This new Pariyatti Edition brings together eight essays of Bhikkhu Bodhi, five of which were earlier published in academic journals and volumes, and three not published before. Most of the essays are critical responses to various modern interpretations of the Dhamma that the author considers to be at odds with the Buddha’s teachings, in particular as transmitted and interpreted by the Theravāda school of Buddhism. The other essays are in depth discussions of important Buddhist doctrinal terms.
A lucid, practical guide to develop relaxation, awareness, mental clarity, and spiritual insight in your daily life. Since mindfulness is known to be so physically, mentally, and spiritually beneficial, why not practice it right now? Why not in every moment? Burmese Buddhist master Sayadaw U Tejaniya writes that we can indeed practice in this way, and the key is not forceful effort but rather a continuous gentle remembering of our intention to renew our awareness. Thirty-one short chapters--"A Month of Daily Life Meditations"--show precisely how to build a daily life meditation practice that steadily develops relaxation, refreshment, and enlightenment. "The right time to meditate is all day long, from the moment we wake up and open our eyes, until the moment we fall asleep at night," writes U Tejaniya. "If you are practicing correctly with right effort, it will definitely bring peace and joy."
he Mahanidana Sutta is the Buddha’s longest discourse on dependent arising, often taken to be the key to his entire teaching. The commentary treats this doctrine according to the Abhidhamma method, explained in an appendix. A penetrative introduction lays bare the sutta’s structure and the philosophical significance of dependent arising.
Ajaan Mun is a towering figure in contemporary Thai Buddhism. He was widely revered during his lifetime for the extraordinary courage and determination he displayed in practicing the ascetic way of life and for his uncompromising strictness in teaching his many disciples. The epitome of a wandering monk intent on renunciation and solitude, he assumed an exalted status in Buddhist circles, his life and teachings becoming synonymous with the Buddha’s noble quest for self-transcendence.
The very idea that the teachings can be mastered will arouse controversy within Buddhist circles. Even so, Ingram insists that enlightenment is an attainable goal, once our fanciful notions of it are stripped away, and we have learned to use meditation as a method for examining reality rather than an opportunity to wallow in self-absorbed mind-noise. Ingram sets out concisely the difference between concentration-based and insight (vipassana) meditation; he provides example practices; and most importantly he presents detailed maps of the states of mind we are likely to encounter, and the stages we must negotiate as we move through clearly-defined cycles of insight. Its easy to feel overawed, at first, by Ingram's assurance and ease in the higher levels of consciousness, but consistently he writes as a down-to-earth and compassionate guide, and to the practitioner willing to commit themselves this is a glittering gift of a book.In this new edition of the bestselling book, the author rearranges, revises and expands upon the original material, as well as adding new sections that bring further clarity to his ideas.
The Abhidhamma, the third great division of the early Buddhist teaching, maps out with remarkable rigor & precision the inner landscape of the mind to be crossed through the practical work of Buddhist meditation. In this groundbreaking book, Venerable Nyanaponika Thera penetrates Abhidhamma's formidable face to make its principles intelligible to the thoughtful reader of today.
Wisdom Develops Samādhi is Ajaan Mahā Boowa’s ground-breaking treatise on the role wisdom plays in promoting the development of calm and concentration in Buddhist meditation practice. It describes various techniques for using the practice of investigation to forcefully subdue an unruly mind when more traditional methods for attaining samādhi are not effective.
This collection of prose poems is based upon the teaching of the Buddha. The selections have been chosen for inspiration, rather than representing the full span of the teaching. We have previously presented them as slides, or read them aloud to friends, on various occasions, such as after workshops, following assistant teacher meetings, around fireplaces in national parks, or after evening metta. They have consistently been received with appreciation, and have evoked multiple requests for their publication. All of these compositions combine the Buddha’s thoughts with contemporary phrasing. They cannot be considered direct quotes from the Pali Canon, because we have worked only with English language translations, and because we have combined similar passages, or modified the language for readability. But at the same time, we can’t claim that these words are original to us, because they are in the spirit of the Buddha. They are brief, poetic, re-speaking of some of the Buddha’s most important ideas. They are sparks from the campfire that continue to glow in the dark. Our intention is that these slides, or pages, will inspire meditators and nonmeditators alike. They are written from the authentic experience of the troubling human condition, and they speak from the standpoint of suffering and the Path out of suffering. They are insights that have crossed the bridge of time from ancient India to today. We hope you will find wisdom flowing through time on the river of words that originates in the ancient spring of the Pali Canon. —Paul R. and Susan K. Fleischman
In my experience, all our problems do indeed stem from this hyperactive and delusional thinking we have acquired over time. There is a way to eradicate the light-speed, blind reactions and the habitual confusion. The way is very simple. It boils down to just two words: do nothing. That’s it. Do nothing. Sit quietly in a room alone and do nothing. Watch the monkey mind and do not try to fix it or eliminate it or drown it out or engage it. This is doing non-doing. Observe the mind, on autopilot as usual, screaming editorial comments from the sidelines like some frenzied play-by-play announcer and do nothing about it. Don't turn the monologue into a dialogue. Do nothing. “Nothing to see here, folks. Let’s keep it moving.”
