Not due to its prevalence of distortion, but due to the number of misattributed Buddha quotes (to name one reason in particular) it seems prudent to take a closer look at perhaps one of the most important utterances of the historical Buddha: the Tathāgata’s last words passed down in Pali as: “vayadhammā saṅkhārā appamādena sampādethā”Continue reading “Translations And Musings On The Last Words Of The Buddha”
Category Archives: dharma
Meditation Support Language: Some Alternatives For “Ignore”
Samatha is one meditation method, training or technique for cultivating samadhi. Often times taught with a single meditation object, it’s been said samatha is a practice of non-attention. One trains to collect, gather, unify, steady, stabilize, settle attention and the mind — not flitting from object to object, from noticing disparate phenomena after phenomena. SometimesContinue reading “Meditation Support Language: Some Alternatives For “Ignore””
Towards Mastering Holiday “Celebrations” | 12/21/2022 “Meditation Q & A With Wendy Nash” #04
In this fourth installment of the ongoing live series with Wendy Nash inquiring into meditation practice on and off the cushion, we planed to, and did look quite a bit at “…Christmas, family, tense conversations, New Year, alcohol, partying – and how they relate to meditation and ethics.” Amongst other topics we also look atContinue reading “Towards Mastering Holiday “Celebrations” | 12/21/2022 “Meditation Q & A With Wendy Nash” #04″
Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu Questions
[12/10/2022 UPDATE: This post was originally published 1/23/2022. I recently discovered that at that time I did not include the audio file here for the podcast so I had to change the blog post publishing date in order for WordPress to push this out as a new podcast.] Five short excerpts of some questions IContinue reading “Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu Questions”
Ambiguity And Uncomfortable Truths | 11/30/2022 “Meditation Q & A With Wendy Nash” #03
Before recording this third installment of this ongoing live series inquiring into meditation practice on and off the cushion Wendy said, and I agreed, unless there are live questions we perhaps ought to chat about “how to practice with ambiguity, uncomfortable truths, people we love but don’t like their ways or words, navigating guilt, shame,Continue reading “Ambiguity And Uncomfortable Truths | 11/30/2022 “Meditation Q & A With Wendy Nash” #03”
Irregular Inquires — ‘Let None Deceive Another’
‘Let none deceive another, or despise any being in any state.’ from the metta sutta Does this line in the metta Sutta — ‘Let none deceive another, or despise any being in any state.’ — mean action should be taken (to prevent deception)? If so, how and to what extent? (Deception often happens as protectionContinue reading “Irregular Inquires — ‘Let None Deceive Another’”
What Is Meditation? | 11/2/2022 “Meditation Q & A With Wendy Nash” #02
We primarily address what meditation actually is while spiraling up, around and back on this topic to also include, amongst others: examples of what is and isn’t meditation; mind training; intention; familiarity with the mind; heart qualities; wisdom; aspiration; samatha; ego; Chittamatra or Yogācāra via the statement “emotions are thoughts”; scoundrels; conceit; foolishness; belonging; emotional mirroring; etc.
Negligence and Misdeeds for Sagacity
This October 10th, 2022 Insight Timer live event addressed verse 50 of the Dhammapada as wisdom for potential clearing, activation and advancement: Not the perversities of others, not their sins of commission or omission, but his own misdeeds and negligences should a sage take notice of VERSE 50 OF THE DHAMMAPADA Thanks to Ellen forContinue reading “Negligence and Misdeeds for Sagacity”
Wisdom Snippets: The Four Brahmaviharas For Each Of The Four Noble Truths
I’ve seen and heard various other Buddhist teachings matching up with the Four Noble Truths [and if I remember any to significant degree and/or come across them again perhaps I’ll add them here] but it occurred to me the Four Sublime Abidings might also pair up with the Four Noble Truths:
Dharma Questions: Miscellany — Part 7
The Heart 1 of Prajna 3 Paramita 4 Sutra 2 Bodhisattva 5 Avalokiteshvara 6, while deeply immersed 7 in prajna paramita, clearly perceived the empty nature 8 of the five skandhas 9, and transcended all suffering. Shariputra 10! Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. So it is with feeling, conception, volition, and consciousness. Shariputra! All dharmas 11 are empty in character; neitherContinue reading “Dharma Questions: Miscellany — Part 7”
Integrating Presence 