This skill plays randomly selected Dhamma Talks by Thanissaro Bhikkhu courtesy of dhammatalks.org. There are over 3000 dhamma talks available that were spoken from 2000 until now.
The purpose of this skill is to make the Dhamma Talks of Thanissaro Bhikkhu available to users of Alexa.
What are Dhamma Talks? Dhamma (or Dharma) means 'truth' or 'teachings' as pertaining to the teachings of the Buddha. Dhamma Talks are talks given by master meditators during group meditations. The subject matter can be wide-ranging, but the best Dhamma Talks always address truths. A Dhamma Talk can be any length, sometimes going on for many hours. These Dhamma Talks typically last 10-20 minutes.
How to use this skill. Once the skill is installed simply say "Alexa, ask dhamma talks to play", or "Alexa, launch dhamma talks". This will trigger Alexa to load a random audio file. The title of the file will be spoken prior to play-back. Additionally, you can say "next". This will cancel the current talk and randomly grab another. You may also say 'Pause' to pause the play-back and 'Resume' to resume it.
How to use Dhamma Talks (in a general sense). Dhamma Talks can be enjoyed any time, but traditionally they are spoken at the beginning of the meditation. Use them to help your mind find the optimal place for a productive meditation. Thanissaro Bhikkhu usually tells meditators to stay with the breath during the talk. In other words, the Dhamma Talk is secondary to your meditation. However, his talks can be very useful in giving the mind quality 'food' to consume as it gets settled into concentration.
Who is Thanissaro Bhikkhu? Thanissaro Bhikkhu, also known as Ajaan Geoff, is an American Buddhist Monk. He is the abbot of the Metta Forest Monastery located in San Diego County, California. Ajaan Geoff has written several highly respected books and is responsible for a huge number of Pali to English translations of the Tipitaka (The Pali Canon).
I hope you enjoy this App. I made it in an effort to improve my own practice to help share the wisdom of one of the United State's best Buddhist teachers. Please know this skill was created independently of Thanissaro Bhikkhu, his monastery and the good people of dhammatalks.org. I am responsible for any issues you may encounter. However, any proceeds that may be forthcoming will go to server costs and the Metta Forest Monastery.
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