Insight Journal: Your new book, Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhānas, came out this October. Can you tell us a little about it? Leigh Brasington: The first part is basically the instructions I give during a retreat. I start out by saying, “You can't learn the jhānas from a book, but if you want to learn the jhānas from a book, here's the best that I can do.” There’s an introduction to what the jhānas are, as well as a bit about the necessary prerequisites like sīla, guarding … [Read more...]
Long Retreats, Selfie Sticks, and the Five Faculties
Winnie Nazarko
IJ: Maybe we can start by talking about your own practice. Do you find that practice changes much from day to day, week to week, or month to month? WN: There’s some variation. Since I did a retreat a few years ago with Pa Auk Sayadaw, that great concentration master, I often include periods of jhāna practice, where I work directly with the breath and with material jhānas, and perhaps go into mettā from there. IJ: You participated in that somewhat famous 4-month retreat with Pa … [Read more...]
Mettā: What It Is, What It Isn’t
Shaila Catherine
Insight Journal: How has your relationship to mettā changed over the years? Shaila Catherine: When I was first introduced to meditation in the 1980s, the classic model was a 10-day meditation retreat emphasizing mindfulness. At some point during each retreat there would be a guided mettā meditation. And I have to admit that at first I hated it. IJ: Why did you hate it? SC: I really liked the silence of mindfulness practice, and all the phrases felt disruptive. It was hard enough for me … [Read more...]
Cultivating the Brahmavihāras
Bhikkhu Anālayo
An Interview with Bhikkhu Anālayo on his new book, Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation Insight Journal: Bhante, most people know you for your work with the satipaṭṭhānas. Why now this book on the brahmavihāras? Bhikkhu Anālayo: For one, it reflects my own practice. For me, satipatthāna is the very foundation. But this foundation does not stand on its own. It also has its complement in the brahmavihāra practice, in particular as it fulfills samatha—tranquility—meditation. … [Read more...]
The Dynamics of Theravāda Insight Meditation
Bhikkhu Anālayo
Abstract With the present paper, I intend to bring out key aspects of the practical dynamics that underlies insight meditation in the Theravāda tradition. I start with a brief survey of three modern day insight meditation traditions (I), followed by examining their common roots in the medieval scheme of insight knowledges (II), which in turn I trace back to the early discourses in the Pāli Nikāyas (III). (I) Three Insight Meditation Traditions In modern days, the three probably most popular … [Read more...]
The Four Assemblies and Theravāda Buddhism
Bhikkhu Anālayo
Introduction In this paper I examine two significant developments in the Theravāda tradition from the viewpoint of the Pāli canonical teaching that the four assemblies—bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay disciples, and female lay disciples—are the necessary foundation for the Buddha’s teaching to thrive. These two developments are the revival of lay meditation and the revival of bhikkhunī ordination. The Four Assemblies According to the Mahāparinibbāna-sutta of the Dīgha-nikāya, the Buddha … [Read more...]
After Buddhism
Stephen Batchelor
A New Idiom for a Pragmatic, Ethical Culture Based on the Teachings of Gotama Stephen teaches courses on Buddhism and leads meditation retreats all over the world. He is a guiding teacher at Gaia House and translator and author of various books and articles including the bestselling Buddhism Without Beliefs, Living with the Devil: A Meditation on Good and Evil, and Confession of a Buddhist Atheist. Stephen's new book, After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age, will be available … [Read more...]
Insecurity, Self-Criticism, and Impermanence
Paul Fulton
Paul Fulton is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Newton, Massachusetts. A co-founder and member of the Board of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, he is also co-editor of the book Mindfulness & Psychotherapy. He received tokudo initiation as a Zen Buddhist in 1972. He is director of IMP’s nine month Certificate Program in Mindfulness & Psychotherapy, has taught at BCBS, and currently serves on the BCBS Board of Directors. Scratch the surface of the most … [Read more...]
Love and Compassion in the Visuddhimagga
Maria Heim
Maria Heim is Professor of Buddhist Studies in the Religion Department at Amherst College, MA. She specializes in Pali Buddhism, and her recent book is entitled “The Forerunner of All Things: Buddhaghosa on Mind, Intention, and Agency.” She is currently working on a book on emotions in premodern South Asian texts and a second one on interpreting the Buddha’s words. Insight Journal: Tell us something about your path to the Dharma. Maria Heim: I became interested in Buddhist philosophy … [Read more...]
Cultivating Bodhicitta
William Edelglass
Wisdom and Compassion in Śāntideva’s Introduction to the Awakened Life William Edelglass is Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies at Marlboro College in Vermont. He has a background sitting in Zen, Vipassanā, and Tibetan traditions. William has published widely in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, environmental philosophy, and 20th-century European philosophy. He is co-editor of the journal Environmental Philosophy. William is also co-editor of Buddhist Philosophy: Essential … [Read more...]
