The Direct Realization Of A Buddha

The Attainment of he View of Enlightenment has been the goal of the Enlightened Beings since beginningless time. Conceptually, one may attain such a view, however translating this view into a practice that will create a life based on this view, is something else entirely. This volume has as its aim, this realization of living the view of the enlightened sages of the 3 times.

"This book helps to fill what has long been a glaring gap in the scholarship of early Buddhism, offering us a detailed textual study of the Satipatthāna Sutta, the foundational Buddhist discourse on meditation practice."--Back cover.

In The Only Way for the Realization of Nibbāna, the Most Venerable Sayadaw gives a brief summary of the practice necessary for such realization, namely samatha and vipassanā. He bases his discussion on the first section of the ‘Mahā∙Sati∙Paṭṭhāṇa Sutta’, the in&out-breath section of ‘The Great Mindfulness-Foundation Sutta’. In the preface (pp.1-23), the Sayadaw discusses the ‘Mahā∙Sati∙Paṭṭhāṇa Sutta’ within the context of other suttas where The Buddha discusses the practice necessary for realizing Nibbāna. Afterwards, the Sayadaw discusses the in&out-breath section of the sutta within the context of the remaining sections of ‘The Great Mindfulness-Foundation Sutta’. Afterwards, the entire in&out-breath section is quoted (pp.25-26). And there is a brief discussion of how one progresses from mundane samatha and vipassanā to supramundane samatha and vipassanā (p.27). The Sayadaw then discusses in practical detail The Buddha’s instructions on samatha in the in&out-breath section of the ‘Mahā∙Sati∙Paṭṭhāṇa Sutta’, beginning with Ever mindful he breathes in; ever mindful he breathes out; ending with ‘Tranquillizing the body formation, I shall breathe in ’: thus he trains. ‘Tranquillizing the body formation, I shall breathe out ’: thus he trains; this being the four stages of development for attaining the four jhānas (pp.28-36). The Sayadaw then discusses in practical detail The Buddha’s instructions on the four stages of vipassanā. First Thus he abides contemplating the body in the body internally, or he abides contemplating the body in the body externally, or he abides contemplating the body in the body internally and externally; this being direct know­ledge and contemplation of ultimate materiality and ultimate mentality through the elements contemplation section of the ‘Mahā∙Sati­∙Paṭ­ṭhāṇa Sutta’, as well as the sections of consciousness-, feelings- and dhammas contemplation (pp.37-60). Second He abides contemplating originating phenomena in the body; or he abides contemplating perishing phenomena in the body; or he abides contemplating [both] originating&perishing phenomena in the body; this being the direct know­ledge and contemplation of causal and momentary rise&perish (pp.61-65). Third Or mindfulness that ‘there is the body’ is established just sufficient for knowledge, sufficient for mindfulness; this being the higher mundane vipassanā knowledges, prior to the realization of Nibbāna (p.66). Fourth And he abides independent, and does not cling to anything in the world; this being the supramundane realization of Nibbāna (p.67). The Saya­daw describes each stage of samatha and vipassanā in terms of the Noble Eightfold Path, and he describes vipassanā in terms of the full knowledges described by The Buddha as necessary for realization of Nibbāna, quoted and discussed in the preface. Their mutual correspondence is shown in a table (p.69). Tables describe the phenomena that make up ultimate materiality (pp.41-45) and mentality (pp.51, 53, 56-59) as described by The Buddha, and their correspondence to the various classifications given by The Buddha in earlier quoted suttas (p.71): the five aggregates (p.72), twelve bases (p.73), eighteen elements (p.74), and four Noble Truths (p.75). [From a book published by Pa-Auk Meditation Centre, a Centre of Theravāda Buddhist Tradition]

Deepening Insight presents a selection of passages from the early Buddhist discourses that provide perspectives on the cultivation of liberating insight into vedanā, “sensation,” “feeling,” or “feeling tone.” For meditators, such passages can be of considerable help as a reference point for deepening insight. A metaphor that can offer considerable help when facing vedanās describes bubbles arising on the surface of a pond during rain...they arise and soon enough burst and disappear. Contemplation of the changing nature of vedanā provides a firm foundation for the growth of insight into not self. Such insight proceeds through successive layers of the mind’s ingrained habit of self-referentiality. Based on relinquishing the explicit view of affirming the existence of a permanent self, increasingly subtler traces of conceit and possessiveness need to be successively overcome until with full awakening all selfing in any form will be removed for good. Deepening Insight is based on textual sources that reflect “early Buddhism,” which stands for the development of thought and practices during roughly the first two centuries in the history of Buddhism, from about the fifth to the third century BCE. These sources are the Pāli discourses and their parallels, mostly extant in Chinese translation, which go back to instructions and teachings given orally by the Buddha and his disciples. In those times in India, writing was not employed for such purposes, and for centuries these teachings were transmitted orally. The final results of such oral transmission are available to us nowadays in the form of written texts. Bhikkhu Anālayo's presentation is meant to provide direct access, through the medium of translation, to the Chinese Āgama parallels to relevant Pāli discourses. In commenting on such passages, his chief concern throughout is to bring out practical aspects that are relevant to actual insight meditation. Endorsements In spring 1990 S.N. Goenka initiated an international seminar named The Importance of Vedanā and Sampajañña. It had the purpose to disseminate the prominence of sensations (vedanā) as a core object of meditation to recognize the intrinsic nature of change and impermanence. Venerable Bhikkhu Anālayo now provides a thorough, comprehensive and well selected collection on vedanā as maintained in the original early Pāli Canon. Along with the comparison to the Chinese Āgama, otherwise hardly available, this collection if adapted and applied to practice may indeed serve as an inspiring source for deepening insight. —Klaus Nothnagel, Pāli teacher and Center Teacher for Dhamma Pallava in Poland

This text is best viewed in pdf format. Download this and other free original texts from my website: TenzinTharpa.com. Tibetan Buddhist Essentials is a complete guide to Tibetan Buddhism. A unique text series presenting an expansive modern view of Tibetan Buddhism for students of diverse backgrounds and sensibilities. It shares an authentic yet progressive presentation of Tibetan Buddhism in an easily accessible no-nonsense format.

Maitreya's Ratnagotravibhaga, also known as the Uttaratantra, is the main Indian treatise on buddha nature, a concept that is heavily debated in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. In A Direct Path to the Buddha Within, Klaus-Dieter Mathes looks at a pivotal Tibetan commentary on this text by Go Lotsawa Zhonu Pal, best known as the author of the Blue Annals. Go Lotsawa, whose teachers spanned the spectrum of Tibetan schools, developed a highly nuanced understanding of buddha nature, tying it in with mainstream Mahayana thought while avoiding contested aspects of the so-called empty-of-other (zhentong) approach. In addition to translating key portions of Go Lotsawa's commentary, Mathes provides an in-depth historical context, evaluating Go's position against those of other Kagyu, Nyingma, and Jonang masters and examining how Go Lotsawa's view affects his understanding of the buddha qualities, the concept of emptiness, and the practice of mahamudra.

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, this thought-provoking essay explores the Buddha's teaching to find one prescription: not war, not pacifism but nonviolence.