Saturday, March 31, 2007

Link: Dhamma-Cakkappavattana Sutta

Listen to the Dhamma-Cakkappavattana Sutta (first turning of the wheel), recorded by the community of monks at Wat Luang Phor Sodh Dhammakayaram in Thailand.
*Click here to download the free MP3
You can read along with the Pali and view a translation *here

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List: Seven Branches of Enlightenment

1) The factor of enlightenment consisting of right mindfulness
2) Consisting of aspiration
3) Consisting of joyous effort
4) Consisting of joyfulness
5) Consisting of tranquility
6) Consisting of concentration
7) Consisting of equanimity

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List: Sakyamuni's Original Five Disciples

1) Ajnata
2) Asvajit
3) Vashpa
4) Mahanaman
5) Bhadrika

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Thursday, March 29, 2007

List: Eight Qualities to Reach a Pure Buddha Field Safe

1) Benefit all living beings without seeking self gain.
2) Bear miseries of living beings and give away accumulated virtues.
3) No resentment towards living beings.
4) Rejoice in all Bodhisattva's as if they were your teachers.
5) Not neglect any teachings.
6) Control your mind without coveting the gains of others or taking pride in your own.
7) Examine your own faults and not blame others for their faults.
8) Take pleasure in being consciously aware and truly undertake all virtues.

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Quote: Buddha

'I owe it to Manjusri that I now become a Buddha. Innumerable Buddhas in the past have been Manjusri's disciples and those who will become Buddhas in the future also owe their enlightenment to his awesome power. Just as children of the world have their own parents, so Manjusri assumes parenthood on the Buddha path."

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List: Four Jhanas

1) Accompanied by thought and examination, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion.
2) With the subsiding of thought and examination, he enters and dwells in the second Jhana, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without thought and examination, and has rapture and happiness born of concentration.
3) With the fading away as well of rapture, he dwells equanimous and, mindful and clearly comprehending, he experiences happiness within his body; He enters and dwells within the third, which the nobles declare: "He is equanimous, mindful, one who dwells happily."
4) Abandoning pleasure and pain, joy and dejection, he enters the fourth, which is neither pain nor pleasure and attains purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.

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List: The Expanded Twelve Link Chain

Aging and Death
* Aging of the various orders of beings, their old age, brokenness of teeth, grayness of hair, wrinkling of skin, decline of life, weakness of faculties.
* Passing of beings in the various orders of being, their coming to birth, precipitation in a womb, generation, manifestation of the aggregates, obtaining the bases for contact.
Birth
* The birth of beings in the various orders of being, their coming to birth, precipitation in a womb, generation, manifestation of the aggregates, obtaining the bases for contact.
Existence (3 kinds)
1) Sense sphere
2) Form sphere
3) Form-less sphere
Clinging (4 kinds)
1) Clinging to sensual pleasures
2) Clinging to views
3) Clinging to rules
4) Clinging to doctrine of self
Craving (6 classes)
1) Craving for forms
2) Craving for sounds
3) Craving for odors
4) Craving for flavors
5) Craving for tactile objects
6) Craving for mental phenomena
Feeling (6 classes)
1) Feelings born of eye contact
2) Feelings born of ear contact
3) Feelings born of nose contact
4) Feelings born of tongue contact
5) Feelings born of body contact
6) Feelings born of mind contact
Contact (6 classes)
1) Eye contact
2) Ear contact
3) Nose contact
4) Tongue contact
5) Body contact
6) Mind contact
The Six Sense Bases
*Same as feeling and contact
Name and Form

*Name = Feeling, perception, volition, contact and attention
*Form = The four great elements and the form derived form them (water, fire, earth and air)
Consciousness
*Same as sense bases
Volitional Formations (3 kinds)
1) Bodily
2) Verbal
3) Mental
Ignorance
*Not knowing the four noble truths

-MN9: Sammaditthi Sutta

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Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh

"The mind can go in a thousand directions,
But on this beautiful path, I walk in peace.
With each step, a gentle wind,
With each step, A flower."

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Quote: Mahaparinibanna Sutta

Upon the lords renouncing of the life principle, he uttered this verse.
"Gross or fine, things become the sage abjured.
Calm, composed, he burst becomings shell"

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Sunday, March 11, 2007

Clear and Calm : 8 Basic Notes on a Fruitful Practice

This class is a 45 minute lecture/meditation combination which aims to assist those who are just beginning their practice to develop a successful, long term relationship with the art. A 15 minute lecture and slide show is followed by a 30 minute guided meditation session. Afterward, an optional 20 minute recitation of 'The Discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness' (Mahasatipatthana Sutta in Pali) will be provided with light commentary. See class flier below.

A short essay outlining the class is available by clicking here

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Meditation: The Science, The Art, The Reason

This class is a one hour, in depth look at the ancient tool of meditation. A brief overview of the effects of stress on the body is provided as well as some low level discussion on the neurological processes behind the stress reaction. Following those items is a look at some basic ways we can reduce stress in our lives from both a scientific and traditional meditative perspective. The class ends with a twenty minute discussion on various meditation techniques and their respective effectiveness in addressing specific goals and issues. An optional guided meditation which serves as a practical overview of subject material is provided, of which the duration is flexible. See class flier belowFull lecture notes for 'Meditation: The Science, The Art, The Reason' are available by clicking here


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