Freedom from Suffering

0:00 Before we start the guided meditation with Ananda, I'd like to introduce him. So Ananda was born in Sri Lanka. He went to the village temple with his grandfather from a very young age. Yet he came to practice meditation only after meeting the then Ajahn Jaggaro and Ajahn Brahm around 1987. He has been meditating for about 25 years and considers Ajahn Brahm Ajahn Brahmali and Bhante Sujato are his spiritual teachers. He and his family started visiting Bodhinyana and Dhammaloka regularly in 1991 and he has served in the committee in different capacities including treasurer and as the secretary. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:42 He has also contributed to the Buddhist communities overseas in various ways and is a student of early Buddhist texts from the Tripitaka Report an error in the passage at 0:42 Highlight the passage at 0:42

0:53 Tripitaka. Relying mostly on Bhante Sujato's English translations of Sutta on Sutta Central and also Dhammaloka Sutta classes and Sutta retreats at Jhāna Grove. So I'll pass it over to Ananda for meditation followed by his talk. Thank you very much for that introduction and I think good to see A lot of known faces and also dharma friends, all of you. And welcome to all of you to Dhammaloka and Friday night's range dharma talk. Report an error in the passage at 0:53 Highlight the passage at 0:53

1:32 We'll see how we go after the meditation and we have another minute or so. We might quietly wait here for another minute. So the plan is that we will have guided meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:32 Highlight the passage at 1:32

1:53 What I hope to do is I will do the guiding part for about 15 minutes and then I will leave all of us on our own for us to stay with our own meditation object. So that would be the breath or loving kindness or whatever that you normally practice. So what I would like to stress is this is Ajahn Brahm method of meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:53 Highlight the passage at 1:53

2:21 After the guided meditation, if we are going to have breath as our meditation object, we will not chase after the breath. We will let the breath come to us, which means that we will wait for it. Ajahn Brahmali says that we will be with the breath. We will not be focusing on the breath. So that I thought I will say that beforehand and so we can take a good posture, whatever that we like. Report an error in the passage at 2:21 Highlight the passage at 2:21

3:04 So posture is important on a cushion, on a chair. And Ajahn Report an error in the passage at 3:04 Highlight the passage at 3:04

3:17 Brahm says there is one essential feature of our posture in meditation. That is to have a smile. Because this is a happy path. And when the meditation progresses, the smile becomes automatic. The face becomes happier. So we are training the mind and the face to putting the mind on the path to happiness, path to smile. Report an error in the passage at 3:17 Highlight the passage at 3:17

3:50 So that's the only thing. Otherwise we can sit anywhere we like. This clock, it's 7.31, so we'll start. It's 30 minutes. And again, this will be, most of us would be used to this type of guided meditation. That is, to begin with, body scan. Ajahn Brahm invariably starts with that. So, please come in. That's alright. Report an error in the passage at 3:50 Highlight the passage at 3:50

4:17 We are starting. Just starting. And just starting with the guided meditation. Again, welcome to everyone. Thanks for coming. And so we'll start with the body scan. Body scan, just take a look and make a determination that this is my meditation time, not anything else. Everything else, put it to a side and all those burdens. And we start on the right foot, right foot. Report an error in the passage at 4:17 Highlight the passage at 4:17

5:08 Go to the bottom of the right foot, start Report an error in the passage at 5:08 Highlight the passage at 5:08

5:16 from the heel, bottom, very slowly, nothing to do, nowhere to go. Just this moment and the body. Because this is Buddha's instructions in a sutta called Kaya Gata Sati Sutta in the Majjhiva Nikaya. Kaya means body, Gata Sati means mindfulness of body. Report an error in the passage at 5:16 Highlight the passage at 5:16

5:45 We go from the heel, moving towards the, at the bottom, towards the toes, then feel the toes, big toe, then the next one, the five toes, if Report an error in the passage at 5:45 Highlight the passage at 5:45

6:07 there, we notice any feeling, but that's all. We are not analysing them, we are not going into in detail, just leave the massities. Letting go means leaving the massities. That is what we do, letting go. On the top of the foot now, right foot, we are on to the right foot. On the toes, we move towards the ankles, on the right foot, upper, slowly, be aware. Report an error in the passage at 6:07 Highlight the passage at 6:07

6:51 Then along the shin bone, towards the knee, right lower leg, calf muscles, aware Report an error in the passage at 6:51 Highlight the passage at 6:51

7:09 of the feeling. If there is A bit of a niggle or a pain, we stay with that spot for a little longer, just being aware. Report an error in the passage at 7:09 Highlight the passage at 7:09

7:24 Slowly moving along the lower leg onto the knee, being Report an error in the passage at 7:24 Highlight the passage at 7:24

7:32 thankful for carrying us all these years, these legs. Then moving along the thigh muscle, right upper leg, slowly coming to... It's the right buttock, or Report an error in the passage at 7:32 Highlight the passage at 7:32

8:09 of the contact of the right buttock with the cushion or the chair or the stool, and feeling it. What we feel in meditation is called, that is what the Buddha called sampajan, awareness. Report an error in the passage at 8:09 Highlight the passage at 8:09

8:34 Bhante Sujato said situational awareness, that is based on the situation. Okay, we'll take a whole look at the whole, one look at the whole right leg as one unit, shift our attention to left foot, lower part of the left foot, again starting from the heel, moving towards the toes, slowly, Report an error in the passage at 8:34 Highlight the passage at 8:34

9:11 silently, mindfully, moving Report an error in the passage at 9:11 Highlight the passage at 9:11

9:21 on to the top of the toes, moving Report an error in the passage at 9:21 Highlight the passage at 9:21

9:29 from the toes along the right leg. left foot sorry left foot towards the ankles being aware of any feelings going Report an error in the passage at 9:29 Highlight the passage at 9:29

9:46 along the left lower leg along the shin bone slowly mindfully one reason is establishing the mindfulness anchoring the mindfulness on the body mindfully we are moving towards the knee of Report an error in the passage at 9:46 Highlight the passage at 9:46

10:17 muscles Being aware, being with it, just this moment, the Report an error in the passage at 10:17 Highlight the passage at 10:17

10:30 knee being, feeling, Report an error in the passage at 10:30 Highlight the passage at 10:30

10:35 noticing, leaving. Then on the left upper leg, thigh muscles, we are moving towards the left buttock, slowly, being aware, in Report an error in the passage at 10:35 Highlight the passage at 10:35

11:12 the contact of the left buttock, on the cushion, or whatever. Taking the left leg as one unit, looking at, then looking at both legs and sitting here, balance on the cushion or the chair or the stool. Report an error in the passage at 11:12 Highlight the passage at 11:12

11:35 Please make any adjustments if you do need to, make yourself comfortable and then I move upwards from the left buttock along the edge of the left back. I call it the canal between the left edge of the back and the left upper arm. Slowly moving towards the left armpit, onto the left shoulder. Report an error in the passage at 11:35 Highlight the passage at 11:35

12:14 Then the same thing on the right side. Awareness is shifting to the right canal, right Report an error in the passage at 12:14 Highlight the passage at 12:14

12:28 hip towards the right armpit, slowly moving. We Report an error in the passage at 12:28 Highlight the passage at 12:28

12:37 shift our attention to the left buttock, from Report an error in the passage at 12:37 Highlight the passage at 12:37

12:43 the bottom to the left panel of the back, moving up towards the left shoulder, being aware of any feelings on that side, slowly. Report an error in the passage at 12:43 Highlight the passage at 12:43

13:05 Then next, Report an error in the passage at 13:05 Highlight the passage at 13:05

13:10 awareness onto the right buttock, moving up. Report an error in the passage at 13:10 Highlight the passage at 13:10

13:20 Slowly towards Report an error in the passage at 13:20 Highlight the passage at 13:20

13:26 the right shoulder, then Report an error in the passage at 13:26 Highlight the passage at 13:26

13:34 the middle of the back, spinal cord canal, moving up, being aware of the whole back, then Report an error in the passage at 13:34 Highlight the passage at 13:34

13:49 the right shoulder, right Report an error in the passage at 13:49 Highlight the passage at 13:49

13:56 shoulder to the right ear, base of the neck, then the left shoulder moving Report an error in the passage at 13:56 Highlight the passage at 13:56

14:11 towards the base of the neck, left ear and back of the neck. Report an error in the passage at 14:11 Highlight the passage at 14:11

14:23 Base of the head, bottom of the head, top Report an error in the passage at 14:23 Highlight the passage at 14:23

14:31 of the head. You will feel that straightening when you pay your attention to the top of the head. Report an error in the passage at 14:31 Highlight the passage at 14:31

14:45 Moving down to the forehead, Report an error in the passage at 14:45 Highlight the passage at 14:45

14:52 eyebrows. If Report an error in the passage at 14:52 Highlight the passage at 14:52

15:00 necessary, we can pass loving kindness to any area that is not feeling very well, any pain, but not for long. Then the left eye, right eye. Report an error in the passage at 15:00 Highlight the passage at 15:00

15:21 nostrils, facial muscles, smile on the face, mouth, face as whole, onto Report an error in the passage at 15:21 Highlight the passage at 15:21

15:42 the chin. We are not going inside the body because long aversion, we will be going inside the body. Buddha in that Kayagata Satya Sutta described 31 parts of the body, but in this session we are not. naught and Report an error in the passage at 15:42 Highlight the passage at 15:42

16:02 We go down the chin onto the front of the neck, Report an error in the passage at 16:02 Highlight the passage at 16:02

16:10 then awareness on the left of the front of the body, from the chest going down, knowing that heart is there as the first organ inside, but that is the only awareness. So we go down, developing Report an error in the passage at 16:10 Highlight the passage at 16:10

16:40 mindfulness of the body. anchoring the mindfulness onto the body same Report an error in the passage at 16:40 Highlight the passage at 16:40

16:50 thing on the right side we have the lungs goes right across the diaphragm various body parts inside going down the Report an error in the passage at 16:50 Highlight the passage at 16:50

17:15 middle canal few Report an error in the passage at 17:15 Highlight the passage at 17:15

17:23 seconds with the upper front of the body we Report an error in the passage at 17:23 Highlight the passage at 17:23

17:32 shift our awareness onto the left shoulder going down Along the left upper arm, very slowly, being aware, mindful, on the elbow junction, left Report an error in the passage at 17:32 Highlight the passage at 17:32

17:59 lower arm, wrist, Report an error in the passage at 17:59 Highlight the passage at 17:59

18:06 left palm, up and down, and the fingers on the left hand, feeling how we are keeping, there is no right or wrong way, whatever that we are used to, I keep my right. Hand on my left hand, I can feel the thumbs touching and being aware. Then right shoulder awareness onto the right shoulder. Report an error in the passage at 18:06 Highlight the passage at 18:06

18:46 Shoulder going Report an error in the passage at 18:46 Highlight the passage at 18:46

18:52 down, right upper arms slowly, nothing to do, nowhere to go. Right elbow slowly moving down the right lower arm. Report an error in the passage at 18:52 Highlight the passage at 18:52

19:14 Right wrist, right palm, fingers on the right hand, again feeling, sitting. We have covered all the body parts. We'll take a look at the whole body sitting here, which Report an error in the passage at 19:14 Highlight the passage at 19:14

19:40 the Buddha called Rupakanda, that is one of the five aggregates. So we stay with the body for a few seconds, being aware. Report an error in the passage at 19:40 Highlight the passage at 19:40

20:00 In a minute I will be... I will stop talking, then we can stay with our meditation object. If you wish, you can continue with the body scan. It's a nice way of anchoring the mindfulness. And if not, the breath or the loving kindness or recollecting the Buddha, qualities of the Buddha, they are meditation objects. Report an error in the passage at 20:00 Highlight the passage at 20:00

20:27 So we will stay with any one of that. I will ring the bell. Three times when the time comes to open our eyes. So happy meditating. See you back in about, it's about 13 minutes. Okay. I Report an error in the passage at 20:27 Highlight the passage at 20:27

20:51 forgot to say at the beginning, please put the phones to silent or airplane mode. That's all right. These things happen. That's fine. No problem at all. And all of us, that makes me to check my phone. We Report an error in the passage at 20:51 Highlight the passage at 20:51

· · · silence, 10 minutes

31:00 are getting closer to the end of. This meditation session, so take a half a minute to review the meditation, how the process started, what are the causes and conditions that went into this session, and what is the outcome, input, process, output. And take a few, half a minute. to see whether we are more peaceful over the agitated if so what is the reason Report an error in the passage at 31:00 Highlight the passage at 31:00

31:47 Thank Report an error in the passage at 31:47 Highlight the passage at 31:47

· · · silence, 1 minute

32:38 you for staying with the meditation. It is the substratum of Buddhism. Report an error in the passage at 32:38 Highlight the passage at 32:38

32:49 Buddhism rests on, you know, substratum, a ship. Bottom is the substratum. If it falls, the ship sinks. Without meditation, Buddhism does not sit well. Okay, so if you wish to leave, feel free to do so. If you like to stay, you are welcome to stay. Report an error in the passage at 32:49 Highlight the passage at 32:49

33:25 So this talk will take us through the... I am hoping to gear it towards... Like Report an error in the passage at 33:25 Highlight the passage at 33:25

33:42 this? Thanks. Thank you. And... Report an error in the passage at 33:42 Highlight the passage at 33:42

33:50 Hope the meditation was okay and then we can continue. And this year's reign's theme for these dharma talks is unshakable peace. Thanks to Ariel for coming up with that. It's a very nice theme, unshakable peace. This phrase, unshakable peace, comes from the Buddha's very first discourse. That is the Dhammacakkapatana Sutta. The Sutta that gave rise to the very first dream-enterer in the world, after the Buddha, and then to the very first five arahants, perfected ones, in the world. Report an error in the passage at 33:50 Highlight the passage at 33:50

34:37 So this, there is that phrase, I will say, I think I can remember that Pāli bit. And it is, this is what the Buddha said, it is an exclamation. Heartfelt exclamation, word in Pāli is Udana. Buddha uttered this Udana when the Venerable Kondanya, the first of the five ascetics to whom Buddha gave this discourse, attained to stream entry. Report an error in the passage at 34:37 Highlight the passage at 34:37

35:07 So it was proved that his dharma is not only for the Buddha. Others can become enlightened. Others can follow the path with fruits, Coming right there. So Buddha said, What it means is means unshakable is my peace or freedom. Unshakable is my peace. That is where this phrase comes from. and I am Antima Jati I am It is three words connected. I am antima jati. This is the last birth. Natti dhani punabhavo means no more rebirths now. Report an error in the passage at 35:07 Highlight the passage at 35:07

36:02 That was the exclamation. So I thought I will develop on this theme and then see how we can follow this practice. And we know as a summary to begin with. I will touch on that sutta very briefly and then see what the barriers to our practice and then where it will go, what are the requirements and how we can develop the first fruits of the path. Report an error in the passage at 36:02 Highlight the passage at 36:02

36:37 What is the first fruit of the path? Stream entry. I am hoping to gear this talk towards that, stream entry. And to begin with, as well again, stream entry, Buddha said, we can, there are a number of ways that can be done, either through what is called these five aggregates, five grasping aggregates, or the six sense bases, or the dependent origination, or the sattva bhajanga, that means seven enlightened factors. Report an error in the passage at 36:37 Highlight the passage at 36:37

37:17 But I thought I will base it on the five aggregates. Reason being, this week's sutta that I have selected this, that is next day after tomorrow, Sunday, is the, what is called the Mahapunama Sutta, Greater Discourse on Full Moon Night. That is the sutta that the Buddha gave to 60 monks. And they all became enlightened after listening to that sutta. So I thought I will just put the foundation today and then take it from there. Report an error in the passage at 37:17 Highlight the passage at 37:17

38:00 Alright, so in that sutta Buddha gave the four noble truths to the world and the path of practice which is the noble eightfold path. Report an error in the passage at 38:00 Highlight the passage at 38:00

38:11 And Buddha has laid down everything. Buddha said I am not holding the teacher's fist, that I am not holding anything back. He has taught the dharma very clearly, comprehensively. So why are we finding it difficult to practice and gain fruits? The reason is, Buddha said, there are a number of suttas on that basis, that we are constrained, we are confined in the sensual pleasures. Report an error in the passage at 38:11 Highlight the passage at 38:11

38:45 We are so much attached to these sensual pleasures that we have become slaves to them. These are the satisfying our sense bases. Ear, eye, nose, touch and the taste to the tongue. So that is why Buddha said we are going around this sansara unable to find the their freedom, unable to find the peace. Report an error in the passage at 38:45 Highlight the passage at 38:45

39:18 So Buddha said that in that same sutta, the four noble truths, he expanded that the first one he said, first noble truth is truth of suffering. He said the birth is suffering, old age is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering. Being reborn again and again and again is suffering. So Buddha gave the next one as the cause of suffering, which is the craving. Report an error in the passage at 39:18 Highlight the passage at 39:18

39:57 I won't go into details here, three types of craving. But then Buddha said the third one is the ending of suffering, cessation. Buddha said that is the ending of cessation of craving is the end of suffering. And then the path that leads to the end of suffering, Noble Eightfold Path. So we have the path, I think we are all aware of it, but very quickly, right view, right motivation, Ajahn Brahm says right motivation, Bhante Sujato right intention, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and the right stillness, right samādhi. Report an error in the passage at 39:57 Highlight the passage at 39:57

40:42 So Buddha has laid the path. And when we practice this path, the one that comes very first is the right view. Buddha said right view is two times. And also before that, Buddha said there are two contributing factors for the arising of right view. We can see that in the sutta called Mahavedala Sutta in the Manikaya. Report an error in the passage at 40:42 Highlight the passage at 40:42

41:09 I won't mention the sutta numbers very much because it takes time. But in that sutta... This is Venerable Great Tarahant, Venerable Sāriputta said that there are two things that is essential. Voice of another and the rational application of mind. Report an error in the passage at 41:09 Highlight the passage at 41:09

41:28 Voice of another. Who is this other? Whose voice that we have to hear? The voice of the Buddha. Through Ajahn Brahm, through Ajahn Brahmali, through Ajahn Hasapanna, through Bhante Sujato. We have to listen to them. We have to read the suttas. That's the voice of the other, the Buddha. And the next one is rational application of mind. Report an error in the passage at 41:28 Highlight the passage at 41:28

41:57 Rational application of mind means that we look at things with the right perspective. Because of our conditioning throughout these incalculable number of rebirths, We are wrongly conditioned. Buddha said, used the word vipalasa. Vipalasa means distortions. Our perceptions, sanya, chitta, ditti, our perceptions, our mind, our views are distorted. Report an error in the passage at 41:57 Highlight the passage at 41:57

42:38 How are they distorted? They are distorted in four ways in this short sutta, vipalasa sutta. We take what is impermanent as permanent. We take this body or the mind or this life as permanent. But it is subject to change. We take suffering as happiness. Sensual pleasures. Buddha gave in the Sutta in the Majjhima Nikāya number 53 I think 10 similes to show how bad, how, blah, blah, blah. Report an error in the passage at 42:38 Highlight the passage at 42:38

43:16 How many drawbacks in these sensual pressures? Being slaves to these five senses. Report an error in the passage at 43:16 Highlight the passage at 43:16

43:24 We take suffering as happiness. We take not-self. There is no self here, Buddha said. There is no self here. There is no permanent essence in here. This is purely five changing, subject to change, five components. Five components, what the Buddha called. senses. Report an error in the passage at 43:24 Highlight the passage at 43:24

43:47 Panchupadana skanda. Panchupadana skanda. That means Panchupadana skanda. Panchupadana skanda. Which means these five aggregates are subject to grasping. We grasp at various things. So that is what binds us to this saṃsāra. So that because of our conditioning. And the fourth one is we take what is foul as beautiful. What is good as Beautiful, what is ugly as good or beautiful. Pāli word is asubha is the foul, subha is the beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 43:47 Highlight the passage at 43:47

44:30 So we take, because we are conditioned, what is the purpose of this path? The purpose of this path is to see that how we are wrongly conditioned and making an effort to break these conditions. Get away from these conditions. More and more practice the path, then these conditions will be weakened. They will be diluted. And one day it will so happen, we will hit the jackpot. And what is the path? Report an error in the passage at 44:30 Highlight the passage at 44:30

45:07 Of course it is the Noble Eightfold Path. Within this Noble Eightfold Path, for us lay people, most important thing of the path The practice is the sealer in Pāli, which is the ethics, ethical practice. So for us lay people, it is what is that primary, as a minimum, ethical practice. Report an error in the passage at 45:07 Highlight the passage at 45:07

45:37 Five things. Five precepts. Five precepts. Five precepts is very simple. It's the five precepts. It's the five precepts. If we keep five precepts, Buddha says, that's it. If you keep five precepts, listen to the dharma, meditate, our better rebirth in the next life, if not finishing everything in this life, is assured. Report an error in the passage at 45:37 Highlight the passage at 45:37

46:08 And five precepts we all know, not killing any beings, not stealing anything, not engaging in sexual misconduct, and not lying, Report an error in the passage at 46:08 Highlight the passage at 46:08

46:23 Taking alcohol or drugs that is liable to affect our mind. Just these five precepts. And we can expand that later if there is time. So, number of suttas where Buddha has really praised lay people who are practicing these five precepts. Report an error in the passage at 46:23 Highlight the passage at 46:23

46:47 Unfortunately, even among the traditional Buddhists, sometimes these five precepts are not kept. And they misinterpret some of them, but it is the five precepts. The other thing is there are no born saints. We all have made mistakes at one time or the other. In every sutta, what the Buddha says is they have stopped killing beings. Report an error in the passage at 46:47 Highlight the passage at 46:47

47:14 That means they have been killing at one time. There was a monk, of course he was, I don't know how far he went during the Buddha's time, he was a vulture trapper. Vultures, he was trapping vultures. Vulture trapper. He became a monk, but I don't think he went very far. Angulimala. We all know who Angulimala was. He killed 999 people. But Buddha went looking for him and It gave him a short dharma talk and he changed instantly but it took time for him to practice so there are no born saints. Report an error in the passage at 47:14 Highlight the passage at 47:14

47:57 So we are all capable of attaining these fruits of the path. Nambara Sutta Buddha said it is those who are practicing wrong livelihood, wrong way of living. As a practice, habitually, regularly, without realizing how bad they are. So, we got to stay with the five precepts. We got to stay with the ethics. And of course, five precepts, it gets expanded. There are ten unwholesome deeds. Report an error in the passage at 47:57 Highlight the passage at 47:57

48:37 I will quickly mention that as well because it is good to know them. Then we know we have to practice them wherever we can. First one is, these ten unwholesome deeds that we have to stay away from are divided into three categories. The first is deeds by, what are the deeds? And also that brings me to the deeds. Deeds are the kamma, other important aspect of the Buddhism. Kamma is the intentional deed. Report an error in the passage at 48:37 Highlight the passage at 48:37

49:08 deed. While walking, but if you are careful, we can avoid insects even while walking. If we by mistake kill an insect, it's not a bad kama because there is no intention. Intention was not there to kill. It is an intentional deed in the sutta title. Buddha said, That means, because I declare that Deeds means intentional deeds, not anything unintentional. So that is the deeds that we are going to look at under ten unwholesome deeds. Report an error in the passage at 49:08 Highlight the passage at 49:08

49:52 Three by body. First one is not killing. Second one is not stealing. Third one is not engaging in sexual misconduct. So that is the bad deeds by body. Then the next four sets. These bad deeds by verbal deeds, that is not lying, not speaking harsh words, harsh words, not lying, not divisive speech, and then it's not nonsensical talk. Report an error in the passage at 49:52 Highlight the passage at 49:52

50:35 But yeah, so we We stay away from those four. Those are the four verbal type of bad deeds. Not lying, divisive speech, that is divide people, dividing friends from one another. That is a bad deed that can take us to bad destinations. So that is the second one. Then harsh speech, then the nonsensical speech. Report an error in the passage at 50:35 Highlight the passage at 50:35

51:09 Then comes the three bad deeds, we have covered seven, by mind. Very first one is abhija. Report an error in the passage at 51:09 Highlight the passage at 51:09

51:23 Abhija means unrighteous greed. Covetousness is the one single word, covetousness. And this covetousness means we covet others' wealth. Report an error in the passage at 51:23 Highlight the passage at 51:23

51:35 May that be mine. We can't stand someone else is having a good thing. We want to have that one. Our mind is full of greed, not just greed, it is uncontrollable greed which leads to other bad deeds by mouth and by action, by body and mouth. Because when you really want these things, you will say bad things, you will divide others, you will tell lies because you want to get that one and you may even resort to. Report an error in the passage at 51:35 Highlight the passage at 51:35

52:11 Killing a person. We know, we have seen how these things happen. Things start from the bad mind. Then abhijja, that is the unrighteous greed. Then vyapada. Vyapada is the hatred that we develop as a result of this, mainly because of this unrighteous greed, ill will, hatred we develop. And the last one is the most absolutely essential one. Report an error in the passage at 52:11 Highlight the passage at 52:11

52:42 For our practice, wrong view is the bad deed. We have to develop the right view. Right view, at the beginning I said, right view develops based on two things, voice of another and the rational application of mind. We have seen how to apply the rational application of mind, seeing things as they are. As per the Vipalasa Sutta, seeing things as they are, under those four headings. Report an error in the passage at 52:42 Highlight the passage at 52:42

53:16 suffering as suffering, seeing not-self as not-self, seeing ugly as ugly. And beautiful as beautiful as well, that's it is, there are beautiful things in this world, you got to see them as beautiful but not be attached. Beautiful thing that helps us is a beautiful mind, that's what we try to do with meditation. So the Most of the suttas what the Buddha is discoursing is having a wrong view is the ticket to a bad destination after death. Report an error in the passage at 53:16 Highlight the passage at 53:16

53:54 So we have to develop our right view. Buddha said right view is twofold. Mundane right view and the super mundane right view. Mundane right view is of tenfold. I won't count one by one, but so many suttas Buddha explained this like this. Mundane right view means that we, in our day-to-day life, we practice this as part of our living and then it helps us to develop the supermundane right view. Report an error in the passage at 53:54 Highlight the passage at 53:54

54:31 Supermundane right view is the factor of the path. I said noble eightfold path starts with the right view. That is the super mundane right view. That super mundane right view is the right view that takes us through to the stream entry. So what is this mundane right view? First one is that it's three ways of recognizing that there are benefits in being generous. Report an error in the passage at 54:31 Highlight the passage at 54:31

55:04 Giving, making offerings and making sacrifices. That is sacrificing your own wealth, giving offerings to the monks and nuns. And then, like that, three ways of giving. And in this giving, generosity is the, I think, one of the most essential factors for lay people. Generosity, sutta after sutta again. Report an error in the passage at 55:04 Highlight the passage at 55:04

55:35 Buddha has given very nice guidelines in suttas, what to give, how to give. And how to feel afterwards. Buddha said, I think this is in the Anguttara, book 8, number 37. Sappurisa dana sutta. Sappurisa means good person. Good person's giving. Buddha said it is, there are eight things that I can remember in that order, but it is, they give appropriate things. Report an error in the passage at 55:35 Highlight the passage at 55:35

56:08 What is required for the monks and nuns. When it comes to monks, we remember that story how someone managed to hide a bottle of whiskey in a basket and offer it to Ajahn Brahm. Report an error in the passage at 56:08 Highlight the passage at 56:08

56:24 Ajahn Brahm accepted not knowing. It's the utterly inappropriate gift. Monks can't even accept that. Monks can't accept cash in envelopes. So we have to be aware of these things. We have to be aware of these things and stay away from those practices so that will help the monks and help us. So therefore they give appropriate things, they give fine things, they give things that is of course useful and then what are the things fine things yeah and Report an error in the passage at 56:24 Highlight the passage at 56:24

57:07 then I think the sixth and eighth I remember very well. Sixth one is while giving you are confident. You are giving with a confident heart that I am giving this not expecting anything but as Pāli word is chittalankara means as an ornament to my mind for my meditation. Chittalankara is the Pāli word. And then the last one is Once given, the person is uplifted, person is uplifted as a result of this gender sex. And this world is full of suffering. Report an error in the passage at 57:07 Highlight the passage at 57:07

57:47 There are so many poor people everywhere, even in the developed countries. There are ways and means that we can help, but the first cab of the rank have to be the monks and nuns because they don't do a job. They rely on what we give them. Unless we give them the right thing, And they are unable to continue with their practice. So generosity is the other crux of the equation, part of the equation. Report an error in the passage at 57:47 Highlight the passage at 57:47

58:20 I was on to the mundane right view, getting back to that. So three ways of giving that we realized that giving has results. That is that. And then fourth and fifth are that there are duties. That we owe to our mother, that we owe to our father. Buddha recognized those. Buddha said, don't fail in your duties to your mother, don't fail in your duties to your father. Report an error in the passage at 58:20 Highlight the passage at 58:20

58:49 Part of the right view. Part of the right view. And then the next one, Buddha said, recognize that the deeds, intentional deeds, Pāli word kamma, has results. Report an error in the passage at 58:49 Highlight the passage at 58:49

59:04 Good and bad results based on whether it is good or bad. And then, recognizing that there are beings born spontaneously. Report an error in the passage at 59:04 Highlight the passage at 59:04

59:17 Who are they? Devas. That's right. Thanks, Lakhi. And divine beings, they don't go through a womb or anything like that. They don't go through that 10-month period or whatever. They are just like that. From here, they disappear and they are born in the... Report an error in the passage at 59:17 Highlight the passage at 59:17

59:39 So are the ghosts. So are the ghosts. So we don't want to know about them very much, but stay away from them. And that's the, we recognize that these are there. And then next one is there is this world and the next world. That means that there is rebirth. Recognizing that there is rebirth. Last one is that there are Buddhas and Arahants in this world. Report an error in the passage at 59:39 Highlight the passage at 59:39

1:00:06 So that is the mundane right view. When we develop this mundane right view, we are on the path to develop the super mundane right view and get a step up onto the noble eightfold path, first factor. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:06 Highlight the passage at 1:00:06

1:00:29 So that's where, what is stream entry? What do we mean by stream entry? Stream entries, seeing the Dhamma, penetrating to the Dhamma. We know the Dhamma, but we have to see it within ourselves. And we all chant the qualities of the Dhamma. sva-kāto bhagavato, sva-kāso bhagavata dhammo, sandhittiko, in this very life, Report an error in the passage at 1:00:29 Highlight the passage at 1:00:29

1:01:05 [chanting]

1:01:11 inviting attention, no commency, ehipassiko, open aiko. That's the word, relevant to oneself, going up. So we have to see this dharma within us. That's why I said, I picked this for this Sunday's sutta discussion, Mahapunama Sutta, that is through the body and the five aggregates. How to see the dharma through the five aggregates? So that, what do we need to see the dharma through the five aggregates? Report an error in the passage at 1:01:11 Highlight the passage at 1:01:11

1:01:48 What is the mechanism? What is the path? And Buddha said, it is through meditation. So I was going to spend more time on this sutta, which is one of the pivotal suttas on meditation, next 10 to 12 minutes. And so, Report an error in the passage at 1:01:48 Highlight the passage at 1:01:48

1:02:10 Meditation, I also like to mention very briefly, I might take a minute or so, there is this movement, mindfulness movement, that some tend to think mindfulness itself is enough. There is a very nice sutta in the Sankirtika Nikaya, Sankirti 2, Devaputta Sankirti, it is called Panchala Chanda Sutta, it's a divine being called Panchala Chanda. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:10 Highlight the passage at 1:02:10

1:02:35 Came to the Buddha and said in verse, it's very short sutta, four lines verse and said, you are the Buddha, the great being with great wisdom. You walk to enlightenment through mindfulness. Then the Buddha said, yes. Buddha said, it's not just mindfulness, it's mindfulness and stillness, samādhi. So samādhi is... Report an error in the passage at 1:02:35 Highlight the passage at 1:02:35

1:03:03 It's the last factor of the path. Samādhi is an essential factor. So, how do we attain to this samādhi? I am going to talk, base this talk on that sutta called Pansu Dovaka Sutta. Pansu Dovaka means, Pansu means soil, Dovaka means actually washer, but it is described as remover, soil remover. If you wish to... Report an error in the passage at 1:03:03 Highlight the passage at 1:03:03

1:03:33 Look at this sutta. It is in the Anguttara Nikaya book 3, sutta number 101. Pansudhavaka Sutta, Soil Remover. In this sutta, Buddha gives fantastic... Buddha's other epithet of Buddha is Upamma Kusala, which means the most qualified to give similes. So in this sutta, Buddha gives our way of purifying our mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:33 Highlight the passage at 1:03:33

1:04:02 Buddha equates that to goldsmith who is refining gold. Gold on this side, mind on this side. So very briefly, because I want to go to the purification of mind quickly, Buddha said when the native gold is dug from the earth, the first thing that the goldsmith would do is he will try to remove what is called the gross Report an error in the passage at 1:04:02 Highlight the passage at 1:04:02

1:04:32 Corruptions, that is the thick sand, gravel and all that, then he washes them, all that is removed. Then, next stage is removing these finer corruptions, next stage of, it's called majjima upakilesa, that means middling level corruptions, that is the softer sand, still coarse sand and smaller. Pebbles and things like that, getting rid of them, washing them, washing them, washing them. Then comes to a point what is left with the finer sand and black grim. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:32 Highlight the passage at 1:04:32

1:05:09 That is the word I think that is said, black grim. So he washes them and removes all that. Now the native gold is rid of all that. But it is not still ready to be made into any jewellery or anything. What does he do? He puts them on a crucible. And pan and smelt them. Keep smelting, keep panning and pumping and he make them pliable so that this gold is ready to be made into jewelry or anything like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:09 Highlight the passage at 1:05:09

1:05:44 Buddha said it is the same way. Four ways. Four ways of refining the mind. What is the first way? First one is called same words. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:44 Highlight the passage at 1:05:44

1:05:57 Olarika upakelesa means gross defilements. Okay? Gross defilements. Sutta number 3101. Very important sutta to read. Meditation handbook. Okay? Meditation handbook. And this is what are the Olarika upakelesa? He said, three Report an error in the passage at 1:05:57 Highlight the passage at 1:05:57

1:06:23 types of bad deeds. What are they? Bad deeds by body, Words and mind. So these three, they are the grossest type of defilements. Now they, we have to get rid of them before we come to the meditation. That is as part of, that is why I mentioned about those ten bad deeds. We have to get rid of them or at least dilute them as much as possible in our day to day life. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:23 Highlight the passage at 1:06:23

1:07:02 Right? Yeah, good. And then when we dilute them, we get rid of all those, as much as possible, these. They are called primary defilements, Olarika, rough defilements. Then comes the middling level defilements. They are the thoughts. There are three types of thoughts. It is now like that goldsmith washing the next level of dirt, purifying our mind, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:02 Highlight the passage at 1:07:02

1:07:44 They are called sensual thoughts, thoughts of ill will, thoughts of cruelty. These are from the second factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. Noble Eightfold Path, the second factor is the intention to renunciate. Here, It is intention to enjoy sensual pleasures. Thoughts on sensual pleasures keep coming to us during meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:44 Highlight the passage at 1:07:44

1:08:20 Why? We haven't removed those gross defilements because they come to harass us. If we have gone to a musical event just before coming here, what will be in the mind? That's what it is. So they are the ones that we have to purify. Once they, when we purify them, our mind becomes softer. Then first thoughts are sensual thoughts, then malicious thoughts, and then cruel thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:20 Highlight the passage at 1:08:20

1:08:54 They keep coming bothering, start bothering us in meditation. They are the three types of thoughts. And there may also be some thoughts that... They are called delusional thoughts, but it is not mentioned in this sutta as that, but it is included later. So we have to train our mind to remove these thoughts or dilute them as much as possible. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:54 Highlight the passage at 1:08:54

1:09:21 How do we do it? How do we do it? Main thing is what the Buddha says is don't give value to it, value to them. More we give value to them, they keep coming back to us. More we ask an unwanted person that you are okay, you can come in, they'll keep coming. So not to give value to them, but to treat them as uninvited guests. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:21 Highlight the passage at 1:09:21

1:09:48 And also, in two suttas, you can read them. Unfortunately, no time to go into this in detail. I have only another about seven minutes. Yep, eight minutes. So... Report an error in the passage at 1:09:48 Highlight the passage at 1:09:48

1:10:03 Two suttas you can refer to is Dveha, sorry, Vitakka Santana Sutta is Majjhima Nikāya 20. Buddha gives five ways. Vitakka Santana means calming the thoughts or removing disturbing thoughts. This is also a pivotal sutta, discourse for meditation. Majjhima Nikāya number 20, Vitakka Santana, which means Removing distracting thoughts. Buddha gives five ways that not giving value is one of them. Or if you are getting a bad thought, first one is replace them with a good thought. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:03 Highlight the passage at 1:10:03

1:10:45 If you are inundated with a bad thought, the sensual thought keeps coming and disturbing you, replace with the thought of mettā, thought of loving kindness, thought on the Buddha, thought on the Dhamma. That way it gives five ways of getting rid of these bad thoughts, distracting thoughts. So we have now got rid of, we know how, at least we know how to get rid of these distracting thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:45 Highlight the passage at 1:10:45

1:11:18 Buddha said in this sutta, three types. And then the next one is, this is the difficult part. They are called, there are three types of thoughts. First quickly say the Pāli words. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:18 Highlight the passage at 1:11:18

1:11:34 Nyāti vitakku. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:34 Highlight the passage at 1:11:34

1:11:40 Nyativitak means thought about relatives. Thought about relatives. Relatives come to your mind. Naturally, even when we do the mettā meditation, most of us tend to do it by person. I haven't seen in any sutta where the Buddha says that. In the sutras what says is into the directions, ten directions, eight directions around, up and the down, so that there are no persons coming into the equation. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:40 Highlight the passage at 1:11:40

1:12:16 When the persons come into the equations, what happens? Our attachments grow sometimes. It happens to me, I would say, naturally of course, we pass mettā to relatives and then, but... It becomes a barrier sometimes. It becomes a barrier. There are a number of suttas that describe these barriers. So, nyati vitakka is the thoughts about relatives. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:16 Highlight the passage at 1:12:16

1:12:44 So, how can I make my relatives better? How can I get them to practice the dhamma? All these things keep coming. Correct? Yeah, thanks, Laki. So, then the next one is janapada means about the country. How can I make this country better? All these things keep coming back. For us, you know, who have come from other countries, we have two countries to look after. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:44 Highlight the passage at 1:12:44

1:13:13 They both keep coming. So then that is called the thoughts about the country. Thoughts about the country. Now the next one is the most difficult one. Anamanyatsa Patisanyukta. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:13 Highlight the passage at 1:13:13

1:13:32 And then next one, is the being feeling important? Me, I am the one. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:32 Highlight the passage at 1:13:32

1:13:43 So that is the most difficult thing to get rid of. So if we can look at that here, that there is no essential being in here. These are simply five aggregates. How are they working, these five aggregates? They are held loosely by a system. What is the system that is holding these five aggregates? Which appears to be a being. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:43 Highlight the passage at 1:13:43

1:14:11 Sakkayaditti is correct because of that bad view. It is the dependent origination. Dependent origination backed by Sakkayaditti. You are right, Lakhi. Backed by Sakkayaditti. Dependent origination is the system because that keeps us going round and round and round. So, this feeling of me, mine and myself keeps coming to the What I am going to do now? I am meditating. I am doing it very well. I am teaching and I do it. So these are the things that keep bothering us. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:11 Highlight the passage at 1:14:11

1:14:49 So we have to train ourselves as Ajahn Brahmali. I think Aurora may have put it on the notice board, those questions and answers from Ajahn Brahmali. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:49 Highlight the passage at 1:14:49

1:15:03 Which I sent, yeah? And it was printed and put it here. Ajahn Brahmali has given a fantastic two dharma talks when he was in Sri Lanka, questions and answers. He says in the second one, forgive the faults, that was the heading. No, see the causes, forgive the faults. See the causes, forgive the faults. I said there are no born saints, so we see the causes. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:03 Highlight the passage at 1:15:03

1:15:32 And then we forgive ourselves and so that will not allow us ourselves to come up. So we have tackled those three and then the Buddha says, next one is the dhamma. Thoughts about the dhamma keep coming. Buddha said in other places, replace with the good thoughts. Replace bad thoughts with the thoughts on dhamma. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:32 Highlight the passage at 1:15:32

1:15:56 Right, Eddie? Then Buddha says, even that is bad. That is not good. At this stage, we are almost at the last stage of attaining samādhi. Last stage of attaining samādhi and then Buddha says, leave that as well. In the sutta called Alagaddupam Sutta, Buddha equated the dharma to a raft. He said, don't carry the raft on the head once you have crossed the path, crossed the river. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:56 Highlight the passage at 1:15:56

1:16:27 Once we have done the job, leave the raft aside and then follow the path. So this is the... There's a lot more to talk about, but 8.45 is the time. Thank you for letting me know that 8.45 is the ending time, but I might take another two minutes with your permission. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:27 Highlight the passage at 1:16:27

1:16:56 So in this one, then I want to stress that here, in this sutta is the one. Do we remember that Ajahn Brahm says, it is not the willpower, but it is the wisdom power. I remember Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Brahmadi all the time says this. It is from this sutta. And there is a long Pāli word referring to this. And then Buddha says, the samādhi that arises, samādhi can arise with the thought of dhamma. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:56 Highlight the passage at 1:16:56

1:17:30 But the Buddha says that samādhi is not Pāli word is na ekodibhava gato. That means it is not properly one-pointedness and then it is held by force. Next one is called sasankara. Sankara is intention. It is held with intention. It is held with force. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:30 Highlight the passage at 1:17:30

1:17:58 It is held with force. Sasankara nigaya. It's all one word. So Buddha says, this is no good. Get rid of that. How do we get rid of that? By training ourselves in everyday life. By refining ourselves in that way. Starting from the gross defilements, middling level defilements, finer defilements, and those three types about relatives, country. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:58 Highlight the passage at 1:17:58

1:18:33 And of feeling important and then the dhamma and getting rid of those things, then comes, Buddha says, the real samādhi. Samādhi, as I will be failing my duty if I don't say this, Ajahn Brahm always will say, number of suttas Buddha describes, samādhi is real, final samādhi, is at least the first jhāna. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:33 Highlight the passage at 1:18:33

1:19:00 But we shouldn't get discouraged. It takes time, but there are stages before the first jhāna where we might be able to see the truth within us. I think we all remember, I might take, sorry, I might take another minute or so. We all remember that Ajahn Brahm's simile of Tadpole. Do we remember Tadpole? Tadpole who became a frog? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:00 Highlight the passage at 1:19:00

1:19:32 And Ajahn Brahm gives it a very, he takes sometimes 10 minutes to give this story. Remember he says there was this tadpole living in the Jhan Grove pond and she was a very clever tadpole and she went to primary, did very well. He said there is a primary school in that pond. And he went to, she went to high school and then Ajahn Brahm says there is a university there. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:32 Highlight the passage at 1:19:32

1:19:58 And in that pond she went to the university. What did she do? She did the degree in H2O, water. And then she did, not enough, very clever tadpole, she did the PhD. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:58 Highlight the passage at 1:19:58

1:20:12 And she knew, she knows water so much well, so well. But Ajahn Brahm says, that is what has happened to us. We think we know this body. Because we are with this body all the time. We are with this five khandas, five aggregates, our body. Feelings, perceptions, will or the intention and the consciousness. We think we know them. But we are with it. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:12 Highlight the passage at 1:20:12

1:20:44 They are the we. Those five are the we. So we are in it. We are immersed in. Then Ajahn Brahm says, one day all of a sudden, this little tadpole starts growing two legs. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:44 Highlight the passage at 1:20:44

1:20:57 What happens? Unintentionally, automatically, it jumps out of the water. She is now out of the water. Now she knows what water is, what is missing. That is what the Buddha said, seeing within ourselves, when we are in meditation, we see what suffering this is, that is penetrating into the dharma, that is seeing the dharma, that is seeing the suffering, that is stream entry, that is the fruit of stream entry, which we are going to expand through that sutta day after tomorrow at 3 o 'clock. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:57 Highlight the passage at 1:20:57

1:21:38 right here on on the I think Aurora very kindly has put all that on the website and there is a blurb and there will be hard copies as well if you can bring your device we will look at that as well and thank you very much for listening I have gone five minutes over time and over to you then Following Report an error in the passage at 1:21:38 Highlight the passage at 1:21:38

1:22:06 the new program, could we also pay homage to the Lord Buddha with a triple jam before we start the Q &A session? So we'll together do that, okay? We'll do the Arahantsamma Sambuddhu. If you like, you can sit on the chair if you find it difficult to... Report an error in the passage at 1:22:06 Highlight the passage at 1:22:06

1:22:34 Arahantsammasambuddho bhagava buddhambhagvantam abhivadeni Swakato Bhagavata Dhammo Dhammanamassami Supati panno bhagavato saavaka sangho sangham namah Thank Report an error in the passage at 1:22:34 Highlight the passage at 1:22:34

1:23:11 you so much, Ananda, for your fantastic talk tonight. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:11 Highlight the passage at 1:23:11