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Theruwan Saranayi, Nibbid
Interesting timing (vipaka)! It’s not of common occurrence anymore for me to visit the forums, but I just “happened” to have a look and saw your reply. If it would somehow be possible to get an email notification I’d be certain not to overlook anything which requires my response.
Anyway, regarding your question, I am in the process of updating it actually. I was planning to finish it this weekend, but it might take a a few days longer. I’m doing a thorough revision.
I will provide an update as soon as I’m done.
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For those who are interested and have taken the time to watch any of the previously posted sermons and segments, it may be beneficial to also view the material provided in this post. I don’t think it will be the best of ideas to watch the below without having watched any the previous ones.
Starting 1:47:54, watch for at least 3 minutes, cause that’s where he makes a clear connection with dukkha (Yadaniccaṃ tan dukkhāṃ)
Sermon: The Practical Application of Karmasthana
In the most recent sermon, Bhante explains anicca, dukkha, and anatta in relation to one another. He words it differently here, so this segment is a good addition to the previous sermons.
I suggest to watch the short segment related to anicca above first before starting this one. Starts at about 1:11:55, watch for at least 15 minutes.
P.S: In this sermon he dissects “etam santam etam panitam, yadidam sabbe saṅkhāra samatho, sabbupadhi patinisaggo” and how to practically apply it to life.
Theruwan Saranayi.
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Theruwan Saranayi,
I think some segment (perhaps the 4th then) also include the connection to dukkha, but I’m not in the position to refer to specific timestamps unfortunately. Our compound was subjected to a power cut and I’m outside without earphones.
I know of some other sermons where dukkha and anatta are most certainly discussed in line with this explanation of anicca. Please allow me some time to sort and segment. (The day after) tomorrow I have some more time (in case they don’t fix the power anytime soon)🙏 .
@Jaro, I messaged them and they seemed to have fixed their playlist. Perhaps you could start at sermon #40. That’s the first sermon in this current series of sermons that aims to build an understanding of tilakkhana more deeply. In this series, he uses Pali and Sinhala whereas in the sermons prior, he doesn’t. Those earlier sermons are more suitable for those new to everything (that does not mean that they can’t be useful for others, cause I still occasionally come across some gems of wisdom when I watch these with my wife).
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I’m not sure about the time stamps in that sermon, but he discussed similar things in many others. At the bottom I listed a few of them.
Before I do, I have some slight reservations about posting these segments here in this thread, but if you take the following into account I think it’s okay:
- These are quite advanced sermons and the viewer by now has already become accustomed to a whole series of sermons that lead up to it, thus they have a solid understanding.
- Bhante has said on several occasions that viewing anicca as “not to your liking” is the foundation, but we should try and develop a deeper understanding (these are my words only unfortunately, I’m not sure in what sermons he said that anymore. I prefer to use his own words, so I’ll come back if I find anything).
- The segments I provided are just some segments where he offers a deeper way of looking at it. It’s best to look at all segments to get a more complete image of what he means (in particular the last one where he talks also why we perceive “things” to break/die and therefore cannot remain to our liking). Still, it’s better to watch sermons in their entirety for the best possible context. He takes his time with the sermons, and so should the viewer.
- If you have just started watching, and this makes no sense, start from the earlier sermons. Unfortunately, I see that the information I posted earlier in this thread about what sermons to watch is not accurate at the moment of writing, because there seems to be an issue with the playlists; the sermons got mixed up. I’ll notify them in regards to this. I’ll update when I see it has been resolved.
51:06 – 55:56 (note: drushti = ditthi)
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My comment was incomplete, so let me add the following to clarify the whole:
This website is not simply about moral living. It is to start understanding that happiness cannot possibly be found in this world. I have made that pretty clear in the last three articles (if anybody is interested, feel free to read, starting with “The Illusion of Beauty”).
Perhaps (for the time being) you could regard this site as a transition for those who would otherwise never come in contact with these concepts (because of their misunderstandings/misinterpretations). Later I’ll figure out how to narrow the gap with Buddha Dhamma (further). It could be through linking to this site or specific sermons such as from Jethavanarama. For now, the site is a work in progress. It will undergo many changes later on.
Since I feel that I’m going to be misunderstood from the above, please let me add a practical example that reflects these intentions:
I’ve talked to various people about how we cannot truly find fulfillment through worldly things and that the attempt itself is vexatious. I provided them with various examples that they could verify for themselves. I did not mention Buddha Dhamma at first because they would not have listened to me. That would have been such a pity. So out of compassion, I didn’t (I merely presented the logic of some Buddha Dhamma concepts). However, after they started seeing the logic, they became open-minded enough for me to share more. This is sort of the same principle.2 users thanked author for this post.
Thank you Dawson for taking a look. I look forward to any feedback you might have later on.
@Lal, well noted. I see it could be taken the wrong way, and that is indeed not my intention in the slightest.
@Gad, I’m almost certain that some of the Swamin Wahansas and Anagarikas are learning French as well. I’m not sure about their progress, but I imagine it’s ahead of Chinese. It’s easier to learn with some knowledge of English as well.
@Lal, Yes I will post it in a new thread!
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Lal posted the first episode in a long series of Dhamma talks. I think this is a good opportunity to share a little bit about these sermons as I’ve been following them for well over a year.
I introduced this series to my wife this year, and we watch them together. I’m happy to see that she’s slowly picking up on the main Dhamma concepts. Amadassana Swamin Wahansa speaks in plain English and doesn’t use any Pali or Sinhala for the first 38 episodes, I believe. He can explain even the aggregates very well in plain English.
I have been following the whole series of discourses myself from episode 39 onwards (I’ve seen 80% of the first 38). There are over 100 sermons now (112 at the time of writing) in that particular playlist.
Perhaps it would be useful to explain how this playlist is organized and what you can expect in order to make the most out if it, whether you’re just getting to explore the Buddha Dhamma or have been into it for a longer time.
The first 38 sermons are directed straight at the camera, so it’s a different “feel” than sermons held in front of an audience (because there’s no interaction and Swamin Wahansa cannot check one’s understanding). They are aimed at people who are new to the Buddha Dhamma. Swamin Wahansa really takes his time, and he moves perhaps a bit slow for those who are eager to learn. Still, you’re really going to get a solid understanding of the basics, and he expects you to contemplate the topics he discusses.
Starting episode 39, he preaches in front of a live audience again. (I think this was the end of lockdowns, and everything opened up again). Throughout this series, he systematically dissects anicca, dukkha, and anatta at immensely profound levels as the sermons progress. This may be a bit challenging for beginners, but if you’re already somewhat familiar with the Dhamma, e.g., you’ve been coming to this site for a while now, this is a must-watch/listen. He does make use of the occasional Sinhala and Pali but generally explains everything very well. He’s amazing at explaining deep concepts using very practical examples.
Before I continue with my explanation, allow me to make a personal note:
It was because of these sermons I visited the monastery last month. My time there was immensely fruitful. I’ve had the chance to discuss the Dhamma with various Swamin Wahansas. They’re also learning many languages there to prepare themselves to spread the Dhamma as far and wide as possible. They had learned a bit of Chinese (Mandarin) as well before, but far from enough. At my stay there, we discussed how we could improve their Chinese, and one of the head monks thought I should start teaching them first and solidly their basics (I live in China, and my wife is Chinese). So that is what I’ve been doing twice a week for the last 5/6 weeks. My level is only intermediate, but I have started to study harder to fulfill this duty to the best of my abilities. This is a bit off-topic, but I thought it would be good to share what’s happening. May the merits generated during the entire process be dedicated to all beings and help them attain Nibbana.
To continue with the sermons:
A couple of months ago, Amadassana Thero started doing sermons outside of the monastery as well in Columbo. This series of sermons is found in this playlist (Gateway to Nibbana).
In these sermons, he started preaching to a new audience, and his approach is a bit different. In various sermons, he also explains various deeper meanings of common Pali words, including. “Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa,” “Sadhu,” and such. He also explains the actual meanings of what sometimes appears to be mere “rituals.” Everything has a deep meaning.
His pace is much faster than the first 38 episodes of the previous playlist, but then again, he’s preaching to a mostly Sinhalese audience (In English, though). I also follow this series, and it’s well worth it. He has recently started to touch upon the deeper meanings of anicca as cause and effect.
There are some older playlists as well, which are pretty good, but my suggestion is to focus on (one of) these two playlists.
On a second personal note:
When I came across the Pure Dhamma on this site, I felt like sharing some concepts mainly through writing. I’ve shared some of it here as well. However, as my understanding grew, I realized that many concepts could be explained without the use of Pali. Sure, it is more efficient to use Pali terms if you know what they mean, but even then, many words have such deep meanings you need to explain them anyway.
It was through these sermons that I got inspired to start a website that only focuses on sharing Dhamma in plain English. I actually don’t even call it Dhamma directly. I have good reasons for that, but I will share and explain in detail only after I have finished the current section I’m working on.
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I’m sorry, it seems your email ended up in the spam folder. Just found it! We can communicate further there.
@Bahula, I’m sorry for my late reply. I was indeed in Sri Lanka for the last 9 days and I just got back.
Thank you Lal for the notice and thank you TGS for your explanation!
Yes, I don’t mind at all. I’m happy to hear it has benefitted you and that you wish to share it.
You can contact me via juirtle at msn.com.
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Thank you for bringing up this topic and for all the explanations.
Upon going through the sutta, I noticed that there are some asterisks (*) inserted in some places in the translated parts to elaborate further on specific translations. I didn’t see that before, so perhaps it’s a recent thing. I don’t know whether or not others know this, but for the sake of raising awareness, I’d like to point out that sometimes references are made to Vedic scriptures like Upanishad. This is very unfortunate.
Great to hear about a possible chance to meet up with you guys. Let’s stay in touch about any updates.
Regarding contact details, perhaps it’s better to communicate through email. Thanks to Lal we should all have each other’s emails now.
Theruwan Saranayi friends,
I have the following update:
A friend and his wife, and my wife and myself have booked tickets to Sri Lanka.
My wife and I will stay a few days longer than them, September 29 (Friday) – October 8 (Sunday). They will leave before the weekend due to work obligations. Now, we have somewhat of an interesting situation, because the two ladies haven’t exactly seen the Dhamma, although one is partly starting to see it.However, for that reason we have to do at least some sightseeing, I’m afraid. I’m not sure how that’s going to work out right now. We’ll arrive Friday late evening (29th) and I’d like to get to Jethavanarama Monastery right the following morning. Also not sure how that’s gonna work out, but I’m sure we can arrange it somehow. The last weekend, my wife is okay with us spending our time at the monastery. If the Sunday morning sermon in Colombo continues like normal, we’ll be going there as well.
