Paṭisota

Difference Between Wrong and Right Concentration First, one might raise a question: How can there be “wrong concentration”? Isn’t any form of concentration inherently good? The Buddha clarifies that concentration becomes wholesome ( kusala ) only when two essential conditions are met: first, it must arise from wholesome roots ( alobha , adosa , amoha —non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion); and second, it must conduce toward liberation, that is, progress along the path to Nibbāna . Accordingly, any concentration that is rooted in unwholesome motivations or that does not support the Noble Eightfold Path cannot be regarded as right concentration ( sammā-samādhi ). Such mental unification, even if technically refined or powerful, is classified as wrong or unwholesome concentration ( micchā-samādhi ), because it neither purifies the mind nor leads to awakening. This distinction is articulated clearly in Cūḷavedalla Sutta (MN 44) , where right concentration is defined in inseparable relati...

A penetrative method for seeing how life becomes dukkha —and how it can stop Sometimes the Buddha teaches with a short image. Sometimes with a story. But in the Nibbedhika Pariyāya Sutta , he teaches like a master physician: he lays out a complete diagnostic map —not of the world “out there,” but of the world as it is lived inside experience . The key word here is nibbedhika —“penetrative,” “piercing,” “that which breaks through.” This sutta is not interested in giving us inspiring ideas. It is interested in helping us break through the surface of experience and see the causal machinery beneath it: Why obessive sensual desires arise so quickly Why emotions become habits Why perception shapes our reality Why actions repeat themselves Why dukkha multiplies And how all of this can be brought to cessation If you have ever wondered, “ I understand the Dhamma, but why do I still get pulled ?”—this sutta is for exactly that problem. Because it doesn’t merely say “craving...

Dhammapda 95 (Sayings of the Dhamma) Arahanta (Fully liberated one) 95.  Paṭhavīsamo no virujjhati, Like the earth, he/she does not react with hostility. Indakhīlupamo tādī subbato; Steady like Indra’s pillar, firm in discipline. Rahadova apetakaddamo, Like a clear lake free from mud. Saṃsārā na bhavanti tādino. For such a person, wandering in saṃsāra no longer occurs. Full Translation: One who is like the earth does not oppose or resent; steady like Indra’s pillar, well-disciplined and unmoved. Like a clear lake free from mud, pure and undisturbed— for such a steadfast one, wandering in saṃsāra no longer continues. Story:  S āriputta  Thera Vatthu

First of all, let me share this with you: although Right Mindfulness is often mentioned as a supportive factor (MN 117) , we do not usually find a clear explanation of Right Mindfulness that is both secular and transcendent . Therefore, to truly understand Right Mindfulness, we need to learn it directly from the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10). What follows is a complete and systematic presentation of each Right Mindfulness practice—traditionally known as the 36 Satipaṭṭhāna practices . 1. Satipaṭṭhāna Today: How Ancient Mindfulness Solves Modern Problems 2. Ānāpānapabba — Breathing In and Out (Exercise 1 in Satipaṭṭhāna Practice) 3. Iriyāpathapabba — Postures (Exercise 2 in Satipaṭṭhāna Practice) 4. Sampajānapabba — Doing Activities (Exercise 3 in Satipaṭṭhāna Practice) 5. Paṭikkūlamanasikārapabba — Attention to the Nature of the Body (Exercise 4 in Satipaṭṭhāna Practice) 6. Dhātumanasikārapabba — Attention to the Nature of the Elements (Exercise 5 in Satipaṭṭhāna Practice) 7. Nava S...

4.5  Dhammānupassanā : Contemplation of the Four Noble Truths ( catusu ariya saccesu ) Puna ca paraṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati catusu ariyasaccesu. Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati catusu ariyasaccesu? Again, further, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating mental phenomena as mental phenomena about the four noble truths. And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu dwell contemplating mental phenomena as mental phenomena about the four noble truths? This introductory formulation presents the Four Noble Truths as the ultimate and comprehensive  domain of dhammānupassanā . Here, contemplation is no longer limited to observing individual mental factors, but extends to grasping the structural point of experience itself —how dukkha arises, persists, and ceases according to discernible principles. By presenting the Four Noble Truths as dhammesu dhammānupassī , the text emphasizes that they are not abstract doctrines but immediately obse...

                         Dhammapda 94 (Sayings of the Dhamma) Arahanta (Fully liberated one) 94.  Yass’indriyāni samathaṅ gatāni, One whose sense faculties are well-established in calm, Assā yathā sārathinā sudantā like well-trained horses guided by a charioteer; Pahīnamānassa anāsavassa, who has abandoned conceit and is free from  taints (influxes/fermentations) , Devāpi tassa pihayanti tādino. Even the devas admire such a steadfast one. Full Translation: One whose sense faculties are calmed, like well-trained horses guided by a charioteer—who has abandoned conceit and is free from  taints —such a steadfast person is admired even by the devas. Story:  Mah ā Kacc āyana  Thera Vatthu

4.4 Dhammānupassanā : Contemplation of the Awakening Factors ( bojjhaṅga ) Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati sattasu bojjhaṅgesu. Kathañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati sattasu bojjhaṅgesu? Again, further, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating mental phenomena as mental phenomena about the seven awakening factors. And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu dwell contemplating mental phenomena as mental phenomena about the seven awakening factors? This section presents the bojjhaṅgas as a mature mode of dhammānupassanā , where practice is no longer focused merely on restraint or diagnosis of defilements, but on recognizing, cultivating, and fulfilling the qualities that directly conduce to awakening . The emphasis is reflexive and experiential: the practitioner knows whether each factor is present or absent, how it arises, and how it reaches fulfillment through deliberate cultivation ( bhāvanā ). 4.4.1 (Right) Mindfulness ( sati-...