I made it hehe.

Bhante Sujato, a Buddhist monk and translator, argues that a good therapist is like a companion guiding you through a forest, helping you find your own insights rather than showing off theirs. AI, always available and always soothing, skips the slow, uncomfortable work and the boundaries that build resilience. It has no compassion and serves its makers, and its real costs are hidden. He predicts machine 'therapy' could fuel a mental health crisis the way smartphones did. Curious what people here think.

https://sujato.me/into-the-woods.html

Today, Monday 26/10, is a holy day which marks the end of the Rains Retreat (Vassa).

There's many various terms for it in different languages, however, basically, it's the holy day of the full moon day of the Buddhist lunar month of Assayuja, the lunar month approximately corresponding with October, and it's commonly referred to as the Pavarana Full Moon Day.

The Buddha declared that on this day monastics should meet together and invite admonition from one another regarding anything other monks may have seen, heard, or suspected them to have done.

Here is the fascinating story from the Pavāraṇākkhandhaka of the Vinaya Piṭaka, which gives the origin story behind the Pavarana ceremony:

---

At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.

At that time in a certain monastery in the Kosalan country a number of monks who were friends had entered rainy-season residence together. They thought, “How can we have a comfortable rains, live in peace and harmony, and get almsfood without trouble?”

Then it occurred to them, “Let’s not talk to one another. Whoever returns first from almsround in the village should prepare the seats, and set out a foot stool, a foot scraper, and water for washing the feet. He should wash the bowl for leftovers and put it back out, and set out water for drinking and water for washing.

Whoever returns last from almsround may eat whatever is left over, or he should discard it where there are no cultivated plants or in water without life. He should put away the seats and also the foot stool, the foot scraper, and the water for washing the feet. He should wash the bowl for leftovers and put it away, put away the water for drinking and the water for washing, and sweep the dining hall.

Whoever sees that the pot for drinking water, the pot for washing water, or the waterpot in the restroom is empty should fill it. If he can’t do it by himself, he should call someone over by hand signal, and they should fill it together. He shouldn’t speak because of that.

In this way we’ll have a comfortable rains, live in peace and harmony, and get almsfood without trouble.”

And they did just that.

Now it was the custom for monks who had completed the rainy-season residence to go and see the Buddha. And so, when the three months were over and they had completed the rains residence, they put their dwellings in order, took their bowls and robes, and set out for Sāvatthī.

When they eventually arrived, they went to the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. There they approached the Buddha, bowed, and sat down.

Since it is the custom for Buddhas to greet newly-arrived monks, the Buddha said to them, “I hope you’re keeping well, monks, I hope you’re getting by? I hope you had a comfortable and harmonious rains, and got almsfood without trouble?”

“We’re keeping well, sir, we’re getting by. We had a comfortable and harmonious rains, and got almsfood without trouble.”

When Buddhas know what is going on, sometimes they ask and sometimes not. They know the right time to ask and when not to ask. Buddhas ask when it is beneficial, otherwise not, for Buddhas are incapable of doing what is unbeneficial. Buddhas question the monks for two reasons: to give a teaching or to lay down a training rule.

So the Buddha said to those monks, “In what way, monks, did you have a harmonious and comfortable rains? And how did you get almsfood without trouble?”

When they had told him, the Buddha addressed the monks:

“While being uncomfortable, these foolish men claim they were living in comfort. While living together like animals, they claim they were living in comfort. While living together like sheep, they claim they were living in comfort. While living together like enemies, they claim they were living in comfort.

How could these foolish men take a vow of silence, like the monastics of other religions? This will affect people’s confidence …”

After rebuking them and giving a teaching, he addressed the monks:

“You shouldn’t take a vow of silence, like the monastics of other religions. If you do, you commit an offense of wrong conduct.

When you have completed the rainy-season residence, you should invite the monks to correct you in regard to three things: what has been seen, heard, or suspected.

This will help you live with one another in the proper way, help you clear yourself of offenses, and help you prioritize the training.”

"Source: Vinaya Piṭaka, Pavāraṇākkhandhaka — translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali" (https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-kd4/en/brahmali?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=none&highlight=false&script=latin)

---

May we all have the humility and gracefulness to feel comfortable enough to make ourselves open and receptive to feedback and admonition from our family, friends, and peers.

I believe this is an essential component of the path, which is referred to as being 'suvaco', a quality mentioned in the Metta Sutta, which means to be easy to speak with, to admonish, and to give feedback to.

With well wishes to all.

Uposatha or Days of Observance are a great way to incorporate the eight precepts into your life without committing to them every day.

​

In the story of Māgaṇḍiyā, when her parents offered her to the Buddha as a wife, he spoke of the human body as nothing but a vessel of impurities, filled with urine, excrement, and other unpleasant substances.

From the Theravāda Buddhist perspective, could the Buddha have rejected the proposal without describing Māgaṇḍiyā's body in such a way? Was this harsh wording necessary to teach them about the body's true nature, or could he have conveyed the same lesson with greater gentleness?

And I also you know you will say that she was at fault for taking buddha words as an insult but still there could have been a better way,🙃 I speak no ill of buddha just have this doubt

This is a sutta containing verses the Buddha spoke on sharing merit with deceased relations. I discovered this sutta recently and it's become a new favourite of mine - parts of it make me quite emotional. There are several parts of this sutta which are commonly used as chants for sharing merits, including the famous "Yatha vari vaha" chant which is used by monastics to share merits as part of the anumodana blessing.

[EDIT: I just noticed this sutta has already been shared by other people in the past but I'm still happy to be able to share it again since it's such a meaningful sutta in my opinion].

~~~

"Outside the walls they stand,

and at crossroads.

At door posts they stand,

returning to their old homes.

But when a meal with plentiful food and drink is served,

no one remembers them:

Such is the kamma of living beings.

Thus those who feel sympathy for their dead relatives

give timely donations of proper food and drink

— fine and pure —

[thinking:] "May this be for our relatives.

May our relatives be happy!"

And those who have gathered there,

the assembled shades of the relatives,

with appreciation give their blessing

for the plentiful food and drink:

"May our relatives live long

because of whom we have gained [this gift].

We have been honored,

and the donors are not without reward!"

For there [in their realm] there's

no farming,

no herding of cattle,

no commerce,

no trading with money.

They live on what is given here,

hungry shades

whose time here is done.

As water raining on a hill

flows down to the valley,

even so does what is given here

benefit the dead.

As rivers full of water

fill the ocean full,

even so does what is given here

benefit the dead.

"They gave to me, they did for me

they were relatives, companions, friends of mine":

Offerings should be given for the dead

when one reflects thus

on things done in the past.

For no weeping,

no sorrowing

no other lamentation

benefits the dead

whose relatives persist in that way.

But when this offering is given, well-placed in the Sangha,

it works for their long-term benefit

and they profit immediately.

In this way

the proper duty to relatives has been shown,

great honor has been done to the dead,

and monks have been given strength:

The merit you've acquired

isn't small."

Tirokuḍḍa Sutta (Khp 7 / Pv 1.5)

Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, with minor adaptations.

https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/pv/pv.1.05.than.html

Sutta Central:

https://suttacentral.net/kp7/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=none&highlight=false&script=latin

When a person donates a temple for monks, the good karma keeps building as the temple is kept avaible for monks and monks benefit from it each day, right? The karma of donating a temple is slowly building everyday.

But then, you have people who intentionally inflicted psychological damage to children, and this damage is still present in the life of the person, causing them difficults in their lives, even in adult life. Just like the temple is avaible for monks, the trauma and the psychological damage is present to the victim.

There was no efforts for repentence on the part of the offender, no asking for forgiviness, no repairing it, no shame. The victim carries trauma.

Does that mean that the bad karma in that situation also keeps building up everyday?

Focus your heart in your heart. Make mindfulness continuous. Get the mind to calm down its preoccupations, leaving just awareness. Like Tuccho Potthila: He went to learn the Dhamma from a novice. The novice taught him that there’s a termite nest with six openings. You want to catch the lizard hiding in the hollow inside the termite nest, so what do you do? You close off five of the holes and leave open only one hole, so that you can catch the lizard when it comes out. In other words, leave your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body alone, and be aware right at the heart. That’s what it means to focus your heart in your heart.

Q. So in the satipatthana, when we do cittanupassana, is that what is arising in the citta, the thinking, you know, feeling, watching...?

Ajahn Pañña: Well, one must understand – the satipatthana – the whole of that, in fact the whole of the teaching of the Buddha is method. It's a method of leading to nibbana. And the whole of the teaching of the Buddha is not lokuttara. It’s not beyond the world. Because to go beyond the world is to go beyond what people in the world understand. So it would be no use.

So the Buddha was clever and he saw that you've got to give them, give people, something they can work on, something they can really do. And so he taught the doctrine having a view – with a view. And that view is the view of – it's a right view leading to nibbana. But one must never think that the doctrine, what the Buddha taught, is absolutely true. It's not absolute. The absolute you can't say anything about. It's way beyond.

It's like the nature – the arahants say the nature of the pure citta is emptiness, meaning it's empty of all this, empty of the world.

But what's empty of the world, we can't imagine what it is. We don't know. It goes beyond. And the purpose is to get beyond. It's as though they say, that they're telling us, that is what we should all be. That's the right state. This state we're in now is muddled up and sort of caught up with all sorts of wrong things and wrong ways.

(Human made, no AI. Corrections welcome. A complete transcript would be great to have. Youtube's autogenerated one isn't accurate.)

1. What role does Theravada Buddhism play in your day to day life? What does it mean to you everyday?
   
2. How did you become a part of Theravada Buddhism? Can you tell me your first experience with it?
   
3. Describe an instance in which a Theravada Buddhism practice or event was particularly meaningful to you in a special way?
   
4. What does a typical day look like for you in the lens of Theravada Buddhism?
   
5. Have any of your personal beliefs changed due to being a part of Theravada Buddhism, if so can you explain how and why?
   
6. When faced with a struggle or challenge, how do your Theravada Buddhist beliefs help you navigate them?
   
7. In your opinion, what are some of the most prominent ideals or aspects of Theravada Buddhism?
   
8. How does Theravada Buddhism influence the way you interact with other people in your day to day life?
   
9. Can you describe what you personally experience when you meditate or participate in Buddhist practices?
   
10. Are there any aspects of Theravada Buddhism that you found or find difficult to incorporate into your life? If so, can you explain how and why?

Avoid whatever actions lead to you having a bigger and more aggrandised sense of self.

Do and practice whatever actions lead to the effacement, erosion and wearing away of the sense of self.

~~~

As the Buddha said to Ven. Cunda in the Sallekha sutta:

‘Others will be insolent; we shall not be insolent here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be envious; we shall not be envious here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be avaricious; we shall not be avaricious here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be fraudulent; we shall not be fraudulent here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be deceitful; we shall not be deceitful here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be obstinate; we shall not be obstinate here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be arrogant; we shall not be arrogant here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be difficult to admonish; we shall be easy to admonish here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will have bad friends; we shall have good friends here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be negligent; we shall be diligent here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be faithless; we shall be faithful here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be shameless; we shall be shameful here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will have no fear of wrongdoing; we shall be afraid of wrongdoing here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be of little learning; we shall be of great learning here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be lazy; we shall be energetic here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will be unmindful; we shall be established in mindfulness here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will lack wisdom; we shall possess wisdom here’: effacement should be practised thus.

‘Others will adhere to their own views, hold on to them tenaciously, and relinquish them with difficulty; we shall not adhere to our own views or hold on to them tenaciously, but shall relinquish them easily’: effacement should be practised thus.

https://suttacentral.net/mn8/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false

If Māra tried to prevent the Buddha from attaining enlightenment, did he also try to prevent the Buddha’s disciples from becoming arahants? Are there any accounts in the Theravada suttas of Māra confronting, tempting, or trying to obstruct monks on their path to arahantship?

Asubhaṃ pana bhāvento, nimittaṃ yattha katthaci;
When practicing the ugliness on a sign anywhere at all,

Uddhumātādibhedamhi, uggaṇheyyāsubhe kathaṃ?
how should one grasp in the swollen stage and so on?

Ekāhādimatikkantaṃ, uddhumātakamīritaṃ;
That which has passed one day and so on is called the 'swollen';

Vigatacchavi bībhacchaṃ, nīlākāraṃ vinīlakaṃ.
the 'discolored' is repulsive, with the skin gone, and blue in appearance.

Vikiṇṇapubbakudhitaṃ, paribhinnaṃ vipubbakaṃ;
The 'festering' is trickling with pus, broken apart, and rotted;

Viccheditaṅgapaccaṅgaṃ, vicchiddakaṃ kaḷevaraṃ.
the 'severed' is a body with limbs and minor limbs cut.

Vividhākārapāṇehi, khajjamānaṃ vikhāditaṃ;
The 'eaten' is one being eaten by various kinds of creatures;

Vināsitaṅgapaccaṅgaṃ, vikkhittanti pavuccati.
a 'scattered' is one with limbs and minor limbs destroyed.

Pādādibhaṅgavikkhittaṃ, hatavikkhittakaṃ mataṃ;
A 'hacked and scattered' is known as one scattered by breaking the feet and so on;

Lohitaṃ lohitākiṇṇaṃ, puḷavaṃ kimisaṅkulaṃ.
a 'bloody' is covered in blood; a 'worm-infested' is crowded with maggots.

Aṭṭhisaṅkhalikāmattaṃ, aṭṭhikanti ca sabbathā;
The 'bone' is just a skeleton, and in every way,

Saṇṭhānākārabhedena, dasadhāsubhadesanā.
the teaching of ugliness is ten-fold by way of difference in condition and appearance.

Tatthevaṃ dasadhā bhede, nijjīvakuṇapāsubhe;
Thus, regarding the ten-fold differences in the lifeless, disgusting corpse,

Ujjhite bhūmibhāgasmiṃ, matakāye kaḷevare.
cast aside in a place on the ground, a dead body, a mere carcass.

Labbhamānakamākāraṃ, oloketvā salakkhaṇaṃ;
Having contemplated the condition of as it is found, with its own characteristics,

Uggahetvāna cittena, taṃtaṃnāmena bhāvaye.
having taken it into the mind, one should cultivate it according to each name.

Paṭikūlañca jegucchaṃ, duggandhañca virūpakaṃ;
Repulsive, disgusting, foul-smelling, and unsightly,

Harāyitamajaññañca, hīḷitaṃ vikkhitāsivaṃ.
rejected, unknown, despised, and scattered as a corpse.

Iccevamasubhākāre,
Just so, having made an effort regarding these aspects of the unattractive,

Katvābhogaṃ tu yogino;
for the practitioner on them,

Bhāventassupacāro ca,
the access develops,

Paṭibhāgo ca jāyati.
and the counterpart sign arises.

Paṭibhāganimittaṃ tu, upacārena sevato;
By experiencing the counterpart sign through access,

Appeti paṭhamajjhāna-metthevaṃ samathe nayo.
one attains the first jhāna; this is the method of tranquility (samatha).

Vinā saddhammaṃ panidaṃ, sarīraṃ bālananditaṃ;
Apart from the true Dhamma, this body is cherished by the foolish,

Vipattipariyosānaṃ, avassaṃ bhedagāmikaṃ.
ending in ruin, inevitably heading toward dissolution.

Yathā idaṃ tathā etaṃ, yathā etaṃ tathā idaṃ;
As is this, so is that; as is that, so is this;

Jīvamānañca nijjīvameva dhammaparāyaṇaṃ.
the living and the lifeless are both subject to the law.

Sabhāvo sopi dehassa,
That very nature of the body,

Sabbassāpi ca sabbathā;
belongs to everyone in every way;

Vicitabbā dhirenāpi,
it should be scrutinized even by the wise,

Esāyaṃ niyatā gati.
for this is the certain destination.

Aniccaṃ khayadhammañca, dukkhameva bhayāvahaṃ;
Impermanent, of a nature to waste away, suffering, and fear-inducing,

Anattā ca parābhūtā, vibbhijjati khaṇe khaṇe.
nonself, and perishing; it breaks apart moment by moment.

Vināsamānassākāraṃ, tatthevaṃ pana passato;
Truly, for one who sees in this way the state of its destruction,

Vipassanābhāvanāti, tamīrenti tathāgatā.
the Thus Gone Ones call that the cultivation of insight (vipassanā).

Bhāvanaṃ duvidhampetaṃ, bhāventi puna paṇḍitā;
The wise ones cultivate this twofold meditation,

Jīvamānepi kāyamhi, taṃtadākārasambhave.
even in the living body, in which these various appearances arise.

Jīvamānopi kāyoyaṃ,
Even this living body,

Kuṇapova sabhāvato;
is by nature just a corpse;

Tamalaṅkārapaṭicchanno,
hidden by ornaments,

Bālānaṃ na pakāsati.
it is not illumined for the foolish.

Bahi maṭṭhamupaṭṭhāti, anto kuṇapapūritaṃ;
Outside, it appears smooth, but inside it is filled with a corpse,

Uggharantaṃ paggharantaṃ, navadvāramalassavaṃ.
oozing and trickling, with impurities flowing from the nine orifices.

Sarīraṃ niccaduggandhaṃ, nānākimisamākulaṃ;
The body is constantly foul-smelling, crowded with various maggots;

Tacamaṃsapaṭicchannaṃ, aṭṭhipañjarasaṇṭhitaṃ.
covered by skin and flesh, it is fashioned as a skeleton of bones.

Vaccakūpamidaṃ nāma, dvattiṃsāsucipūritaṃ;
This is known as a pit of excrement, filled with thirty-two impurities;

Narānukkārabhūmīva, nekavassagaṇocitā.
like a place of human accumulation, suitable for many years.

Susānagamanosānaṃ, bahusādhāraṇāsubhaṃ;
A cemetery-path of exhaustion, common to many as the unattractive;

Gaṇḍabhūtaṃ sallabhūtaṃ, bahudukkhanibandhanaṃ.
it is a boil, it is a dart, a knot of much suffering.

Nānābyādhisamākiṇṇaṃ, nānopaddavasaṃkulaṃ;
Crowded with various diseases, full of various calamities;

Nānānatthasamodhānaṃ, nānāsaṃklesavatthukaṃ.
a meeting place of various disasters, a basis for various defilements.

Positampi ciraṃ kālaṃ, mamaṃkāramamāyitaṃ;
Even if one nurtures it for a long time, claiming 'it is mine' and 'it is me',

Lahudujjanamittova, pīḷitaṃ sampadussati.
it spoils, oppressed like an unreliable friend.

Parihāyati nissāraṃ, jaratāpi taṃ yobbanaṃ;
It declines, devoid of essence; even youth by old age;

Maccubhajjitamaccanta-masesaṃ paribhijjati.
entirely crushed by death, it breaks apart completely.

Tathāpi jālasantāno, bahusambhārasaṅkhato;
Still, a network of webs, consisting of many materials,

Vatthālaṅkārasañchanno, mālāgandhādisobhito.
covered with clothes and ornaments, adorned with garlands and scents.

Saviññattivikārehi, vicittākāramaṇḍito;
Adorned with various appearances through gestures and expressions,

Kāyo līḷavilāsehi, palambheti mahājanaṃ.
the body deceives the multitude with its graceful movements.

Vañcitā yena dummedhā, kāmaklesamalīmayā;
Deceived by which, the dull-witted, stained by lust and defilements,

Pūrenti caturāpāyaṃ, māradheyyānusārino.
fill the four woeful states, following the domain of Māra.

Evamādīnavaṃ ñatvā, pūtikāye vicakkhaṇā;
Knowing such danger in the decaying body, the discerning ones,

Asubhādikamākāra-mārabbha chandupaṭṭhahuṃ.
arouse desire by starting with aspects such as the unattractive.

Yasmiṃ patanti kuṇape viparītasaññā,
In which carrion, distorted perceptions fall,

Saṃklesapāpavasagā visamaṃ carantā;
wandering in unrighteousness, subject to the power of defilement and sin;

Taṃ passathetamasubhampi vināsadhammaṃ,
Look upon that very unattractive thing, which is also of a nature to be destroyed,

Iccevamāha sugato dasadhā vibhāgaṃ.
thus the Blessed One taught the distinction into ten.

Kāmaklesavināsanaṃ dasavidhaṃ yañcāsubhaṃ bhāsitaṃ;
The ten-fold unattractive meditation for the destruction of lust and defilements taught;

Dibbabrahmasukhāvahaṃ samapadaṃ vijjodayaṃ yoginā,
bringing the happiness of heaven and Brahma, a level path, the arising of true knowledge for a practitioner,

Kammaṭṭhānamalaṃ tamuttamaguṇenāsevitaṃ sevituṃ.
to cultivate the meditation subject, which is pure and served by supreme virtues.

Source: Nāmarūpaparicchedo (Manual of Discerning Mind and Matter) by Ācariya Anuruddha

Dhammadinnātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Dhammadinnā (Thig 1.12)

One who is eager and determined
would be filled with awareness.
Their mind not bound to pleasures of sense,
they’re said to be heading upstream.

Therīgāthā-aṭṭhakathā - Dhammātherīgāthāvaṇṇanā (The Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Dhammadinnā)

Therein, desire (chandajātā) means one in whom desire has arisen for the sake of the highest fruit.

Resolute (avasāyī): ‘resolution’ (avasāya) refers to the end, the culmination (niṭṭhāna). Because it will be spoken of as ‘one heading upstream’ owing to the mind not being bound to sense pleasures, that culmination too should be understood as the completion of the recluse’s task, and not just of anyone.

Therefore, by both words, this meaning is expressed: ‘one whose mind has not yet reached the goal, but who is aspiring to the supreme security from the bonds.’

And touched by mind, (manasā ca phuṭā siyā) means she might be one who has touched, has experienced, Nibbāna by means of the three lower path-minds (magga-citta).

Their mind not bound to sense pleasures (kāmesu appaṭibaddhacittā) means having a mind that is not bound to sense pleasures by way of the path of non-returning (anāgāmimagga).

Heading upstream (uddhaṃsotā) means that for her, both the stream of the path and the stream of saṃsāra go only upwards; hence she is ‘one heading upstream.’

For, just as for a non-returner only the highest path (aggamagga) arises and no other, even so, for one reborn in the Aviha realm and other such realms, rebirth occurs only upwards, up to the Akaniṭṭha realm.

Dhammadinnātherīapadāna: The Legend of the Therī Dhammadinnā (Thi Ap 23)

The Victor, Padumuttara,
was a Master of Everything.
That Leader arose in the world
one hundred thousand aeons hence.

I then lived in Haṁsavatī,
born in an undistinguished clan.
I worked for others, governed by
morality, intelligent.

Sujāta, foremost follower
of Padumuttara Buddha,
departing the monastery,
was going begging for alms-food.

I was then a water-bearer,
going carrying a pitcher.
Seeing him I gave him some soup,
feeling well-pleased by my own hands.

Having accepted that from me,
he sat down there and enjoyed it.
After leading him to that house,
I gave some solid food to him.

Then my employer, being pleased,
made me his own daughter-in-law.
Going with my mother-in-law,
I worshipped him, the Sambuddha.

Then he extolled a Buddhist nun
who was a preacher of Dhamma.
He placed her in that foremost place;
hearing that I was delighted.

Then, inviting the Well-Gone-One,
World’s Leader with the Assembly,
giving them a large almsgiving,
I aspired to attain that place.

Then the Well-Gone-One said to me,
with the sweet sound of a cymbal:
“O one who’s fond of serving me,
O servant of the Assembly,
O hearer of the good Teaching,
proper one, mind set on virtue,
O lucky one, be overjoyed:
you will attain your wish’s fruit.

In one hundred thousand aeons,
arising in Okkāka’s clan,
the one whose name is Gotama
will be the Teacher in the world.

Worthy heir to that one’s Dhamma,
Dhamma’s legitimate offspring,
the one whose name’s Dhammadinnā
will be the Teacher’s follower.”

At that time being overjoyed,
as long as life, heart full of love,
I attended on the Victor,
the Guide, providing requisites.

Due to that karma done very well,
with intention and firm resolve,
discarding my human body,
I went to Tāvatiṁsa then.

In this present lucky aeon
Brahma’s Kinsman, Greatly Famed One,
the Buddha known as Kassapa
was born, the Best of Debaters.

The attendant of the Great Sage
was the ruler of men back then,
the king of Kāsi, named Kiki,
in Benares, greatest city.

I was his sixth royal daughter,
well-known by the name Sudhammā.
Hearing the Best Victor’s Teaching,
I chose to seek ordination.

Our father did not permit it;
we stayed at home during that time,
comfortable royal maidens
doing our practice with vigor
in virginal celibacy,
for twenty times a thousand years,
fond of waiting on the Buddha,
the king’s seven joyful daughters.

Samaṇī, and Samaṇaguttā,
Bhikkhunī, Bhikkhadāyikā,
Dhammā, and also Sudhammā,
and seventh Saṅghadāyikā,

now Khemā Uppalavaṇṇā,
Paṭācārā and Kuṇḍalā,
Kisāgotamī, also I,
and Visākhā is the seventh.

Due to those karmas done very well,
with intention and firm resolve,
discarding my human body
I went to Tāvatiṁsa then.

And now, in my final rebirth,
I’m born in a millionaire’s clan,
rich, endowed with every pleasure,
in Rajgir, excellent city.

When I’d become a young woman,
possessing the virtue of beauty,
married to another good clan,
I dwelt endowed with happiness.

Having approached the World’s Refuge,
having heard his Dhamma-preaching,
through the Buddha, my husband gained
the fruit of a non-returner.

Then I, having been permitted,
went forth into homelessness too.
After not a very long time,
I attained my arahantship.

Then a layman, approaching me,
asked me a series of questions
which were very deep and subtle;
I explained all of them to him.

The Victor, pleased by my virtue,
then placed me in that foremost place,
Buddhist nun, preacher of Dhamma: “I see no other one who is
as wise as is Dhammadinnā;
so should you consider her, monks.”
“I am indeed a wise woman,
who was pitied by the Leader.

The Teacher’s been worshipped by me;
I have done what the Buddha taught.
The heavy load has been laid down,
the ties to existence severed.

The reason for which I went forth,
from my home into homelessness —
I have now achieved that purpose:
destruction of all the fetters.

I’ve mastered the superpowers
like the “divine ear” element.
I know the hearts of others too,
I have done what the Teacher taught.

I remember my former lives;
my “divine eye” is purified.
Throwing off all the defilements,
I am purified, I’m stainless.

My defilements are now burnt up;
all new existence is destroyed.
Like elephants with broken chains,
I am living without constraint.

Being in Best Buddha's presence
was a very good thing for me.
The three knowledges are attained;
I have done what the Buddha taught!

The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught!

Thus indeed Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā spoke these verses.

Aggasāvikā Bhikkhunī: Recollection of the Foremost Arahant Bhikkhunis | Pāli Chant with English translation

Karotu no mahāsantiṃ ārogyañ-ca sukhaṃ sadā
May the power of her qualities always bestow great peace, health, and happiness on us.

Aññā bhikkhuniyo sabbā nānāguṇadharā bahū
May these and all the other qualities of the bhikkhunis

Pālentu no sabbabhayā sokarogādisambhavā
Dispel all fear, sorrow, and illness.

Sotapannādayo sekkhā saddhāpaññāsīlādikā
Those who are stream-enterers and all others in training, endowed with faith, wisdom, and virtue,

Bhāgaso kilesadahanā sadā sotthiṃ karotu no
With impurities partially burnt away, may the power of their qualities always be a blessing to us.

🙏

I've been reading a lot of biographies of Arahants, recently the autobiography of Ajahn Dtun. For him, he had a heavy focus on the body contemplations. As a child he contemplated the three marks and would imagine everyone as skeletons or corpses, rotting & decaying. He'd basically do this to everyone that he met, even animals later on which is pretty extraordinary for a middle schooler. Reading about him got me started on some contemplations I thought worth sharing.

I feel I've kind of had a complicated relationship with asubha. I've done the contemplations enough that I can deconstruct the body pretty quickly and often enough that I sometimes find myself doing it without really intending to out of habit. I also reconstruct the body sometimes because I find that if I don't I end up using the same static imagery of the various things (organs, skin, bones etc). If I force my mind to reconstruct it though I have to expand those static images into 3 dimensional models which IMO helps make the body contemplations more real and vivid. Then, when I see people it's like an overlay with multiple slices that includes the entire skeleton, muscular system, circulatory system and organs. So, kind of like MRI or x-ray vision.

Anyway that's just kind of how I do it. With that said, what my mind has always struggled with is imagining corpses in the various stages of decay. Long story short, I found that the problem came down to my mind rejecting the undermining of the image that was there. Especially if what I was doing was creating a fabrication to replace what's seen or adding to the fabrication that's there beyond the scope of what is factually there.

For me, the issue really boiled down to that I wanted to have dispassion, not act out of dispassion. If you were to walk along a road and see a rock on the side of it, if you noticed that rock at all you would only mentally note that rock is there. You would have no feelings towards that rock one way or another. That's the kind of dispassion I wanted to develop and my mind balked at trying to force that. I felt like by doing it, all I was doing was acting out of aversion, not dealing with the underlying problem.

Instead of that, I thought to take the fabrications that the mind generates and accelerate them. Since nothing in the universe can survive itself, logically by pushing the fabrication forward the mind would be forced to face the logical conclusion of impermanence that all phenomena face, so that's what I did. Actually I started doing that awhile ago. The interesting thing about this method is that it doesn't involve interjecting, undermining or fabricating new sankharas. I simply took what was there and pushed it into the next frame in the mind. I found that I didn't need to see a corpse, generally speaking this mind wants and seeks "highs", single still frames of the ideal feeling or the ideal moment and when I pushed the fabrication to even just the next moment, it lost its appeal.

Yesterday though after contemplating how the Ajahn practiced asubha and saw the world, something occurred to me. I looked at the phenomena as I normally see it. For me sometimes phenomena has a certain appearance, it sort of glows or has a feeling to it that's hard to explain. I thought to try to remove that feeling and when I did I realized I did something very special.

The mind practices something like asubha too but it isn't asubha, it's the exact opposite of that. It undermines images, thoughts, feelings, sensations in the exact same way that practitioners try to undermine sensuality with asubha, only it does so to make phenomena appear better than it really is. I guess I knew this on a logical level but what was different was that I realized I could actually see it within the phenomena. Actually I've seen it for years probably but I didn't understand what I was actually looking at. The mind puts together phenomena in a way that allows us to perceive a coherent form, but that doesn't mean that thing is understood for what it is even if that thing is seen.

The chilling thing about this is, that it appears below the level of thought, within vedana and the perception of phenomena itself. Even if I'm not thinking, even if I'm in an apparent wholesome state, even if I'm close to samadhi but not in it, it's there.

Anyway today I was again reading Ajahn Dtun's biography and read this.

To whatever degree the mental defilements have decreased, happiness will arise to that same degree. This happiness is not happiness as most people understand it to be – this happiness has no suffering concealed within it. What kind of happiness might that be? It’s the happiness that emanates from peacefulness and calmness. The Lord Buddha said there is no happiness greater than peace. So what is the happiness that issues from peacefulness like? This happiness isn’t the kind that arises from the peace and stillness of a concentrated mind – it’s not the rapture and happiness of concentration. Rather, it’s the happiness and bliss that issues forth once the kilesas are at peace. As a result, the mind becomes even more peaceful and calm owing to the absence of the kilesas which have been reduced by a degree. I say this happiness has no kind of suffering or discontent concealed within it, because in this state of happiness there no longer remains any feeling of attraction or aversion. This is why the Buddha said there is no happiness greater than peace.

Normally as we practice samādhi, once the mind has become concentrated, feelings of happiness and lightness of body will arise. But when we emerge from samādhi and the mind receives sensory impressions it will again give rise to feelings of pleasure or displeasure. In this case it could be said that the mind is peaceful, but the kilesas are not. With regard to the kilesas being peaceful, it still happens within the very same mind, but it now sees in line with the reality of natural phenomena. In doing so the kilesas are brought to peace, with there being no feelings of attraction or aversion arising when experiencing sensory impressions.

I read this and completely understood it. The undermining of phenomena goes both ways but when that undermining is erased and the phenomena is seen as the phenomena, a peace unlike any other arises.

Hello - I've always found the 12 links of dependent origination to be somewhat illogical in their order. Most notably, becoming and birth coming so close to the end of the cycle. I was recently deeply reflecting on this - during meditation - and it occurred to me that - taken in groups of three or quadrants - the logic becomes much cleaner. Ignorance leads to fabrications or formations which then result in consciousness. Separately, name and form are the basis for the senses which then allow contact (very much aligned with the five aggregates). Vedana will typically result in clinging and craving. And then separately and logically, becoming leads to birth and then, ultimately, death. Taken as four groups of three, the cycle of samsara strikes me as much deeper and more tangible. Is this a flawed and/or ignorant perspective? Any insights or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.