“When a noble disciple recollects the Dhamma, their mind becomes placid, joy arises, and the defilements of the mind are abandoned.” AN 3:70
In the suttas of the Pali Canon, we find that the Buddha talked about the noble disciple (Ariyasāvako) hundreds of times, usually in contrast with the “untaught ordinary person,” in the way they think, speak, and act – in the way they live. For example, the noble disciple is described as experiencing pleasant feeling without craving more and painful feeling without distress or confusion (MN 36). The noble disciple is described as not identifying with their body and not feeling sorrow when the body ages and becomes ill (SN 22:8). When the Dhamma is recollected, the mind of a noble disciple abandons mental defilements and joy and equanimity arise in the mind (AN 3:70). In this program, we will explore a collection of these references to gain a clear image of the mind and life of the noble disciple. Most of our time together we will be practicing the way noble disciples practice, beginning with the opportunity to take either five or eight precepts and keep noble silence. And as we investigate the Buddha’s descriptions of how a noble disciple trains, we will also investigate how to apply that training to what we are experiencing in our lives.
