Jekyll2026-03-28T10:07:32+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/feed.xmlDustin Harriman - formerly Ajahn SubharoFocusing on meditation, and the Early Buddhist Texts.New Video Website, as a layperson2026-03-27T20:07:00+08:002026-03-27T20:07:00+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/update/livestream/2026/03/27/New_Video_SiteFirst of all, this site will continue to persist, longer term. It still gets a lot of traffic, even after Anubis has thwarted a bunch of bots)! It’s just that I won’t post new videos or audio talks here.

I can finally record and post videos again at a new and improved video self-hosted site, but this time not as a Buddhist monk. Do you have any questions for me to answer? Like questions about what the monk life was like, which I can answer from the perspective of one who no longer needs to heavily censor everything I say (so as to not discourage donations)?

Please reach out to me in Signal, or Deltachat.

]]>Dustin HarrimanBulk Downloads of Dhamma Talks available upon request2026-03-13T20:07:00+08:002026-03-13T20:07:00+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/update/livestream/2026/03/13/Bulk_Downloads_of_TalksA friend in Malaysia has asked for bulk downloading of all my Dhamma Talks on this website (both audio and video). You’d imagine this is an easy thing to grant, but it’s actually not that easy. There’s about 26GB worth of files: ~170 videos, ~130 audio files.

After several hours of installing Copyparty, I now have this remote access set up and available (however, it’s password protected, to protect this service from bots who will abuse it).

Copyparty can do rapid downloading of all the files in a shared folder. To download all files in a folder, right-click one of the files, and a context menu pops out. Left-click “select all”. All filenames turn pink. Here’s a screenshot:

At the bottom-right of the screen, some new controls appeared. Hover your mouse pointer over “dl”. A “tooltip” is shown, saying “download selection as separate files”. If you go ahead and left-click “dl”, the (pink) selected files will all start downloading in rapid succession, to your laptop’s default download folder (of your web browser)!

In the lower left of this screenshot, you can see that all the pink files were summarized as being 2.13GB worth, and there were 133 files selected.

If you’d like those as one big .zip file instead, left-click “zip” (not “dl”). Note: Copyparty does some magic where it zips as it goes - no temp files created first. A big zip file (probably compression level zero - no compression) just starts blasting at you with no delay!

If you’re interested in access, let me know, and I can make available a bulk download for you. If you aren’t already a contact of mine (through Signal, my goto), you can contact me using one of the methods listed here.

]]>Dustin HarrimanNew Posts Paused Until Further Notice2025-12-10T20:07:00+08:002025-12-10T20:07:00+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/update/livestream/2025/12/10/PauseNew Dhamma Talks - both video and audio recordings - will be paused until further notice. The existing talks on this site will still be available for the forseeable future - perhaps decades. The hosting to keep them online is cheap.

The video livestream is similarly paused.

]]>Dustin HarrimanDhamma Talk Video 171: A New Worldview2025-11-01T04:30:00+08:002025-11-01T04:30:00+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/buddhism/video/2025/11/01/Dhamma_Talk_171Here’s a 49-min recorded video (134MB .mp4 - Tip: tap-and-hold to “Download link”, or right click to “Save Link As…“).

Topics:

  • meditation, wholistic practice, integrating mindfulness into our lives, maximizing our flexibility to adopt a new worldview, the Buddha was way ahead of his time, “as it is, not as you’d like it to be”, objects of meditation, neuroscience, AI


Pali References:

  • anicca, dukkha, anatta, the “3 Characteristics”

  • Dhamma Vicaya - Investigation of Dhamma

Past Dhamma Talk References:

Other References:

  • Wil Storr’s “The Status Game”, ISBN-13:‎ 978-0008354657

    “When people defer to us, offer respect, admiration, or praise, or allow us to influence them in some way, that’s status”

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]]>Ajahn SubharoDhamma Talk Video 170: Fame and Status2025-10-17T04:30:00+08:002025-10-17T04:30:00+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/buddhism/video/2025/10/17/Dhamma_Talk_170Here’s a 62-min recorded video (208MB .mp4 - Tip: tap-and-hold to “Download link”, or right click to “Save Link As…“).

Topics:

  • Worldly visicitudes include “fame” and “praise”, and these are forms of what is now called “status”, how the need for status is built right into our physiology, our DNA, how status has always been tied to survival and thriving. Furthermore, someone plays the status game all the better by fooling themselves that they aren’t playing it, all elevates their own status by pointing out how others are out for status


Sutta References:

  • AN 8.6 - “World”

    …these eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around these eight worldly conditions. What eight? Gain and loss, disrepute and fame, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain. These eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around these eight worldly conditions.

  • MN 30 - The Shorter Heartwood Simile Discourse Cūḷa Sāropama Sutta. Also mentions “gain, offerings, & fame”, and how it’s easy to get caught up on that, not striving for things more sublime than that

Pali References:

  • yaso: fame; reputation; renown; honour; glory; prestige

Other References:

  • Wil Storr’s “The Status Game”, ISBN-13:‎ 978-0008354657

    “When people defer to us, offer respect, admiration, or praise, or allow us to influence them in some way, that’s status”

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]]>Ajahn SubharoDhamma Talk Video 169: Vinaya in modern times2025-10-10T04:30:00+08:002025-10-10T04:30:00+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/buddhism/video/2025/10/10/Dhamma_Talk_169Here’s a 60-min recorded video (219MB .mp4 - Tip: tap-and-hold to “Download link”, or right click to “Save Link As…“).

Topics:

  • Buddhist monasticism, monk rules, Theravada, Vinaya, summarization of rules, food-related rules, solar noon, money handling, electronic payment methods, stewards, anecdotes of people getting sick from mosquitos, mosquito-borne illnesses


Vinaya References:

Other References:

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]]>Ajahn SubharoDhamma Talk Video 168: Compassion, Empathy & Caring2025-10-04T04:30:00+08:002025-10-04T04:30:00+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/buddhism/video/2025/10/04/Dhamma_Talk_168Here’s a 66-min recorded video (201MB .mp4 - Tip: tap-and-hold to “Download link”, or right click to “Save Link As…“).

Topics:

  • anicca, change, anatta, not-self, existentialism, Sartre, good faith/bad faith, communication, bicultural, traditional, conservative Thai or Sri Lankan culture, vs. Western culture, cultural customs, compassion, empathy, caring, as communication styles, 2 kinds of empathy, mirroring, emotional engagement vs. emotional aloofness, dispassion, Mahayana, archetypes of monk behaviour, expectations


Pali References:

  • bhava (becoming), anicca (change)

Other References:

  • “Cable car crash kills 8 monks on way to mountain meditation in Sri Lanka”

  • Sartre’s “Being and Nothingness”, where the nuanced concepts of “Good Faith” (bonne foi), and “Bad Faith” (mauvaise foi) are found.

    My opinion: Upon looking into the philosophy of the French philosopher Sartre - he had this concept of “good faith” and “bad faith”, which is highly relevant and useful. All this Western-style, Mahayana-style emphasis about “compassionate” communication, empathetic communication, caring communication, etc. (which Theravada teaches in a rather poor and under-developed way) is even better articulated by these concepts of “good faith”/”bad faith”. I think when Westerner-style Buddhists call for more “compassionate” communication, empathetic communication, kind communication, these are all euphamistic statements which don’t really clearly explain the problem. If they could articulate their expectations and needs better, the following would explain what their actual problem is.

    When considering some Theravada Buddhist monastic, especially in a role of seniority of leadership: despite being good meditators, and teachers of meditation, and despite knowing and teaching the Dhamma accurately as it’s found in the suttas – they might none-the-less fail at Sartre’s “good faith”. They might teach and relate with what Sartre would call “bad faith”.

    They may have “bad faith” because they afford themselves agency, but not their underlings.

    They may afford themselves freedom to express themselves, but that freedom of expression isn’t extended to their underlings.

    They may not treat their underlings as though those underlings have feelings, or have their own valid perspectives - even if these underlings might be inexperienced meditators, and aren’t possessed with Brahmaviharic heavenly goodness. This is treatment would be called “bad faith” treatment by Sartre - the basic humanity and freedom of perspective, freedom to engage in their own meaning-making, wasn’t respected by these teachers.

    It’s to live and act in denial of the freedom and humanity of the underlings. It’s to fool oneself that they are humans, with human feelings; with unique, changing, developing perspectives, which fundamentally exist regardless of their loyalty to the lineage. This denial and fooling oneself about others is “bad faith”.

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]]>Ajahn SubharoDhamma Talk Video 167: The Truth2025-09-27T04:30:00+08:002025-09-27T04:30:00+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/buddhism/video/2025/09/27/Dhamma_Talk_167Here’s a 65-min recorded video (216MB .mp4 - Tip: tap-and-hold to “Download link”, or right click to “Save Link As…“).

Topics:

  • the 3 characteristics in Theravada Buddhism, anatta, not-self, a sense of self dropping away, crazy wisdom, lifestyle of the hunter-gatherers where the sense of self was much less, a connection to the land we live on, speech which stays in its context, avoiding speech which is not “of the essense”, sobremesa, Kalyana Mittas


Dhamma References:

Pali References:

  • “Dhamma”: truth; reality; truth behind the teaching; teaching; discourse; doctrine; nature; character

Other References:

  • Mastodon posting on a Mahayana-style “3 characteristics”

    In Buddhadharma the word “understanding” is used in a way that’s at odds with ordinary philosophy. It refers to a knowing that has three characteristics: ineffability, non-divisiveness, and being devoid of subject and object. Ineffable means understanding is not an idea. Non-divisive means its emergence is without any mental conflict. In a word, it’s peaceful. Devoid of subject and object means one is no longer disposed toward a rational basis for understanding. It’s direct.”

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]]>Ajahn SubharoDhamma Talk Video 166: The Path2025-09-19T04:30:00+08:002025-09-19T04:30:00+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/buddhism/video/2025/09/19/Dhamma_Talk_166Here’s a 45-min recorded video (156MB .mp4 - Tip: tap-and-hold to “Download link”, or right click to “Save Link As…“).

Topics:

  • meditation, mindfulness, meditation retreats, working in a monastery kitchen, harmonius conduct in a monastery, objects of meditation, awareness of space


Sutta References:

  • Dhp 282 - taken from Acharya Buddharakkhita:

    Wisdom springs from meditation; without meditation wisdom wanes. Having known these two paths of progress and decline, let a man so conduct himself that his wisdom may increase.

Pali References:

  • magga: road; path; track; way

  • vagga: chapter; section

Other References:

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]]>Ajahn SubharoDhamma Talk Audio 75: Integrating Mindfulness & Finding Joy in Life2025-09-02T10:30:00+08:002025-09-02T10:30:00+08:00https://bhikkhu.ca/buddhism/audio/2025/09/02/Dhamma_Talk_audio_075Recorded at Sarana Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, given to an audience of about 10, here are the audio-only recordings (Tip: tap and hold to “Download link”, or right click to “Save Link As…“).

Topics:

  • the simile of the “handful of leaves”, samana culture in India, connecting with the needs and values of an audience, psychology, Dhamma, range of meaning, character development in the suttas, psychological realism, Galileo and his telescope, Don Quixote, modernity, individualism, insight from attending Insight Dialogue events, seclusion, solitude, practice while in dyads or groups, two-way communication, finding joy in ife

  • Downloadable 49-minute 33MB .mp3 Dhamma Talk


  • Pali References:

    • samaṇa: ascetic; renunciant; holy man; monk; recluse; lit. who makes an effort; calm one

  • Downloadable 8-minute 5MB .mp3 Q & A #1



  • Downloadable 8-minute 6MB .mp3 Q & A #2


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]]>Ajahn Subharo