HEAD & HEART TOGETHER

Head & Heart Together Essays on the Buddhist Path by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) Copyright Copyright 2016 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu This

The Lessons of Gratitude “These two people are hard to find in the world. Which two? The one who is

No Strings Attached The Buddha’s Culture of Generosity “How can I ever repay you for your teaching?” Good meditation teachers

The Power of Judgment When the Buddha told Ānanda that the entirety of the practice lies in having an admirable

Think Like a Thief In Theravāda, the relationship between teacher and student is like that between a master craftsman and

Strength Training for the Mind Meditation is the most useful skill you can master. It can bring the mind to

Mindfulness Defined In recent years, the world has been awash in a flood of books, articles, teachings, and courses that

The Joy of Effort When explaining meditation, the Buddha often drew analogies with the skills of artists, carpenters, musicians, archers,

HEAD & HEART TOGETHER Bringing Wisdom to the Brahmavihāras The brahmavihāras, or “sublime attitudes,” are the Buddha’s primary heart teachings—the ones

The Wisdom of the Ego Years back, many Buddhist teachers in the West began using the term “egolessness” to explain

Ignorance Ignorance, the Buddha said, is the ultimate cause of stress and suffering. By “ignorance” he meant not a general

Food for Awakening The Role of Appropriate Attention The Buddha never used the word for “bare attention” in his meditation

The Buddha via the Bible How Western Buddhists Read the Pāli Canon Western culture learned how to read spiritual texts

Freedom from Buddha Nature “What is the mind? The mind isn’t ‘is’ anything.” — Ajaan Chah “The mind is neither

Glossary Ajaan (Thai): Teacher; mentor. Pāli form: Ācariya. Arahant: A “worthy one” or “pure one;” a person whose mind is free of defilement

Abbreviations AN Aṅguttara Nikāya Cv Cullavagga Dhp Dhammapada DN Dīgha Nikāya Iti Itivuttaka Khp Khuddakapāṭha MN Majjhima Nikāya SN Saṁyutta