This phrase, “It’s Only Suffering That Arises, Only Suffering That Ceases”, encompasses the realization of the enlightened beings. But what does it mean, and how do we get there? How do we go from an unenlightened being spinning in the vicissitudes of life to a stable, calm, reflective presence that sees things clearly without suffering […]
Talk: Only Suffering That Arises Read More »
[This talk was also given as a dhamma talk at the Long Island Buddhist Meditation Center. The video recording can be found on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/bhante.libmc/videos/550225320657471 ] My dhamma name, Pamutto, comes from the root of a very common word: Mutti. Mutti means freedom. Since freedom is so essential to the Buddhist path it’s a
Degrees of Freedom Read More »
The Sāsana is what the Buddha called the religion or dispensation that began forming nearly from the moment he attained enlightenment. It is a word that encompasses not just him as a person and a teacher but also his teaching, the dhamma, and how that dhamma has survived in the hearts and minds of those
[Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.] Atha kho āyasmā kaccānagotto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā kaccānagotto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “‘Sammādiṭṭhi sammādiṭṭhī’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sammādiṭṭhi hotī”ti? “Dvayanissito khvāyaṁ, kaccāna, loko yebhuyyena—atthitañceva natthitañca. Lokasamudayaṁ kho, kaccāna, yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato yā loke natthitā sā na hoti. Lokanirodhaṁ kho, kaccāna, yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato
Kaccānagotta Sutta – To Kaccānagotta, SN 12.15 Read More »
When one enters into a forest monastery, whether Thai or Burmese or Sri Lankan, one understands pretty quickly that they’ve entered into a new social structure. It’s not unlike a martial arts dojo: it has ranks of dewey-eyed initiates, a cadre of seasoned long-term students, and then the master or masters at the top. The
Bringing the Teacher Inside Read More »
By the time they we are adults, virtually everbody knows all too well what it is like to stay up late into the night. The reasons are many: as kids we are running around playing tag or sitting up playing games; as adults we go to concerts, study for tests, finish long projects, make love,
The Practice of Devotion to Wakefulness Read More »
On the Uposatha, Tahn Pamutto reflects on the core understanding of the Four Noble Truths – that we practice not because it is pleasant and healthy and wonderful but because we have to. Samsara is a mess, and when we really look at our lives we can sense the subtle (or not so subtle) dissatisfaction
Talk: Practice Because You Have To Read More »
The Foundations of Mindfulness: Satipatthana Sutta Majjhima Nikaya 10 Transcript of an eight-week presentation 2022 by Tahn Pamutto Part Three: Body “The reason we’re doing mindfulness and the reason that it’s so focused on what can be experienced objectively is because mindfulness counteracts ignorance” (opening meditation guidance) Sitting in meditation, a lot of our
Series: The Foundations of Mindfulness pt 3 Read More »
The Foundations of Mindfulness: Satipatthana Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya 10 Transcript of an eight-week presentation 2022 by Tahn Pamutto Part One: Mindfulness It’s a big subject actually. It’s one of the first things that we are introduced to in the Buddhist teachings besides, you know, don’t be violent. Be nice and be mindful, right? So during
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This talk by Tahn Pamutto was given on the Uposatha in New York City, September 2022: Namo tassa bhagavato, arahato samma sambuddhassa Namo tassa bhagavato, arahato samma sambuddhassa Namo tassa bhagavato, arahato samma sambuddhassa So I’ve been thinking about the third noble truth, thinking what I could say about it. But then reflecting on the
Reflecting on Spontaneity Read More »
