Author Archives: sunnatakamso

DIGHA NIKAYA 1 “The Obstacles of Both Criticism & Praise” by Steve Lin “The mendicants told him what had happened, adding, “This was our conversation that was unfinished when the Buddha arrived.”  “Mendicants, if others criticize me, the teaching, or the Saṅgha, don’t make yourselves resentful, bitter, and exasperated.  You’ll get angry and upset, which wouldContinue reading “The Daily Cushion”

DIGHA NIKAYA SERIES – DAILY SUTTA LISTENING  WELCOME TO THIS SERIES  This is a special feature for December for ‘listening’ to all the 34 suttas in the Digha Nikaya. It’s an amazing and rich library of The Buddha’s teachings. I will daily post a new sutta to listen with a brief overview of the sutta.Continue reading “The Daily Cushion”

“Insights (pañña) Help Deliver From Suffering (dukkha)” by Steve Lin  HemavataThe grasping—what is it thenby which the world’s afflicted?When asked about this, please do speak:how to be free from dukkha?  BuddhaThe sensual pleasures five are taughtin the world with mind as six,having let go of all desire for those,be thus from dukkha free.This for the world’sContinue reading “The Daily Cushion”

“Five Parasites (ajjhāruhā) of the Mind that Weaken Insights & Wisdom (pañña)” by Steve Lin “Mendicants, there are these five obstacles and hindrances, parasites of the mind that weaken wisdom. What five? Sensual desire … Ill will … Dullness and drowsiness … Restlessness and remorse … Doubt … These are the five obstacles and hindrances, parasitesContinue reading “The Daily Cushion”

 23NOV2020 – DEEP DIG by Steve Lin Realizing Insights for Oneself Begins with Abandoning Claims of a Self  Key Sutta “I teach the Dhamma for the abandoning of the gross acquisition of a self, such that, when you practice it, defiling mental qualities will be abandoned, bright mental qualities will grow, and you will enter &Continue reading “DEEP DIG DHAMMA STUDY”

“Insights Enable Release into Deeper Meditation (Samādhi/Jhana)” by Brad Hunter “Reverend, they speak of a person called ‘freed by wisdom’ (paññavimutti). What is the one freed by wisdom (paññavimutti ) that the Buddha spoke of?” “First, take a mendicant who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures … enters and remains in the first absorption (jhana). And theyContinue reading “The Daily Cushion”

“Insights Lead to Abandoning” by Sumith Siriwardana 10. “With his gaining of insight he abandons three states of mind, namely self-illusion, doubt, and indulgence in meaningless rites and rituals, should there be any. He is also fully freed from the four states of woe, and therefore, incapable of committing the six major wrongdoings. This precious jewelContinue reading “The Daily Cushion”

“Released Through Discernment (Pañña)” by Steve Lin [Udayin:] “‘Released through discernment, released through discernment,’ it is said. To what extent is one described by the Blessed One as released through discernment?” [Ananda:] “There is the case, my friend, where a monk, withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful qualities, enters & remains in the first jhana: raptureContinue reading “The Daily Cushion”

“Insights Help Free The Mind of all Limits and Barriers” by Steve Lin “As long as sentient beings don’t truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, they haven’t escaped from this world—with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—andContinue reading “The Daily Cushion”

“Feeling (tone) Limits Insights & Wisdom” by Steve Lin “But sir, how does identity view not come about?” “It’s when an educated noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen good persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the goodContinue reading “THE DAILY CUSHION”