Excursions into the Thought-World of the Pali

For those who approach Buddhism as a system of mental development, this book is a reliable and accessible guide to understanding the significance of themes from the Pali discourses. Themes include grasping, right view, craving, passion, contemplation of feeling, happiness, and liberation. A rare combination of scholarly rigor and extensive meditation experience from the author provides veracity to these studies and explorations.

Bhikkhu Analayo was ordained as a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, where he completed his PhD. His thesis was subsequently published as Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization. He is a leading scholar in research on early Buddhism, having written more than 200 academic publications, and is a professor of Buddhist Studies and Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy and is an associate professor at the Center for Buddhist Studies, University of Hamburg.

Introduction	p. 1
Craving / Tanha	p. 3
Craving Imagery	p. 3
Types of Craving	p. 9
The Arising of Craving	p. 17
The Cessation of Craving	p. 20
The Path to Freedom from Craving	p. 21
Grasping / Upadana	p. 26
Grasping at Sensual Pleasures	p. 26
Grasping at Views	p. 28
Grasping at Rules and Observances	p. 30
Grasping at a Doctrine of Self	p. 31
The Five Aggregates [Affected by] Clinging	p. 34
Grasping and Nibbana	p. 35
Freedom from Grasping	p. 37
Passion / Raga	p. 39
The Nature of Passion	p. 39
The Removal of Passion	p. 44
Passion and Dispassion	p. 45
Ill-will / Vyapada	p. 54
Manifestations of Ill-will	p. 54
The Arising and Consequences of Ill-will	p. 59
How to Overcome Ill-will	p. 61
Sloth-and-torpor / Thinamiddha	p. 66
The Nature of Sloth-and-torpor	p. 66
The Removal of Sloth-and-torpor	p. 68
Restlessness-and-worry / Uddhaccakukkucca	p. 71
Restlessness	p. 71
Worry	p. 74
Restlessness-and-worry	p. 75
Doubt / Vicikiccha	p. 78
The Nature of Doubt	p. 78
Doubt and Investigation	p. 80
Personality View / Sakkayaditthi	p. 85
Manifestations of Personality View	p. 85
Removal of Personality View	p. 90
Right View / Sammaditthi	p. 93
Wrong View	p. 93
Right View and Investigation	p. 95
Right View as the Forerunner of the Path	p. 97
Arrival at Right View	p. 99
Right View and the Four Noble Truths	p. 100
Volitional Formations / Sankhara	p. 104
Sankharas as an Aggregate	p. 105
Sankharas as a Link in Dependent Arising	p. 109
Sankharas in General	p. 113
Thought / Vitakka	p. 118
The Ethical Perspective on Thought	p. 119
The Arising of Thought	p. 120
The Vitakkasanthana-sutta	p. 123
Vitakka in Meditation	p. 127
Thought Imagery	p. 129
Feeling / Vedana	p. 132
The Nature of Feelings	p. 132
Bodily and Mental Feelings	p. 135
Feelings and Karmic Retribution	p. 139
Feelings and Views	p. 141
Contemplation of feelings / Vedananupassana	p. 143
The Analysis of Feelings	p. 143
Feelings and Mental Reactions	p. 145
The Potential of Contemplating Feelings	p. 147
Feelings and Impermanence	p. 149
The Significance of Dukkha	p. 151
Happiness / Sukha	p. 153
Types of Happiness	p. 153
The Ethical Perspective on Happiness	p. 155
Happiness and the Development of the Mind	p. 158
Equanimity / Upekkha	p. 164
Equanimity towards Sensory Experience	p. 164
Equanimity as a Divine Abode	p. 166
Equanimity as a Factor of Awakening	p. 170
Knowledge and Vision according to Reality / Yathabhutananadassana	p. 176
The Implications of yathabhuta	p. 176
Knowledge and Vision	p. 178
The Buddha's Awakening	p. 179
The Development of 'Yathabhutananadassana	p. 183
Wise Attention / Yoniso Manasikara	p. 193
Wise (Yoniso)	p. 193
Attention (Manasikara)	p. 196
The Implications of Wise Attention	p. 196
The Importance of Wise Attention	p. 202
Insight / Vipassana	p. 206
The Significance of Insight	p. 206
Insight and Mindfulness	p. 213
The Insight Knowledges	p. 221
Tranquillity & Insight / Samatha & Vipassana	p. 229
Cooperation between Tranquillity and Insight	p. 229
Sequence of Practising Tranquillity and Insight	p. 232
Concentration / Samadhi	p. 236
The Development of Concentration	p. 238
Absorption	p. 243
Supernormal Abilities	p. 246
Concentration and Awakening	p. 252
Seclusion / Viveka	p. 258
Living in Seclusion	p. 258
Silence	p. 261
Mental Seclusion	p. 264
Letting go / Vossagga	p. 266
Letting go	p. 266
Giving up	p. 268
Emptiness / Sunnata	p. 272
The Significance of the Term 'Empty'	p. 272
The Culasunnata-sutta	p. 274
The Mahasunnata-sutta	p. 277
Other Passages on Emptiness	p. 279
Liberation / Vimutti	p. 282
The Eight Deliverances	p. 282
Liberation of the Mind	p. 289
Occasions for Attaining Liberation	p. 296
Liberated Beings?	p. 299
The Path to Liberation	p. 302
Abbreviations	p. 08
Bibliography	p. 309
Index	p. 313
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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Excursions into the Thought-World of the Pali Discourses

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials