Word of the Buddha (part 10) | Ajahn Brahm | 25 February 2018

Ok I have 3 o'clock on my clock
we can now begin

usually we do Namo tassa first of all;
you are welcome to join in

Homage to the Buddha, Dhamma
and the Sangha

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa

Buddham, Dhammam, Sangham namassami

So for those of you who have been
to this class before

as you know on a Friday night we
keep it just quite broad

so people who have never been
to a Buddhist place before

can actually feel welcomed

Saturday afternoon we do the meditation
which is much deeper

and also on the Sutta class we go
right to the word of the Buddha

Now these teachings of the Buddha

we always have to be careful that the
source which we use is the Pali sutta pitaka

But even there you find that unless you
know those ancient languages, the Pali

that sometimes the translations can
make a huge amount of difference.

So the particular text which I am using

was from a text called
the Word of the Buddha

originally compiled by
Venerable Nyanatiloka over 100 years ago

and translation was good
but it can be improved

and also we can use a form of translation
which I learned from Professor A.K. Warder

you never translate words,
you translate sentences, phrases

and the one which I often quote is

many people who come here
and learn English

they get amused by the saying

when a heavy down pour;
'It rained cats and dogs'

And of course if you see that
it rained cats and dogs

that is not a good translation
it's word for word

I have been through many storms

and I have never seen a cat or a dog
falling from the sky

what it means is it rained heavily

you translate the phrase not the words

And that is something which I have used
throughout this re-translation

of the Word of the Buddha

and of course I have been around
a long time

so I use my years as a monk

meditation teachings, understanding
of Pali to be able to work with this

And it does open it up to many many
very clear

and of course I would maintain
accurate translations

renderings, which makes it
very powerful.

Now where we are going now, we have
gone through the Eight-fold Path

we are coming now to the end of the
Seventh Factor of the Eight-fold path

which is the Right Mindfulness

and started off with the mindfulness
of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta

and there is also the
Ānāpānasati Sutta

and if you just look at one sutta
in isolation, then sometimes you just

can very easily not so tie into all the
other teachings of the Buddha

and I would take the opportunity
just to mention respectfully

that very recently there was a
monk in Thailand who passed away

that's Venerable Nyanananda of
concept and reality

and just after I went to see him in
Meethirigala oh many years ago

then I went up to Kandy where
I was very very fortunate to be able to

spend a nice afternoon talking
with Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi

and Venerable Nyanaponika the
one who translated many of the texts

and also Nyanaramitha,
the three of them there

it was a very wonderful visit

and it was there that
Venerable Nyanaponika

actually with reference to
Venerable Nyanananda

said something very profound
which I always kept in mind

and he said; you should never interpret
the whole of the teachings of the Buddha

in terms of one or two obscure passages.

Instead use the obscure passages, the
once which are ambiguous

you should interpret those in light of the huge
amounts of teachings of the Buddha

So people try to get a little bit of
an angle here and an angle there

sometimes take passages which are
ambiguous and then turn them around

and the whole mass of the teachings of the
Buddha, interpreted through that

I always remember that warning
because Venerable Nyanaponika

very very old, he would die
a little time afterwards

and a very very wonderful monk

So anyway, here
Nibbāna through Ānāpānasati

This is 118 of the
Majjhima Nikāya

and here we go...

When mindfulness of breathing is
developed and cultivated

it is of great fruit and great benefit.

When mindfulness of breathing
is developed and cultivated

it completes the four focuses
of mindfulness

sometimes people translate that
as Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

I prefer the Four Focusses of Mindfulness
because that's where we put the mindfulness on.

When the four focusses of mindfulness
are developed and cultivated

they complete the
seven enlightenment factors.

When the seven enlightenment factors
are developed and cultivated

they complete true knowledge
and deliverance (Enlightenment)

Now the main powerful teaching there

is the ānāpānasati
is the same as satipaṭṭhāna

when mindfulness of breathing,
developed and cultivated

it completes the
Four Focusses of Mindfulness

ānāpānasati equals satipaṭṭhāna.

I say that, because it is controversial
because there is a whole school

of meditation which seems to say
that satipaṭṭhāna

is something you do after ānāpānasati

And that it is separate,
and that is the only way

which earlier on I said was untenable

it's a very inaccurate translation.
And even the commentaries agree on that.

So here we have first point
ānāpānasati equals satipaṭṭhāna

You do mindfulness of breathing
it fulfills; so said the Buddha

And it leads all the way to
Enlightenment

So it's not that ānāpānasati
is a second class path to enlightenment

ānāpānasati can lead all the way
to full enlightenment

So anyway, this is the Buddha
giving the introduction

in the good way of teaching;
this is what I am going to say

and now explains it,
and sums it up at the end.

Mindfulness of breathing completes
the four focuses of mindfulness

And how does the mindfulness of
breathing developed and cultivated

complete the four focusses of mindfulness?

When the in-breath and out-breath are
long, and you are aware that they are long.

When the in-breath and out-breath are
short and you are aware that they are short.

When you learn to experience the whole
of the breath as you breathe in and out.

When you learn to calm the breath
as you breathe in and out;

on those occasions you are
mindful of the body

having restrained
the five hindrances

energised, fully aware of the purpose,
and mindful

In and out breathing is regarded by the
Buddha as a body in the category “bodies”

That is why on that occasion a
meditator abides mindful of the body

having restrained the five hindrances

energised, fully aware of the purpose,
and mindful

And now even that there are some
passages which people still argue with

first of it is...

first of all you can see that I have
shortened

if you look at that in the original
they say

breathing-in you are aware that you are
breathing-in an in-breath

breathing-in a short breath

when breathing-out short, you are
aware you are breathing-out short

it is so much repetition which
drives people to sleep

So this is how we translate

Get the essence, be accurate
100 percent accurate and shorten it

And the other thing to notice is
you are aware

of the in breath and out breath
as long or short - the first two

and then you learn to experience
the whole of the breath

and to calm the breath

it's a learning a training
for the next two stages

now on this occasion you are
mindful of the body

that is the satipaṭṭhāna
the first stage is the body awareness

and having restrained the five hindrances

that's an important point
which I mentioned before

but it's been a while since I
taught the Word of the Buddha

the words in Pali are
loke abhijjha-domanassam

they mean, they are usually translated
sorry the usual translation is

having abandoned covetousness
and grief for the world

which is again not an accurate translation
and even worse it is meaningless

and the... meaningless... and this also
when you look in the commentaries

and again you look at the whole
of the suttas

specially if you read the
Aṅguttara Nikāya in Pali

that's the numerical sayings
translation in English

you will see that so many times
for the first hindrance

which is usually called kāmaccanda
in Pali

they have a synonym for it loke abhijjhā

So when I was reading this
kāmaccanda, loke abhijjhā

they were used interchangeably
in the whole list of the five hindrances

sometimes they start with loke abhijjhā
instead of kāmaccanda

It's an alternative, a synonym
meaning the same thing

And then afterwards looked in the
commentaries to the two

Satipaṭṭhāna Suttas, Maha Satipaṭṭhāna
in the Dīgha Nikāya

and then the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta in the
Majjhima Nikāya

and see there in the commentaries
they also pick up on that and say

vineyya loke abhijjhā domanassaṃ

does mean having restrained
the five hindrances

and that brings the whole of the Path
together

when you look at Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
and the rest of the Eight-fold Path

it makes so much sense

you cannot be really mindful, you cannot
really see what's really to be seen

if these five hindrances
are really active

If you are restless of course
you can't see anything

you are just over here, over there,
all over the place

If you are fast asleep, again dullness and
drowsiness means you can't see much

First two... wanting and aversion,
ask any psychologist

you see only what you
want to see

and aversion means you just blot out,
you deny what's too troubling for you

So this is actually how the five hindrances

from whole of the, rest of the
teachings of the Buddha

always, what stops one seeing clearly
(i.e. the five hindrances)

Also we have the fifth hindrance of doubt

where not enough confidence to
follow the path long enough

without being restless, doubt
asking questions

So those five hindrances,
this is what the commentary understands

this is what is very valid because this is
how the Buddha was teaching these things

The first factors of the path

from Right View, Right Intention or
Right Motivation as I usually say

and down to speech, action and
livelihood and then the endeavour

all of those have a purpose to
weaken those five hindrances

Not to abandon them to weaken
them enough so when you are mindful

you have a good idea
that what you see is pretty accurate

Not 100 percent but not bad

So this is where that particular part

having weakened or restrained the
five hindrances

energized, fully aware of the purpose
which is sampajañña

it is really important
why you are doing this

and mindful

And the next part is still I have
people sort of doubting that,

in the third of the stages of
ānāpānasati, mindfulness of the breath

when you experience the whole of the
breath as you breath in and out

The word is sabba kāya

and again just like it rained cats and
dogs means it rained heavily

doesn't mean cats and dogs
fall from the sky

the same as kāya

kāya means body, in the same we have
a body troops, we have a body of evidence

Even in Pali you have mano kāya

you have Indriya kāya, just a body of Indriyas

It just means a grouping a collection of stuff.

So it doesn't always mean,
refer to the physical body

in the same way that spam,

when I grew up spam was a luncheon meat,
which we ate, because we were poor

and these days spam is what appear
on your computer

and so if you don't know what you are
talking about

sometimes you would say luncheon
meat was on my computer today

That's the trouble if you don't
look at these words

and of course what really proves
that point is where the

Buddha said in and out breathing,
the breath is regarded by the Buddha

as a body, says what it means as a body

And that's so clear there.

So the next obvious thing is
just nature

if you want to get peaceful, calm

then if you are just watching the breath,
you know a in-breath and out-breath

long or short and then you have to
go to your body

it's not getting any tranquility there
not any peace

and it's nature that even if you don't
follow instructions

but you follow nature

the way things calm down

of course when you breath in and out
and then when you do calm down

your mindfulness increases,
of course you can see

the whole of the beginning of the
in-breath until the end of the in-breath

beginning of the out-breath until the
end of the out-breath,

it's the whole body of a breath...
that is body awareness.

That is one example of it
that is sufficient.

Now any questions on that so far?

Q-So we restrain the five hindrances
we don't drop them,

we don't practice right effort

Ajahn-We do practice the
Right Endeavour

these, the endeavours are restrainings

the next presentation of the
Word of the Budddha

you will see the gradual training

And this is parallel to the
Eight-fold Path

And there you'll see that after
developing the mindfulness

then one practice the sense-restraint
to abandon the hindrances

and get into the Jhānas.

It's restraining. That's the practice
of the sixth factor

of the Eight-fold Path.

is trying to get a word like restraint
sort of saying no to stuff.

and that's why sometimes trying to find a
good translation ...

haven't found a good translation
for that word yet, an English version

it means the effort to say "no",

the effort to restraint,
the effort to drop

That is what meant by effort.

Not to go and get something
but to let something go

So anyway that's where the restraint.

So the first factor of the
Eight-fold Path get you the Right View,

the Intention what you are
doing this for,

and then the virtue, the Right
Speech, Action and Livelihood;

they tend to dry up...

the fuel for the hindrances.

When you restrain yourself
through the precepts

of course that weakens those
hindrances quite enormously

and then obviously you can weaken them
more through sense restraint and then

you are ready for the satipaṭṭhāna
having restrained the five hindrances,

not abandoned them, that comes later
but restrain them.

Any other questions there? Ok let's
get into the next one

So that was the first satipaṭṭhāna
body awareness.

Now this is 5, 6, 7 and 8 of
ānāpānasati

When you learn to experience joy
as you breathe in and out;

When you learn to experience pleasure
as you breathe in and out;

When you learn to experience

the mental formation (of pīti-sukha)
as you breathe in and out;

that's joy and pleasure.

When you learn to calm this
mental formation

or pīti-sukha as you breathe in and out;

on those occasions you are
mindful of experience, vedanā

Having restrained the five hindrances
energized, fully aware of the purpose, and mindful

For being mindful of the pleasure
associated with this stage of breath meditation

is being mindful of experience.

That is why on that occasion a meditator
abides mindful of experience

having restrained the five hindrances

energised, fully aware of the purpose and mindful

Now there are lot of
important points in this

First, you learn to experience
the joy and the pleasure of meditation.

It's a training.

and of course I have mentioned many
times how that training works.

and sometimes you haven't even learned it
when it happens

you are enjoying your meditation.

it's common simply because you are

not wasting your energy fighting, striving

and you are becoming bright and happy.

And it's the nature first of all
it's part of the path

you are supposed to experience
the joy and the pleasure

It's not something you
should be afraid of

and think this is attachment,
this must be bad, I am enjoying something

and it happens.

And you experience the
mental formation.

That's another important point

which is the citta saṅkhāra
this comes from the mind

it's not inherent in the breath;
the breath is just the breath

And this is one of the reasons why
to make it very strong

you always heard me giving that simile
of going to the toilet and seeing the

most beautiful piece of (I am not going
to say the word out of respect to everybody)

But it's amazing, if you can see what
most people think is disgusting

the contents of a toilet bowl, number 2
it's amazing that just

this is not inherent in that object
it is a citta saṅkhāra

it is just how the mind can look at it.

coming from the mind, from the citta

So that is how you train yourself

to have this mind which
gets so strong and powerful.

There you can see the joy and the pleasure
in the breath, very easy.

and after awhile you look at it and it's
just wonderful to behold.

enjoyable, delightful, natural

and that is why people can
meditate for long periods of time.

because they are enjoying it.

And also this is part of the
satipaṭṭhāna

The Buddha specifically said

It is a, mindful of the vedanā
and it's also you learn to

calm these mental formations
pīti-sukha as you breath in and out.

what that really means is the
mental formation of peace and joy

gets very stable.

instead of just going all over the place
joy but very peaceful very powerful

and then we will see what happens next

This is being mindful of the pleasure
associated with this stage

of breath meditation is being
mindful of experience.

So any questions on those
four stages? vedanā anusati

Q--I was just wondering if you could help
differentiate a bit more the difference

between enjoying something and
attaching to it. ... I have trouble with that.

Ajahn-Yes I know because people
have been brain washed

into thinking attachments are bad.

So you don't even just question

what that really says,
what that really means.

The Buddha gave the wonderful simile
of the raft.

The raft is for crossing from this side
to the other side

and once you get to the other side
then you don't carry the raft with you.

You drop it there, once you
reach the bank

But you don't drop the raft in the middle
of the stream or the middle of the lake.

So the raft has got a purpose for it.

and while it has a purpose you
attach to it, you make use of it

And just because it is joyful, doesn't
mean it's attachment.

So sometimes when you specially
look at the cause of that joy

where it is coming from, it is your
training, you are learning how this happens

this comes from the restraint.
from letting go,

it doesn't come from seeking these things
up, chasing them and holding on to them.

You see me do this simile so many times
i'll do it very quickly

(Ajahn demonstrating the simile by
holding his glass of water up)

How can I keep the water perfectly still
in a glass? grasping it, attaching to it

it never gets still no matter how much
mindfulness and effort I put into it

it would always be moving.

The only way to get the water
to be still is to let it go.

(Ajahn keeps down the glass)

By letting go, it becomes still

That's what happens with the mind

these are stages of letting go

The more you let go, the more
you detach, the more joy comes up

so... the English word is oxymoron-two words
going together which means opposite

of one another; for example like
crazy wisdom

you are either crazy or you are wise
not both.

So this particular words...
what's the other ones I have?

government accountability? (Ajahn laughs)
I better stop before I go any further there

(Ajahn laughs) I better, I am going in a
dangerous territory.

In this particular case, the attachment
and the letting go

how can you really be
attached to letting go?

Letting go means the
opposite of attachment.

Attachment means the opposite
of letting go.

So it's letting go that creates that joy.

And if you try to attach to it; if you
really wanting it and hold on to It

it vanishes. You destroy it.

which shows you that in no way
can you attach to such things.

Many people experience joy bliss
in meditation

and they want it back again;
they can't get it

so this is why we learn,
that this is a letting go

and it's not the happiness
born of attachment

it's a happiness
born of letting go

Question-Can you say again the difference
between experiencing pleasure

and experiencing the mental formation
of pleasure?

Ajahn-Yeah. Ok experiencing pleasure
experiencing the joy

is recognizing that this is not the
breath being joyful

this is how you look at the breath.

it is what you add, it is formed
by the mind. it's not inherent

When probably Shakespeare said
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

The pīti-sukha is in the
citta, the mind of the meditator

And that was one of the wonderful
things which you experience

on retreats.

once your mind get
really really powerful,

everything is beautiful;
the flowers, the trees, the stars

are incredible

And of course your breath is
so easy to watch. It's delightful.

This is one of the reasons why

how can a person just practice
the breath meditation

and say it's boring

I said watch your breath for a couple of
hours

you must be either asleep;
if you are not a sleep,

you are energized;
as it says down here.

And it is also that you
are having a wonderful time.

Because it is training the mind
to be so still, so powerful

the breath looks gorgeous.

That is how people meditate
for long periods of time

They are having fun.

And of course it doesn't stop there
it gets even deeper

So that's Vedanāsati

Now when you learn to experience
the citta as you breath in and out.

And that is how you experience the citta
in many places it is called citta nimitta

or sometimes called samādhi nimitta.

It is the sign of the mind.

As you breath
in and out

when you learn to brighten the nimitta
bringing joy to the citta

as you breathe
in and out

when you learn to settle the nimitta
still the citta as you breathe in and out

when you learn to enter jhāna,
liberate the citta

as you breathe
in and out;

on those occasions you are
mindful of the citta,

having restrained the five hindrances,

energised, fully aware of the purpose,
and mindful.

I do not say that there is development
of mindfulness of breathing

for one who is dull,
who is not fully aware;

and that 'fully aware' always means
reaching a jhāna with the hindrances gone

That is called the pinnacle of
awareness, purity of awareness

that's one of the epithets of
the fourth jhāna.

That is why on that occasion a
meditator abides mindful of the mind,

having restrained the
five hindrances,

energised, fully aware of the purpose,
and mindful,

So if you are aware of the citta, the mind
and of course to be aware of that mind

to really be aware of anything
which is always called the sixth sense

the other five senses having
sort of subsided

that means either the sight, sound, smell
taste, touch are totally gone

or at the very least they are just
so weakened

like many people meditating

yeah, they can hear sounds but
like a 100 miles away.

It is not 100 miles away, but you
feel like distanced from things.

and the body is so comfortable
you can hardly feel it

and all of these five senses are
just so calm down

that the sixth sense, the nimitta
can arise.

And that nimitta, as is often said
this mind is pabhassara, pabhassara citta

when the defilements, the hindrances
are absent, that's what happens

many people just discuss what does this
pabhassara, radiance mind look like

and it's obvious if you get into the
nimittas, meditations,

then of course it's beautiful
incredibly radiant mind.

Only when the hindrances are either really
really restraint or almost not there.

So it's a good; bringing all of those
teachings together from many places

for the consistency.

Not interpreting any sutta, any passages
on its own where it could be ambiguous,

but taking in the whole of the massive
consistent teachings of the sutta pitaka

and there you see it.

So this is the citta, and of course this
is you have been fully aware

of the citta, the mind at least after
this stage here.

Where it says to; they call it first of
all sampasādanam the citta

It's a very beautiful word, pasāda

it's a combination of meaning like
confident, trust but also like joy, happiness

Many of you who have come from Malaysia
know what the palace called? Pasāda

where the sultans live. Isthana
that's another one then

This is another palace.
is the Pasāda

It is also the place where
Migara Matha Pasāda

Migara Matha as you all know
was Visakha and she

here we go, bit of a story

She was going to a big function and she
decided instead to go and see the Buddha

So she was wearing all her jewelry;
so she put her jewelry aside

and just went to see the Buddha because
it was not appropriate to see the Buddha

dressed up in so much expensive stuff

then she got so much inspired;

she went home
forgetting her expensive jewelry

And Ananda found it. As a monk you are not
supposed to pick up money or expensive things

so he asked the Buddha what should I do

He said if it is things which is lost
in the temple or if it is lost in a house

you are visiting at the time then you can
pick it up to keep it for the person who lost it.

So Ananda went and picked it up, he knew
it's from Visakha and gave it back to Visakha

Visakha said 'Oh my goodness this is being
touched by a holy monk

therefore it's not appropriate for me to
accept it but what I would do

I will give a donation so I can get it
back again

So her donation was to build the
Migara Matha Pasāda

that's where it came from.

So it is a bit of a long story,
but there we go

and then that became the residence
of many many monks

it was a beautiful construction.

So this... meaning is a beautiful place
Sampasādanam

it also means like a confidence
finding joy and something

So this is where we have enough
confidence if you like

in the nimitta. We can leave it
to grow, you find joy in it

which also allow us to let it be.

and then it can become
brighter and brighter

more and more joyful.

And also then to still it.
That's Samadaham, to settle it.

so it becomes still and also
very radiant, very powerful

As many of you know that sometimes
you are sitting there and

the nimitta is brighter than the sun

and you think you go blind
you never go blind

May be that...
That's only joking.

It gets very powerful. It doesn't affect

it's in the mind's eye
not your physical eye

So that's the nimitta things

And then of course the last one
is to liberate the mind

And that liberation is always
meant the entering of the Jhānas

So anything about that one?

OK next four.

When you learn to explore
impermanence in breath meditation;

When you learn to explore things
fading away in breath meditation;

When you learn to explore things
ceasing in breath meditation;

When you learn to explore
relinquishing things in breath meditation;

on these occasions you are mindful
of mind-objects (the Dhamma),

having restrained the five hindrances,

energised, fully aware of the purpose,
and mindful.

Having seen with wisdom the impermanence,
fading away, cessation and relinquishment,

of the five hindrances,
you are mindful with equanimity.

That is why on that occasion
you are mindful of mind-objects,

having restrained the five hindrances,

energised, fully aware of the purpose,
and mindful.

That is how mindfulness of breathing,
developed and cultivated, completes.

The four focuses of mindfulness.

Now here you may note that the
term 'to contemplate'

that to me was always too much
thinking and quite honestly

after you get into deep meditation
it is just almost impossible to think.

OK I always have to check myself
that I am not making claims of anything

but I already told you that

remember when I went on that six months
silent retreat

and when I came out of that I had
people asking me

Ajahn Brahm-what happen, what do you do?
what did you experience?

and I had to think;
I had to talk

quite frankly that was such a difficult
thing to do

and you had to force yourself to think
not like for most people

you have to force yourself to
keep quiet.

This was the total opposite.
and I had a headache for three days

I remember just making my brain
to think again.

So this is not thinking.

The word which I like now
is 'explore'

And I mentioned to you
somewhere this comes from

explore it.

I will use the glass again.
(Ajahn holding the glass up)

You explore--what is this-(I am not going
to spend too much time on this)

What is it I am holding up;
and would say 'Explore it'

Come on explore it, what is it
you don't just say glass

you say many many many things

And one of the things
I find a great use of glass

I have to take water first of all.
(Ajahn drinks some water)

Sometimes you see a bug;

and you can't quash the bug
if you are a Buddhist.

But these are great

You see the bug,
and you put a card underneath

and take it out
without killing it

so it has many uses of a glass.

it's like a Buddhist bug catcher;
it works very well.

So you are exploring what this
really is

so it's not contemplating it
but exploring it.

Contemplating is using thoughts,
always will be using old descriptions

names and lables;
they have their limitations

So exploring.

Exploring impermanence
in breath meditation

and of course what anicca means
is impermanence.

I put this somewhere else on
this Word of the Buddha

impermanence doesn't mean
rise and fall

that's again, that's just not really
seeing the depth of these

great teachings of the Buddha.

It's why it arises, why it comes
into existence

and why it vanishes away.

What are the causes?

And the simile was of the flame

It's not just seeing a flame flicker
it's seeing the flame go out

nibbāna is the word for the
flame going out.

You see it being lit again; how does
a flame come into existence?

How does it cease?

And of course it's with the wax, the wick
and the heat; I have said that many times

Those three things come together
and then there is a flame.

The wax is all used up,
the wick burns out

or the wind blows the flame away
blows the heat away.

Any one of those causes is taken away
there is no flame.

That is impermanence

Arise and fall; where it comes from

It is not seeing things flicker
it is seeing things disappear

You know again;
where that comes from is the

I learned Pali was from the
Vinaya

and the vinaya was; all those rules,
all came from real experiences in life

There is even one of the rules that a
monk is not allowed to tickle another monk

It is one of the rules.

and the reason is because
they had this really naughty monks

who was called the group of six.

when you read there
you come across this all the time

They got one of these very young
monks, a childish monk in this

group of seventeen and they tickled
him, he couldn't breath and he died.

tickled to death literally.
That was 2500 years ago

So because of that the Buddha said
you can't tickle a monk (Ajahn laughs)

So that's one of the 227 rules.

(Ajahn searching for the place he
was reading)

You get the ordinary life stories

and that's where you got the ordinary
life story of someone who was

giving food regularly and then
decided to stop

and that regular type of food was
called nicca food

that's the opposite of anicca.
Nicca regular, reliable

comes every Monday as Grace used to do
when she was really healthy, still comes

You go to Nuns Monastery Dhammasara
every Tuesday or something

That is called nicca food.
regular food

So we know they are coming
once a week or once a month

Anicca means what is regular,
what was always there, stops.

it's really powerful.

So you explore what is impermanence
in breath meditation

breath gone, vanished.

You explore things fading away
in breath meditation.

Your hindrances fading away
five senses fading away

sound getting further and further away
until it fades

You can't hear anything

And things ceasing in breath meditation
which is real cool stuff

So you are sitting there and the
breath has ceased

How many of you
(don't put your hand up for anything)

but many of you have been meditating
and you can't find the breath

you don't need to. ceased
you don't die.

Just having a great time.

So it ceases. Many other things cease
in breath meditation

You can't feel your legs, you can't feel
your skin,

and many other things cease as well.

Just some of the sloth and torpor
the restlessness, things stop.

Even time ceases in breath meditation
when it gets very very deep.

And when you learn to explore
relinquishing things in breath meditation;

what will you relinquish,
what will you let go of?

Specially you let go of
controlling stuff.

of being in command,
of being the driver

You are exploring this;
what it means is to let go.

because you have done a
huge amount of letting go

That is what is meant here

OK pause, comments?
questions?

OK continue then

So that's the Four Focuses of Mindfulness
completed said the Buddha

by the mindfulness of the breath.

Now Four Focuses of Mindfulness
complete the Seven Enlightenment Factors

How do the four focuses of mindfulness,
developed and cultivated,

complete the seven enlightenment factors?

When you are mindful of the body,
having restrained the five hindrances,

energised, fully aware of the
purpose, and mindful

on that occasion steady mindfulness
is established in you.

On whatever occasion steady
mindfulness is established in you

on that occasion the mindfulness
enlightenment factor is aroused in you.

You get mindfulness, something
very important

It doesn't complete it yet, because
it says 'you develop it'

and, by developing it,
it comes to fulfillment in you.

When you are thus mindful,
you explore Dhamma with wisdom.

On whatever occasion,
abiding thus mindful,

you explore Dhamma with wisdom

on that occasion the exploration-of-Dhamma
enlightenment factor is aroused in you,

and you develop it, and by development
it comes to fulfilment in you.

When you explore Dhamma with wisdom,
and embark upon a full inquiry into it,

unflagging energy is aroused.

On whatever occasion unflagging
energy is aroused

as you explore Dhamma with wisdom

on that occasion the energy
enlightenment factor is aroused in you,

and you develop it, and by development
it comes to fulfilment in you.

When you have aroused energy,
unworldly joy, the word is nirāmisa

which means joy which is nothing
to do with worldly joy

like your football team wins

or your granddaughter
has a baby son or what else can you get

or you won the lotto! or whatever
other worldly joy there is in this world

this is something of a totally
different nature

it is pure because it is not gained
on getting something

It comes from letting go
of something.

That's why it is called
unworldly.

So when you...

On that occasion
unworldly joy arises

on that occasion unworldly joy arises

on that occasion the joy enlightenment
factor is aroused in you

and you develop it, you develop the joy

by development it
comes to fulfilment in you.

when you experience unworldly joy
(I love this one)

your body and mind become tranquil.

So often people think the only way
to get tranquility of body is effort.

Come on, sit still! don't move!
stop fidgeting

that doesn't work.

But when you get lots of joy
your body becomes still,

effortlessly still

When your body is tranquil

when you experience unworldly joy
your body and the mind become tranquil

On whatever occasion the body
and the mind become tranquil

and you experience joy

on that occasion the tranquillity
enlightenment factor is aroused in you

and you develop it, and by development
it comes to fulfilment in you.

Why does the body move... because
it wants to find a more happy posture.

Whey does the mind move...
fanaticize plan and complain

because it's not happy.

If the body is happy and the
mind is happy you don't want to move

you are having a great time

you are just there
enjoying it.

(there are couple of nuns outside-OK anyway-
couple of nuns are doing something out there)

and when your body is tranquil
and you feel pleasure in the mind,

the mind becomes still.

On whatever occasion the
mind becomes still and joyful

on that occasion the stillness
enlightenment factor is aroused in you,

and you develop it,

and by development it comes
to fulfilment in you.

Again stillness coming from happiness

this is one of those little phrases I say often
sukhino cittaṃ samādhiyati

It is from happiness
the mind becomes still

you are having a wonderful time
in meditation

your body becomes really still
and your mind doesn't want

to go anywhere.
Totally gets still

And on that occasion the stillness
enlightenment factor is aroused in you,

and you develop it,

and by development
it comes to fulfilment in you.

Of course you all know what
this stillness in Pali is Samādhi

And you observe such a
still mind with equanimity.

On whatever occasion you observe
with equanimity the still mind

on that occasion the equanimity
enlightenment factor is aroused in you,

and you develop it,

and by development it comes
to fulfilment in you.

Those are the Enlightenment Factors

You see have many of them

you are joyful, happy, still
you are supposed to be smiling

when you are getting somewhere
in meditation

Here, you develop the mindfulness
enlightenment factor,

which is supported by seclusion
(physical and mental),

fading away and cessation,
and ripens in relinquishment.

ripens in relinquishment

which means you don't have stuff
in this world

you renounce, because why do you
want all those stuff for

So here develop the mindfulness
Enlightenment Factor

which is supported by seclusion
physical and mental, fading away

and cessation arise in
relinquishment

you develop the exploration of Dhamma
Enlightenment Factor

Energy, Joy, Tranquility, Stillness
Equanimity Enlightenment Factor

which is supported by seclusion

Fading away and cessation
ripens in relinquishment

That is how the Seven Enlightenment
Factors develop and cultivated

complete true knowledge and
deliverance for Enlightenment.

So that is how the Ānāpānasati
and Satipaṭṭhāna work together

Any comments on that?

OK now we are going to even
more juicy stuff.

The Jhānas

Here we go.. Right Stillness
Sammā Samādhi

Samādhi means stillness
never concentration

that was one of those translations...

it's not just being pedantic,
just being picky

because the translations...
if we don't get them right

it changes the whole practice.

And if you don't get that one right
you think it is concentration

People spend so much time
getting frustrated

thinking you got to really
work hard being concentrated

and then you fulfill that factor.

But when you call it stillness

it is a totally different idea

and obviously a different way
of reaching that stillness

by putting things down,
letting it go

concentration comes from effort
hard work

stillness comes from wise work

If it is effort many people when they
get old and sick, can't do it.

If it is wisdom, you can.

Question-- ... the interpretation of
stillness can it be something

where you literally can't move

Ajahn-That is the stillness of the body

but you also have the stillness of the
mind where you don't want to move.

Question-the mind is just blank and
you literally can't move

Ajahn-yes but that can be not
with the joy and energy

and the brightness.
so that's also there.

but anyway, I would now go through
this right stillness

so I'll make the answer to that
good question very obvious

So here we go...
first of all the anecdote from the Buddha

I remembered the time when
my father was occupied,

while I was sitting in the cool
shade of a rose-apple tree,

having passed beyond the five senses
and free from unwholesome states,

I entered and abided in the first Jhāna.

I thought “Could that be the path to
Enlightenment"

Then the realisation arose: “That Jhāna
is indeed the path to Enlightenment.”

That's obviously after he emerged
from the Jhāna

Inside the Jhāna you can't think

That was powerful where the Buddha said;
this is Mahāsaccaka Sutta

No interpretation here; that's a pretty
well accepted translation

that was the Path to Enlightenment

The Four Jhānas
What are they?

Having abandoned the five hindrances,
totally free from the five senses,

free from unwholesome states
(the hindrances)

you enter upon and abide
in the first Jhāna,

wherein the mind moves onto
the object and holds on to it,

the object being joy and pleasure

caused by being totally
free from the five senses.

Now for those people who have
experienced

out of the body experiences,
near-death experiences

or you have seen people who you know,
credible accounts of what happens

they always say that once the body
is transcended

and you go to what they call the
mind made body

then it is just so happy, so free.

Joy and pleasure caused by being
totally free from the five senses.

So that is the cause, that is the origin

a whole lot of suffering has been
transcended.

This is in the Jhāna; sitting there
huge joy, huge pleasure

not having to be bothered and disturbed

by the affliction of the
five senses.

It's not that you decide to see
sometimes that you are caused to see.

You can't just decide I am not
going to hear something

(Ajahn rings the bell )--you have to hear
that. It wasn't in your choice

And you choose not to hear the bell
now please. Use your will power

(Ajahn rings the bell)

So sometimes these senses are
just out of control.

But here you are totally free from those.

And that's a great joy.

So that's one of the first...

In the first Jhāna five things are absent
and five factors are present

When one has entered the first Jhāna,
the five hindrances are totally absent;

It is not restraint, they are gone.
there is no wanting, there is no ill-will

there is no restlessness, you are still

and there is no sleepiness, you are
brighter than you have ever been before

really aware. No sloth and torpor at all

And of course no doubt, the mind is
poised fixed.

the five hindrances are totally not present;
and what is present:

is the mind moves onto the object,
holds on to it,

object being the joy
and the pleasure.

and there is oneness of mind.

Second Jhāna--When the mind no longer
moves onto the object

because it lets go of holding on to it,

you enter upon and abide
in the second Jhāna,

which has trust in the object, the bliss,
enough to let go of holding it

unity of mind without any
movement or holding,

with joy and pleasure
caused by absolute stillness.

Now what is happening here is on
that first Jhāna really blissing out

but there is still the residual little
bit of holding;

what the commentaries call
is the vicāra; holding on to it

and because of the holding on to it
you haven't totally let go of it yet

that makes it unstable.
It moves away

It's such an attractive object
vitakka go on to it again.

Pretty similar to what the commentaries
say and what happens in experience.

It's an instability what I sometimes
call the wobble of the first Jhāna

Totally automatic you don't do anything
but when you let go a little bit more

Why do you let go? you have
confidence and trust, you feel safe.

You don't say to yourself
'I am going to let go'

That experience of that stage
you can just relax into it.

Let go into it. Not control it
not do anything

Enough confidence like sometimes
when you are here in this place

you close your eyes, meditating
sometimes you think

'Oh! cranky! somebody could creep
up on me and throttle me'.

all your senses which are supposed
to be guarding your security

you need a lot of trust and safety
to be able to sit in meditation,

to close your eyes in a
safe, secure place.

So you can see when you senses
are really sort of disappearing

it takes a lot of trust.
This is safe, it's good

and it's going to be
very wonderful for you.

So this is the trust which goes really
to its maximum

enough for you;

you don't have to hold on to it,
you just stay there.

And that is...
without any movement or holding,

with joy and pleasure
caused by absolute stillness.

if you really want to go on a holiday
we don't have to do anything

you go on a holiday and still think
I should be doing this, I should be doing that

You start thinking about the
meaning of life

or running your autobiography

or whatever else; things which you
are supposed to be doing

but when you can't do anything

it's like your mobile phone which
got no reception

and your mobile mind has gone off-line

and you can't do anything

There is just no will left anymore

there is no button you can press
to do anything. You are stuck

And that's so blissful;
not being able to do anything.

Oh! what bliss!
the will has disappeared.

That is called Samādhi, real stillness
that's why its called the

pīti-sukha which is born
of such samādhi, real stillness

diamond stillness, doesn't move at all.

Why do you want to move for?
Having a time of your existence.

Anyway that's the Second Jhāna

OK... and then with the fading away of joy,
you abide mindful and fully aware

experiencing a bliss purified from joy;

you enter upon and abide
in the third Jhāna

on account of which
noble ones announce:

‘One has a pleasant abiding indeed
who has such mindfulness and equanimity.’

making sure it's mindful; you haven't
gone to sleep, you are totally mindful

and sometimes to make the point
that this is really powerful mindfulness

There is another time that people are
really mindful, is when there in danger

they go riding motorbikes, 200 km a hour
or they go sky-diving

adrenaline going in, you have to be
really be aware, really alert

your life is on the line.
but they do that; why do they do that

because they get a pleasure of being
hind awareness out of fear

but it is also the case unfortunately
when people have accidents, road accidents

and have trauma,
trauma they are so aware

have you ever had? I remember as a
seventeen year old,

I was involved in a car crash when I
was seventeen,

brakes fell in the car going across
the United States

and when that happens to you,
it slows down; did to me anyway

twice that's happened,
when I fell over a cliff once

I have mentioned that other times, real,
I thought that cliff was about 100 feet.

I thought I was a dead man

because you fall over a cliff, 100 foot
I turned about, I had really old backpack

in the 1960s 1970 or something

So anyway just facing this cliff, I go
down down down down

I thought 'this is it, I am death'

And then just managed to automatically
bend my legs, roll over

looked up and that cliff was only about
10 foot 9 foot the most

that really shocked me

because to me I was really highly aware
time went... slow down

the whole perception being
distorted, by the danger

And of course those are things which
you can remember very easily;

the times you have had very
traumatic experience.

So this is trauma but totally
positive.

You know we don't have a word for that
always looking for a translation

an expression for something
which is so powerful

you can't even get it out of your mind,
don't want to get it out of your mind

because it is such a
beautiful experience.

but has the same power

representing itself in your head,
in your memory as the bad ones do.

Anyway, one does have a pleasant
abiding,

so the joy part is being refined

and you are totally peaceful, happy
but without the joy.

What's the point of that;
must be really boring

and then they say it is still the
Sukha there

different flavor, much more refined
part of joy

the only simile which I have managed
to get up to explain these things

is when I was young I used to like
Jimmy Hendrix, very powerful

really sort of loud music

and later on I got into sort of
classical music

just Revalde and then there was this
cold music Monteverde... I really got into

very refined.

and then you got into
going into the forest,

just the sound of the
wind in the trees

more and more refined.

And then you go into the
stillness of the mind.

Each one becomes more refined.

So the pīti it's really amazing happiness,

it's bliss something even
more joyful than that

which is sukha

and then that vanishes for the
Fourth Jhāna to pure equanimity

which is boring.

Sometimes the Buddha calls that
upekkhā sukha

the happiness of no happiness
basically

and this is not being Zen,
this is realizing

when more things disappear
the more happy it feels

but a totally different flavor

far more refined.

So having abandoned pleasure and pain
all vedanā from the five senses

and the disappearance of
joy and unhappiness

all vedanā from the six sense,
except for equanimity,

you enter upon and abide by the
Fourth Jhāna which has only

neutral mental vedanā remaining
just pure mindfulness with equanimity.

So that's what they are, in a moment
we have some of the other statements

about the importance of Jhāna

but before that any comments?

OK we go to the next thing

And what kind of meditation did the
Buddha recommend?

This is from the Gopaka Moggallāna Sutta

Because always people asking did the
Buddha recommend Vipassanā

or Breath Meditation or Metta Meditation
or what type of meditation

... Obviously this was Ananda speaking
after the Buddha had just passed away.

They are asking; there are people some-
times asking me 'what did Ajahn Chah teach?'

So this is what they asked Ananda
just after the Buddha passed away

What kind of meditation
did the Buddha recommend?

Totally free from the five senses…
you abide in the first Jhāna.

When the mind stops moving onto the
joy and pleasure, and stops holding it…

you abide in the second Jhāna.

With the fading away of joy…
you abide in the third Jhāna.

With the abandoning of all mental
pleasant and unpleasant vedanā…

you abide in the fourth Jhāna.

The Buddha only praised
these four kinds of meditation.

The Four Jhānas
It is pretty powerful.

There are, Cunda,

This is from the Dīgha Nikāya, these are
from the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta

four kinds of life devoted to pleasure

(oops this is not 29, this is the Pāsādika Sutta
sorry, not Mahāparinibbāna)

the four kinds of life devoted to
pleasure

that are entirely conducive to repulsion,
to fading away, cessation, peace,

realization, Enlightenment, to Nibbāna.

That's nice.

four kinds of life devoted to pleasure

When I saw that
'entirely conducive to nibbāna'

I thought 'I am into that'
(Ajahn laughs)

Devoted to pleasure and Enlightenment
at the same time.

What are they?
The four Jhānas.

So, if devotees of other sects
should say that the Buddhists are

addicted to this four forms of pleasure
seeking, they should be told “Yes”,

I love that saying because...
come on; that's attachment

this is even worse;
it's addiction

they should be said “Yes”, for they
would be speaking correctly about you.

Then some people might further ask
you what benefits can you expect

from a life attached to these four
forms of pleasure seeking? Four Jhānas

You should reply that they can expect
only four fruits, four benefits:

Stream Winning; Once Returning;
Non Returning or Full Enlightenment.

The four stages of Enlightenment

These are the benefits that you can
expect from being attached to these

four forms of pleasure seeking.

And again that's so radical to have
many people teach Dhamma, Buddhism

I really love it.

They say 'Ah! you will be attached!'
'Yes you will', and this is what happen to you

you get enlightened; that's what you get

that's what we are supposed to be doing
isn't it?

Or do you want to be miserable?

coming around in samsara
time after time after time

Now there is only one Path

Ananda... this is really very clear

one way, to the abandoning
of the Five Basic Fetters.

sometimes its called the lower fetters
and the other ones higher fetters

I didn't like that because no fetter
is higher, just basic and more advance

There is one path Ānanda,

one way, to the abandoning
of the Five Basic Fetters.

It is impossible

netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati
that means... can't happen

that anyone can understand or abandon
these Five Basic Fetters

without relying on that path.

Let alone abandoning, don't even
know what they really mean.

No more than it is possible to cut
out the hardwood from a tree

without cutting through its
bark and sapwood.

What is that path?

The four Jhānas and the three
Immaterial Attainments.

While you still do not experience Jhāna,
(that's another MN 68)

Not Kosambiya, not kithigiri
I remember this sutta well, Its Majjima 68

While you still do not experience Jhāna,
the five hindrances

together with discontent and weariness
invade your mind and remain.

But when you do experience the Jhāna,
the five hindrances,

discontent and weariness do not
invade your mind and remain.

This is classical how the five hindrances
get suppressed for a long time.

It's also through the weariness and
discontent

So you had a Jhāna.
You can tell anyone has had a Jhāna

Ah just they're full of energy, bright and bouncy
pushing tail as they say in Australia

and lots of energy and no discontent

When you have no Jhāna, I am just pushing
this point but you have to these day.

When you have no Jhāna,
for one deficient in Jhāna,

the cause for seeing things
as they truly are is destroyed.

When you do not see things
as they truly are,

for one deficient in such wisdom,

the cause for repulsion and
fading away is destroyed.

When you are not repulsed nor incline to
disappearing, for one deficient in these,

the cause for knowledge and
vision of liberation is destroyed.

Develop Jhāna.
When you experience Jhāna,

you can understand things
as they really are.

And what do you understand
as it really is?

The origin and passing away of form;
this is the first Khanda

the origin and passing away of experience
(vedanā);

the origin and passing away
of perception;

the origin and passing away
of the will;

the origin and passing away of
consciousnesses.

Lastly; There is no Jhāna
for one without wisdom,

one of my favourite sayings;
372 of Dhammapada

There is no Jhāna for one without wisdom,
No will power, wisdom

that's how you get into Jhānas

There is no wisdom for one without Jhāna.

Ok looks like a catch 22;
bit of wisdom, bit of samādhi.

bit of wisdom, bit of samādhi
working together

For one who has both Jhāna and wisdom;
they are in the presence of Nibbāna!

Very powerful

Natthi jhānaṁ apaññassa,
paññā natthi ajhāyato,

yamhi jhānañ-ca paññā ca
sa ve Nibbānasantike.

Nibbānasantike; in the presence
right next door to Nibbāna

OK ... yes you have a
question

Question-On the four immaterial
attainments Ajahn

Ajahn-never did those yet because they
are special cases of the Fourth Jhāna

Question--so three of them.

Ajahn--three; because the
fourth one is so refined.

that based on that you cannot take
it as an object for contemplation

neither perception or non perception

it is way too refined.

So but to get there you have to
go through the third immaterial

third immaterial based on the second
second is based on the first

first is based on the fourth Jhāna.

Fourth is a special case of the
third Jhāna.

So it does mean you have to go
through those early ones first.

That's why the Buddha
'just get the four Jhānas;

number four includes those others.
special case.

Yes...

Question-Ajahn I was ...
over the 10 fetters

that we are fist exposed to.

If you got two kinds of Arahanths

Can we accept these
two types of Arahanths?

the one that is (now I can't remember)
attained by wisdom

and attained by both ways.

If we accept this scenario
these two types of Arahanths

I can't see the logic...
I am talking about logic

You can't attain by wisdom to have to go
through the five fetters or

Ajahn--yeah; you do, because if you look
at it, that is from Kīṭāgiri Sutta

but it is also explained in many
other suttas

especially in Aṅguttara Nikāya as well.

So there are two types

paññā vimutti and
ubhato bhāga vimutti Arahanths

Both are with the four Jhānas

one is with the immaterial attainments
and the other one without

immaterial attainments

So the distinction between
the two of them

is on the immaterial attainments.

Question--I understand this definition
long time ago,

my question is why are we just only

I don't see the need of...
(not clear)

That type of Arahanth attained
by wisdom that means the fourth Jhana

without the immaterial attainment
Am I right

So if you got this kind of Arahanth
the framework

there can be many...
to get Enlightenment

the framework where you need to have
10 fetters to get into end of avijja and

is irrelevant the five fetters
for this type of Arahanths

Ajahn-- Still relevant for those
two types of Arahanths

It is, I think the Buddha was
just being as complete as possible

There is a distinction between them
because the first four they get to this

incredible, beautiful states of stillness
and equanimity and then they come out

but their consciousness has not ceased

But with the second type who go to the
immaterial, they would go all the way

and they would go towards what's
called nirodha-samāpatti

which is a cessation of all the
six consciousnesses

and afterwards, they would come out
again afterwards

they would emerge from that state.

and that's the difference

someone who has let go so much
that even in this life they can be

totally sort of stop and come out
afterwards

Question-from what you just said there is
a number of questions I have to know

but I would just stop...

I want to go back to my question

I accept there is a gradual training
My question is this

I can understand we the five khandas

I know you can get attached...
logically can understand you get attached

provided you got experience of because

it is the nature of the mind is to
like something, be happy of something

So if you got Jhāna, if you got Arūpa
I don't know why you have to go gradually

to end the fetters

The definition of being a fetter
the five upper fetters

but I can't see why must all Arahants
go through the five fretters

especially the type that is
attained by four Jhāna

Just my puzzle for years and years...

Ajahn-- this is the nature of...

the only way you can see things
as they truly are is to have such

first of all the job of the Jhānas
is to abandon the five hindrances

So you are not seeing things
as you want to see them

things which really challenge you
but literally as they truly are

if the hindrances are gone;

secondly you use the data which the
Jhānas give you

you see things; not just
up and down but totally vanish

they are nicca; not any more anicca
things vanish, gone

which has always been there; and
now they are not there anymore

the simile of the frog and the tadpole

and you see them fading away
ceasing and therefore

you see the power of relinquishing,
letting go

but anyway if that doesn't answer
the question we can talk about afterwards

because it is now time for
finishing off

because we are doing a little ceremony
for Judy in about 10 minutes time.

I see why the Bhikkhunis have come
Ayya Haspanna and few others

so now we do a little chanting
we do the bowing

Araham samma-sambuddho bhagava.
Buddham bhagavantam abhivademi.

Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo.
Dhammam namassami.

Supatipanno bhagavato savakasangho
sangham namami

(Ajahn preparing for next session...)

We have a 10 minute break

those of you who are going to come back
for the memorial service for...

And AV person If you have any
questions from the internet, from overseas

have you got a few questions
from the internet

Can you please get up one or two?
because... have them to come up now

Internet questions... this is just going to be for the
people overseas

(Ajahn waiting until questions are provided...)

So this is from the overseas

from Nethan in USA , Malaysia and
again from USA

I don't understand the teaching of
Impermanence.

Everything is impermanent
but Nirvana is not.

Ajahn--Correct because Nirvana is the
ceasing of everything nothing left; gone.

So Nirvana is the ending of stuff.

A flame is impermanent,
is uncertain, it comes and goes.

But when it is out,
where does it go? It goes nowhere.

So it means it is vanished,
ceased, nothing left.

So they sometimes say that nothing
is higher than Jesus and God

I say yes, of course

Nothing is the highest
emptiness, gone, finished

So the teaching of impermanance

everything is impermanent but
nirvana is not. Nirvana is ceasing, gone

not impermanent
or permanent

None of those things obviously apply
Because it's gone finished.

Four satipaṭṭhāna
Having impermanent, fading away

cessation and relinquishment
of the five hindrances

Is this when the five hindrances
are abandoned, not just restrained

The Fourth Satipaṭṭhāna
is where we focus on these things

and the third satipaṭṭhāna or
rather its expression in the

Ānāpānasati Sutta of the 12th factor
of Ānāpānasati

which is where the mind if liberated
that is the Jhānas

that is where the five hindrances are
gone for awhile, they are suppressed

they are not there, but they come
back afterwards

the place where the five hindrances
are abandoned once and for all

is in the experience of
Full Enlightenment

and lastly from New Hampshire, USA
How does the Suttas help beyond

just practicing compassion and kindness.

Compassion and kindness and mindfulness
are important parts of the path

but we always want to know where that
path leads and the suttas show that

very clearly; the full picture of the
big road map

and also in the suttas
are the basic framework

So these are pretty clearly the teachings of
the historical Buddha

and anyone who wishes to have that
justified, argued

please get on to the internet

there was a book - a compilation by
Ajahn Sujatho and Ajahn Brahmali

called the Authenticity Project

arguments from many areas which give
a very convincing argument

that what is in the suttas was the
teachings of the Buddha

So it gives us a foundation of
authority

you cannot take authority
of a monk or a nun nor a group of monks

because as you know many monks
many nuns say many different things

so poor lay people, 'who do we believe?'

So at least you have these suttas which
you can investigate for yourself

and find out from these suttas.

Of course then you have a problem of ...
yes you have the suttas but translating them

So little by little you can check
on these translations

argue as much as you want
discuss it as much as you want

but then you can find out
what these suttas are really teaching

So thank you from overseas

I had to go through those quickly
because running out bit of time

Those who are going to stay for the
little ceremony...