Sutta Meditation Series

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

Today we look at Dhammapada Verse 178 and THE STORY OF KALA, SON OF ANATHAPINDIKA, who tried to avoid the Buddha and his teachings but was eventually enticed by his father, which eventually led to very wholesome results.

In this saying of the Buddha, he raises the fruit of stream entry above the worldly and divine. It is a strong encouragement to develop the Noble Eightfold Path and take refuge in the Triple Gem, as it will ensure safety, prosperity and limit the amount of pain and suffering.

The verse in Pali:

“Pathabyā ekarajjena,

saggassa gamanena vā;

Sabbalokādhipaccena,

sotāpattiphalaṁ varaṁ.”

Other suttas that are mentioned directly or indirectly in this talk:

To read the full chapter (Loka Vagga) of the Dhammapada - https://suttacentral.net/dhp167-178/en/feldmeier

The video of this talk has been published to the Sutta Meditation YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9O29-xTp04 AND on Spotify as a video podcast

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

This session was conducted on POYA (26 April 2021) on the ADVICE TO LAY PEOPLE ON STREAM ENTRY, specifically looking at the Veḷudvāreyya Sutta (SN 55.7) and supporting teachings.

Suttas covered directly or indirectly in this session:

To read the Veḷudvāreyya Sutta (SN 55.7) - https://suttacentral.net/sn55.7/en/sujato

A VIDEO with presentation slides has been uploaded to the Sutta Meditation Series YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9_5vi6Bej8

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

This is the first part of a series looking into "What the Buddha Taught", based on a teaching by Venerable Sariputta in the Saṅgīti Sutta (DN 33) - Reciting Together - an extended collection of the Buddha's teachings grouped by numerical sequence.

In examining this sutta in a gradual way, it offers a different approach to learning the Dhamma. We take the opportunity to:

Other suttas referred to directly or indirectly in this talk:

To read the Saṅgīti Sutta (DN 33) - https://suttacentral.net/dn33/en/tw-caf_rhysdavids or https://suttacentral.net/dn33/en/sujato

To access the video with presentation slides, you can go to the Sutta Meditation Series YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDHbVVyRqXA

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

This is a GUIDED MEDITATION ON THE FIVE FREQUENT CONTEMPLATIONS.

The Buddha's teaching in the Abhiṇhapaccavekkhitabbaṭhāna Sutta (AN 5.57) underpins this meditation. It's useful to request the blessings of the Triple Gem before doing this meditation. 

As a guided meditation - please remember it is only a guide drawing on the Buddha's words. As you cultivate and become skilled at this meditation you can adjust the meditation accordingly. Initially, some aspects of this meditation may resonate more than others, but the idea is to break through our usual ways of thinking and any blocks that may be preventing us from the Right View and hindering us from wisely reflecting.

The key is use your own examples to enable the truth to be seen, BUT not to get bogged down in personal stories and pain around the five contemplations. Keep bringing the meditation back to understanding these five contemplations as the key to unlocking the First Noble Truth of Dukkha - as our "collective predicament" in samsara.

For a detailed explanation of this teaching from the Buddha - https://bit.ly/2QKz7Ev

To read the Abhiṇhapaccavekkhitabbaṭhāna Sutta (AN 5.57) - https://suttacentral.net/an5.57/en/bodhi

Theruwan saranai. Blessings of the Triple Gem.

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

Today we look at Dhammapada Verses 7 and 8 - Mahakalatthera Vatthu about two brothers who, after hearing a teaching of the Buddha, ordain into the Sangha with different intentions, practice and outcomes. It is in The Chapter about Pairs (Yamaka Vagga). In this saying, the Buddha highlights: 

We can learn a great deal from the different circumstances of these brothers, as well as taking note of Mahakala Thera as a worthy role model having developed good qualities that enabled him to realise full awakening.

The verses in Pali:

“Subhānupassiṁ viharantaṁ,

Other suttas that are mentioned directly or indirectly in this talk:

To read the full chapter (Yamaka Vagga) of the Dhammapada - https://suttacentral.net/dhp1-20/en/feldmeier

A video with presentation slides for this talk has been published to the Sutta Meditation Series YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzfTXy0FVvM AND on Spotify as a video podcast

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

This Part 2 of our look into "Who Are Our Role Models" - one of the monk disciples (bhikkhu) of the Buddha, Bhikkhu Mahākaccāna, who was declared by the Buddha foremost among those explain in detail the meaning of what has been stated in brief (saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ vibhajantānaṁ) - AN 1.197

You can access the AUDIO for Part 1 - https://bit.ly/3gf2uJz

In this talk we will take a short tour of Venerable Mahākaccāna's Dhamma Teachings - both the detailed explanations of the Buddha's statements in brief, as well as his own teachings of the Dhamma to the monastics and to lay people. 

For those that have studied or are familiar with Venerable Mahākaccāna's life and teachings, this series of talks will provide encouragement & inspiration towards the Noble Eightfold Path, and wonderful pointers & reminders to realise the Buddha's Teachings for ourselves.

Other suttas mentioned directly or indirectly in this talk include:

In learning about such noble beings, we can delight in their lives and accomplishments; recognise the importance of seeing them as worthy role models; and use it as inspiration towards progress on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path.

Bohoma pin to the person who has requested this talk

The VIDEO has been uploaded to the Sutta Meditation Series podcast channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eIBexVNBf0 AND on Spotify as a video podcast

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

Role models play an important part in all of our lives, whether we seek them out or not. And whether we walk the Buddhist Path or not, they can have the power to shape the direction we take and the ability to influence the decisions that follow on from there.   For Buddhist practitioners,  the Buddha is our most eminent role model, teacher and the Perfectly Enlightened One. And there are also many noble and great disciples of the Buddha.  

Today we will focus on monk disciples (bhikkhu) of the Buddha, and one in particular, Bhikkhu Mahākaccāna , who was declared by the Buddha foremost among those explain in detail the meaning of what has been stated in brief (saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ vibhajantānaṁ) - AN 1.197  

This talk will be in a number of parts, as there is much to examine in regards to Venerable Mahākaccāna's background, noble qualities, contribution to the Sangha and the method of his teachings (those detailed explanations of the Buddha's statements in brief, as well as his own teachings of the Dhamma).  

For those that have studied or are familiar with Venerable Mahākaccāna's life and teachings, this series of talks will provide encouragement & inspiration towards the Noble Eightfold Path, and wonderful pointers & reminders to realise the Buddha's Teachings for ourselves.  

Other suttas mentioned directly or indirectly in this talk include: 

In learning about such noble beings, we can delight in their lives and accomplishments; recognise the importance of seeing them as worthy role models; and use it as inspiration towards progress on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path.  

Bohoma pin to the person who has requested this talk

* Apologies if you happened to hear firecrackers towards the end of this talk. These were the Avurudu celebrations that were taking place in the background during the recording of this talk.  

The VIDEO with slides has been uploaded to the Sutta Meditation Series podcast channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pVcCOehcnM AND on Spotify as a video podcast

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

Today we look at Dhammapada Verse 203 - Eka Upasaka Vatthu about a poor young man who realised the fruit of stream entry after listening to a teaching given by the Buddha. It is in The Chapter about Happiness (Sukha Vagga). In this saying, the Buddha highlights that "hunger is the greatest illness" as an explanation for why he ensured the young man (who was both hungry and tired by the time he arrived to see and hear the Buddha) was fed before giving the teaching.

The verse in Pali:

“Jighacchāparamā rogā,

saṅkhāraparamā dukkhā;

Etaṁ ñatvā yathābhūtaṁ,

nibbānaṁ paramaṁ sukhaṁ.”

To read the full chapter (Sukha Vagga) of the Dhammapada - https://suttacentral.net/dhp197-208/en/feldmeier

A video with presentation slides for this talk has been published to the Sutta Meditation Series YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17YWvUMun-0 AND on Spotify as a video podcast

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

This Dhamma talk examines the Buddha's teaching on how we search (for lasting happiness), but we go about it the wrong way. The Buddha makes the distinction between the ignoble (anariya) search and the noble (ariya) search.   

This sutta we delve into is the Pariyesanā Sutta (AN 4.255) and it complements what we recently looked at - the meditation on the Five Frequent Contemplations.

In this talk, we take encouragement towards really trying to understand and penetrate the Buddha's Teachings on the First Noble Truth of Dukkha - why it is a noble truth, what we must do to fully understand this noble truth, and how we can meditate using our own examples. As the Buddha's states, if we can truly see even one of the four noble truths, the Buddha says we see them all.  

Suttas that are mentioned directly or indirectly in this talk: 

To read the Pariyesanā Sutta (AN 4.255) - https://suttacentral.net/an4.255/en/sujato  

A VIDEO of this session with presentation slides has been uploaded to the Sutta Meditation Series YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnJR-zniX-A AND on Spotify as a video podcast

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

This talk was given to a Meditation Group via zoom as one segment of a complete Dhamma session on 8 April 2021, that included meditation practice and sutta study. It gives AN ENCOURAGEMENT TOWARDS THE BUDDHA'S FIVE FREQUENT CONTEMPLATIONS with a short explanation on each of the contemplations.

Suttas that are mentioned directly or indirectly in this talk:

To read the Abhiṇhapaccavekkhitabbaṭhāna Sutta (AN 5.57) -  https://suttacentral.net/an5.57/en/bodhi

For a more detailed explanation of the Five Contemplations:

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai