A Complete Practice was originally presented as a three-part series of dhamma articles and talks. I have combined these articles and talks into one coherent post. The Buddha taught and Eightfold Path that is often diminished in effectiveness through adaptations and accommodations made to allow for individually and culturally influenced views of what “Buddhism” should be…
Dependent Origination And The Four Noble Truths Flow Chart shows how from ignorance of The Four Noble Truths all manner of confusion, delusions, and unsatisfactory experiences arise…
This talk is on the Buddha’s first discourse known as the Dhammacakkappavatthana Sutta. This is when the Buddha taught The Four Noble Truths for the first time…
These are recordings of our Spring 2016 Wisdom 1.0 retreat at Won Dharma Center in Claverack NY…
The Buddha, (and the recorders of the Canon) often used metaphor when referring to thoughts and thought-constructs (fabrications)…
The Buddha taught Samadhi in numerous Suttas, always describing the result of Samadhi. What is clear in all these teachings is the quality of mind the Buddha describes. These are qualities of an awakened mind fully present moment-by-moment in the phenomenal world…
At the Buddha’s very first teaching he presented The Four Noble Truths to the five wandering ascetics he had previously befriended on their search for enlightenment. He described awakening in very simple and direct terms. He would spend the next forty-five years teaching the Dhamma always in the context of these truths…
Siddartha Guatama was born into a royal family of a small kingdom, the Shakyan republic. His hometown, Kapilavastu was in what is now southern Nepal on the Indian border…
The Karaniya Metta shows that the most loving and compassionate action that anyone can take is to engage wholeheartedly with the direct teachings of the Buddha and awaken…
These are recordings of our 2018 Truth Of Happiness DhammaStudy from Cross River Meditation Center in Frenchtown, New Jersey…
Dependent Origination describes the impersonal process resulting in confusion and suffering founded in ignorance. The Five Clinging-Aggregates describe the impersonal nature of the perception
Dependent Origination is the origination of suffering rooted in ignorance of The Four Noble Truths and the Five Clinging-Aggregates is the “self” that experiences confusion, delusion, and suffering…
The article and talk introduces The Truth Of Happiness Dhamma Study and the first weeks’ study of Jhana meditation. Information on The Truth Of Happiness book and dhamma study is …
The Buddha described four levels of meditative states that are known as “jhanas.” These are not to be taken as mind states to achieve. The jhanas are simply an explanation of different levels of concentration. Much is made in the commentaries regarding the importance of achieving these states and the intense effort needed to reach the more “advanced” levels. There is no relative importance to any of these states except to point to the experience of deepening concentration…
Engaging in the dhamma and taking true refuge in the dhamma does not begin with recognizing the paradox of attempting to “save all sentient beings” but with the realistic and achievable goal…
The refined mindfulness developed through whole-hearted engagement within the Eightfold Path brings the qualities of mind of contentment and gratitude…
Mindfulness in the context of The Four Noble Truths is to abandon the distraction of stress arising from craving clinging, and remain focused on The Eightfold Path…
This is a talk on Jhana meditation practiced within the context of The Four Noble Truths. The Buddha taught Jhana meditation as one factor of the Eightfold Path. Jhana is primarily used to develop the profond concentration necessary to develop understanding of The Four Noble Truths…
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This a recording of a Dhamma talk on the experiential nature of the Buddha’s Dhamma presented at our Saturday Morning Dhamma class in Frenchtown…
This is an article on the similarities and significant differences between The Dhamma & Modern Mindfulness…
The question of faith, usually meaning blind faith, often arises in Buddhism. Is Buddhism a faith-based religion as theistic religions are…
At first glance, this may seem overly pessimistic, but when the ever-changing nature of all things is closely observed…
These are recordings of our Spring 2014 retreat at Won Dharma Center in Claverack NY…
When we give without thought of reward or personal gain, we experience wholeness because we are one with that which is given…