Unexpected Freedom

Unexpected Freedombeautiful. As the Ajahn points out in ‘Getting to Know ourEmotional Household’, this is essential, as “we need all ourenergy for the work of purification”, and whatever part of itwe try to deny or repress for too long will go undergroundand eventually turn against us.The talks towards the end of the book offer reflectionsand practices that try to provide a supportive framework tohold awareness in its place, investing it with the strengthneeded to undertake its transformative work. Thisarrangement of the talks, then, follows a certain logic;however, it should be possible to open the book at any pageand find some relevant reminder or a fresh perspective onthe challenges we face in our practice.The talks were given at a variety of venues – at ArunaRatanagiri monastery, during either the regular Sundayevening meetings or lay meditation retreats, during travels tomeditation groups in Britain as well as in other countries –always to a lay audience, mostly with monastic Sanghapresence, often addressing specific questions, and so ingeneral trying to address topics of concern for both monasticand lay practitioners. They have, at least in part, been editedextensively to adapt them to the written format, to avoidrepetitions or to clarify the argument where it seemedhelpful.The quotations at the beginning of each talk are takenfrom Ajahn Munindo’s own rendering of the Dhammapada,published by Aruna Publications. They introduce the themeof the talk and pay homage to the Buddha by offering areference to the Pali scriptures, the most ancient record of histeachings. Thai and Pali words (apart from Buddha,Dhamma, Sangha and some proper names) have beenitalicised where they appear in the first instance in each talk.Their meaning can be looked up in the glossary.