Facing our Problems

Module 10 of An Introduction to Buddhism Course home 1: Hearing the Dharma2: Arousing Mindfulness3: Taking Refuge in the Triple Gem4: Cultivating Love5: Seeing the Four Noble Truths6: Entering the Path7: Understanding Karma8: Refining the Mind9: Deconstructing the Self10: Facing our Problems11: Integrating the Path12: Widening our Perspective13: Living Well14: Creating a Better Tomorrow

Right Effort means we stop turning away from complexity.

Photo by Sumantha Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0

Assigned Readings

Biography of Shakyamuni Buddha – Ven Master Hsing Yun (.pdf) (.epub) (.pdf)

We continue with Chapters 32–36, on how the Buddha’s community grew under his leadership.

A note on the myth of the first nuns

While all the Buddhist traditions have a similar myth to chapter 32 about the first nuns, the earliest Buddhist texts actually report that the Buddha was eager to establish a nun’s community from the very beginning.
This and the numerous inconsistencies in the story (such as that the Buddha nowhere else refuses someone three times and then later changes his mind) has led many modern scholars to suggest that this myth arose in the centuries after the Buddha but before Buddhism split into different schools.

Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path – Ayya Khema (.pdf)

Chapter 6: “The Five Hindrances” introduces us to the primary obstacles to mental clarity in our meditation (and in life).

The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering – Bhikkhu Bodhi (.pdf) (.epub) (.mp3)

Feel free to skip Chapter 4 on Buddhist Ethics, which we discussed already in lesson 7. Chapter 5 is our main reading for this module, introducing “Right Effort.”

Lecture

This module, I’d like to introduce you to two teachers in the Thai Forest Tradition.

Beyond Faith – Ajahn Jayasaro (.mp3)

Ajahn (“Teacher”) Jayasaro was born in Britain, but has lived in Thailand as a Buddhist monk for most of his life. In this talk aimed at a mixed audience, he encourages us to think more deeply about spiritual matters and to put our faith to the test.

Some Dhamma Advice – Ajahn Suchart (.mp3)

And Ajahn Suchart is a Thai monk who originally studied Engineering in California, but eventually realized the true road to happiness.

Homework

To begin thinking about how to apply today’s lesson to your own life, please take a few minutes to check out this module’s reflection questions.

Further Reading

More of Ajahn Jayasaro’s teachings can be found on his website: panyaprateep.org.

And Ajahn Suchart answers many frequently asked questions about Buddhist Practice in his book, Dhamma for the Asking 2. You can find volume 1 of that series—and many other transcriptions and recordings—on his website: PhraSuchart.com.

Continue to Part 11, Integrating the Path

...or go back to part 9