice metta, &
3) the Where-Method - noticing from where and to where one radiates of feels metta.
Tune in with fellow practitioners...
Dhamma Political Strategy: Preceptocracy, Authenticity, & a Pony of Love for Everyone | Ayya Sobhanā
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ayya Sobhanā, former vice-abbot of Dhammadharini Monastery and current abbot of Empty Cloud Monastery.
Biography of Ayya Sobhana:
Ayya Sobhana is a Harvard graduate and trained with master Dhamma and meditation teacher Venerable Dr. Henepola Gunaratana Nāyaka Mahāthero (known as "Bhante G") since 1989. She “went forth” into monastic life as a Sāmanerī in 2003 at the Bha...
In this talk given on New Year's Eve 2025, Ajahn Kovilo speaks about finding a healthy and mature relationship to taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha; further discussing the Eight Streams of Merit discussed in Anguttara Nikāya 8.39 (https://suttacentral.net/an8.39/en/sujato?lang=en) that are "overflowing merit, overflowing goodness, [that] nurture happiness and are conducive to heaven, ripening in happiness and ...
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