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Right Mindfulness And Authentic Dhamma
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta - The Buddha's First Discourse
Magga-Vibhanga Sutta - Analysis of The Eightfold Path
Satipatthana Sutta - Four Foundations Of Mindfulness
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Five Common Hindrances To Be Mindful Of
Modern Buddhism - A Thicket Of Views
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Truth Of Happiness Dhamma Study Talks
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Online Forum Comments
These are comments of mine from online Buddhist forums. My intent here is not to disparage other dharmas. My intent is to provide clarity to what an awakened human being actually taught as preserved in the second book of the Pali Canon, the Sutta Pitaka…
Vipassana – Introspective Insight
The Buddha’s intended purpose of the Buddha’s entire teaching career is to resolve ignorance through introspective insight into the clinging relationship between impermanent phenomena and individual ignorance and the stress and suffering that follows…
Three Governing Principles For Vipassana – Adhipateyya Sutta
Rather than treating vipassana as a hybrid meditation practice, in the Adhipateyya Sutta, the Buddha teaches Jhana meditation as one factor of a complete Eightfold Path…
Vipassana – A Structured Study
This is the schedule for our sixteen-week, thirty-two class study of the Buddha’s meaning of Vipassana – introspective insight into three specific fabricated common human characteristics…
Kuta Sutta – A Good Roof
In the Kuta Sutta, the Buddha teaches Anathapindika the importance of protecting one’s mind through restraint. Anathapindika was a wealthy businessman and early benefactor of the Buddha and the original Sangha…
Brahmanavagga – Culmination Of The Path – Dhammapada 26
The Brahmanavagga provides clear and profound guidance on how to distinguish between ordinary abstract views and confusing and contradictory “dharmas” rooted in ignorance of Four Noble Truths and useful and authentic Dhamma practice…
Hindrances To Awakening – Two Suttas
Another word for hindrances is obstacles. These five hindrances are self-imposed obstacles commonly employed in a subtle and often unnoticed (strategically ignored) internal strategy to continue to ignore ignorance of Four Noble Truths…
Of Stained and Pure Cloth – Vatthupama Sutta
In the Vatthupama Sutta, the Buddha uses the simile of a dirty or clean cloth to teach the importance of abandoning magical, mystical, and fabricated views …
Wise Restraint – Bhikkhuvagga – Dhammapada 25
The Bhikkhuvagga is the twenty-fifth chapter of the Dhammapada. This chapter teaches wise restraint as the defining characteristic of the wise Dhamma practitioner. ..
The Sabbasava Sutta
In the Sabbasava Sutta the Buddha teaches the ending of mental fermentations from the refined mindfulness developed through the Eightfold Path…
The Waste-Water Pool – Jambali Sutta
The Jambali Sutta is another sutta on the proper use of meditation – to engage with Jhana [1] meditation to increase concentration. Jhana means meditative absorption…
Abandon Craving – Tanhavagga – Dhammapada 24
In this way, the Tanhavagga describes in practical detail the scope and purpose of the Buddha’s Dhamma. The Buddha taught a single path, the Eightfold Path, to develop a profound understanding of Four Noble Truths so to recognize and abandon all views rooted in ignorance of these Four Noble Truths and live free of the stress of constant craving…
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…
Sariputta Sutta And Cessation Of Ignorance
In the Sariputta Sutta, Sariputta is questioned by Ananda, the Buddha’s cousin, and attendant. Ananda is confused about a fundamental aspect of the Dhamma.
Wisdom Of Restraint – Nagavagga – Dhammapada 23
The Nagavagga is the twenty-third chapter of the Dhammapada. The Buddha uses the metaphor of a well-trained elephant to describe the wisdom of developing wise restraint if one is to develop the Eightfold Path and a calm and well-concentrated mind..
Jhāna Sutta – Meditative Absorption – Mind And Body United
The four levels of Jhana are impermanent and are developed from engaging in Jhana meditation as taught by the Buddha and so should not be viewed as meditative achievement. ..
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…
Right Speech And True Compassion – Abhaya Sutta
Right Speech is always compassionate speech as it is speech informed by the wisdom of Four Noble Truths developed through the Eightfold Path…
Hell And Nibbana – Nirayavagga – Dhammapada 22
The Nirayavagga is the twenty-second chapter of the Dhammapada. It describes the living hell that follows ignorance of Four Noble Truths and the release from greed, aversion, and deluded thinking develop through the Heartwood Of The Dhamma…
The Saddhamma Sutta – False Dhamma’s
The intense desire to alter the dhamma to fit confused views rooted in ignorance of The Four Noble Truths has persisted until today. This has resulted in many contradictory “Buddhist” religions that together present a confusing “dharma.”…
Cula-Saccaka Sutta – A Fearless And Independent Dhamma
In the Cula-Saccaka sutta the Buddha is challenged to debate by Saccaka, a follower of Nigantha Nataputta, the local leader of a Jain sect….
Becoming Buddha 2019 Retreats
These are pictures videos, and Dhamma Talks from our Becoming Buddha Immersion In The Dhamma residential retreat held at the Won Dharma Center in Claverack, NY. We were in residence from May 16 to May 19, 2019. ..
Greater And Lesser Happiness – Pakinnkavagga – Dhammapada 21
The Pakinnakavagga is a broad presentation of the Buddha’s Dhamma with a common emphasis on recognizing and abandoning unskillful “dharmas”…
Agantuka Sutta: For All Who Reside In The Dhamma
In the Agantuka Sutta, the Buddha uses the metaphor of a common residence to show that the Eightfold Path is a true refuge for anyone seeking to develop the profound understanding of the nature of stress and suffering,..
Maggavagga – The Eightfold Path – Dhammapada 20
The Maggavagga, the twentieth chapter of the Dhammapada is remarkable in its clarity and directness of the Buddha’s words and his singular path to the cessation of craving rooted in ignorance of Four Noble Truths. ..
An Admirable Sangha – Upaddha Sutta
The Upaddha Sutta provides guidance on an underlying theme running throughout the Buddha’s Dhamma – wise associations.
Ratana Sutta – True Refuge
Nearly all schools of Buddhism refer to “The Triple Refuge” or taking refuge in “The Three Jewels.” Refuge is a place or state of mind that is a source of comfort and peace…
Sustenance For Awakening – Ahara Sutta
Rather than avoid responsibility for these hindrances through modern “dharma” practices, the Buddha taught the why and how of applying the Dhamma in specific direct, skillful, and highly effective Eightfold Path. I..
Judgment and Wisdom – Dhammatthavagga – Dhammapada 19
The sutta below s from the Dhammapada 19. It teaches the importance of developing the Heartwood of the Dhamma – the Eightfold Path – if one is to safely judge one’s own Dhamma practice and judge and teach others.
Acting To Awaken – Karma Sutta
Karma (Pali: Kamma) is the central theme of the Dhamma. It is the abstract definition of the practical experience of Five Clinging-Aggregates within Thee Marks Of Existence…
Stainless – Malavagga – Dhammapada 18
In the Malavagga the Buddha teaches the importance of wholehearted engagement with his Dhamma. The Buddha taught a Dhamma to develop awakening – full human maturity – in this present life. ..
Abandon Anger – Kodhavagga – Dhammapada 17
The Kodhavagga is the seventeenth chapter of the Dhammapada. This chapter teaches the importance to recognize and abandon anger. Anger with ourselves, with other’s, or with the world, is an easily identified manifestation of self-identification with impermanent phenomena arising and passing away. Anger is the immediate manifestation of ignorance of Four Noble Truths.
Anuradha Sutta Authentic Dhamma
The Anuradha Sutta is another sutta where the Buddha is asked questions whose basis is rooted wrong views ignorant of Four Noble Truths and Dependent Origination…
Dependent Origination – The Paticca Samuppada Vibhanga Sutta
Dependent Origination is the Buddha’s teaching on how ignorance of Four Noble Truths results in confusion, delusion, and ongoing suffering -Dukkha…
Piyavagga – Skillful Desire – Dhammapada 16
The wise Dhamma practitioner, intent on release (from wrong views) dwells in profound wisdom, free of all sense desires. This Dhamma practitioner is in the stream of my Dhamma…
The Personal Experience Of Ignorance – Dukkha Sutta
These three forms of stress referred to are rooted in ignorance of Four Noble Truths and Three Marks Of existence resulting in fabricated (corrupted) wrong views…
Profound Contentment – Sukhavagga – Dhammapada 15
The fifteenth chapter of the Dhammapada is the Sukhavagga. Sukkha is a state of profound contentment. The Buddha taught that Dukkha, the state of ongoing confusion, deluded thinking, and ongoing disappointing and unsatisfying experiences is rooted in ignorance of Four Noble Truths…
Abandon Dis-ease – Ten Understandings – The Girimananda Sutta
The Girimananda Sutta is a profound and complete teaching on Three Marks Of Existence. With an initial focus on impermanence, the Buddha then relates underlying conditions that arise from self-identification…
The Sambodhi Sutta – The Wings of Self-Awakening
The Sambodhi Sutta teaches the very specific “vipassana” or insight that the Buddha teaches. It is insight into Three Marks Of Existence. These three “marks” or common human characteristics define a person’s life when their minds are rooted in ignorance of Four Noble Truths…
The Restraint Of A Buddha – Buddhavagga Dhammapada 14
Here the Buddha emphasizes a common theme throughout the Sutta’s of wise associations and of developing wise restraint informed by the Eightfold Path…
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My Dhamma articles and talks are based on the Buddha's teachings (suttas) as preserved in the Sutta Pitaka, the second book of the Pali Canon. I have relied primarily on Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s excellent and insightful translation of the Pali generously made freely available at his website Dhammatalks.org, as well as the works of Acharya Buddharakkhita, Nyanaponika Thera, John Ireland, Maurice Walsh, Hellmuth Hecker, and Sister Khema, among others, as preserved at Access To Insight.
Also, I have found Bhikkhu Bodhi's translations from Wisdom Publications Pali Canon Anthologies to be most informative and an excellent resource.
I have made edits to the suttas from these sources for further clarity, to modernize language, to minimize repetition, and maintain contextual relevance to Dependent Origination and Four Noble Truths.
Becoming-Buddha.com and Dhamma articles and recordings by John Haspel are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
