83 Years in Robes, Indicators of Enlightenment, & Euthanasia | Bhante Gunaratana Q&A
Channel: Clear Mountain Monastery
Date: 31/07/2023

Chapters
0:00 - Introduction
0:25 - Welcome
0:54 - Bio of Bhante Gunaratana
2:30 - Bhante’s fluent knowledge of Pāḷi and consequent insights
6:06 - Bhante’s illness and how he rebuilt his memory skills from scratch
7:46 - Bhante’s insights into the Pāḷi word “Citta”
10:33 - How should one think about (or not think about) Nibbāna?
14:52 - Are people still attaining Nibbāna in this day and age?
19:37 - The goal of enlightenment, and guidance to a layperson
25:22 - Definition of the two types of preliminaries to stream entry - Faith Follower and Wisdom Follower
28:35 - How would they know if one has attained stream entry?
35:23 - The importance dedicating merit to the dead, and thoughts on the bodhisattva path
44:06 -  How does one navigate the moment when one’s pet needs to be euthanized?
50:00 - Bhante’s advice to the younger generation of monastics in the US
57:36 - Conclusion and Bhante’s wishes

In this interview, Ven. Bhante Gunaratana, fondly known by his students as "Bhante G", speaks about the possibility of enlightenment in the present age, signs that someone may have attained the first level of awakening, the ethics of euthanizing pets, and the importance of staying in robes after ordaiining.

You may find Clear Mountain's first interview with Bhante G here: https://youtu.be/ui4yu5f-cqA

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Mahathera is an internationally recognized author and meditation teacher and is the founding abbot of the Bhavana Society Buddhist Monastery in West Virginia where regularly leads retreats on vipassana, mindfulness, loving-friendliness, and  concentration practices.
Born in rural Sri Lanka in 1927 (making him currently 95 years old!), he took novice ordianation at age 12 and has thus been in monastic robes for 83 years!  
“Bhante G” (as he is fondly called by his students) came to the United States in 1968. In addition to teaching at the Buddhist Vihara of Washington D.C. (where he served as president), at American University in Washington D.C. (where he served as Buddhist chaplain and earned a Ph.D.), and at numerous meditation centers and monasteries around the globe, he is also the author of many best-selling books. These included “Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness,” “The Path of Serenity and Insight,” “The Jhanas in Theravada Meditation,” “Meditation on Perception,” “Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English,” “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English,” “Loving-Kindness in Plain English,” and the now-classic meditation manual “Mindfulness In Plain English.” 
Bhante G continues to write books and articles, lead retreats, and teach at the Bhavana Society. On the occasion of his 90th birthday, Bhante G decided that he would no longer accept invitations that require long-distance travel. He says, "Thank you all for your kind consideration. With Metta, Bhante Gunaratana."

To learn more, visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery
Tune in with fellow practitioners every Wednesday evening at 6 pm for a Dhamma Talk or Q&A with Ajahn Kovilo or Tan Nisabho. Wednesday evening Q&A's are followed by a discussion on Zoom from 6:45 - 7:30 pm. Additionally, look for the video of Saturday's in-person Seattle talk uploaded each weekend. See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ for details. Welcome!