Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Negombo, Kuala Lumpur, Perth

    NegomboOn Tuesday, 11 May, I travelled from Kandy to Negombo by regular bus.  It was a hot 4 hour journey sitting next to my luggage on the seat next to me. I bought two seat tickets (one for my luggage). The conductor alerted me to the stop where I wanted to get off, Parakrama Road…

  • Advantages of hearing the Dharma or thinking on the Dharma even when suffering great pain

    A6.56 Phagguna Sutta [Piya Tan’s translation as a PDF] paraphrased by MK from The Book of the Gradual Sayings (Anguttara Nikaaya) vol. 4, translated by F.L. Woodward [translation by Sister Upalavanna] [ผัคคุณสูตร] Ven. Phagguna is very sick and is visited by the Blessed One and Ven. Aananda. The sutta says that Ven. Phagguna was already…

  • Out of Retreat Again and Returning to Perth

    Monday, 3 May 2010: I left Na Uyana Aranya and came to Kandy which is cooler and is the home of the Buddhist Publication Society – a wonderful bookshop with attached Buddhist library.  I plan to go to Negombo on Tuesday, 12 May and then depart Sri Lanka on Friday, 14 May, stopping over in…

  • Listening to the Dhamma can suppress the hindrances

    Sa.myuttanikaaya S46.38 Without Hindrances (อาวรณานีวรณสูตร นิวรณ์ ๕ เป็นอุปกิเลสของจิต) When bhikkhus, a noble disciple listens to the Dhamma with eager ears, attending to it as a matter of vital concern, directing the whole mind to it, on that occasion the five hindrances are not present in him; on that occasion the seven factors of enlightenment go…

  • Benefits from regular observance of eight precepts

    A10.47 Sakya Sutta (The Sakyans and the Eight Precepts) paraphrased from The Book of the Gradual Sayings (Anguttara Nikaaya) vol. 2, translated by F.L. Woodward by MK.   [Thanissaro Bhikkhu‘s translation] [Sister Upalavanna’s translation] [สักกสูตร] The Blessed One asks some Sakyans at Kapilavatthu whether they practice the eight precepts every Uposatha Day. [The Sakyans are a…

  • If you pentetratively study the Dharma but die confused….

    [Sotaanugata sutta paraphrased from The from The Book of the Gradual Sayings (Anguttara Nikaaya) vol. 2 (Anguttara Nikaaya) vol. 2, translated by F.L. Woodward.  This is an old translation. I am looking forward to the forthcoming new translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi of the entire Anguttara Nikaaya. So many good suttas in the Anguttara Nikaaya!  The…

  • Still in Colombo…

    I stayed longer in Colombo because things take longer than planned to complete. Most places are closed on Sundays and today, Monday, happens to be a Poya Day. Poya Day is the Sri Lankan celebration of Buddhist Uposatha Day and the full-moon Poya Day occurs once a month. The actual date for Poya Day follows…

  • Colombo – shopping, visa extension and other chores

    Out of retreat for a week I came out from Na Uyana on Monday, 22 March, this week, went to Kandy for a day to shop at the Buddhist Publication Society. On Tuesday, 23 March I took an early train to Colombo, extended my Sri Lanka visa for another 3 months until 30 June and…

  • Na Uyana Retreat

    Thursday, 7 January 2010: I shall be out of contact with everyone for around two months while I do a meditation retreat at Na Uyana Monastery.

  • Colombo, Buddhist books galore

    On my way from Chennai, India to Colombo, Sri Lanka, I had an auspicious start by having my Jet Airways ticket upgraded to Business class while I was about to board the plane. I had already eaten a sumptuous breakfast a Saravana Bhavan in Chennai and had another good Indian vegetarian meal on board the flight.…

Got any book recommendations?

Get In Touch