Sutta Meditation Series

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. A question received following the Esala Poya Dhamma Session on the Four Noble Truths:   “From the Stream Entry talk and subsequent Q&A, I think I understand what is meant around “not clinging to virtue and observances” – that virtue does not definitively lead to ultimate liberation, the Noble Eightfold Path does. My question is to do wi...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. Role models play an important part in all of our lives, whether we seek them out or not. And whether we walk the Buddhist Path or not, they can have the power to shape the direction we take and the ability to influence the decisions that follow on from there.   For Buddhist practitioners,  the Buddha is our most eminent role model...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. A question received following the Esala Poya Dhamma Session on the Four Noble Truths:   “Meditating on old age, sickness and death doesn’t seem like an uplifting meditation. Is there any upside to the meditation, other than the obvious of penetrating truth? I feel that once you see the truth, you don’t need to do this particular meditation...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. A question received following the Esala Poya Dhamma Session on the Four Noble Truths:   “When we contemplate birth and then aging, you mentioned that the link between the two is important and meditating on this is like a test. Please can you explain this further?”   In answering this question we examine the birth to aging link, depende...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. A question received following the Esala Poya Dhamma Session on the Four Noble Truths:   “I need help with the contemplation of death meditation. As you said in the talk it’s difficult to even come to try to do this meditation. I find myself becoming physically sick when I start to do the steps, and most times I get as far as picturing a dea...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. A question received following the Esala Poya Dhamma Session on the Four Noble Truths:   “I’ve been through the Dhamma session on the Noble Truth of Suffering. My question is what’s the best way to approach meditating on this first noble truth? Are there different meditations that should be done one-by-one? Or is there just a big meditation...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. One of the questions from yesterday's Esala Poya Dhamma Session on the Four Noble Truths, and specifically the contemplation of death (maranasati)   "Do I need to take a step further with the contemplation of death if I already see a very vivid account in meditation of my deceased body? Do I need to extend this meditation? I am not interest...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. This is the FULL DHAMMA SESSION conducted on ESALA POYA (23 July 2021) via zoom on "THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS", with particular focus on learning and practising the contemplations on the 1st NOBLE TRUTH OF SUFFERING (Dukkha).   **This session is for anyone who sincerely wants to follow Gautama Buddha's original teaching of the Four Noble Truths...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. Role models play an important part in all of our lives, whether we seek them out or not. And whether we walk the Buddhist Path or not, they can have the power to shape the direction we take and the ability to influence the decisions that follow on from there.   For Buddhist practitioners,  the Buddha is our most eminent role model...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . In today's session we look at Dhammapada Verse 280 and THE STORY OF THERA TISSA, THE IDLE ONE, who was prone to indolence, didn't exert himself at the right time and had difficulty cultivating the Path.   In this saying of the Buddha, he encourages rousing energy, not allowing the mind to go into unskillful states and become tired and indo...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . In this session, we look at a question that has been asked from one of our younger audience:   “We were taught at the temple, how the Lord Buddha spent the 7 weeks after Buddha’s enlightenment. I want to be very clear in my mind that this is not a myth. What mental powers and/or physical powers did he use? Does getting up after every 7 day...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . In this talk we examine spiritual maturity - what it looks like, areas to further develop, things to abandon, and seeing the fruits of one's practice. Some of the topics covered are generosity, virtue, recognising what is unbeneficial to the Path, developing an "unshakable" quality in one's practice, easeful renunciation, not being so easily sw...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . This is an EXTRACT from the Dhamma Session on developing the accomplishment of VERY LEARNED (bahussuto) from the Sekha-pāṭipada Sutta (MN53) and Nagaropama Sutta (AN 7.67) It explains the BUDDHA'S SYSTEM FOR LEARNING DHAMMA, that is gradual, comprehensive and entails study and meditation practice. If one wants to learn, develop and progress on...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . In this segment, we look at the question that has been asked: “IS THERE A WAY TO TACKLE THE TAYODHAMMA SUTTA BIT-BY-BIT SO THAT WE CAN GET IT INTO OUR SYSTEM UNSHAKABLY?” To answer this question, we look at: How can we study & learn specific suttas and meditate on them? Applying this to learning & meditating on the Tayodhamma Sutta (gra...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . A response to general questions around learning Dhamma, what meditations to focus on, how best to apply oneself to the Buddha Dhamma, and finding balance in how you cultivate Dhamma practice. Mostly words of encouragement, some gentle reminders and ideas for learning Dhamma, developing the Buddha's meditations, and finding your own balance in c...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. This is a short Dhamma talk looking into Buddha's practical advice from the Pacalāyamāna Sutta (AN 7.61) to overcome sleepiness or drowsiness. The Buddha gave this advice to Venerable MahaMoggallana when he saw him struggling (prior to Venerable MahaMoggallana realising full awakening) with sleepiness, and was prone to nodding off.   This s...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. This is the DHAMMA TALK that was delivered to students (grade 9 and upwards) of a local international high school, via zoom, on 27 June 2021 - in response to an invitation to participate in their Dhamma Session. The title of the Dhamma talk: "THE VALUE OF MENTAL STRENGTH - How to apply the Buddha’s Teachings to develop a strong mind" . This talk...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. This is the FULL DHAMMA SESSION conducted on POSON POYA (24 June 2021) via zoom on "WHAT MAKES US INCAPABLE OF REALISING NIBBANA?" , or escaping from samsāra (the continual cycle of rebirth). In this Dhamma session we: Introduce and look at the context of the Buddha's teaching of the Tayodhamma Sutta (AN 10.76) Take a closer look a...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . This is a GUIDED MEDITATION on the application of the Buddha's teachings in the Āghātavatthu Sutta (AN 10.79) and Vatthūpama Sutta (MN 7) to DECONSTRUCT ANGER . In this meditation, we take an example at HOME to recognise the arising or construction of anger, and then apply the Buddha's teachings to deconstruct anger through looking at our groun...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . This is a GUIDED MEDITATION on the application of the Buddha's teachings in the Āghātavatthu Sutta (AN 10.79) and Vatthūpama Sutta (MN 7) to DECONSTRUCT ANGER .    In this meditation, we take an example at WORK to recognise the arising or construction of anger, and then apply the Buddha's teachings to deconstruct anger through looking...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . This is the most recent talk on Anger from a Youth perspective. It's a shorter and simplified talk.   The intention is to cultivate wisdom - so that we do not create the conditions for anger to arise, and if anger has arisen that we make an effort to abandon any of the mental stains associated with anger. Suttas that are covered directly o...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . In this session, we use the real-life experience of lockdown and restrictions over the past year and half to explore the topic of Anger from a Buddhist Perspective .   The intention is to cultivate wisdom - so that we do not create the conditions for anger to arise, and if anger has arisen that we make an effort to abandon any of the menta...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . Following on from the last session looking at " Why associating with good people (sappurisa) is so important on the Noble Eightfold Path ", we take this one step further to examine "Developing the Buddha's qualities of a good person ".    We are particularly interested in looking at how we may self-sabotage our progress on the Path, a...

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . We look at the first part of the insight pathway for the way out or passing away ( atthangama ) of Ignorance ( avijjā ) , which is associating with good people.   This is from the Avijjā Sutta (AN 10.61). Instead of ignorance, we want to cultivate and develop to fulfillment True Knowledge and Liberation ( vijjāvimutti ). The intention is t...

Welcome to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast . In this session we study the insight pathways taught by the Buddha in the Avijjā Sutta (AN 10.61) and how to contemplate or meditate on them .  The first is the one that leads to the arising (samudaya) of Ignorance and the second is the passing away (atthaṅgama) or way out of Ignorance.    The session has been split into two parts:&nb...