Talks with U Vamsa

Canadian monk U Vamsa (pictured above) will be coming to Bangkok at the end of April ‘09.

While he is here leading a series of weekend retreats for the YBAT organisation, he has happily agreed to two dhamma talks on Tuesday 21st and Tuesday 28thApril which will be kindly hosted by the beautiful Ariyasom Villa (Ploen Chit BTS)

U Vansa has done three dhamma talks for us in the past, which were very well received. Formerly a financial consultant, he took ordination with Burmese master Sayadaw U Janaka several times during sabbaticals from the work scene. Finally he decided to stay for good, and has been a monk now for a number of years. This will be our own Little Bangkok Sangha event, so expect the regular crowd.

Tuesday 21st and Tuesday 28th

Ariyasom Villa, sukhumvit soi 1 (map below)

Meet between 6 and 6:30 pm (coffee in the Library)

Dhamma talk approx 45 mins

Meditation 35 mins

End 8:15 (people can stay

longer for Q&A)

The two topics will be:

Tue 21st -

“The Paradox of Self: From Somebody to Nobody”

Tue 28th -

” The Dhamma Of Wealth: Taking care of Business”

Though each topic is complete in itself, they are interrelated, so try to make both occasions.

The paradox of ’self’- that is the need to be a ’somebody’ before you can understand non-self (anatta) - leads to some interesting paradoxes such as ‘the paradox of wealth’.

How does a good Buddhist justify the time, effort and ambition needed to be financially successful?

What is financial success anyway?

How does one balance spiritual wealth with material wealth?

And finally, is the very economic model under which we all labour sustainably sound??…In these financially and environmentally charged times, ‘taking care of business’ demands in depth reflection on these and other dukkha riddled issues…

Map to Ariyasom

Click for larger view-