Dipa Ma brought house holders in India to Stream Entry without going on retreat. Because they couldn't leave the home....and their lives were busy. I keep my sights on this 🙏 I really enjoyed this interview. Thank you!
@phraarenpanyasampanno4743 Жыл бұрын
What a beautiful and inspiring video. 😁 I heard the name Beth Upton just over a year ago when looking at meditation places in Spain. I also had been considering training at the Pa Auk temple in Thailand. Learning of Beth’s training I made contact via email. Though I am very busy and struggle to find time, this video has given me the determination to move forward. Beth’s humility, her OBVIOUS EXPERIENTIAL knowledge, combined with her theoretical understanding of the practice, is so wonderfully encouraging. 😁 As one who has sought truth and liberation for many years, I have ALWAYS been most careful in who I choose as a teacher. I have seen so many people, after little time or experience, rushing to teach, to establish themselves as an authority on the subject and even to write books. Whilst their experiences might be valid, the need to be seen as a teacher, or indeed any self promotion, reveals the atta in the individual which, for me, has always been a flare. In this video however, through her authenticity and sweet humility, Beth Upton PROVES herself to be worthy of the title “teacher”. I am most encouraged! Thank you for this video. Wishing you every good thing in life. Phra Aren (Panyasampanno)
@thegr8goblin2 жыл бұрын
I found her interview extremely insightful with a genuineness that made me smile over and over.
@nicksyoutubeaccount Жыл бұрын
Exactly! I really like her.
@loricurry32142 жыл бұрын
I love watching all your interviews, Steve, and am amazed at your preparation and insightful questions. With Beth, in contrast to so many of your other interviews, it was interesting to watch you and she struggle with these black and white questions you sometimes ask, as her responses were less than specific in the way you sought, and your questions were more pointed than she wanted to answer. Super duper interaction and examples of skillful non-answering and also skillful pressing without rudeness. Plus, Beth is adorable while also being firm and precise in her statements and her understanding of the dhamma from her tradition is communicated skillfully, warmly and invitingly with the "yes, it is possible for all," attitude. Nicely done both of you.
@justiceearth9702 Жыл бұрын
I like her. Her voice puts me in a meditative mode. ❤
@mm-gg4hc2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for another incredibly inspiring guest and interview. Anumodana! What an excellent embodiment of Dhamma clarity and wisdom, depth, gentleness, and humility we are gifted with in (venerable!) Beth Upton; much rejoicing in her journey and practice. And much gratitude to her for telling the truth about the dangers of misappropriating Dharma terminology through lack of epistemic humility etc (re: defending claims to realization, for e.g.) Like someone who points to a hill and decrees: I've climbed Mt Everest! Deep bows to you both. Sadhu sadhu sadhu. 🙏
@edwardcottrill5842 жыл бұрын
Great interview. The segment starting at 25:03 is a (very diplomatic) dismantling of Leigh Brasington's method as "not jhana" (done graciously and without naming names). I agree, his method needs a new name completely. I'd like to see more properly-trained Theravadins like Beth coming forward to (diplomatically and productively) challenge New Dharma people like Daniel Ingram, Leigh Brasington and Kenneth Folk, who are basically making things up as they go along, while leading people into the potentially dangerous territory of trying to practise vipassana without an adequate jhana foundation (since, with those guys, "jhana" means whatever they want it to mean). Beth's channel is highly practical and is worth a sub.
@mwdardan Жыл бұрын
Leigh Brasington was trained by Ayya Khema. Ayya Khema was trained in en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissarana_Vanaya Not sure on what grounds you claim that he is making stuff up.
@bearllande Жыл бұрын
@@mwdardan ayya khema got her "jhana" training from some random monk that crawled out of the jungle. no one knows anything about that monk and how knowledgeable he was. just because he was a monk does not mean he was knowledgeable nor attained - all monks are not equal in terms of their understanding, practice and attainments. and to teach something one does not fully understand, and one has not attained, can do more damage than good. the fact that there are people who like to believe in leigh's fake jhana to feel better about themselves and their achievements says a lot about those people... and it should be noted that most of those people are westerners. hard to blame them though, after all, who doesn't want a shortcut and an easy way out? lol
@Paul-zs8ll5 ай бұрын
@@bearllande What a strange comment. Ayya Khema trained under Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera who very much was not just a random monk that crawled out of the jungle. A very well respected meditation monk in his own right, who authorised Ayya Khema in teaching jhana practice.
@bearllande5 ай бұрын
@@Paul-zs8ll lmao your comment is even stranger. if she had a legit mentor then how come she didn't learn to do it correctly?
@shaktivaderdristi2 жыл бұрын
There is something,I quite can't put my finger on, different to most other "jhana masters" who have appeared on this channel.
@hear-and-know Жыл бұрын
Very thankful for this interview. Beth's honesty and straightforwardness is refreshing :)
@AlexKellyArtUK Жыл бұрын
What ever level of samadhi you think you may have, soft, hard, access, first, second, third, fourth, etc… it doesn’t matter to anyone but yourself. After all you can’t show anyone else your level of concentration and you don’t get a qualification with a certificate that you can show to others. Jhana is not the goal. It’s part of the path to the goal - the eighth factor of the path. So jhana itself is necessary but it’s what you can do with it that is important. Whatever level of concentration you have, you don’t rest content with it, you investigate it and develop it further. “Strong concentration is absolutely necessary for liberating insight. “Without a firm basis in concentration,“ he often said, ”insight is just concepts.” To see clearly the connections between stress and its causes, the mind has to be very steady and still. And to stay still, it requires the strong sense of well being that only strong concentration can provide. To gain insight into a state of concentration, you have to stick with it for a long time. If you push impatiently from one level of concentration to the next, or if you try to analyze a new state of concentration too quickly after you’ve attained it, you never give it the chance to show its full potential and you don’t give yourself the chance to familiarize yourself with it. So you have to keep working at it as a skill, something you can tap into in all situations. This enables you to see it from a variety of perspectives and to test it over time, to see if it really is as totally blissful, empty, and effortless as it may have seemed on first sight.” ‘Jhana Not by the Numbers’, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu www.dhammatalks.org/books/PurityOfHeart/Section0013.html “I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then Ven. Ānanda went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: “What is the purpose of skillful virtues? What is their reward?” “Skillful virtues have freedom from remorse as their purpose, Ānanda, and freedom from remorse as their reward.” “And what is the purpose of freedom from remorse? What is its reward?” “Freedom from remorse has joy as its purpose, joy as its reward.” “And what is the purpose of joy? What is its reward?” “Joy has rapture as its purpose, rapture as its reward.” “And what is the purpose of rapture? What is its reward?” “Rapture has calm as its purpose, calm as its reward.” “And what is the purpose of calm? What is its reward?” “Calm has pleasure as its purpose, pleasure as its reward.” “And what is the purpose of pleasure? What is its reward?” “Pleasure has concentration as its purpose, concentration as its reward.” “And what is the purpose of concentration? What is its reward?” “Concentration has knowledge & vision of things as they have come to be as its purpose, knowledge & vision of things as they have come to be as its reward.” “And what is the purpose of knowledge & vision of things as they have come to be? What is its reward?” “Knowledge & vision of things as they have come to be has disenchantment as its purpose, disenchantment as its reward.” “And what is the purpose of disenchantment? What is its reward?” “Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward.” “And what is the purpose of dispassion? What is its reward?” “Dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge & vision of release as its reward.” www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN11_1.html
@xrealluzion6387 ай бұрын
This is absolutely mindblowing. Huge thanks to both Guru Viking and Beth for this invaluable interview. This really motivates me to double up on my efforts and deepen my meditation practice. Thank you
@andrewharris91052 жыл бұрын
One of my favorite guests you have had.
@meadishАй бұрын
I've watched a few of your interviews before, always with interest. Something about Beth makes me feel she is speaking the true dhamma. If I can get a regular practice together again, I think I will contact her and ask for some guidance. And you now have a new subscriber.
@Nate19752 жыл бұрын
How can one just be ‘over’ it or even say that 😮 and the question is so correct about people who donate are plugged in the system so no difference in terms of influence no matter how you tell yourself you see it. Very good questions, straight to the point
@carolinebarnes68322 жыл бұрын
I loved this whole interview, but want to comment especially on Beth's understanding of the economic system and how it works to create a false value system. I have been calling it that for about ten years, but my understanding lacked the clarity that Beth brought to the table on this subject. I too, have tried to live outside the system and have mostly been successful in doing that, but not without a lot of difficulty and, I have to say, suffering. I do not know what the long term solution is, but I can totally understand Beth's reluctance to become part of that system.
@chadkline42682 жыл бұрын
34:15, 42:00, 45:00 nun Beth makes very good points on when and why Vipassana is required in Samatha meditation.
@nibanna-ai2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for these beautiful interviews. You are bringing dhamma into the lives of those who seek it.
@madogblue Жыл бұрын
You did a great job with your follow up questions. I liked the additional detail that Beth added based on your questions
@brianl94192 жыл бұрын
A fantastic interview yet again Steve. What a fascinating and inspiring guest Beth is. Thank you!
@jaapendebonenstaak2 жыл бұрын
Nice! Beth taught me About buddhism/meditation in the caves of Andalusia. The main lesson was also in how human she allows Herself to be. :) :)
@nicksyoutubeaccount Жыл бұрын
She's great. Would love to study with her in Spain someday. You should have her on more.
@kevinmai29472 жыл бұрын
Wow her description of how seeing past lives work is understandable to me. This is great knowledge to me and clearly explains how past lives work in a believable way and what it actually means. It's a nugget of knowledge that I now have! Even if I may not experience it myself.
@enrico43869 Жыл бұрын
one can see that this Woman is not an ordinary person...
@HanjoYoutaku2 жыл бұрын
Well, this looks wonderful.
@johnandrewmunroe Жыл бұрын
Great interview. Thanks for this!
@JizniBuddhismus3 ай бұрын
Thank you.
@galaxytrio2 жыл бұрын
Love your videos, Steve.
@biscottone33572 жыл бұрын
I would be very interested in hearing more details about her practice curriculum. In particular the jhanic work with the 10 kasinas(does jhanas gain different flavors depending from the object of access? Can you give a precise phenomenological description?) and also the practices done after the realization of the Knowledge of cause and condition(2nd Nana) for completing the progress of Insight. Another thing that I would like to understand better is what she mean exactly by ultimate reality. Experience free from conceptualization? I can't express the gratitude I have for you guruviking. It's really amazing getting to know so many genuine and dedicated meditators.🙏❤️🙏
@chadkline42682 жыл бұрын
25:45 nun Beth speaks on the dumbing-down of Buddhism for western economic + feel-good consumption (ie, the Awakening movement; ie, anyone can do anything and become enlightened; ie, non-dualism, just stop thinking and then you are enlightened).
@koungpheng8905 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for your wonderful sharing. I really appreciate that.
@chadkline42682 жыл бұрын
1:08:30 changes in practice between stream entry and Arahantship.
@mispanludensprinck56522 жыл бұрын
She's so cute. She could play an elf in a movie. Due to an unusually agonizing illness that lasted for almost a quarter of a century, I was practically unable to meditate, although I always wanted to. I find it extremely encouraging that substantial results can be achieved in ten years. I hope I still have that much time ahead of me.
@chadkline42682 жыл бұрын
10 years practicing several hours/day is substantial. Strive ardently. Things are not so easy or simple as when you are 20.
@mispanludensprinck56522 жыл бұрын
@@chadkline4268 That's why I meditate sitting on a pillow on the edge of the bed and I don't even try to do any lotus sitting anymore. I've actually been meditating for 34 months and I'm still gradually increasing my doses. Now it's an average of 3 hours a day. I should probably look for a teacher. But I live in central or rather eastern Europe and most of those teachers are in the US. At least I attend seminars on the spiritual life of a Catholic parish where they do contemplative prayer. I was intrigued by what this Beth said about how sensory perception breaks down and her hand indicated ripples. I think Culadasa writes about the same thing in chapter seven, the sensation of air in the nostrils begins to discretize with a frequency of 2 Hz, and then 10 Hz, and in between there is a "void". Shinzen Young writes the same thing, and includes drawings of how the perception seems to be composed of "Fourier components" that start to have the same source and target over time. If I understand this correctly.
@chadkline42682 жыл бұрын
@@mispanludensprinck5652 it has been said, and I would agree, that mindfulness of breath can take you all the way. There may be little tricks to make the process faster, but concentration on breath alone can do it. Try to keep it going all day, even before/after meditating. It is OK to use words to prevent straying, like 'one .. two'. And if you stray, investigate why/when. Yes, eventually, body and mind vanish in deep concentration.
@chadkline42682 жыл бұрын
@@mispanludensprinck5652 if you are very serious, you must learn to push the limits sometimes. Like 4, 8 ... Hours of meditation. Lotus position is best, but if you can't do it, be sure that the position does not allow sleep.
@mispanludensprinck56522 жыл бұрын
@@chadkline4268 Meido Roshi says the most common mistake about meditation postures is that people bend the spine too much in the lumbar region and arch the chest too much. I would like to ask this Beth how it is possible to concentrate on the sensation in the nostrils when all tactile sensations are disappearing.
@CharlieMorley2 жыл бұрын
Another amazing interview.
@dailymeditationchannel49442 жыл бұрын
A really good interview, thank you!
@gulumayroz Жыл бұрын
Beautiful ❤️🙏🌈
@Juan-cn6uy2 жыл бұрын
Can you please share how can we contact Beth for advice?
@GuruViking2 жыл бұрын
Beth's website is in the episode description.
@MonoyogaEs2 жыл бұрын
Who does she mention around 26:25 before Ajahn Brahm? I can't hear her very well.
@pragzter2 жыл бұрын
Dipa Ma
@Amorhoo Жыл бұрын
@@pragzter is s/he a buddhist?
@pragzter Жыл бұрын
@@Amorhoo yep she was a world famous meditation teacher
@Shalien3332 жыл бұрын
Most people are looking for an Easy WAY to Comfort... Apparently myself included. Not Everyone is Ready for What you are Sharing.
@chadkline42682 жыл бұрын
40:15 nun Beth speaks about 10-12 hour exertions.
@Nate19752 жыл бұрын
The world works as a system, very faulty one 😊 the sooner one sees it the better. Only once you leave this system you understand what life is about. Quite interesting how studying economics and the rest the life gets so consumed if not using money but still thinking about it, going to be nun to get away from it and then now still consumed by figuring it out. Some sort of fault in the viewing things due to what sounds like an old trauma around money. None of these experiences is a coincidence - fascinating. Almost an obsession with denouncing money, it is not evil, you know, it’s what’s you make it
@iandoty63132 жыл бұрын
My initial reaction is that she's nicely addressed the central problem of socialist/communist systems which is that power corrupts. Capitalism is terrible at it's core, so it should be abandoned. A system that allows people to control the means of production but counters the power/corruption aspect with living in accord with the Dharma would potentially be a great way for humans to live. hmmm....gotta think it over. Thanks Guru Viking and Beth
@user-fg3fv9hl3b2 жыл бұрын
It would be silly to think there could ever be a government system that isn't corrupt and working for its own benefit, but that's only my opinion. Great people generally don't have interest in politics, but when they do they are squashed by the weight of those currently in power. It's best to see the flaws of each system and try to make change but come to accept that it's probably never going to change in any satisfying way even if there is hope for the better and really working at being a part of that.
@Amorhoo Жыл бұрын
wow. so she, by saying she hasn't met anyone with aAnagami ttainments, reckons Pauk hasn't reached the goal.
@VeritableVagabond2 жыл бұрын
Calling jhanas that aren't born from the Visuddhimagga interpretation 'not jhana' is pretty arrogant and doesn't really make sense. Even if Visuddhimagga jhanas are attainable why haven't they led to 4th path?
@charlielevett90082 жыл бұрын
Disagreed. As someone who has benefited tremendously from ‘soft Jhanas’ I do agree with what she is saying because it is actually just a different meditation technique and would make sense to call it something else. It’s not really the same at all as ‘hard Jhanas’. I think that it would be ignorant to disregard the usefulness of those techniques, but that isn’t what she is saying.
@VeritableVagabond2 жыл бұрын
@@charlielevett9008 oh? I thought she said those 'soft jhanas' aren't jhana.
@biscottone33572 жыл бұрын
@@VeritableVagabond She definitely did.
@VeritableVagabond2 жыл бұрын
@@biscottone3357 yeah, i don't understand it.
@user-fg3fv9hl3b2 жыл бұрын
@@VeritableVagabond I believe what she is getting at is that when people give themselves an excuse to say they have attained jhana even though it's the soft version, you get many more people who delude themselves and actually aren't hitting any form of jhana claiming they did so. I think soft jhana is a fair term personally, but I am hesitant to believe the sheer number of people who have attained jhana when they have gotten the light version of it. Or maybe I'm being too skeptical and the majority of these people are actually getting light jhana.
@novadirector2 жыл бұрын
Why do people believe in past life and supernatural parts of buddhism?
@VeritableVagabond2 жыл бұрын
I suppose because it's not belief but they actually experience these parts first-hand. The issue is that they need extensive training to access.
@novadirector2 жыл бұрын
if you could truly access past life's you could cross check what you discovered with history books and biographies...then you'd be world famous. So I assume it's not real. Or is it not like that?
@VeritableVagabond2 жыл бұрын
@@novadirector You'd have to talk to her 1 on 1. I can't access past lives, yet.
@user-fg3fv9hl3b2 жыл бұрын
@@novadirector most at that level of clarity aren't going to have interest in fame. But if they do they'll likely go another route toward it. Having past life experiences doesn't mean you're recalling human lives only. And even if you do the chance that it's a life that was documented in history books will be incredibly unlikely. And who is to say a human past life isn't from some other planet in this infinite space filled with trillions upon trillions upon trillions of planets anyway? It's too complicated to not believe in over something like not checking with history books and sharing. Of course you don't have to believe in it anyway but if you attain the jhanas and recall your earliest memories, you'll find out for yourself anyway.
@chadkline42682 жыл бұрын
@@novadirector if we can agree that circumstances are preceded by causes, then we can agree that if the causes remain, the outcomes will repeat. Birth has causes. The binding of a spirit to flesh has causes. If the causes remain, births continue. So, you might wonder what is the cause? All the great teachers, and it doesn't matter if it is Lao Tze, the Buddha, Jesus, or Mohammed ... The cause is sensual desire. If you die, sensual desire will bind you to a new set of senses ... You get what you want. You are captain of your ship. Deliverence/salvation is the ending of sensual desire, the ending of births. And with the ending of births comes the ending of stress+suffering. You have to study and contemplate things before it all adds up and you begin to understand. But, that is why all the great teachers were ascetics. They were not people with passions for sensual pleasures. They all renounced this world; ie, materiality. I am not addressing your concern of remembering past lives directly, but I am answering you indirectly. Stress+suffering is fundamental to the nature of material life because it is eat or be eaten, birth and death, gain and loss. We can't find satisfaction or peace or safety in material form. Thus, we need to strive to find what is beyond material. And at the very least, YOU (awareness/presence, a non brain knowing or conscience, and the power of intent) are beyond material, similar to how you are beyond material in a dream. Note how the spirit never sleeps. It is active by day+night. It is not rooted in biology and has no need for rest and recovery.
@bearllande Жыл бұрын
there's no such thing as soft and hard, only real and fake jhana.
@KieranFunzig3 ай бұрын
There's no such 'thing' as anything mate
@bearllande3 ай бұрын
@@KieranFunzig and yet they're talking about it and you're here commenting about it. people always like to sound profound but fail.
@KieranFunzig3 ай бұрын
@@bearllande If by 'people' you mean me then say so.
@bearllande3 ай бұрын
@@KieranFunzig oh noes, the not a thing/person is talking hahaha! 'no thing' is talking!!! what a raging hypocrite 😂 bloooocked!!
@KieranFunzig3 ай бұрын
@@bearllande What are you getting out of these insults and shitposting? EDIT The post I am replying to has been deleted