Buddhist Meditation: An Anthology of Texts from the Pali Canon

by Shaw; Sarah

• ISBN13: 9780415359184
• ISBN10: 041535918X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-04-07
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Meditative practice lies at the heart of the Buddhist tradition. This introductory anthology gives a representative sample of the various kinds of meditations described in the earliest body of Buddhist scripture, the Pali canon. It provides a broad introduction to their traditional context and practice and supplies explanation, context and doctrinal background to the subject of meditation. The main themes of the book are the diversity and flexibility of the way that the Buddha teaches meditation from the evidence of the canon. Covering fundamental features of Buddhist practice such as posture, lay meditation, and meditative technique and providing comments both from the principal early commentators on Buddhist practice, Upatissa and Buddhaghosa, and from reputable modern meditation teachers in a number of Theravadin traditions, this is the first book on Pali Buddhism which introduces the reader to the wide range of the canon. It should be of interest to students and scholars of Buddhism as well as Buddhistpractitioners.

Author Biography

Sarah Shaw read Greek and English at Manchester University

Table of Contents

Preface	xii
Acknowledgements	xiv
Translator's note	xv
List of abbreviations	xvi
1 Introduction	1	(20)
What is meditation?	1	(3)
The early manuals	4	(2)
The classification of meditation objects	6	(2)
Different temperaments	8	(2)
Finding a teacher or good friend	10	(2)
Laypeople and the practice of meditation	12	(3)
Sitting posture	15	(3)
Samatha and vipassana	18	(3)
2 Meditation: introductory texts	21	(18)
Enlightenment (1)	21	(1)
Enlightenment (2)	21	(1)
Enlightenment (3)	22	(1)
Seclusion	22	(1)
Meditation	23	(1)
Starting meditation	24	(4)
The good friend	28	(1)
The simile of the sun	29	(1)
Companionship	30	(1)
The mind	31	(2)
The skilful mind and body	33	(2)
Dispositions	35	(1)
Two elephant kings	36	(3)
3 The five hindrances	39	(20)
Definition of each hindrance	40	(1)
The world of the senses	41	(2)
Dealing with the hindrances in practice	43	(1)
Vijitasena	44	(1)
Purification	45	(1)
Six hindrances	46	(2)
Abandoning the hindrances (nivaranappahana)	48	(1)
Asking for help	49	(2)
Assessing one's own mind	51	(2)
Particular hindrances	53	(6)
4 Longer texts: I. Concentration and the fruits of recluseship – the Samannaphala-Sutta	59	(17)
The background story	59	(2)
The fruits of the recluse	61	(1)
The hindrances	61	(1)
The jhanas	62	(14)
5 Longer texts: II. The four foundations of mindfulness – the Satipaghana-Sutta	76	(10)
6 1-10. The ten kasha practices	86	(15)
Instructions concerning the device	87	(12)
Elements	99	(2)
7 11-20. The ten foulness (asubha)	101	(8)
Ugliness	105	(1)
Kulla	106	(1)
An emergency	106	(3)
8 The recollections: the first six	109	(26)
The recollections (Anussati): (21-26) The six recollections	109	(1)
21-23. The Triple Gem	110	(3)
21. Recollection of the Buddha (Buddhanussati)	113	(6)
22. Recollection of the dhamma (dhammanussati)	119	(3)
23. Recollection of the sangha (sanghänussati)	122	(1)
24. Recollection of virtue (silanussati)	123	(2)
25. Recollection of generosity (caganussati)	125	(2)
26. Recollection of devas (devatanussati)	127	(8)
9 The recollections: the four mindfulnesses	135	(28)
27. Mindfulness of death (maranasati)	135	(5)
28. Mindfulness of body (kayagatasati)	140	(6)
29. Breathing mindfulness (anapanasati)	146	(12)
30. Recollection of peace (upasamanussati)	158	(5)
10 31-34. The four divine abidings (brahmavihara)	163	(10)
Loving-kindness (metta)	163	(2)
Compassion	165	(1)
Sympathetic joy	165	(1)
Equanimity	165	(8)
11 35-38. Meditation on the formless (ariipasamäpatti)	173	(10)
Nirodha samapatti	176	(1)
Buddhaghosa and Upatissa: the sphere of infinite space	176	(1)
The sphere of infinite consciousness	177	(1)
The sphere of nothingness	177	(1)
The sphere of neither perception nor non perception	178	(1)
The eight jhanas and the cessation of perception and feeling	179	(4)
12 The one perception and the one defining	183	(11)
39. The perception of loathsomeness in food (ahare patikkulasanna)	183	(3)
40. The defining of the four elements (Catudhatuvavatthanam/ekam vavatthaman)	186	(8)
Conclusion	194	(5)
Glossary	199	(4)
Notes	203	(19)
Canonical references	222	(3)
Bibliography	225	(8)
Index	233