Pariyatti Presents...

Pariyatti Presents...

December 1, 2022

Pariyatti Presents… is an example of a program that took some time to find its present form. The initial idea the program started off with, was to invite speakers to come to the USA for in-person events.

Our guest for the inaugural event in 2017 was Dr. Panth, who gave various talks across the USA as well as a residential workshop on Abhidhamma, using A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma as lesson material. The recorded talk about the Revival of Pilgrimage in India was recorded in New York.

Australia-based Vipassana teacher and creator of the lineage video series Patrick Given-Wilson was lined up to be our next speaker, but that event had to be cancelled, showing that the in-person format was a bit too risky, as organising events involves a lot of work—and we are only a small team. So, the Pariyatti Presents… program stayed on the shelf after that, but gained new momentum in 2021.

Under the Pariyatti Presents… umbrella we started Dhamma Story Time in April 2020, when about half of the world's population was under some form of lockdown. During the Dhamma Story Time sessions volunteers read inspirational excerpts from our catalog. Although with a modest number of participants at times, this program has been going steadily since and is still running, generally with two reading sessions each week (each with a different reader and reading material).

During the first year of the pandemic, we mainly focused on releasing audiobooks, to support people at home make best use of the time. When we headed into the second year of the pandemic, we wanted to do more to help people stay inspired to walk the path. By then, many people had become familiar with Zoom, so to move forward with online events seemed a logical step.

We've now hosted eleven online events since March 2021, with another two coming up soon (the above mentioned Patrick Given-Wilson is one of the interviewees). Guests have been diverse; selected to offer something for all—Vipassana meditators, Pāli students, as well as seekers in the broader Theravāda tradition.

We were touched by an Indigenous Canadian meditator's personal story, gained many insights from two eminent Theravada monks, Yuval Harari, and various authors published by Pariyatti, and learned some Pāli grammar from Klaus Nothnagel who also captivated us with various anecdotes about Goenkaji—from the early days when Dhamma Giri was still a very young center.

These two years of online Pariyatti Presents… events has left us inspired by the guests and grateful to both guests and volunteers—including the interviewers, the technical support, and the video editing team. Without the volunteers this program would not have been possible. So, a big thank-you to them, as well as everyone who has attended. It has been heartwarming to have so many Dhamma friends together in the same Zoom room.

Event Recordings

Although we definitely recommend joining the Zoom events when they are happening—to be part of the Dhamma community logged in and to be able to ask your questions when there is a Q&A session—you can rest assured even if you can't make it. We generally record the Pariyatti Presents... events; you can find them in the Event Recordings section.

Bill Crecelius on A Meditator's Handbook

A recording that we'll be getting back to regularly is the interview with Bill Crecelius, author of A Meditator's Handbook. Not only is it a delight to listen to the friendly conversation between Marta Van Patten and Bill—both Vipassana teachers—Bill also reads some great passages from his handbook, and brings some 'profound truths' as Marta put it, in regard to meditation, that can take a lifetime to realize.