Introduction

The purpose of our text is to collect a concise compendium of authoritative Theravada texts on the instructions explained by the Buddha, in the Satipatthana Sutta and Maha Satipatthana Sutta, to monks and followers, who needed to be trained and tamed so they could learn the discipline of focusing their minds to keep themselves on the path that leads to Enlightenment.

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The Burmese Master, Mahasi Sayadaw, is said to have been one of the most influential vipassana meditation teachers, of the twentieth century, so we have, accordingly, included some of his writings which will help to enhance our basic understanding of how the arousal of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is the way to attainment of enlightenment.

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Introduction

The Buddha spoke of the power of mindfulness in a very emphatic way:
"Mindfulness, I declare, is all-helpful" (Samyutta, 46:59).
"All things can be mastered by mindfulness" (Anguttara, 8:83).
Further, there is that solemn and weighty utterance opening and concluding the Satipatthana Sutta, the Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness:

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The word "satipatthana" is the name for an approach to meditation aimed at establishing sati, or mindfulness.

The term ‘sati’ is related to the verb sarati, to remember or to keep in mind.

It is sometimes translated as non-reactive awareness, free from agendas, simply present with whatever arises, but the formula for satipatthana doesn't support that translation.

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The Satipatthana Sutta and its application to modern life, this is the theme of my talk this evening, and it will be my endeavor first, to give you some idea of what Satipatthana really is, and thereafter to show you that the special and peculiar conditions of the modern age are such, that the doctrine of Satipatthana was never more urgently needed than it is now in this modern age.

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Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Baranasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus of the group of five thus:

"Bhikkhus, these two extremes should not be followed by one who has gone-forth into homelessness. What two? The pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasures, which is low, vulgar, the way of worldlings, ignoble, unbeneficial; and the pursuit of self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, unbeneficial. Without veering towards either of these extremes, the Tathagata has awakened to the middle way, which gives rise to vision, which gives rise to knowledge, which leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.

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We are often at a loss to find a chanting book when we need one, so the following book, prepared by Narada Thera [which has been re-edited] may prove beneficial and helpful when such an occasion arises.

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"Anagarika Tevijjo has said: 'This is the best explanation of the purpose and goal of Walking Meditation which I have ever encountered, and it continues coming to mind whenever I want to explain the experience of the impermanence of all phenomenal actions'."

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"Nyanatiloka Maha Thera was the first and foremost Pali scholar and expert to open the words of the actual texts of Theravada Buddhism to the West. He laid the foundation upon which later scholars like Nanamoli Thera and Nyanaponika Maha Thera and many devoted monk-scholars/practitioners built, culminating in Venerable BhikkhuBodhi."

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"When Venerable Nyanaponika was asked many years ago, 'How does one get to the heart of Theravada Buddhism?' His answer was: 'Why look anywhere but in the word of the Buddha?' and he recommended reading the text, written by his own teacher: The Word of the Buddha, by Venerable Nyanatiloka, who was the indisputable expert in translating and explaining Pali- English texts in the Theravada Tradition."

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The most crucial point for most men seems to be the Buddha's fundamental teaching about Phenomenality, Egoless¬ness and Impersonality of existence, in Pali anattaa. It is the middle way between two extremes, namely on the one hand the spiritualistic belief in an eternal ego-entity, or soul, outlasting death; on the other hand the materialistic belief in a temporary ego-entity becoming annihilated at death.

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 "As Professor Lily de Sylva was so well-respected as a Pali scholar and so well-loved by her friends and colleagues around the world, we have put together an anthology of articles which shows not only her deep and detailed knowledge of the Pali texts but also her profound love and devotion to the world and everyting and everyone within it."

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Introduction

Kamma is the law of moral causation. The theory of kamma is a fundamental doctrine in Buddhism. This belief was prevalent in India before the advent of the Buddha. Nevertheless, it was the Buddha who explained and formulated this doctrine in the complete form in which we have it today.

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"U Ba Khin and Webu Sayadaw were contemporaries in Burma, in the middle of the last century, and their method of theory and practice of vipassana bhavana has since gained adept adherents around the world because of its effectiveness in developing, energetic, one-pionted concentration leading towards fulfillment of the final goal. These are challenging, seminal documents."

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Introduction

In its earliest phase, as represented by the four main collections of the Sutta Pi.taka, the focal concern of Buddhism was the attainment of nibbaana by the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path.

In these collections the Buddha teaches his doctrine as a direct path to deliverance, and perhaps no feature of the presentation is so striking as the urgency he enjoins on his disciples in bringing their spiritual work to completion by reaching the final goal.

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"To feel is everything!" — so exclaimed a German poet. Though these are rather exuberant words, they do point to the fact that feeling is a key factor in human life.

Whether people are fully aware of it or not, their lives are chiefly spent in an unceasing endeavor to increase their pleasant feelings and to avoid unpleasant feelings.

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On the full-moon day of May, in the year 623 B.C., there was born in the district of Nepal an Indian Sakya Prince named Siddhattha Gotama, who was destined to be the greatest religious teacher in the world. Brought up in the lap of luxury, receiving an education befitting a prince, he married and had a son.

His contemplative nature and boundless compassion did not permit him to enjoy the fleeting material pleasures of a Royal household. He knew no woe, but he felt a deep pity for sorrowing humanity.

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In compliance with the request of the Pyinmana Myo-ok Maung Po Mya and Trader Maung Hla, during the month of Nayon, 1266 Burmese Era (June, 1904 C.E.), I shall state concisely the meaning and intent of the thirty-seven Bodhipakkhiya-dhammas, the Requisites of Enlightenment.

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The course of spiritual training taught by the Buddha is a double process of self-transformation and self-transcendence issuing in complete emancipation from suffering.

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Introduction

Often when the mind is tired and stale it needs comfort and encouragement of a soothing kind. At other times, such treatment can induce in it a false sense of security, and then it has to be jolted, woken up, even frightened if necessary, and injected with a sense of urgency. This discourse does precisely that.

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Anatta is the last of the ‘three characteristics’ (ti¬lakkhana) or the general characteristics (samanna-lakkana) of the universe and everything in it. Like the teaching of the four Noble Truths, it is the teaching peculiar to Buddhas : (buddhanam samukkamsika desana : M. I, 380).

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• Monks, I know not of any other single thing so intractable as the untamed mind. The untamed mind is indeed a thing intractable.
• Monks, I know not of any other thing so tractable as the tamed mind. The tamed mind is indeed a thing tractable.
• Monks, I know not of any other single thing so conducive to great loss as the untamed mind. The untamed mind indeed conduces to great loss.
• Monks, I know not of any other single thing so conducive to great profit as the tamed mind. The tamed mind indeed conduces to great profit.
• Monks, I know not of any other single thing that brings such woe as the mind that is untamed, uncontrolled, unguarded and unrestrained. Such a mind indeed brings great woe.
• Monks, I know not of any other single thing that brings such bliss as the mind that is tamed, controlled, guarded and restrained. Such a mind indeed brings great bliss.

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Introduction

The instruction of the Kalamas (Kalama Sutta) is justly famous for its encouragement of free inquiry; the spirit of the sutta signifies a teaching that is exempt from fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism, and intolerance.

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"A son has been born to thee, O prince!" this was the message that reached Prince Siddhattha when returning from a drive through the city of Kapilavatthu and a day spent at a park near-by.

"A fetter (Rahula) has been born, a bondage has been born!" said the prince upon hearing the news. And Rahula was the name given later to the babe by Siddhattha's father, the Raja Suddhodana.

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Introduction

The Sutta Nipata, in its oldest and most characteristic parts, is a deeply stirring Song of Freedom. The verses of this ancient book are a challenging call to us to leave behind the narrow confines of our imprisoned existence with its ever-growing walls of accumulated habits of life and thought. They beckon us to free ourselves from the enslavement to our passions and to our thousands of little whims and wishes.

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The word "love" -- one of the most compelling in the English language -- is commonly used for purposes so widely separated, so gross and so rarefied, as to render it sometimes nearly meaningless. Yet rightly understood, love is the indispensable and essential foundation no less for the growth and purification of the individual as for the construction of a peaceful, progressive and healthy society.

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Introduction

Like an experienced carpenter or carpenter's apprentice, striking hard at, pushing out, and getting rid of a coarse peg [and replacing it] with a fine one, should the bhikkhu in order to get rid of the adventitious object, reflect on a different object which is connected with skill. Then the evil unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination the mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (his subject of meditation).

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Introduction

Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was living among the Kurus, at Kammasadamma, a market town of the Kuru people. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Monks," and they replied to him, "Venerable Sir." The Blessed One spoke as follows: This is the only way, monks, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the destruction of suffering and grief, for reaching the right path, for the attainment of Nibbana, namely, the four foundations of mindfulness.
What are the four?

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The Sutta-nipata or "Discourse-collection," from which this selection has been compiled, contains some of the oldest and most profound discourses of the Buddha.

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This textual document contains two sets of quotations translated from the Buddha’s Words which, had previously been published under the title of The Lion’s Roar. First We shall, , examine the translations of two suttas by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, (edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi); and, then, secondly, we shall subsequently go on, to examine the words of the Buddha as collected in a longer anthology of quotations rendered from the Pali texts and presented by David Maurice.

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Upasika Kee Nanayon, also known by her penname, Kee Khao-suan-luang, was arguably the foremost woman Dhamma teacher in twentieth-century Thailand.
Her teaching is still highly respected and practiced by monks, nuns and laypeople.

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This sutta contains a compact list of the world's thirty-eight highest blessings, which makes references to all of the Buddha's main points of teaching, within one, tight, sequential discourse.

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"... the Buddha said that it wasn't important which day we die.
Whenever the breath runs out, that is the day.
The only criterion is our last breath..."

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"This is the best tight textual inrtoduction one can get by reading the Buddha's relavent suttas on morality and ethics, persented in a clearly deliniated way."

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According to the commentarial tradition, the suttas or discourses of the Itivuttaka were collected by the woman lay-disciple Khujjuttara from sermons, given by the Buddha, while he was staying at Kosambi. Khujjuttara was a servant of Samavati, the consort of King Udena. She had become a stream-enterer after meeting the Buddha and subsequently converted the women of the palace, headed by Samavati, to the teaching.

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Introduction

As regards the choice of material, an attempt was made to make it as representative as possible of the whole collection, but personal preference could not be ignored. Choice tended to fall upon the more striking discourses, the avoidance of passages that were too repetitive and the inclusion of those that contained similes and parables, so profoundly illuminating and easily remembered.

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Introduction

This is an excellent anthonlgy containing suttas referrring to some of the Buddha's most central teachings on investigating and understanding deluded perception and attraction.

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Unlike the anthology of the A.nguttara Nikaaya in this series [by the Ven. Nyaanaponika], the selection from the Sa.myutta is by three different hands:
Part I by John D. Ireland,
Part II by the Ven. Ñaa.nananda, and
Part III by M. O’ C. Walshe.

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Venerable Nyanaponika Maha Thera, [based in the Forest Hermitage in Sri Lanka], was the focal point of the distribution of translations and publications of Theravada Buddha Dhamma teachings and texts into English and German, from before the middle, to almost the end of the twentieth century.

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Introduction

The text below contains clear and insightful core teachings, providing many answers to questions, which were spoken and explained, by the Buddha, to the Noble Ones and laymen, which were collected in selected passages taken from the Gradual Sayings/Numerical Discourses.

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This text contains an expansive and detailed description, in translation, of what the Buddha said about Breathing Meditation, excerpted from a wide variety of sources and texts which may be found in diverse suttas throughout the Pali Canon. Seldom will one find a comprehensive translation and explication on Anapanasati, written with such scholarly dedication and attention to subtleties of wording and interpretation. Here we find Bhikkhu Nanamoli working at his best.

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"This is an clearly formatted rendering of Manual of the Abhidhamma by Narada Thera, which is practical for eye-friendly visual study."

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The analysis of right view undertaken in this sutta brings us to the core of the Dhamma, since right view constitutes the correct understanding of the central teachings of the Buddha, the teachings which confer upon the Buddha's doctrine its own unique and distinctive stamp.

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If a question is put: "What is the root of craving? - Craving for what?"
The answer is: "Craving for nourishment of the four nutriments of life."
And if a question is then put: "What are the four nutriments of life?"
The answer is:"Read this insightful book by Venerable Nyanaponika."

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Introduction

Venerable Mahathera Piyadassi was one of the world's most eminent Buddhist monks having traveled widely carrying the message of the Buddha-Dhamma, both to the East and to West, he was able to write in a style that has universal appeal.

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A Recommended Reading List was prepared for LittleBang website by Ajarn David Holmes - who recently gave a Dhamma talk for the LittleBang Bangkok Community at Baan Aree Library. We have added this list, which is pasted in below.

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