{"podcast":{"title":"Clear Mountain Monastery Project","slug":"clear-mountain-monastery-project-3695945","podcast_index_feed_id":3695945,"rss_url":"https://feed.podbean.com/clearmountainmonastery/feed.xml","website_url":"https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/19513480/Podcast_cover_Mtsi9xknl.jpg","author":"Clear Mountain Monastery","episode_count":100,"summary":"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://wwww.clearmountain.org.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-19T18:18:52.716137+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/clear-mountain-monastery-project-3695945"},"episode":{"title":"Making Mountains of Merit Amidst Mounting Madness: Shedding Light on Group Karma | Ajahn Achalo Q&A","slug":"making-mountains-of-merit-amidst-mounting-madness-shedding-light-on-group-karma-ajahn-achalo-q-a","published_at":"2026-05-28T01:00:05+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/clear-mountain-monastery-project-3695945/making-mountains-of-merit-amidst-mounting-madness-shedding-light-on-group-karma-ajahn-achalo-q-a","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/clear-mountain-monastery-project-3695945","url":"https://clearmountainmonastery.podbean.com/e/making-mountains-of-merit-amidst-mounting-madness-shedding-light-on-group-karma-ajahn-achalo-qa/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/zg7droziamtgo2cd/yt_video_KHIOK7jX2_k_fdmmz7.mp3","summary":"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 Achalo00:01:27 Connection with the local village and global uncertainty00:07:53 Advice for navigating dark or distressing times00:08:36 Internal practices for holding the heart in a good space00:13:06 Correlation between renunciation and letting go of hindrances00:16:43 Contemplating the law of karma during difficult periods00:19:38 Skillful means for brightening an anxious or upset mind00:23:52 Concept and relationship to shared group karma00:28:43 Dealing with the general trajectory of a degenerating world00:35:45 Daily devotional acts and determinations00:40:40 Invocations of deities and devas in practice00:48:55 Planning for rebirth and suitable environments01:01:00 Personal experiences and the reality of subtle realmsAjahn 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 pr…","meta_description":"In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho speak with Ajahn Achalo, abbot and founder of Ānandagiri Monastery in Pechabun, Thailand (https://www.peac…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3870,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/clear-mountain-monastery-project-3695945/episodes/making-mountains-of-merit-amidst-mounting-madness-shedding-light-on-group-karma-ajahn-achalo-q-a/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/clear-mountain-monastery-project-3695945/making-mountains-of-merit-amidst-mounting-madness-shedding-light-on-group-karma-ajahn-achalo-q-a.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}