Feature: A Traditional Theravada Reader's Guide
Related to Theravada Buddhism: Insight Meditation | Southeast Asian Buddhism | Thai Forest Traditions | Theravada Buddhism
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Drawing on a lifetime of research, scholar L. S. Cousins untangles the complex history of the meditation practices of the various traditions of Buddhism found in Southeast Asia. With authoritative explication of a range of Buddhist texts preserved primarily in the Pali language—canonical discourses, commentarial treatises, and rare meditation manuals—Cousins explores a multiplicity of meditation practices that have developed over the past two and a half millennia, from the jhāna (absorption) and vipassanā (insight) methods that constitute the core of modern Theravāda practice to lesser-known, esoteric practice lineages of Central and Southeast Asia that were nearly lost to history.
Dr. Sarah Shaw reads from The Art of Listening: A Guide to the Early Teachings of Buddhism, a modern classic on understanding how to connect with the Pali suttas.
The Dīghanikāya or Long Discourses of the Buddha is one of the four major collections of teachings from the early period of Buddhism. Its thirty-four suttas (in Sanskrit, sutras) demonstrate remarkable breadth in both content and style, forming a comprehensive collection. The Art of Listening gives an introduction to the Dīghanikāya and demonstrates the historical, cultural, and spiritual insights that emerge when we view the Buddhist suttas as oral literature.
Each sutta of the Dīghanikāya is a paced, rhythmic composition that evolved and passed intergenerationally through chanting. For hundreds of years, these timeless teachings were never written down. Examining twelve suttas of the Dīghanikāya, scholar Sarah Shaw combines a literary approach and a personal one, based on her experiences carefully studying, hearing, and chanting the texts. At once sophisticated and companionable, The Art of Listening will introduce you to the diversity and beauty of the early Buddhist suttas.
Dhamma—a Pali word meaning “law of nature” or “truth,” but commonly used to refer to the overall body of Buddhist teachings—has the potential to fundamentally change one's life. In this comprehensive set of teachings, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, perhaps the most influential Thai Buddhist of the twentieth century, introduces the Dhamma to lay practitioners in a relatable and powerful way. Beginning with an extensive discussion of spiritual practice and moving into specific teachings on Dhamma, this book will be an indispensable resource for Theravada Buddhists, Insight Meditation practitioners, and all readers interested in a profoundly committed modern approach to the Buddhist path.
Buddhist Mindfulness: A Guide for Readers
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Books from the Theravada, Pali, and Insight Traditions from 2022
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Leigh Brasington on Ayya Khema, Metta Practice, and The Path to Peace
After talking about Ayya Khema as a teacher, Leigh discusses metta practice and how it relates to samatha, vipassana, and the jhanas. He then leads us through a metta meditation that was a favor...
The Pali Tradition in 2021: The Essential Books on Theravada & Insight Meditation
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Finding Freedom in Illness
In this online course, Peter Fernando, a former monastic and longtime student of his own chronic pain and illness, offers us the tools we need to discover deep well-being in the midst of difficulty and dis-ease.
Entering the Path
The hinayana path is the foundation of the Buddhist teachings. To enter the path of Buddhist practice, one must start here. Based on training in mindfulness and awareness and in cultivating a deeper understanding of one’s own mind, the hinayana is what allows us to take delight in our everyday life just as it is.
