Guided Meditation | Ajahn Hasapanna | 4 April 2026

Ajahn Hasapanna leads a guided meditation session for the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, focusing on the challenges of managing a restless mind during meditation. He explains that attempting to stop thoughts through willpower often backfires, reinforcing the very tendencies it seeks to suppress. Drawing on Buddhist teachings of dependent origination, he illustrates how thinking leads to desire, likes and dislikes, greed, and hatred—creating a cycle that perpetuates mental agitation. Instead of force, he advocates for a skillful, gradual approach: first calming the mind through breathing exercises like 'breathing in thinking, breathing out peace,' then shifting to body contemplation to build mindfulness before returning to the breath. He emphasizes patience, acceptance, and non-force as essential virtues in meditation practice. The session concludes with Q&A, where Ajahn addresses common struggles such as restlessness, switching between meditation techniques, and mental confusion or physical discomfort during sitting. He encourages practitioners to stay with their chosen method, develop gentle persistence, and trust the natural unfolding of mindfulness over time.