Once upon a time there was a child whose heart and mind were as pure as snow. But she came under the power of a wicked queen whom we shall call Māra, ruler of illusion, greed, and hatred. To free herself from Māra's huntsman, the child sets out on a journey through the dark forest. The journey leads to discovery and, despite Māra's attempts to poison her, to awakening and true happiness. There are many stories that come to us from Asia, called Jātaka tales, about the Buddha's lives as a … [Read more...]
The Tathāgata Is “Truly Gone”
Andrew Olendzki
"In ancient times when seafaring merchants put to sea in ships, they took with them a bird to sight land. When the ship was out of site of land, they released the bird; and it flew eastward and westward, northward and southward, upward and all around. And if the bird sighted land nearby, it was truly gone; but if the bird saw no land, it returned to the ship." - Anguttara Nikaya 6.54 The word used here for "truly gone" is tathāgatako (translated by E.M. Hare in the PTS edition as "gone for … [Read more...]
Investigation: Listening as Deeply as We Possibly Can
Narayan & Michael Liebenson Grady
Narayan and Michael Liebenson Grady live in Cambridge and teach at the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center. This article is excerpted from a program the two offered at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies on October 21, 1995. Narayan: We may hear the word "investigation" and think it has only to do with analyzing, because in our education and in our culture this is what is meant by investigation. Although using thought skillfully is certainly a level of investigation, a deeper level of … [Read more...]
Renunciation: The Highest Happiness
Sister Siripaññā
On March 29-31, 1996 Sister Siripañña, from the Amaravati monastic community in England, assisted by Sister Thaniyā, offered a weekend program at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies entitled "Renunciation: The Highest Happiness." These are just a few excerpts from that rich and diverse program. I once saw a cartoon strip about a little character called Hagar the Horrible. It really summed up for me what so many people seem to feel about the theme of renunciation. Hagar is climbing a … [Read more...]
Māra Meets His Match (Samyutta Nikāya 1.5.2)
Andrew Olendzki
The nun Somā has entered Andhavana (Blind Man's Grove) near Sāvatthi to practice meditation. Māra, the embodiment of delusion, sees her there and desires to make her waver and abandon her concentration. He addresses her with a verse: This, in my view, is the definitive statement in the Buddhist tradition regarding the equality of the sexes. Whatever other words have crept into the literature—from ancient times to the present—whatever attitudes may have been expressed by Theras, Lamas, Roshis … [Read more...]
Very Good Dharma Friends
Stephen & Martine Batchelor
Stephen Batchelor and Martine Batchelor, both with extensive backgrounds in monastic Buddhism, are currently lay dharma teachers, practitioners and authors of a number of important books. Naming only a few, Martine has written Walking on Lotus Flowers: Buddhist Women Living, Loving and Meditating; and has co-edited Buddhism and Ecology. Stephen has written Alone with Others, Faith to Doubt, and The Awakening of the West; and they have cooperated on The Way of Korean Zen. They live in South … [Read more...]