Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Gain, Honour and Praise

    S17.5 Laabhasakkaarasa.myutta, Connected discourses on Gains and Honour translated by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi At Saavatthii. “Bhikkhus, dreadful are gain, honour, and praise, bitter, vile, obstructive to achieving the unsurpassed security from bondage. Suppose there was a beetle, a dung-eater, stuffed with dung, full of dung, and in front of her was a large dunghill. Because…

  • Striving for the Breakthrough

    S13.1 Abhisamayasa.mutta, Connected Discourses on the Breakthrough, translated by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi(ATI translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu) Thus I have heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Saavatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anaathapi.n.dika’s Park. Then the Blessed One took up a little bit of soil in his fingernail and addressed the bhikkhus thus:  “Bhikkhus, what…

  • Kalaapa update

    In an earlier post about jhaana – absorption, I mentioned kalaapa. There is a reference to kalaapa in “Abhidhammatha Sangaha: A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma” by Ven. Aacariya Anuruddha and translated by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi with commentary by Ven. Sayadaw U Silananda and Ven Rewatadhamma. You can also read about kalaapa here: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/khin/wheel231.html and do…

  • Lower Fetter – Adherence to Rules and Observances (Sa.myojana Siilabattapaaramaasa)

    There are ten sa.myojana – fetters binding beings to sa.msaara – the round of rebirths. The first stage of bodhi-enlightenment is sotapanna-stream entry. This stage is marked by the elimination of the first three fetters with one of these being siilabattapaaramaasa – the fetter of clinging to rules and observances. The other two lower fetters…

  • Venerable Ñāṇavīra, Notes on the Dhamma

    While I was in Sri Lanka and browsing bookshelves at the Buddhist Publication Society and the Buddhist Cultural Centre I found some books by Venerable Ñāṇavīra.  He was mentioned during online discussions back in the early 1990s. I didn’t know much about him or his writings at that time. I did notice that some people seemed…

  • Why I chose to not ordain

    This answer to this question is complex and difficult to explain. This posting is personal and will not cover all the issues that are relevant to all people. I write from the perspective of a middle-aged male raised in Australia. I received a couple of queries about this question and this prompted me to write…

  • Perth – settling in

    I’ve been back in Perth, Australia for over two weeks now. I’m living at my Mother’s house and seeing my siblings and their families often. The weather is fine and cool. It is great weather in fact.  Perth is so clean and tidy, all the infrastructure is so well maintained and so convenient… except that…

  • Well-taught Noble Disciple

    In the suttas, the well-taught noble disciple (sutavaa ariyasaavaka) is often contrasted with the un-taught worldling (assutavaa puthujjana). It is useful for us to consider how a well-taught noble disciple behaves in body, speech and mind and then try to emulate that behaviour in daily life.  Majjhima Nikaya M46 Mahaadhammasamaadaana Sutta [มหาธรรมสมาทานสูตร] [Sister Upalavanna English…

  • Spelling Paali language in Roman characters

    Some readers may wonder how I’ve been spelling Paali words and even by the way I spell my second name. I’ve been using the Velthuis method of writing Paali language using the Roman character set. Sometimes I write in a hurry and don’t check the Paali spelling so maybe there are spelling mistakes in some…

  • Six principles of cordiality and a seven-point test for stream-entry

    Majjhima Nikaya M48 Kosambiya Sutta [โกสัมพิยสูตร] [translation by Sister Upalavanna] I paraphrased this sutta using Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi and Ven. Nanamoli’s English translation. Six principles of cordiality that create love and respect and conduce to cohesion, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity. 1.  Maintain bodily acts of loving-kindness both in public and private towards…

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