In this episode I host a third dialogue between Dhammarato and Daniel Ingram, this time on the vipassana meditation method of the highly influential Burmese monk Mahasi Sayadaw.

While Daniel’s own path has been deeply informed by the Mahasi Method, Dhammarato has critiqued it as incomplete - particularly as it has been applied by the American Vipassana movements that it influenced.

In this episode Daniel and Dhammarato share their own experiences of the method, reflect on its changes from Mahasi to U Pandita to America, and reveal rarely seen teachings from Mahasi’s own writings.

Daniel and Dhammarato also debate different approaches to working with meditation hinderances, compare the results of Mahasi practitioners to those of fire kasina meditation and Culadasa’s ‘Mind Illuminated’ school, and address topics such as the Dark Night, Stream Entry, and perennialism.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/ep125-the-mahasi-debate-dhammarato-daniel-ingram/

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro

00:58 - Dhammarato vs Daniel on the internet

03:55 - Daniel’s practice history with the Mahasi Method

12:47 - Who was Mahasi Sayadaw and what was his emphasis?

16:16 - Dhammarato’s experiences with the U Pandita and the Mahasi method

18:52 - ‘U Pandita was not the nicest of people’

19:20 - What was lost in the translation of Mahasi’s method to America?

29:46 - Dry vs wet vipassana

31:08 - Daniel on rare and surprising Mahasi teachings

32:52 - U Pandita’s stern personality

34:45 - The joyful vibe at the Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre

37:53 - Open discussion of attainments

38:47 - Does Mahasi noting dwell on hinderances and cause Dark Nights of the Soul?

39:57 - Do different people need different meditation methods?

46:16 - How to deal with hinderances

49:52 - Comparing Mahasi, TMI, and Fire Kasina

01:00:21 - Is there a good side to hindarances?

01:07:03 - Is the Dark Night inevitable or a sign of practice gone wrong?

01:23:42 - Dhammarato’s rock bottom and investigation vs noting

01:29:03 - The richness of the full Buddhist tradition

01:30:28 - Different definitions of stream entry and Daniel’s personal experience

01:35:47 - Perspective on practice

01:40:33 - Daniel’s concluding reflections on the varieties of insight experiences

01:42:59 - Has Daniel nuanced his perennialsm?

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Dhammarato Episode Playlist

- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdknyGISEfksirYaYpsrXdf8va

Daniel Ingram Episode Playlist

- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdkny_MJSecHyvKHPpvxTskBAC

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To find out more about Dhammarato, visit:

- https://dhammaratoblog.wordpress.com/

- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxg5GJFsRqnS-YLTzyrjLQ

To find out more about Daniel, visit:

- https://theeprc.org/

- integrateddaniel.info

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

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Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James