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…
The Sallatha Sutta – The Two Arrows
The Sallatha Sutta – The Two Arrows is a key teaching as it clearly explains what for many is a confusing aspect of the Dhamma – individual contributions to suffering…
Magga-Vibhanga Sutta: Analysis of the Path
Friends, I will now give you a detailed analysis of the Noble Eightfold Path. Listen mindfully. This is the Noble Eightfold Path…
The Buddha’s Noble Search For The Noble Path – Ariyapariyesana Sutta
The Ariyapariyesana Sutta is one of the most significant suttas in the Sutta Pitaka. It provides continual guidance on establishing and maintaining an authentic, practical, and effective Dhamma practice…
Maha Kotthita – Awakened Calm
In this poem Kotthita describes the quality of an awakened mind directly and attainable – calm…
Anupada Sutta – Ending Fabrications One After Another
The Anupada Sutta is similar to the Anapanasati Sutta. Here the Buddha uses Sariputta’s skillful development of Jhana as example…
The Sambodhi Sutta – The Wings of Self-Awakening
In any situation it is possible to maintain the eight qualities mentioned here. Nothing is more important then maintaining integrity with the Eightfold Path…
Atthakanagara Sutta – The Single Quality For Awakening
In the Aṭṭhakanāgara Sutta, the householder Dasama inquires of Ananda if there is a single quality taught by the Buddha that would result in release from all views ignorant of Four Noble Truths…
Sumangala’s Mother – Freedom Through Jhana, Too
In this poem, the awakened monk Sumangala’s mother concisely describes the quality of an awakened mind through Right Meditation practiced as part of the Eightfold Path…
Sumangala – Freedom Through Jhana
In this poem, The awakened monk Sumangala concisely describes the quality of an awakened mind through Right Meditation practiced as part of the Eightfold Path…
Rahogata Sutta – Ending Fabrications Through Jhana
In the Rahogata Sutta, the Buddha teaches that feelings of pleasure, pain, or ambivalence, when perceived through a mimd rooted in ignorance of Four Noble Truths will fabricate what is experienced in a way that reaffirms ignorance and continues stress…
Jhāna Sutta – Meditative Absorption – Mind And Body United
The four levels of Jhana are impermanent and are developed from engaging in Shamatha-Vipassana meditation as taught by the Buddha and so should not be viewed as meditative achievement. ..
The Kimsuka Sutta – A Swift Pair of Messengers Shamatha-Vipassana in the Pali Canon
A Swift Pair of Messengers Shamatha-Vipassana in the Pali Canon. The Buddha’s teachings on Shamatha-Vipassana are found throughout the Pali Canon…
Dhammika – Pure Protection
In this poem, the awakened monk Dhammika shows the importance of a well-practiced and authentic Dhamma practice and the protection from worldly entanglements provided….
Five Factors Of Concentration – The Samadhanga Sutta
The Samadhanga Sutta is another sutta on the proper use of the singular method of meditation as an awakened human being teaches – to engage with Shamatha-Vipassana meditation to increase concentration…
Upacala Defeats Mara
Upacala teaches how she has overcome suffering by establishing refined mindfulness and gaining insight into impermanence, not-self, and suffering through developing to its culmination the Eightfold Path…
The Waste-Water Pool – Jambali Sutta
The Jambali Sutta is another sutta on the proper use of meditation – to engage with Shamatha-Vipassana [1] meditation to increase concentration. Jhana means meditative absorption…
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…
Yuganaddha Sutta Tranquility and Insight In Tandem
In the Yuganaddha Sutta [1] Ananda teaches that that those that achieve lasting peace and happiness do so by developing shamatha & vipassana (tranquility & insight) in tandem…
Gilana Sutta: Seven Factors of Enlightenment
These seven qualities or factors of enlightenment are taught by the Buddha to remain free of the distraction of craving, aversion and further deluded thinking…
Rahula, The Buddha’s Son Unbound
This poem is from the now awakened son of the Buddha, Rahula. There is a beautiful sutta where the Buddha teaches a seven-year-old Rahula simple and direct refined mindfulness…
Yasadatta – Hearing True Dhamma
In this poem, Yasadatta shows the foolishness of debating the Dhamma rather than actually practicing a Buddha’s teachings…
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta – Four Noble Truths
The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta is the very first teaching ever presented by the Buddha. It occurred a few weeks after Siddhartha Gotama awakened…
The Yasa Sutta – Freedom From Entanglements
The Yasa Sutta – Freedom From Entanglements teaches importance to avoid creating a “Dhamma” practice that depends on external entanglements as its theme…
The Arahant Sutta – Awakening in a Single Paragraph
Seeing the “five clinging aggregates as they really are” is understanding Anatta, not-self, or a self-referential ego-personality in relation to Anicca, Dukkha and The Four Noble Truths…