BASIC THEMES

DEDICATION Sabbe sattā sadā hontu Avera sukha-jīvino Kataṁ puñña-phalaṁ mayhaṁ Sabbe bhāgī bhavantu te May all beings always live happily,

GLOSSARY Abhidhamma (Piṭaka): The third of the three collections forming the Pali Canon, composed of systematic treatises based on lists of

IV. THE DEPARTMENT OF SPREADING THE DHAMMA Ways of spreading the Dhamma fall into three categories: A. The first category:

III. THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & DEVELOPMENT This department is another important area, in that it works for the convenience

II. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Education in Buddhism – of the kind that gives proper knowledge conducive to the prosperity

I. THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL GOVERNANCE Governance is of three sorts: A. Governing by regulations of the Saṅgha. B. Governing

Duties of the Saṅgha FOREWARD This year a large number of monks and novices came to be ordained and to

EPILOGUE I. There are three sets of results arising from the practice. Set A 1. Pubbenivāsānussati-ñāṇa: the ability to remember previous

IV. MINDFULNESS OF DEATH: INSIGHT MEDITATION In other words, keep death in mind. This is where the mind advances to

III. THE FOUL: TRANQUILITY MEDITATION In other words, remove all befouling mental states from the mind. The things that befoul

II. GOODWILL Declare your purity, taking the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha as witness once more, repeating this Pali passage: Parisuddho

I. RECOLLECTION OF THE BUDDHA Arahaṁ sammā-sambuddho bhagavā: Buddhaṁ bhagavantaṁ abhivādemi. The Blessed One is Worthy and Rightly Self-awakened. I

INTRODUCTION This handbook on keeping the breath in mind has had a number of readers who have put it into

Basic Themes PROLOGUE Beginning meditators should search for two things as external aids to their practice – 1. Suitable companions (puggala-sappāya): Be

DISCERNMENT Discernment is of three kinds – 1. Sutamaya-paññā: discernment that comes from studying. 2. Cintāmaya-paññā: discernment that comes from reflecting. 3.

CONCENTRATION Concentration has three levels – 1. Kāmāvacara-khaṇika-samādhi: (momentary concentration in the sensory realm): The mind keeps thinking, coming to rest,

VIRTUE There are three levels of virtue – 1. Heṭṭhima-sīla: normalcy of word and deed, which consists of three kinds of