by John Haspel
As wisdom and understanding develop, Right Intention is seen as the essence of the Dhamma, and of mindfulness. As the Dhamma’s purpose is to develop understanding of dukkha and experience the cessation of the origination of dukkha, clinging, Right Intention is the intention to abandon all forms of clinging. Right Intention also informs the proper application of intelligence and developing wisdom…
by John Haspel
The Buddha taught Shamatha-Vipassana meditation as one factor of the Eightfold Path for the purpose of developing the concentration necessary to support the refined mindfulness of the other seven factors of the path…
by John Haspel
The Nagara Sutta is remarkable in its simplicity in describing Dependent Origination in a practically applied way. In this sutta the Buddha clearly shows how ignorance of Four Noble Truths and of The Three Marks of existence “originates” the process that all manner of disappointment, unsatisfactoriness, distraction, and suffering – in a word Dukkha – is “dependent” on…
by John Haspel
Throughout the Buddha’s teaching he emphasized mindfulness. Mindfulness is the quality of mind that brings insight to the Buddha’s teaching…
by John Haspel
In the Sabbasava Sutta the Buddha teaches the ending of mental fermentations through appropriate, or refined mindfulness. ..
by John Haspel
The Buddha taught that conditioned states of mind have definite and direct causes. This is often referred as the law of conditionality or the law of “if this occurs then that results”…
by John Haspel
These seven qualities or factors of enlightenment are taught by the Buddha to remain free of the distraction of craving, aversion and further deluded thinking…
by John Haspel
The Vitakkasanthana Sutta — the sutta on the relaxation of thoughts — the Buddha teaches that the refined mindfulness developed through the Eightfold Path brings a relaxed and peaceful quality of mind…
by John Haspel
The Phena Sutta is another sutta on emptiness as the Buddha uses the term. In this sutta he teaches the emptiness of The Five Clinging Aggregates and the emptiness of creating self-identities by clinging to fleeting objects, events, views and ideas…
by John Haspel
Shunyata – Three Discourses on Emptiness is an article on the Buddha’s teachings on emptiness. I will cite three suttas where the Buddha teaches the meaning and application of emptiness, shunyata (Pali: Sunnata)…