Little Bangkok Sangha : Meditation group

You are invited ! the second Monday of each month will be group meditation and dharma on all aspects of meditation and the mystic path - psychology, philosophy, faerie tales - we'll be covering it all month by month

This month:
OK - this week (Mon October 12) we'll talk about how the Sangha outlasts any monk - specifically the bad behaviour of some monks, such as has been in the news in recent weeks. It's not in fact anything new - the Buddha himself talked about it, and was continually correcting and cleaning up the behavour of the Sangha in his own day. He praised the sangha as a whole, as being greater than any individual, and instigated some precautionary measures to maintain integrity.
Do these still work?

Speaker:
Venerable Pandit has been an ordained Buddhist monk in Thailand since 1996. He has a degree in Psychology and a MA in Buddhist Studies. His focus is on early Buddhist teachings, enlightenment traditions, story and fairy tales, and psychology - all from the perspective of a real meditation practice. Expect clear and precise delivery, and a little humour!

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Inviting:
Everyone is welcome, from beginners to experienced meditators. We meet to support and encourage each other in our practice. If you are a beginner, some instructions will be given; experienced meditators can develop their own practice.

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Why Does the Practice of Dhamma Require No Fixed Pattern? with Thavisakdi Kuruchittham

You are cordially invited to join us on 19 October 2026, when Thavisakdi Kuruchittham will be leading the Monday Night Dhamma Talk for the first time at Baan Aree, the beautiful location so generously made available to us by the Baan Aree Foundation.

This session will explore whether awakening and enlightenment require strict adherence to a fixed pattern, examining how the Four Noble Truths can be practically applied in everyday life by anyone, distinguishing between intellectual knowledge and pure knowing, and navigating the profound debate surrounding self and non-self. This talk aims to simplify core Buddhist teachings on how to cultivate daily mindfulness and deepen spiritual practice beyond rigid frameworks.

Everyone is welcome, from beginners to experienced meditators. We meet to support and encourage each other in our practice.

Programme:
6:00 pm Baan Aree opens
6:30 pm Start of the session
7:30 pm Q&A
7:50 pm Session ends
8:00 pm Baan Aree closes

Baan Aree is a Thai Buddhist Center, please wear something that is comfortable to sit in, and avoid tight-fitting clothes, sleeveless tops, and short skirts. There may not be sufficient drinking water on site, therefore you may bring your own water in a closed container. No other food/drinks are allowed in the main room.

As is usual with Buddhist teachings, there is no charge for this event. However, Little Bangkok Sangha follows the Buddhist custom of Dana (generosity). The teachings and the venue are offered as an act of generosity, and those receiving them can, if they wish, reciprocate by making donations. These go towards the costs of the speaker and the costs of organizing meetings. Boxes for Dana will be provided.

Thavisakdi Kuruchittham is currently a regular Dhamma lecturer at the Dharma Center of Chulalongkorn University. Prior to his retirement, he was a senior executive of a commercial bank. He also worked as a secretary to the board of directors of a computer chip company. His interest is to spread the Buddha’s teachings by using simple language and applying narratives from modern scientific discovery to make the topics more interesting.

You are invited ! the first Monday of each month will be group meditation and dharma based on the original teachings from Sakyamuni Buddha.

There is a lot of pseudo spiritual stuff out there these days - some good, and some less so! This series will focus exclusively on the actual, historical teachings of the mystic path as found in the 'suttas' - the earliest known record.

This month:
Topic this month is the classic '5 nivarana' or 'hindrances, as they appear in the early suttas viz:

• Sensual desire (kāmacchanda)
• Ill will (vyāpāda)
• Sloth and torpor (thīna-middha)
• Restlessness and remorse (uddhacca-kukkucca)
• Skeptical doubt (vicikicchā)

Most specifically the question is "What exactly do these hinder?"

Speaker:
Venerable Pandit has been an ordained Buddhist monk in Thailand since 1996. He has a degree in Psychology and a MA in Buddhist Studies. His focus is on early Buddhist teachings, enlightenment traditions, story and fairy tales, and psychology - all from the perspective of a real meditation practice. Expect clear and precise delivery, and a little humour!

***

Inviting:
Everyone is welcome, from beginners to experienced meditators. We meet to support and encourage each other in our practice. If you are a beginner, some instructions will be given; experienced meditators can develop their own practice.

***

You are invited ! the second Monday of each month will be group meditation and dharma on all aspects of meditation and the mystic path - psychology, philosophy, faerie tales - we'll be covering it all month by month

This month:
Lantern consciousness vs spotlight consciousness - these terms are used by Alison Gopnik in her excellent book The Philosophical Baby. She is comparing the kind of open attention a baby or a meditator has, to the focused attention that most adults inhabit. Gopnik is, by the way, a meditator herself, and frequently references such experience.
So are you like a baby, or a functional adult???

Speaker:
Venerable Pandit has been an ordained Buddhist monk in Thailand since 1996. He has a degree in Psychology and a MA in Buddhist Studies. His focus is on early Buddhist teachings, enlightenment traditions, story and fairy tales, and psychology - all from the perspective of a real meditation practice. Expect clear and precise delivery, and a little humour!

***

Inviting:
Everyone is welcome, from beginners to experienced meditators. We meet to support and encourage each other in our practice. If you are a beginner, some instructions will be given; experienced meditators can develop their own practice.

***