I have found this book by Ajahn Amaro (Tai Forest Tradition) to be very helpful to my attitude towards mediation. While the communicated form of the meditation practice I do (which is annapana sati) remains the same, Ajahn Amaro helps me keep an eye towards a more open ended perspective to unfold. Becoming aware of "the view of the view" is one thing I remember from the book.
I highly recommend it.
You can download it at.
http://www.abhayagiri.org/index.php/main/book/138/
Metta
Gabriel
Ajahn Amaro and Meditation
- Prasadachitta
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Ajahn Amaro and Meditation
"Beautifully taught is the Lord's Dhamma, immediately apparent, timeless, of the nature of a personal invitation, progressive, to be attained by the wise, each for himself." Anguttara Nikaya V.332
- Cittasanto
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Re: Ajahn Amaro and Meditation
thanks I have listened to some of his talks but not read anything
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.
He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
Re: Ajahn Amaro and Meditation
Here's a Vajra perspective one might erroneously assume doesn't exist based on debates that have surfaced elsewhere:
Thanks for the link.Drubwang Tsoknyi Rinpoche wrote:It is therefore entirely possible when someone
practices free of laziness and procrastination any of these three
paths to attain the same level as Buddha Shakyamuni.
Rain soddens what is kept wrapped up,
But never soddens what is open;
Uncover, then, what is concealed,
Lest it be soddened by the rain.
But never soddens what is open;
Uncover, then, what is concealed,
Lest it be soddened by the rain.
Re: Ajahn Amaro and Meditation
I love this story:
Guy Armstrong wrote:Over the thousands
of years since the death of the Buddha, different schools
have evolved in their own unique ways. Typical of the pitfalls was
a meeting in the late 1970s between a Korean Zen master and a
respected Tibetan rinpoche. The meeting had, of course, been set
up by their Western students in hopes of fostering an exchange
between two lineages long estranged. The Zen master began with
a Dharma challenge. Holding out an orange, he asked forcefully,
“What is this!” The Tibetan master sat in silence and continued
to thumb through the beads of his mala. The Zen master asked
again: “What is this!” The rinpoche turned to his translator and
inquired softly, “Don’t they have oranges in his country?”
Rain soddens what is kept wrapped up,
But never soddens what is open;
Uncover, then, what is concealed,
Lest it be soddened by the rain.
But never soddens what is open;
Uncover, then, what is concealed,
Lest it be soddened by the rain.
- jcsuperstar
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Re: Ajahn Amaro and Meditation
i actually never liked that story, i 1st came across it years ago, from the korean side of the story and it was made out as if the zen guy was oh so much more enlightened than the tibetan. but really all it was was a zen guy speaking zen talk to someone who doesnt speak zen talk. being from texas i've seen this sort of thing where you get some white guy who thinks he's oviously better than any mexican and his proof will be that some mexican he comes in contacct doesnt understand english, not even when he speaks it louder and slower. nevermind that the mexican man may be a brain surgen on holiday in the states, he cant speak english, therfor he's an idiot and the white guy is the superior.Jechbi wrote:I love this story:Guy Armstrong wrote:Over the thousands
of years since the death of the Buddha, different schools
have evolved in their own unique ways. Typical of the pitfalls was
a meeting in the late 1970s between a Korean Zen master and a
respected Tibetan rinpoche. The meeting had, of course, been set
up by their Western students in hopes of fostering an exchange
between two lineages long estranged. The Zen master began with
a Dharma challenge. Holding out an orange, he asked forcefully,
“What is this!” The Tibetan master sat in silence and continued
to thumb through the beads of his mala. The Zen master asked
again: “What is this!” The rinpoche turned to his translator and
inquired softly, “Don’t they have oranges in his country?”
:cookoo:
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ
the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
Re: Ajahn Amaro and Meditation
Yeah, I can see that side of it. But I always thought the Tibetan guy comes off looking better in the story, actually. The Zen guy gets a taste of his own medicine.
Rain soddens what is kept wrapped up,
But never soddens what is open;
Uncover, then, what is concealed,
Lest it be soddened by the rain.
But never soddens what is open;
Uncover, then, what is concealed,
Lest it be soddened by the rain.
Re: Ajahn Amaro and Meditation
Actually i dont like your story as i am a white guy living in texas with a mexican girlfriend. I never see myself as superior and i never see any issues with race here in San Antonio the largest hispanic city in the country.jcsuperstar wrote:i actually never liked that story, i 1st came across it years ago, from the korean side of the story and it was made out as if the zen guy was oh so much more enlightened than the tibetan. but really all it was was a zen guy speaking zen talk to someone who doesnt speak zen talk. being from texas i've seen this sort of thing where you get some white guy who thinks he's oviously better than any mexican and his proof will be that some mexican he comes in contacct doesnt understand english, not even when he speaks it louder and slower. nevermind that the mexican man may be a brain surgen on holiday in the states, he cant speak english, therfor he's an idiot and the white guy is the superior.
:cookoo:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.
- BB
- BB
- jcsuperstar
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Re: Ajahn Amaro and Meditation
i saw/ heard all sorts of racist stuff in texas, and here too.. though for some reason people just say the dumbest crap to me. seriously i was working as a cashier when i was a teenager and some guy came in my line and starting talking about how bad it must be to have to deal with n****rs etc. this sort of thing always happens to me, maybe i've just got the type of face that says "hey racists, i'm here to listen"
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ
the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat