Ajahn Geoff Ṭhānissaro
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) is an American Buddhist monk of the Kammatthana (Thai Forest) Tradition. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1971 with a degree in European Intellectual History, he traveled to Thailand, where he studied meditation under Ajaan Fuang Jotiko, himself a student of the late Ajaan Lee. He ordained in 1976 and lived at Wat Dhammasathit, where he remained following his teacher’s death in 1986. In 1991 he traveled to the hills of San Diego County, USA, where he helped Ajaan Suwat Suvaco establish Metta Forest Monastery. He was made abbot of the Monastery in 1993.
~ From his website, Dhammatalks.org
Selected Works (in chronological order)
Featured in the course, " Nibbāna: The Goal of Buddhist Practice"
Reverend Sirs, I would like the reverend bhikkhus and bhikkhunis—as well as the laymen and laywomen—to listen to these passages frequently and to ponder on them.
Ajahn Geoff explains how the monastic institution works by creating an economy of gifts.
I cannot recommend this classic textbook on the history of Buddhism highly enough. Short and readable, yet thorough and precise, this must-read covers the entire history of Buddhism in a couple hundred, lively pages.
Unfortunately idiosyncratic and giving undue weight to certain Thai subcommentaries, this vinaya textbook remains the gold standard for Western, Theravada monks or anyone looking to seriously study the monastic rules.
…when these people meditate they’re awfully grim.
During my first weeks with my teacher, Ajaan Fuang, I began to realize that he had psychic powers.
Featured in the course, " Buddhism as a Religion"
A fascinating series of open letters between Ajahn Geoff and Bhikkhu Bodhi on the subject of “just war.”
the Buddha himself rarely smiles in the Canon, and when he does, the reasons for his smile are never hilarious. Still, the Canon’s reputation for being devoid of humor is undeserved. It’s there in the Canon, but it often goes unrecognized.
Readings:
Featured in the course, " Buddhist Ethics"
Translations by Ajahn Geoff Ṭhānissaro:
As for the question of suffering in the future—in this life or the next—don’t overlook your heart that’s suffering right now.
Monks! All is aflame!
Subha Bhikkhuni finds a creative solution to sexual harassment.
Coming out from my day’s abiding
on Vulture Peak Mountain…
In a practical meditation teaching, the Buddha describes five progressive approaches to arresting unwanted thoughts.
Insofar as it disintegrates, it is called the ‘world.’
Yet it is just within this fathom-long body, with its perception & intellect, that I declare that there is the cosmos, the origination of the cosmos, the cessation of the cosmos, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of the cosmos.
… he should put forth extra desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, relentlessness, mindfulness, & alertness for the abandoning of those very same evil, unskillful qualities. Just as when a person whose turban or hair is on fire
O, that I might live for the interval that it takes to swallow having chewed up one morsel of food!
Featured in the course, " Tranquility and Insight"
… an enemy wishes of an enemy, ‘O, may this person sleep badly!’
Featured in the course, " Imagery in the Early Buddhist Texts"
He doesn’t assume consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness.
Featured in the course, " Buddhist Ethics"
Featured in the course, " The Practice of Buddhism"
I have taught the Dhamma compared to a raft, for the purpose of crossing over, not for the purpose of holding onto. Understanding the Dhamma as taught compared to a raft, you should let go even of Dhammas, to say nothing of non-Dhammas.
This is how a disciple of the noble ones dwells
… what is confinement, and what is the opening amid confinement that the Buddha spoke of?
… even this view of yours, Aggivessana—‘All is not pleasing to me’—is even that not pleasing to you?
Featured in the course, " Buddhist Ethics"
The Buddha explains how mindfulness of the body should be cultivated and to what benefits it leads.
If there is rebirth, then what gets reborn?
Then, dear sirs, he must be an anger-eating yakkha.
The monastic rules for Theravada Bhikkhunis, prepared in a bilingual English-Pali edition for study and recitation.