This booklet comes from the Majjhima Nikaya MN-36, the Mahasaccaka Sutta, The Greater Discourse to Saccaka, given by the Buddha and is taken from the translation by Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi. This particular sutta is very important because it tells us about many of the austerities and practices the Bodhisatta did in order to finally attain the supreme achievement of his life - Nibbana. He first began practicing meditation with two of the most advanced teacher of his time. He was very successful with both teachers but was not satisfied because although these practices did give good results, they didn't lead to getting off of the "wheel of samsara." The only kinds of meditation practices that were known at that time involved one-pointed absorption concentration. This type of practice has very deep concentration and leads the meditator to some profoundly wonderful states of mind. But after having direct knowledge of them, he saw that these types of meditation had some limitations in them and didn't lead to final liberation. So, the Bodhisatta went off to search for a method of meditation that not only has deep concentration (samatha), but simultaneously developed insight (vipassana) as well. This booklet explains how he tried many different practices, from holding his breath to starving his body, until he finally found the way that leads directly to the attainment of Nibbana. About the Author: Bhante Vimalaramsi has practiced meditation for more than 40 years and is a well-known meditation teacher interested in going back to the earliest Buddhist Suttas. During the last 10 years, at the encouragement of an elder monk, he dedicated himself to "direct experience through study of the suttas and meditation practice". What caused this change in direction was meeting a Sri Lankan Senior monk named Bhante Punnaji in Malaysia who pointed out this way for him. His advice given was to 'study the suttas directly and to let go of relying on commentary'. Specifically he said, 'Read only the suttas. Then practice.' This was very significant because the commentaries were influencing how he was seeing the entire Dhamma at the time. He was not told to abandon the commentaries but to place them into their original position of references beyond one's own experience of following the suttas. When Bhante began to do this, he discovered firsthand the interwoven nature of the Teachings. In each sutta Bhante found the elements of the 4 Noble Truths, the 8-Fold Path and the impersonal process of Dependent Origination to be the core of the teachings. He realized that the word sutta literally meant "thread" and that the threads together created a finely woven cloth whereas, one single thread does not equal a cloth! Through his own objective experience, he found that Venerable Punnaji was right! The 8-Fold Path began to come alive with full meaning as he pursued this directive. Bhante has guided many retreats in Malaysia, Germany, Indonesia, South Korea, and several locations throughout the USA. In 2003, he founded the United international Buddha Dhamma Society [UIBDS] in 2003 and created Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center and Monastery [DSMC] in 2005 in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri near Annapolis, Missouri. He currently resides there and teaches year round personal retreats and offers private Sutta study for any interested persons. He travels during the Winter season, doing retreats and talks in Asia and Europe, though now he spends more time at his center in Missouri.
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