THE KARMA OF QUESTIONS

Abbreviations AN Aṅguttara Nikāya Dhp Dhammapada DN Dīgha Nikāya Iti Itivuttaka MN Majjhima Nikāya Mv Mahāvagga SN Saṁyutta Nikāya Sn

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

“When you know for yourselves … ” The Authenticity of the Pāli Suttas The Theravada tradition, dominant in Sri Lanka,

FIVE PILES OF BRICKS Toward the end of World War II, Aldous Huxley published an anthology, The Perennial Philosophy, proposing that there

Five Piles of Bricks The Khandhas as Burden & Path The Buddha’s Awakening gave him, among other things, a new

The Weight of Mountains Is a mountain heavy? It may be heavy in and of itself, but as long as

De-perception Meditation teaches you the power of your perceptions. You come to see how the labels you apply to things,

The Agendas of Mindfulness The Pāli term for meditation is bhāvanā: development. It’s a shorthand word for the development of skillful qualities

Saṁsāra Divided by Zero The goal of Buddhist practice, nibbāna, is said to be totally uncaused, and right there is

Saṁsāra Saṁsāra literally means “wandering-on.” Many people think of it as the Buddhist name for the place where we currently

Freedom from Fear An anthropologist once questioned an Alaskan shaman about his tribe’s belief system. After putting up with the

Questions of Skill The Buddha wasn’t the sort of teacher who simply answered questions. He also taught which questions to

Opening the Door to the Dhamma Respect in Buddhist Thought & Practice If you’re born into an Asian Buddhist family,

Life Isn’t Just Suffering “He showed me the brightness of the world.” That’s how my teacher, Ajaan Fuang, once characterized

The Karma of Questions Essays on the Buddhist Path by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) COPYRIGHT copyright 2002 ṭhānissaro bhikkhu, expanded