Skip to content

Conclusion

Module 15 of An Introduction to Buddhist Practice

Photo by The Met

  • A transcript of a conversation with Ajahn Panyavaddho.
  • Beyond being a nice recap of what we’ve covered in the course, I feel something of the wisdom and compassion of enlightenment coming through in the light-hearted sincerity of this exchange
Escape to Reality – Ananda Pereira (.pdf) (.pdf) (.epub)
  • A rousing collection of essays on Buddhist wisdom and an earnest appeal to put the teachings into practice.
  • Bhante Yuttadhammo closes the course by encouraging us to make the most of our precious human life: do good, avoid evil, and purify your mind.

Further Reading

Books

As for the question of suffering in the future—in this life or the next—don’t overlook your heart that’s suffering right now.

A classic translation of the primary book of poetry from the Pāli Canon.

Zen practice is the direct expression of our true nature. Strictly speaking, for a human being, there is no other practice than this

The classic introduction to Buddhist meditation.

My most highly recommended introduction to Buddhist meditation.

[In Buddhism, morality] is not concerned so much with the result of one’s actions on other people as it concerns the result of one’s actions on one’s own mind.

Canonical Works

‘Others will be cruel; we shall not be cruel here’

It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! How the Buddha tames those who are wild

I did not delight in the contemplative Gotama’s speech; I condemned it, rose from my seat, and left!

Kālāmas, do not go by oral tradition, by lineage of teaching, by hearsay, by a collection of scriptures, by logic…

So this holy life, bhikkhus, does not have gain, honour, and renown for its benefit, or the attainment of virtue for its benefit, or the attainment of concentration for its benefit, or knowledge and vision for its benefit. But it is this unshakeable deliverance of mind that is the goal of this holy life, its heartwood, and its end.

Those who thus abide, ever remain invincible, in happiness established. These are the greatest blessings.

These five things, when developed and cultivated, have freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom as their fruit and benefit.

Bhikkhus, if one’s clothes or head were ablaze, what should be done about it?

Good, spiritual friendship is the whole of the holy life.

Readings

There is no single “swiss-army knife” technique that works equally well at all times; instead, we must carefully examine our present conditions and determine what practice is most relevant.

Handicapped and at-risk Vietnamese youths share their appreciation of and enthusiasm for a mindfulness meditation course.

It’s interesting to walk through the graveyards of towns, and see that for the first few years after a person dies there may be a head stone, maybe someone remembers, but after twenty, thirty, or forty years, they could bulldoze the graves because the land is so valuable and plant somebody else in there. So even your head stone just crumbles to dust. All record of you living here is gone, because no one remembers who you were or what you did. Isn’t that beautiful? So why not do that right now? Bulldoze this idea of who you are

Audio/Video

A heartfelt and spellbinding talk on meditation practice and expectations.

There’s always something we can do to progress towards Awakening. And it’s something that has benefits all along the way.

We manifest our humanity, we are most fully human, in learning.

I have arrived, I am home
In the here, in the now
I am solid, I am free
In the ultimate, I dwell

Bhikkhu Bodhi shares with the Abhayagiri community his favorite section of the Dhammapada: verses 110–115.

A talk giving a comprehensive overview of Buddhist practice, based on MN 2 (the Sabbāsava Sutta).

A short introduction to the Dhammapada, from Gil Fronsdal’s 2008 translation, read by the author.

Advanced Courses

The Buddha's Words
Read more about the gradual path in the Buddha's own words in this course taught by the one and only Bhikkhu Bodhi.
Buddhist Ethics
A thorough and inspiring introduction to Buddhist morality: both practical and idealistic.
Nibbāna: The Goal of Buddhist Practice
Notoriously difficult to explain, *nibbāna* is still a critical concept for directing our practice. In this class, we explore what _can_ be said about the unconditioned element.
An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy
This course continues our study of the fundamentals of Buddhist thought with an overview of "Right View" from the Theravada perspective.
or feel free to check out any of our University's other fine offerings.