Live from Birken: Dhamma Q&A with Ajahn Sona (01.26.2025)

Join us on Sunday as Ajahn Sona answers Dhamma questions from listeners around the world. Questions may be submitted during the live chat (opens ~8:00am day of stream) or in advance, here: https://bit.ly/LivestreamQnA

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Question & Answer Archive
https://birken.ca/qaa/qaa.php

Index of Questions:

00:00 - INTRO
00:19 - BREATH MEDITATION: In Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante G describes how one must try not to interfere with the breath, as if one were watching oneself falling asleep. However, every time I try to meditate like this my concentration diminishes, and I feel very sleepy and mellow. Instead, if I slightly put some pressure or effort into the breath, the opposite happens.
07:50 - NIBBANA: What are the implications for the relationship between the Dhamma and Nibbana if we accept the presumption that Buddhas existed before Gautama and attained Nibbana without the Dhamma?
11:21 - JHANA: If a meditator reaches the stage of entering fourth jhana on a daily basis at will, should they change their meditation object to Nibbana?
18:51 - HUMOR: What does the Buddha teach about humor?
21:23 - PLANNING: I’m a senior now so I need to make a plan. How does one do this without leaving the now behind?
24:40 - DAILY LIFE & MEDITATION: If one makes it into a realm of nice energy and concentration during daily life (i.e. academic work), how do you recommend keeping it up?
28:05 - DEJA VU: Is there any mention of deja vu in the Pali canon?
34:07 - COSMOLOGY: Were there numerous sunya kalpas without Buddhas between Deepankara Buddha and Gautama Buddha, given that only 24 Buddhas appeared after Deepankara Buddha during the entire saara asankya kalpa?
43:12 - POLITICS: I am struggling with the US president threatening us… I wake up, afraid that things are going to get worse. I feel we are losing all our freedoms and our privacy, even war. How to live?
48:23 - MEDITATION & LAY LIFE: The German author named Fritz Schäfer wrote a book just about the sutras for lay followers. He says that the Awakened One never asked a layperson to meditate. That practices like meditation are only aimed at ordained people. Is that true?
53:55 - RIGHT LIVELIHOOD: What are your thoughts on pursuing right livelihood within the context of working in the Navy, overseeing nuclear energy operations, not weapons. Is this wrong livelihood?