Clear Mountain Monastery Project

Clear Mountain Monastery
  • 4.9 (44)
  • Buddhism
  • Updated Weekly

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.clearmountain.org.

  1. 1d ago

    Interested & Excited: Gardening the Heart & Tooling Up Your Cultivation | Ajahn Cunda

    In this session, Ajahn Cunda—Abhayagiri-ordained senior monk and good friend of Ajahns Kovilo and Nisabho—speaks about cultivation as a garden and a tool kit ... and how to use a shovel and washing machine! Ajahn Cunda's Bio: Ajahn Cunda was raised in a warm and loving family in the Northern suburbs of Chicago and moved to California in 1996. His interest in Buddhism began in high school, continued in college, led him on a spiritual search to Asia, and eventually drew him towards Theravāda meditation practices. It was not until he first came into contact with the monks of Abhayagiri, however, that he understood how monastic training could lead to a life of wisdom and peace. Ajahn Cunda moved to Abhayagiri in late 2005, and after two years training as an Anagārika and Sāmaṇera, ordained as a Bhikkhu on May 22, 2008. Under Luang Por Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, he trained at Abhayagiri for eight and a half years. In 2014, Ajahn Cunda moved to Tisaraṇa Monastery in Canada, to practice under the guidance of Luang Por Vīradhammo. In 2017, he began living in several western monasteries, including Bodhivana and Dhammagiri in Australia, Chithurst in England, and Santacittārāma in Italy, before returning to Abhayagiri in early 2020. In 2021, Ajahn Cunda spent a year at the Pacific Hermitage and returned to Abhayagiri in 2022. In July of 2026 Ajahn Cunda plans to begin a stay at Birken Monastery (Canada) for a one year retreat. 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) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

    54 min

  2. 5d ago

    The Hard Knox of Metta: How to Survive Prison, Forgive Your Prosecutor, & Love Anyone | Amanda Knox

    In this interview, Ajahn Nisabho speaks with Amanda Knox, who was falsely convicted of murder in 2009, about her journey to find meaning in prison and forgiveness afterwards. The conversation delves into Amanda's practice of meditation, loving-kindness (metta), and advice for those struggling to forgive. Bio Amanda Knox is an exoneree, journalist, public speaker, author of the New York Times best-selling memoir, Waiting to Be Heard, and host of the podcast Hard Knox. Her second book, FREE: My Search for Meaning came out in 2025. Between 2007 and 2015, she spent nearly four years in an Italian prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit. She has since become an advocate for criminal justice reform and media ethics. She sits on the advisory council for the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, serves as an Innocence Network Ambassador and is on The Innocence Center Board of Directors. And she is the recipient of the 2024 Innocence Network Impact Award and the 2025 Catalyst of Change Award from the Washington Innocence Project. To find out more, visit https://www.amandaknox.com/. 00:00 Introduction 01:48 Amanda Knox's background and bio 03:06 What led to the Italian prison 05:22 Wishing for a meditation practice during the darkest times 05:49 The moment of conviction — an existential crisis 08:27 Accepting "this is my life" 10:14 Surviving day by day without a practice 12:44 Life after prison: who am I now? 13:32 The Vipassana retreat disaster 15:56 What brought her back to practice 18:48 Don Salo: the Catholic priest who became her lifeline 22:31 Plagued by "why" questions — and metta practice 24:50 The idea of reaching out to her prosecutor 27:28 Questioning her own motives 29:33 Showing up to give, not to get 32:16 The Four Noble Truths and turning toward suffering 35:44 Reaching out to the prosecutor 38:01 Finding common ground with the man who imprisoned her 40:59 The meeting in Perugia — arriving without attachment 41:28 Delivering her message: "I see you" 43:37 His unexpected response: "I love you" 45:25 Advice for those who can't forgive 46:52 The distinction between forgiveness and understanding 50:11 Has the forgiveness settled in the heart? 51:16 The ongoing splinter: society, not just one man 52:25 Buddhism's joyfulness in the face of darkness 53:24 The Puget Sound Zen Center and building a practice 54:30 The sangha's card after her grandfather died 56:19 Meditating as a family with young children 58:37 Closing reflections ----- 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) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

    1 hr

  3. Jun 7

    What’s to Give Light Must Endure Burning…& Mayo? A Mai-Nai/Uncertain Sandwich | CMM & Ven. Paññāsiri

    In this three-way talk, Ajahn Kovilo, Ajahn Nisabho, and Maechee Paññasiri speak about the Three Characteristics/Perceptions (tilakkhaṇa), or perceptions: 00:00:00 Introduction & Ajahn Kovilo on Dukkhatā - Pain/Suffering/Unsatisfactoriness 00:11:58 Maechee Paññāsiri on Anattatā - Not-Self 00:27:51 Ajahn Nisabho on Aniccatā - Impermanence 00:43:14 Questions and Answers By contemplating these skillfully, one can bring the heart to full liberation. The talk also features a surprising number of references to mayonnaise. Maechee Paññāsirī's Biography: Sister Maechee Panyasiri is a Chinese-born, Thai forest nun in the tradition of Ven. Ajahn Chah. Born in 1967 and grew up in Shanghai, China, Sister has worked many years as a writer/creative director, a teacher of yoga, pranayama and meditation, as well as travelling the world, with a deep spiritual pursuit which she was born with. Finally this lifelong inner quest tuned her into the path of Dhamma. In 2018 She became a student of Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro and started the training in various forest monasteries in Thailand as a eight precept Upāsikā. In 2020 she became a Maechee with Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro as her preceptor and was instructed to go on almsround and not to receive or use money. Sister Maechee Paññāsirī currently remains in a nuns’ hermitage near the Khao Yai mountain in Thailand. ---- 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) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

    52 min

  4. Jun 4

    Stanford Scholar on the Conceits & Blind Spots of Every Form of Buddhism | Prof. Paul Harrison Q&A

    In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Paul Harrison, professor of religious studies at Stanford University (https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/people/paul-harrison). 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:23 Balancing academic scholarship and personal spiritual practice 00:04:09 Exploring the spiritual dimension of studying Buddhist texts 00:05:55 How early Mahayana Buddhism emerged 00:08:56 The timeline and setting where Mahayana began to diverge 00:12:54 Explanation of the Lokaksema Corpus and early ascetic Mahayana traditions 00:15:21 The cultural motivations and societal forces that drove the Mahayana movement 00:18:11 Why early texts lack questions about attaining full Buddhahood 00:21:29 The tension between historical scholarly development and traditional faith views 00:25:11 Blind spots in the Theravada and linguistic distances from Pali 00:30:59 The validity of an early Buddhist text conceit vs radical doctrinal differences with Mahayana texts 00:34:48 The implications of written transmission versus oral recitation, and what the Gandhari scrolls reveal about it 00:38:00 Do modern scholars actively practice text memorization? 00:45:59 The historical evidence for ancient Greek and Persian cross-cultural influences on early Buddhism 00:49:57 The polemical framing of Sariputta and the sectarian put-downs of the Shravakas in texts like the Vimalakirti Sutra 00:54:06 The most fascinating current realms of research in Buddhist academia 00:56:13 The key historical and doctrinal insights gained from the Gandhari scrolls 00:57:28 The utility and drawbacks of using AI for translating sacred Buddhist texts Biography of Paul Harrison: Paul Harrison is the George Edwin Burnell Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University. Educated in his native New Zealand and in Australia, he specializes in Buddhist literature and history, especially that of the Mahāyāna, and in the study of Buddhist manuscripts in Sanskrit, Chinese and Tibetan. He has edited and translated a number of Buddhist texts, including the Pratyutpannabuddhasaṃmukhāvasthitasamādhisūtra, the Vajracchedikā, and (with Luis Gómez) the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, and is also one of the editors of the series “Buddhist Manuscripts in the Schøyen Collection.” The link to the 7:00-7:45 pm Zoom session following the livestream may be found on the event listing at https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/events/wednesday/. Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events! - Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:45 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

    1h 5m

  5. May 31

    Awakening is Devastating: Death, Dhamma, & Diamond-Cut Wisdom from White Robes | Maechee Paññāsirī

    In this talk, Maechee Paññasiri, visiting from Thailand, speaks about the urgency and profundity of the path of practice, and how the mundane moments of life, such as washing a robe, can catalyze the deepest insights. By purifying our sila (virtue) and relying on spiritual friends, we can see what stains remain in the heart and devote ourselves to their purification. When we understand the truth of mortality, only one task remains: that of Awakening. Maechee Paññāsirī's Biography: Sister Maechee Panyasiri is a Chinese-born, Thai forest nun in the tradition of Ven. Ajahn Chah. Born in 1967 and grew up in Shanghai, China, Sister has worked many years as a writer/creative director, a teacher of yoga, pranayama and meditation, as well as travelling the world, with a deep spiritual pursuit which she was born with. Finally this lifelong inner quest tuned her into the path of Dhamma. In 2018 She became a student of Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro and started the training in various forest monasteries in Thailand as a eight precept Upāsikā. In 2020 she became a Maechee with Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro as her preceptor and was instructed to go on almsround and not to receive or use money. Sister Maechee Paññāsirī currently remains in a nuns’ hermitage near the Khao Yai mountain in Thailand. ---- 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) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

    49 min

  6. May 28

    Making Mountains of Merit Amidst Mounting Madness: Shedding Light on Group Karma | Ajahn Achalo Q&A

    In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Ajahn Achalo, abbot and founder of Ānandagiri Monastery in Pechabun, Thailand (https://www.peacebeyondsuffering.org/) 00:00:00 Welcome and introduction of Ajahn Achalo 00:01:27 Connection with the local village and global uncertainty 00:07:53 Advice for navigating dark or distressing times 00:08:36 Internal practices for holding the heart in a good space 00:13:06 Correlation between renunciation and letting go of hindrances 00:16:43 Contemplating the law of karma during difficult periods 00:19:38 Skillful means for brightening an anxious or upset mind 00:23:52 Concept and relationship to shared group karma 00:28:43 Dealing with the general trajectory of a degenerating world 00:35:45 Daily devotional acts and determinations 00:40:40 Invocations of deities and devas in practice 00:48:55 Planning for rebirth and suitable environments 01:01:00 Personal experiences and the reality of subtle realms Ajahn Achalo's Biography: Ajahn Achalo was born in Brisbane Australia in 1972. He developed a keen interest in meditation at the age of twenty and a year later left for Thailand to study Buddhism more intently.  After a two year period practising in various centres and monasteries, in 1996 Ajahn Achalo ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu under Ajahn Liem at Wat Nong Pah Pong, the monastery founded by venerable Ajahn Chah. Although most of his training has taken place in Thailand, Ajahn Achalo has also lived in several international Forest Monasteries in the Ajahn Chah lineage.  During his years of training, he has received personal guidance from many remarkable teachers, among them, Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Kalyano. For most of his Bhikkhu life, he has considered Tan Ajahn Anan, abbot of Wat Marp Jan, to be his principal mentor. In addition, he has found the Dalai Lama's instructions and example to be of tremendous value. Ajahn Achalo is the founder and abbot of Anandagiri Forest Monastery in Pechabun, Thialand. Much of his time - several thousand hours - has been spent meditating at Bodhgaya (where the Buddha was Enlightened). 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) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

    1h 5m

  7. May 23

    True Safety in the Bravest of Spaces | Ayya Niyyānika

    In this session, Ayya Niyyānika explores how we can discover true inner security and cultivate a 'smiling heart' of endless kindness, even when navigating an overwhelming and messy world. Grounding in the Maṅgala Sutta, they challenge us to move beyond the illusion of perfectly guaranteed external 'safe spaces' and instead build brave communities where we can hold our vulnerabilities, challenges, and identities with wisdom and curiosity. Ayya Niyyanika's Biography: Ayya Niyyānika grew up on Whidbey Island, Washington, and worked as an ontology consultant in Minnesota before entering monastic life. They began their formal training in 2014 at Dhammadharini Monastery in California, where they received full bhikkhunī higher ordination on December 3, 2017. After subsequent training at Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery and a period of independent travel through Asia and the West, they co-founded Passaddhi Vihara (www.passaddhivihara.org) in Olympia, Washington, in May 2024 alongside Ayyā Suvijjānā. Ayya Niyyānika focuses their practice on embodiment and open kindness, integrating early Buddhist teachings and monastic discipline into modern, lived experience. 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) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

    35 min

  8. May 14

    New & Ancient Rules of Relationship: Advice from a Therapist & Two Celibate Monks | Terry Real Q&A

    In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Terry Real, therapist, author, and creator of Relational Life Therapy (RLT) (https://terryreal.com/). 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:49 Coming out of the closet as a long-term meditator 00:04:46 Three parts of the brain and the psyche in RLT 00:05:42 Explaining the survival instincts of fight, flight, and fawn 00:06:22 Defining the "wounded child" and the nature of trauma 00:07:18 The role and function of the "adaptive child" 00:08:40 How trauma triggers reactivity in current relationships 00:11:41 The neurobiology of getting flooded and going offline 00:12:48 Introducing the concept of "relational mindfulness" 00:14:15 Moving from the reactive mind to the responsive mind 00:16:43 The importance of performing trauma work with partners 00:19:02 How the Buddhist Eightfold Path relates to reactivity 00:19:26 Integrating spiritual friendship with the need for seclusion 00:19:40 The framework and the "Ten Commandments of Timeouts" 00:20:25 Skillful distance and the dance of intimacy 00:21:20 Establishing healthy self-esteem and God-given worth 00:22:50 Balancing abandonment wounds versus intrusion wounds 00:25:31 Correcting the epistemological mistake of individualism 00:26:49 Waking up to ecological wisdom and relationality 00:30:01 A Zen story about treating others while "saving the world" 00:32:02 Releasing conceit and the movement from me to we 00:34:28 Common pairings of wounded and adaptive children 00:35:13 The five losing strategies of the adaptive child 00:36:59 Examples of how adaptive strategies reinforce each other 00:38:04 A story of recovery and relational heroism regarding lying 00:41:36 Understanding accountability and the "second consciousness" 00:43:53 Distinguishing between blame, victimhood, and responsibility 00:45:46 The risks of "parental determinism" and cutting off parents 00:46:50 Carl Jung and the necessity of a religious outlook 00:47:54 Spirituality as a cure for the disease of addiction 00:50:05 Einstein's question on whether the universe is friendly 00:52:24 Healing through relaxing into something bigger than oneself 00:54:37 A conversation with Jack Kornfeld on spiritual teaching 00:55:47 Final reflections on basic trust and nature looking back Terry Real's Biography: Terry Real is a family therapist, author, and teacher particularly known for his work on male psychology and relationships. His work has been featured in numerous academic articles as well as in The New York Times and Psychology Today; And he has appeared in conversation with Oprah, Esther Perel, Gabor Mate, and with our friend Rick Hanson, to name a few. Terry is the founder of The Relational Life Institute, and the author of "I Don't Want To Talk About It" on the topic of male depression, "How Can I Get Through To You?" on the role of patriarchy in relationships, "The New Rules of Marriage," and most recently, "Us: Getting Past You & Me and Building a More Loving Relationship". Ten Commandments of Timeouts: 1. Use as a Circuit Breaker 2. Take Your Time-Out from the "I" 3. Take Distance Responsibly 4. Use Short Abbreviations 5. Don’t Let Yourself Be Stopped 6. Use Check-Ins at Prescribed Intervals 7. Remember Your Goal 8. Return in Good Faith 9. Observe a 24-Hour Moratorium 10. Know When to Get Help 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) - Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person) - Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online) See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery for details. Welcome!

    58 min
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4.9
out of 5
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About

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.clearmountain.org.

Information

  • Creator
    Clear Mountain Monastery
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Clear Mountain Monastery Project

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