Upaddha Sutta – An Admirable Sangha
The context here is a Dhamma practitioners associations. Having admirable friends and admirable companions supports the joyful camaraderie that follows a well-informed and well-focused sangha…
The Phena Sutta – Emptiness and The Five Clinging-Aggregates
The Phena Sutta is another sutta on emptiness as the Buddha uses the term. In this sutta he teaches the emptiness of The Five Clinging Aggregates and the emptiness of creating self-identities by clinging to fleeting objects, events, views and ideas…
Brahma-Vihara’s Exalted Mind States
There are four exalted states of mind taught by the Buddha. These are perfected mind-states that reflect an enlightened view of humanity…
Samadhi Sutta – The Purpose and Practice of Concentration
The Buddha taught Shamatha-Vipassana meditation as one factor of the Eightfold Path for the purpose of developing the concentration necessary to support the refined mindfulness of the other seven factors of the path…
Fire Discourse Attachments to Passion
About one month after the Buddha’s first two discourses, he presented The Fire Discourse to approximately 1,000 followers. Upon hearing this short discourse, most of those in attendance awakened…
Karma and Rebirth
This is an article and talk on Karma and Rebirth. Karma and Rebirth are misunderstood and misapplied key teachings…
Tissa Sutta: Uncertain
Tissa is a cousin of the Buddha and a monk in the original Sangha. Tissa’s mind is still troubled from continued clinging to wrong views rooted in ignorance of Four Noble Truths…
Vipallasa Sutta: Fabrications
The Vipallasa Sutta is a sutta on fabrications. A fabrication is a conclusion formed from false, misrepresented, or incomplete information…
Introduction To The Buddha’s Dhamma
Here is a video and two talks that introduce the Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha awakened to Dependent Origination and taught Four Noble Truths to end suffering that arises from ignorance of the true nature of reality…
Skillful Insight And Knowledge Gained
These are recordings of our end-of-year classes at Cross River Meditation Center in Frenchtown New Jersey On December 26, 28, and 30, 2017…
When Dhamma Practice Is Stressful
Often “Buddhist” practice is initially engaged with as a response to the unsatisfactory nature of life. This begins to develop Right View but meditation and Dhamma practice should not create additional stress…
Vitthara Sutta: Five Strengths
In this sutta, the Buddha teaches five strengths to be developed and maintained that directly support integration of the Eightfold Path…