By Sarah Shaw
Summary by Mounir
Aswad,
Buddha has taught for numbered years
in his life time, yet his teachings
reached millions for thousands of years. The early teachings are the closest one can get to the essential teaching.
This means, however, there is a lot of metaphors involved and perhaps this is done on purpose to enable
the teaching to move through different
cultures and generations. This book discusses several passages (Sutras) from the
Deega nikaya.
Re my Summary:
Regarding the File Format: this summary is written using
Microsoft Word 365 and utilizes Heading Categorization, however, on the internet it losses this great functionality. If
you are reading this on the web and would like to get the original file, email
me: maswad@gmail.com. In MS Word, to navigate, click view and
check Navigation Pane. Categories can be collapsed or expanded in both the
navigation and the main window.
List of All Suttas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suttas
Dīgha Nikāya
Collection of Long
Discourses") is a Buddhist scripture, the first of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta
Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose
the Pali Tipitaka of (Theravada) Buddhism.
Some of the most commonly
referenced suttas from the Digha Nikaya include;
·
the Sigalovada Sutta (DN 31) in which the
Buddha discusses ethics and practices for lay followers.
·
the Samaññaphala (DN 2), Brahmajala
Sutta (DN 1) which describes and compares the point of view of Buddha and other
ascetics in India about the universe and time (past, present, and future).
Introduction
The 4 Noble Truth
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
o Truth of Suffering (or
Pain) (Dukkha)
o Craving that leads to Suffering (Or Origin of Pain) Samudāya
o Freedom from Suffering (Or Cessation of Pain) Nirodha
o Path to the freedom of Suffering (Or Path leading to the cessation of Pain) Magga
The 8-Fold Path
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
o Right View
o Right Intention
o Right Speech
o Right Livelihood
o Right Action
o Right Effort
o Right Mindfulness
o Right concentration
The 4 Divine Abodes
The brahmavihāras (sublime
attitudes, lit. "abodes of brahma")
are a series of four Buddhist virtues and the meditation practices made to
cultivate them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmavihara
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmavihara
o Love and Kindness
o Compassion
o Sympathetic Joy
o Equanimity
The five precepts
The five precepts (Pali:
pañcasīla; Sanskrit: pañcaśīla) or five rules of training (Pali:
pañcasikkhapada; Sanskrit: pañcaśikṣapada) is the most important system of morality for Buddhist lay people.
o abstain from killing living beings
o stealing
o Sexual misconduct
o Lying
o Intoxication
The “jhāna factors”
traditional
list of jhāna factors that’s found in the
suttas (early Buddhist scriptures).
The Buddha’s first reported Sa
https://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/how-to-get-into-jhana
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/gunaratana/wheel351.html
https://blog.buddhagroove.com/mindfulness-of-breathing-meditation/
https://puredhamma.net/bhavana-meditation/what-is-samadhi-three-kinds-of-mindfulness/
The Buddha’s first reported Sa
https://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/how-to-get-into-jhana
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/gunaratana/wheel351.html
https://blog.buddhagroove.com/mindfulness-of-breathing-meditation/
https://puredhamma.net/bhavana-meditation/what-is-samadhi-three-kinds-of-mindfulness/
o Thinking of, initial thoughts (Vitakka)
o Exploring Thoughts (Chana)
o Joy (Pīti)
o happiness (Sukha)
o Oneness (Atthakatha)
The 4 Different Stages (Jhanas)
o Concentration (initial thought or sustained thoughts), has joy and happiness
o Thinking Drops, Joy and Happiness
§
As lake filled from below
o Joy Drops, clear comprehension, more happiness
§
As Lotus suffused in water
o Complete equanimity, exploratory past lives and cure of wish to be reborn,
§
As man after washing
covered with white cloth
§
Buddha said to leave the
world in this Jhanas
Sāmaññaphala Sutta - The Fruits of the Homeless (Contemplative) Life
Hindrances
o Sensory desire
o ill and Hatred
o Sloth-torpor (Monkey mind)
o Restlessness-worry
o Doubt
The Jhanas Fruits
o Jhanas: See ..the 4 Different Stages (Jhanas)
Other fruits of reclusive
o Ability to see body as 4 elements.
o Magically creating mind-made new body
§
See book: Identify and
experience
o Supernatural powers
o Uses his/her knowledge for the help of others
§
The knowing of others’
mind, knowing hatred, scattered, great, composed, discomposed minds
like seeing yourself in mirror.
like seeing yourself in mirror.
o Collection of past lives
o Settled mind
o Free from Pulling and pushing, see the 4th noble truths and be free from them. Mind goes after the corruption of existence, graving and ignorance
Satipatthana Sutta, foundations of mindfulness
Connection to the 8-Fold Path
o Right View
o Right Intention
o Right Speech
o Right Livelihood
o Right Action
o Right Effort
o Right Mindfulness
o Right concentration
The Four foundation of Mindfulness
o Overcoming (Surmounting) grief and lamentation
o Disappearance of suffering and pain
o Attainment of the way
o Realization of Nirvana
Mindfulness of the body
o Bodily effect of Mindfulness
o Feelings
o Mind
o Dharma
Instruction of Obtaining Mindfulness
o Observance of the breath
o Contemplating the body in the body
o Contemplating the mind in the mind
o Contemplation of the Dharma
o Mindfulness of things as they are
o Mindfulness of hindrances
o Mindfulness of senses
o Mindfulness of seven factor of awakening (very important)
§ Mindfulness
§ Investigation
§ Strength/letting go of Ego
§ Joy
§ Tranquility
§ Concentration
§ Equanimity
Results of Practicing Mindfulness
o Final Knowledge
o State of Non-Return
Examples of wrong/bad mindfulness
o Muddled mindfulness
o Wrong path factor (committing to wrong action
Skillful mindfulness
Ceremonial Suttas, Maha-samaya Sutta (The Great Meeting) & Maha Sudassana Sutta (Visualization of the palace of the mind)
Buddha’s famous conclusion
Impermanence in all compounded
things all rise and fall, once they have risen then they fall away… but being
free within that is the highest happiness
Heaven Realms
o Sense sphere heavens
o People reborn for helping others
§ Difficult to practice the spiritual
path as beings are over enjoying this realm
o At the base there is the realm of the 4 kings, the lowest of the heaven realms
§ The 4 kings act as the
base/guardian for other things to appear
§ In the 4 Kings there are
other “lower” beings such as the Snakes (Nāga)
o Below the human realms there is the Animal and Ghost realms
§ Also difficult to practice
the spiritual path
o Meditative Heaven Realm (Brakma Heaven)
§
Beings have long life span, no form bodies
§
Their bodies fill the whole
universe
§
Meditative states as in the
The 4 Divine Abodes, each one has own meditation
o Formless Beings
§
Explore the Janas in different perspectives
o Pure Abodes
§
Beings done all work to
obtain Enlightenment, just waiting for the proper moment
The Seven Factors of Awakening (Story of the king)
o Magical Golden Wheel (Resembling Centeredness, mindfulness and the 5 basic precepts)
o Elephant (resembles investigation)
o Hose (resembles energy, strength)
o Jewel (resembles Joy)
o Women/spouse (resembles tranquility)
o Treasure (resembles concentration)
o Adviser (resembles equanimity)
Sangiti Sutta (Singing together), Sariputta on principles of Buddha’s teaching
https://tipitaka.fandom.com/wiki/Sangiti_Sutta
Sariputta organization of things
1
All things are maintained by food.
All things are maintained by Condition, Samskara, Form
2
Things that exist together: Mind and Mind. Ignorance and graving, belief in continuous existence and no belief
Sealer qualities, 2 quality can be absent: lack of morality, sense of lack of consequence or opposite: self-respect and fear of harming others,
False mindfulness, lack of comprehension vs mindfulness and clear comprehension
Power of mindfulness and concentration
Calm and Insight
Knowing and freedom
3
Three unwholesome roots, greed, Hate and delusion
Three skillful roots: non-greed (generosity), non-hatred (love and kindness), and non delusion (wisdom)
Three cravings: sensory, becoming, extinction (for things to end)
Three kinds of people, who is in training, who not in training, who is working for Arahatship
Three kinds of concentration: emptiness, silence, desireless
Three qualities of the wise: speech body and mind
The three abiding: God, Diva and Brakma
4
Four Foundation of the world/Meditation
Four great efforts, preventing the rise of the unrisen, what risen goes away, encouraging wholesome state, maintain what has risen
Four Jhanas
Four Concentrations
Four formless Jhanas (Not essential for everyone), sphere of infinite space, sphere of infinite consciousness, sphere of no thingness, sphere of neither perception or neither non-identification/perception
5
Five limbs of the human beings
Five aggregate, Body, feeling, perception, Sankaras, formation and consciousness
Five Destiny for human beings, Hell, Animal Rebirth, Hungry Ghost, Humans, Divas
Five hindrance of meditations, desiring for the senses, ill will, Sloth (Monkey)-and-torpor (inactivity), worry and excitement, skeptical doubts
Five faculties, faith, Vigor, Mindfulness, concentration, wisdom
Five feelings, Pleasant, pain , gladness, sadness and equanimity
6
Six conducive of communal living, show love and kindness, share with friends, keep rule of conduct, keep right view, keep sustaining the right view
Six elements, Earth, Water, Fire, Space, Earth, Consciousness
Six subject of recollection, Dharma, Sanga, Sealer, letting go, generosity, Diva
Six Meditation for Daily lives
Six Perception leading to final awakening, perception of impermanence, perception of Dukha (dissatisfaction of change), No Self in change, Letting go, perception of freedom
Sigalovada Sutta (Buddha instructs a young man on how to live an ethical live)
Abandon Four impure course of actions
Harming of beings
Taking what s not given
Wrong sexual conduct
Foul speech
Not to allow the mind to be intoxicated
Enemies that disguise themselves as friends
Someone who takes from you
Someone who talks at you
Flatterer
Reckless companion
Good friends
Helper, who protect you when vulnerable
Good friend in time and bad, who tells you his/her secret and guard your secrets
Mentor guides you to goo action
Compassionate friend doesn’t rejoice in your misfortune and encourage others who praise you
Maha-Nidana Sutta: The Great Causes Discourse (Dependent origination/Arising)
Mind is initially Luminant but
defiled by hindrances
It is encouraged that one remains
in the Abiding but be free, also sees the releases (explained below and combine
them with the understanding
Links of Dependent Origination
Ignorance (Avijja)
Formation (sankhara)
Consciousness’ (Viniana)
Name and Form (Namaroupa)
Six sense base (Salayatina)
Contact (eye, nose, body, mind..) (Pasa)
Feeling (Vedina) ** Tradition point where cycle can be broken
Graving (Tanha)
Clinging, seeking (Ubadana)
Becoming/Changing (Pava)
Deciding
Wishing
Desire & Passion
Attachment
Possessiveness, Guarding
Meanness
Guarding
Birth (Jati)
Old age and Death (Jramana)
Positive aspect of dependent origination
Faith
Joy
Rapture
Tranquility
Happiness
Concentration
Knowledge and vision of reality
Turning away from world
Dispassion (Letting go of clinking and graving)
Liberation
Definition of Self (pragma jatila Sutta)
64 definitions of self, devised in main categories:
Form and Limited
Form but boundless
Formless
Formless and boundless
The Seven Resting places and 2 Spheres for consciousness
·
Corresponds to meditative
Stages, the 4 highest levels are on top
·
The first 4 Jhanas are to
cultivate the hearts and said to be most important to obtain before formless Jhana
·
Formless don’t lead to
peace on their own
·
Formless maybe more peaceful
but need the forms spheres to be effective.
·
Buddha encourages to
explore these stages but not remain in any of them.
1. Formed Sphere: Human Beings (May includes animals)
·
Discovered by Buddha
2. Formed Sphere: Gods of Brakhma Heavens,
·
Different Bodies, same
intelligence
·
Reborn by 1st
Jhana, reals of Love & Kindness
·
Bodies stretch in all
directions
3. Formed Sphere: 6th Brakhma Heavens
·
Uniform Bodies, Different
intelligence
·
May take different rebirths
4. Formed Sphere: 9th Brakhma Heaven
·
Uniform in Bodies, Uniform
in intelligence
·
Buddha Dies in this Jhana
5. Formless Sphere: Sphere of infinite Space
·
Love & Kindness and
compassion prepares for this round
6. Formless Sphere: Consciousness filling the infinite Sphere
·
Rebirth can take place but
not for Bodhisattvas as it may stay here for long time
7. Formless Sphere: No-Thingness
·
Mind dissolves
·
Dissolving of the I
·
Dissolving of “objects and
subjects”
8. Sphere of Beings w/o Perception
·
Denial of Consciousness
·
Not encourage
·
Beings may choose rebirth
without consciousness
9. Sphere of Beings W/O perception & neither perception nor no perception
·
Obtained by the Buddha
before his benightment
·
Highest formless realm
·
Mind explores its “mindlessness”
·
Luminous/ empty
8 Releases of how Mind becomes free.
1. Object Based: Possessiveness of Material Form
2. Object Based: Perception of Material forms as external, not internal
3. Object Based: Releasing the mind onto the beautiful
4. Infinite Space
·
Not abiding, just a state,
no rebirth
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