 |
|
The
Basics
-
Buddhism in a Nutshell,
by Narada Mahathera
-
What is Buddhism?
The Buddhist Society of Western Australia
- Buddhism:
A Method of Mind Training, by Leonard Bullen
A very basic beginner's outline of the Four Noble Truths.
- Recognizing
the Dhamma, A Study Guide Prepared by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Fortunately for us, the Buddha left behind clear guidelines
by which we can judge the validity of any interpretation
of Dhamma or Vinaya. These eight principles, sometimes called
the "Constitution of Buddhism," show us that any
teaching must finally be judged by the results that come
from putting it into practice.
- The
Four Noble Truths
An introduction to the Four Noble Truths, the basic framework
on which all the Buddha's teachings are built.
- Refuge:
an Introduction to the Buddha, Dhamma & Sangha,
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
This short book provides an excellent introduction to the
most basic principles of Buddhism: the Buddha, Dhamma &
Sangha, collectively known as the Triple Gem or Triple Refuge.
The material is divided into three parts: (I) an introductory
essay on the meaning of refuge and the act of going for
refuge; (II) a series of readings drawn from the earliest
Buddhist texts illustrating the essential qualities of the
Triple Gem; and (III) a set of essays explaining aspects
of the Triple Gem that often provoke questions in those
who are new to the Buddha's teachings.
Thai
Forest Traditions
Phra
Ajaan Sao Kantasilo Mahathera (1861-1941)
Ajaan Sao and his student Ajaan Mun established the Kammatthana
tradition. A true forest-dweller, Ajaan Sao left no written
records of his teachings. Fortunately for us, another of
his students -- Phra Ajaan Phut Thaniyo -- recorded Ajaan
Sao's Teaching: A Reminiscence of Phra Ajaan Sao Kantasilo,
which offers us a glimpse of Ajaan Sao's terse but powerful
teaching style.
Phra
Ajaan Mun Bhuridatto (1870-1949)
Ajaan Mun was born in 1870 in Baan Kham Bong, a farming
village in Ubon Ratchathani province, northeastern Thailand.
Ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1893, he spent the remainder
of his life wandering through Thailand, Burma, and Laos,
dwelling for the most part in the forest, engaged in the
practice of meditation. He attracted an enormous following
of students and, together with his teacher, Phra Ajaan Sao
Kantasilo Mahathera (1861-1941), established the forest
meditation tradition (the Kammatthana tradition) that subsequently
spread throughout Thailand and to several countries abroad.
He passed away in 1949 at Wat Suddhavasa, Sakon Nakhorn
province. [Adapted from the Introduction
to A Heart Released.]
For
more about Ajaan Mun and the history of the Kammatthana
tradition, see the essay "The
Customs of the Noble Ones," by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
A
newly revised biography of Ajaan Mun, written by Ajaan Maha
Boowa, is available from Wat
Pah Baan Taad.
- The
Ballad of Liberation from the Khandhas, by Phra Ajaan
Mun Bhuridatta Mahathera
This poem, composed sometime in the 1930's, is one of the
few known written teachings left to us by Ajaan Mun.
- The
Ever-present Truth: Teachings of Phra Ajaan Mun Bhuridatta
Mahathera, by Phra Ajaan Mun Bhuridatta Mahathera
Eight short fragments drawn from Ajaan Mun's sermons given
during the last two years of his life. These fragments were
originally appended to the book A
Heart Released as part of a commemorative volume distributed
at Phra Ajaan Mun's cremation in 1950. The selections included
here comprise all of the passages dealing directly with
the practice of virtue and meditation.
- A
Heart Released: The Teachings of Phra Ajaan Mun Bhuridatta
Mahathera, by Phra Ajaan Mun Bhuridatta Mahathera
Seventeen excerpts from Dhamma teachings delivered by Ajaan
Mun in 1944-45.
Phra
Ajaan Dune Atulo (1888-1983)
Ajaan Dune Atulo was born on October 4, 1888 in Praasaat
Village in Muang District, Surin province. At the age
of 22 he ordained in the provincial capital. Six years
later, disillusioned with his life as an uneducated town
monk, he left to study in Ubon Ratchathani, where he befriended
Ajaan Singh Khanityagamo and reordained in the Dhammayut
sect. Shortly thereafter, he and Ajaan Singh met Ajaan
Mun, who had just returned to the Northeast after many
years of wandering. Impressed with Ajaan Mun's teachings
and with his deportment, both monks abandoned their studies
and took up the wandering meditation life under his guidance.
They were thus his first two disciples. After wandering
for 19 years through the forests and mountains of Thailand
and Cambodia, Ajaan Dune received an order from his ecclesiastical
superiors to head a combined study and practice monastery
in Surin. It was thus that he took over the abbotship
of Wat Burapha, in the middle of the town, in 1934. There
he remained until his death in 1983.
- Gifts
He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Ajaan Dune Atulo (Phra
Rajavuddhacariya), compiled by Phra Bodhinandamuni
A collection of short anecdotes and quotations from Ajaan
Dune, as recalled by one of his long-time monastic comrades.
Ajaan Dune's straightforward words are rich with deceptively
simple insights that reflect a profound grasp of Dhamma.
His unique presentation of the four noble truths, which
echoes through these pages, is breathtakingly clear: "The
mind sent outside is the origination of suffering; the result
of the mind sent outside is suffering; the mind seeing the
mind is the path; and the result of the mind seeing the
mind is the cessation of suffering."
Phra
Ajaan Thate Desaransi (1902-1994)
Ajaan Thate was one of the most highly respected Buddhist
monks of the Theravada school in Thailand and was internationally
recognized as a master of meditation. In addition to his
large following in Thailand, Ajaan Thate has trained many
western disciples.
- Buddho,
by Ajaan Thate
A simple and practical guide to the use of the meditation
phrase, buddho, which is used to settle the mind to the
point at which discernment can begin to arise.
- Steps
Along the Path, by Ajaan Thate
A short handbook on the practice of meditation, with tips
and recommendations for new and experienced meditators.
Of particular interest is Ajaan Thate's discussion of how
best to respond when visions and signs arise during the
course of meditation practice.
Phra
Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo (1902-1984)
Ajaan Lee was one of the foremost teachers in the Thai
forest ascetic tradition of meditation founded at the
turn of the century by his teacher, Phra
Ajaan Mun Bhuridatta. His life was short but eventful.
Known for his skill as a teacher and his mastery of supranatural
powers, he was the first to bring the ascetic tradition
out of the forests of the Mekhong basin and into the mainstream
of Thai society in central Thailand.
- Keeping
the Breath in Mind and Lessons in Samadhi, by Ajaan
Lee Dhammadharo
A complete handbook for breath meditators, full of detailed
practical instructions for the development of concentration
and insight.
Phra
Ajaan Maha Boowa Ñanasampanno (1913- )
Venerable Ajaan Maha Boowa was born in Udorn-thani, North-east
Thailand in 1913. He became a monk in the customary way
at a local monastery and went on to study the Pali language
and texts. At this time he also started to meditate but
had not yet found a suitable Teacher. Then he caught sight
of the Ven. Ajaan Mun and immediately felt that this was
someone really special, someone who obviously had achieved
something from his Dhamma practice.
After finishing his Grade Three Pali studies he therefore
left the study monastery and followed Ven. Ajaan Mun into
the forests of N.E. Thailand. When he caught up with Ven.
Ajaan Mun, he was told to put his academic knowledge to
one side and concentrate on meditation. And that was what
he did. He often went into solitary retreat in the mountains
and jungle but always returned for help and advice from
Ven. Ajaan Mun. He stayed with Ven. Ajaan Mun for seven
years, right until the Ven. Ajaan's passing away.
The
vigor and uncompromising determination of his Dhamma practice
attracted other monks dedicated to meditation and this eventually
resulted in the founding of Wat Pa Bahn Tahd, in some forest
near the village where he was born. This enabled his mother
to come and live as a nun at the monastery.
Ven.
Ajaan Maha Boowa is well known for the fluency and skill
of his Dhamma talks, and their direct and dynamic approach.
They obviously reflect his own attitude and the way he personally
practiced Dhamma. This is best exemplified in the Dhamma
talks he gives to those who go to meditate at Wat Pa Bahn
Tahd. Such talks usually take place in the cool of the evening,
with lamps lit and the only sound being the insects and
cicadas in the surrounding jungle. He often begins the Dhamma
talk with a few moments of stillness -- this is the most
preparation he needs -- and then quietly begins the Dhamma
exposition. As the theme naturally develops, the pace quickens
and those listening increasingly feel its strength and depth.
The
formal Dhamma talk might last from thirty-five to sixty
minutes. Then, after a more general talk, the listeners
would all go back to their solitary huts in the jungle to
continue the practice, to try to find the Dhamma they had
been listening about -- inside themselves. [From the Introduction
to To the Last Breath.]
Many
of Ajaan Maha Boowa's books are available free of charge,
in both print and electronic form, from Wat Pah Baan Taad,
his forest monastery in Thailand.
- Things
as They Are: A Collection of Talks on the Training of the
Mind, by Maha Boowa Ñanasampanno
These extemporaneous talks were delivered to the monks living
at Ajaan Maha Boowa's monastery. There is much valuable
Dhamma teaching here for all meditators, monastic and lay
alike. In these talks Ajaan Maha Boowa often recounts conversations
with his teacher, Ajaan Mun, that reveal the power and depth
of Ajaan Mun's teachings and of the teachings of the forest
tradition in general.
- Venerable
Acariya Mun Bhuridatta Thera - A Spiritual Biography,
PDF Book, 3.97MB
- Arahattamagga-Arahattaphala:
The Path to Arahantship, PDF Book, 3.43MB
- Wisdom
Develops Samadhi, PDF Book, 2.06MB
Phra
Ajaan Suwat Suvaco (1919-2002)
Born on August 29, 1919, Ajaan Suwat ordained
at the age of 20 and became a student of Ajaan Funn Acaro
two or three years later. He also studied briefly with Ajaan
Mun. Following Ajaan Funn's death in 1977, Ajaan Suwat stayed
on at the monastery to supervise his teacher's royal funeral
and the construction of a monument and museum in Ajaan Funn's
honor. In the 1980's Ajaan Suwat came to the United States,
where he established four monasteries: one near Seattle,
Washington; two near Los Angeles; and one in the hills of
San Diego County (Metta Forest Monastery). He returned to
Thailand in 1996, and died in Buriram on April 5, 2002 after
a long illness.
- Blatantly
Clear in the Heart, by Ajaan Suwat Suvaco
A short talk on the development of virtue, concentration,
and discernment. Keep practicing until these qualities become
clear in your own heart!
- To
Comprehend Suffering, by Ajaan Suwat Suvaco
Meditation isn't about "getting" things; it's
about letting go. We can't let go of the darkness and delusion
in our minds; it has to be dispersed by light -- the light
of clear-seeing discernment that we cultivate through meditation.
- Disenchantment,
by Ajaan Suwat Suvaco
A talk given at the start of a meditation session, in which
Ajaan Suwat explains how to strenghten mindfulness and develop
the disenchantment needed for discernment to arise. An excellent
introduction to the contemplation of the 32 parts of the
body.
- A
Fistful of Sand, by Ajaan Suwat Suvaco
These Dhamma talks and question-and-answer sessions were
recorded during a two-week meditation retreat he taught
at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts
in 1990. This event marked a rare opportunity for an elder
Thai ajaan to speak directly to Westerners in their home
environment. With a disarming ease and clarity, Ajaan Suwat
here illuminates a number of vital points of Dhamma that
will help the reader develop the proper attitude towards
the practice of meditation.
- The
Strategy of a Peaceful Mind, by Ajaan Suwat Suvaco
Viewing peace of mind as a skillful strategy helps the meditator
settle the mind down into concentration. But its uses also
extend to more advanced stages of meditation, by helping
one disengage from all involvement with the aggregates,
thereby bringing the meditator to the threshold of Awakening.
In this remarkable talk Ajaan Suwat weaves together teachings
for beginning and advanced meditators, alike.
Phra
Ajaan Boonpeng Kappago
- The
Development of Tranquillity and Insight Knowledge through
Meditation (Samatha Kammatthana and Vipassana Kammatthana),
by Phra Ajaan Boonpeng Kappago
Phra
Ajaan Paññavaddho (1925-2004)
Venerable
Ajaan Paññavaddho was for 41 years the senior-most
Western bhikkhu following Ajaan Mun’s path of practice.
Ajaan Panya, as he was called, was a man of intellectual
brilliance who, through his own efforts in meditation,
was able to establish a strong spiritual foundation in
his heart. While showing a selfless devotion to the task
of presenting Ajaan Mun’s Dhamma to his many disciples,
his calm and purposeful presence touched the lives of
so many people. He became a pioneer of the Western Sangha
whose leadership influenced countless monks and laypeople
to practice Ajaan Mun’s teachings; and whose translations
and interpretations of Ajaan Maha Boowa’s teachings
introduced generations of Buddhists to the Thai forest
tradition.
- Ajaan
Paññavaddho's biography, Dhamma talks and
photo album.
Thanissaro
Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff; 1949- )
Thanissaro
Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) is an American Buddhist monk
of the Thai forest kammathana tradition. After graduating
from Oberlin College in 1971 with a degree in European Intellectual
History, he traveled to Thailand, where he studied meditation
under Ajaan Fuang Jotiko, himself a student of the late
Ajaan Lee. He ordained in 1976 and lived at Wat Dhammasathit,
where he remained following his teacher's death in 1986.
In 1991 he traveled to the hills of San Diego County, USA,
where he helped Ajaan Suwat Suwaco establish Wat Mettavanaram
("Metta Forest Monastery"). He was made abbot
of the monastery in 1993. His long list of publications
includes translations from Thai of Ajaan Lee's meditation
manuals; Handful of Leaves, a four-volume anthology of sutta
translations; The Buddhist Monastic Code, a two-volume reference
handbook for monks; Wings to Awakening; and (as co-author)
the college-level textbook Buddhist Religions: A Historical
Introduction.
-
A
Guided Meditation, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Basic instructions in the practice of breath meditation.
-
Life
Isn't Just Suffering, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Did the Buddha focus on suffering because he was a pessimist?
Did he really say that life is suffering? Or was he a realist
with something much more useful to say?
- The
Meaning of the Buddha's Awakening,
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Although the Buddha's Awakening took place long ago in ancient
India, the fact of his Awakening is very much alive today
and has profound implications for how we approach Buddhist
practice. In this essay the author explores both the What
and the How of the Buddha's Awakening: what he awakened
to and how he did it.
- Nibbana,
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
This short essay sketches the use of fire imagery in early
Buddhism to describe Nibbana, the goal of Buddhist practice.
- The
Weight of Mountains, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Why do we keep creating suffering for ourselves? How do
we bring it to an end? The key is to learn some better feeding
habits for the mind.
- Jhana
Not by the Numbers, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
The author recalls how Ajaan
Fuang taught meditation to his students: he would give
them just enough instruction to stay on-track, but would
rarely "certify" them as having attained this
or that level of jhana, thereby motivating them to develop
self-reliance and ingenuity in their meditation. In the
words of Ajaan Fuang: "If I have to explain everything,
you'll get used to having things handed to you on a platter.
And then what will you do when problems come up in your
meditation and you don't have any experience in figuring
things out on your own?"
Upasika
Kee Nanayon (K. Khao-suan-luang) (1901-1979)
Upasika
Kee Nanayon, who wrote under the penname, K. Khao-suan-luang,
was one of the foremost woman teachers of Dhamma in modern
Thailand. Born in 1901, she started a practice center
for women in 1945 on a hill in the province of Rajburi,
to the west of Bangkok, where she lived until her death
in 1979. Known for the simplicity of her way of life,
and for the direct, uncompromising style of her teaching,
she had a way with words evident not only in her talks,
which attracted listeners from all over Thailand, but
also in her poetry, which was widely published.
- Stop,
Look, and Let Go, by Upasika Kee Nanayon, translated
from the Thai by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
A talk covering a variety of topics, all concerning the
need for being observant in watching over the mind. Memorable
quote: "People who are intelligent and discerning prefer
criticism to praise. Stupid people prefer praise to criticism."
From
the Pali Canon
- Anuradha
Sutta (SN XXII.86) -- To Anuradha {S iii 116; CDB i
936} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Ven. Anuradha finds himself
obsessing over questions about the fate of an arahant after
death. The Buddha pulls him out of his confused thinking,
and suggests that the only thing truly worth contemplating
is suffering and its cessation.
- Kaccayanagotta
Sutta (SN XII.15) -- To Kaccayana Gotta (on Right View)
{S ii 16; CDB i 544} [Thanissaro]
The Buddha explains to Ven. Kaccayana Gotta how dependent
co-arising applies in the development of right view.
Miscellaneous
Titles
- A
Chanting Guide: Pali Passages with English Translations,
by The Dhammayut Order in the United States of America
The complete text, in both Pali and English, of the chants
used by laypeople and monastics alike at Buddhist monasteries
of the Thai forest tradition (Dhammayut sect). This extensive
collection includes: a guide to pronunciation; the daily
(morning and evening) devotional chants; reflections; blessings;
verses and discourses from the Pali canon (usually chanted
on special occasions); the standard Pali formulas for requesting
precepts, blessings, and forgiveness from the Sangha, and
those that accompany the offering of gifts to the Sangha;
and much more.
Printed copies are sometimes available. You can contact
Buddhist Temple of
America
and inquire about getting a copy. Audio files of certain
chants can be found in the Audio
Files
section.
|
Last
updated:
Thursday, February 21, 2008 8:54 AM
|
|
|
|
|
 |