Hello Bhante, which meditation method do you recommend the most?
From which sutta is this?
Thanks.
Very easy question with a very simple answer.
practice that I recommend the most, almost exclusively, is the practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which is found in three general places, I mean other places as well, but most explicitly.
In the Dīgha Nikaya number 10, no, Dīgha Nikaya, no, no, Majjhima Nikaya number 10, Dīgha Nikaya number, I want to say 12, but I can't remember.
It's a shameful thing that I can't even remember.
No, it's not 12.
Where is the Maha Satipatthana Sutta?
16 is Parinibbana Sutta.
Oh, I'm terrible.
I don't even remember.
22, is that it?
I can't remember what number it is.
My mind is going.
And here I was bragging about having a good memory.
Anyway, I remember what the sutta is all about.
Why am I getting those mixed up, no?
Anyway, Majjhima Nikaya number 10.
And the third place is in the Sanyuta Nikaya, the Satipatthana Sanyuta.
the group, a whole group of discourses based on the Satipatthana Sutta, based on the four Satipatthanas, the four foundations of mindfulness and these are the body, the feeling, feelings, the mind and Dhammas which are
I asked my teacher about the Dhammas recently, because he was still using the English, it's one of the few English words that he knows is the translation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, and the translation they've given him is the usual mind objects, which doesn't at all encompass what is meant by these, by it in this context.
as a mind object is only Dhamma Ramana the objects of thought so the sixth sense which is thinking so when you think about something the object of your thought that's a mind object that's called Dhamma Ramana but the Dhammas here are my teacher said things that support you
things that support you, that keep you from falling into evil.
Because dharma comes from dar, which is to hold.
Dharmas are those things that hold you up, keep you from falling.
So these are the
Another way to translate it is those things that exist in reality.
So reality is a good translation.
Anyway, the fourth one, the problem is it has many groups in it.
And it looks to me very much like it's simply talking about teachings.
The various aspects of the Buddha's teaching.
Things that are important.
dharmas in the sense of things that will help will carry you through to enlightenment teachings that will carry you through to enlightenment anyway that's the teaching the four foundations of mindfulness there's an excellent book out there that everyone should read called the way of mindfulness and it's simply a translation of the the Mahasatipatthana Sutta with a translation of most I think or some at least
of the commentary to the Satipatthana Sutta and even some of the sub-commentary.
So it's an excellent look at how the ancient teachers, 2000 years ago, 1500 to 2000 years ago, were teaching and were interpreting the Satipatthana Sutta.
It's an excellent book, excellent resources, got lots of neat stories in it and insights in it.
But even the sutta itself is a great place to start to learn about meditation.
So very, very much worth reading.
I mean, on the other hand, it may not be a perfect place to start because of course the suttas are coming from a whole other era, designed for a whole other audience in India.
So it's sometimes difficult.
And then they're in a whole other language, completely different from English.
So sometimes difficult to really understand what's being said.
But if you take what I'm passing along in tandem with that study, I think it would be indispensable.
those two things together.
I'm not bragging about my own teaching, but I'm talking about the teaching that has been passed on to me.
You take that teaching and it's basically an explanation in modern terms of the Satipatthana Sutta.
Take those two together.
In this tradition that is indispensable.
Of course, every tradition has its own explanations, but in this tradition
I would say that's where I get it from.
So if you're looking for something, some sort of source, go there and really take these two things together, the teachings that are modern and the teachings that they come from, the Satipatthana Sutta.
And also read the Sannyuta, the Satipatthana Sannyuta.
It's an excellent sort of additional resource, something very much worth reading.