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The Read out-loud/memorization Sutta project:
While developing the initial training program at DSMC in 2003, it was discovered very quickly that a student will learn faster in a particularly good way the information found in the texts by listening to the suttas very closely during evening Dhamma talks. Students discovered the true meaning when the texts mention the phrase “giving ear” which meant “giving total attention” to what was heard and repeated for better understanding. They would then go to sit in various places in the forest and practice what they remembered to verify it for themselves.
Another way the suttas were preserved after the Buddha was no longer there was through large monasteries that supported 800 or more monks responsible for memorizing and repeating in a group setting the suttas over and over again to preserve them. This was a really good way to keep them perfectly accurate. One monk would take his turn reciting the sutta while 799 listened to him very carefully to catch any mistake. If someone caught a mistake, that monk would have to go back to the beginning again. It was very accurate to keep them in this way.
The first step is learning the sutta is to listen and learn the basic meaning. The more you recite is the deeper your understanding becomes. Every time you repeat it, you learn something different to some degree.
Today many of these large monasteries are gone due to the arising of books. So there are now many different versions of translations and things are not as accurate as they were in the beginning. This was expected to eventually occur. But there is still great value in learning suttas in this way if you are a serious student or in monastic in training and really want to get to the heart of them.
In 2003, we started the program of reading out loud certain suttas and gradually, this turned into a memorization program for those who wanted to continue on further. Slowly, some students have gotten into learning certain suttas advised by Venerable Vimalaramsi to help them to recognize the signposts while passing through the aware jhanas levels, or to ingrain the meaning of Anatta perspective, or totally grasp the inter-woven relationship between Anatta-Craving-and the impersonal process of dependent Origination.
This is why we begin by reading out loud these suttas, working on only one at a time until we learn it by heart and then we keep on repeating it, by reading out loud, until we can recite it. Anyone who gets involved with this project and has any questions should get in touch with Rev. Sister Khema or Bhante Vimalaramsi to answer them.
1. Subject: Anatta Study
It is suggested that you first work with The Chachakka Sutta “Six Sets of Six” because this is easiest to get going because the design of the sutta repeats itself so often and the sections are easy to remember.
This link takes you over to your transcript:
MN-148 Six Sets of Six - Chachakka Sutta – Transcript
This link takes you over to listen to this sutta taught by Bhante Vimalaramsi. There are other links here too where Rev. Sister Khema reads the sutta out loud.
MN-148 BB
For a Detailed study of MN 148 go HERE
2. Subject : Jhana review
The second sutta is the Anupada Sutta, “One by One as they Occurred”
This sutta teaches you the description of what is experienced while practicing serenity/insight meditation as you pass through each of the four material jhanas and then the four immaterial jhanas: Learn how Sariputta progressed through these levels of meditation to achieve his goal of Nibbana. What occurred? See clearly each state as they appeared, one by one, in each jhanas level as the Buddha recounts how he passed through them. Discover for yourself each immaterial realm by clear description, and the end result.
MN-111 One by One as They Occurred - The Anupada Sutta
3. Subject: The impersonal process of Dependent Origination.
The Third sutta helps the student go more deeply into the process of dependent origination to become very familiar with how human cognition operates.
You will learn the 12 links as you keep on repeating this sutta and come to understand the full impact of how this process is interwoven with the meditation practice.
This sutta reveals the story of Sati, son of a fisherman. We hear the Buddha attempt to correct Sati’s wrong view about Consciousness and learn that Buddhism was not an eternalistic doctrine. In this sutta, through the correct teaching of how suffering arises and passes away, we learn about how Consciousness arises in the beginning of life and how all of the links of Dependent origination for the conditions for the next in line to arise. Another name for this process thus becomes ‘dependent arising’. This is one of the best ways to help you learn the links in detail.
This link takes you to your transcript:
MN-038 the Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving - Mahatanhasankhaya Sutta
This link takes you to a version of the sutta being taught by Bhante Vimalaramsi:
Watch MN-038 on Youtube
ADDITIONAL SUTTAS FOR THE READ OUT LOUD PROGRAM.
Some other suggested suttas are listed here to add to your read out loud collection.
MN-147 Shorter Discourse of Advice to Rahula- Cularahulovada Sutta
This Sutta has been extended out to its full version for better practice and understanding, eliminating all ditto marks. As you read it, consider each point individually for full benefit. This sutta helps with the clear understanding of Anatta, or the impersonal nature of the process of existence.
MN-146 Advice from Nandaka - Nandakovada Sutta
Description notes:
This sutta is a demonstration of the kind of teaching the Buddha and his monks gave to those who wanted to achieve enlightenment. A group of nuns are being taught by the Venerable Nandaka a lesson about impermanence and the impersonal nature of the Process of Dependent Origination which one can observe during the meditation session. It becomes clear that there is no controller or self (Atta) making any arising phenomena occur. So the lesson clarifies an understanding of Anicca (impermanence) and Anatta (impersonal nature of existence).
The circumstances in the opening of the sutta are interesting because the Venerable Nandaka is asked take his turn teaching a group of nuns who, it is very clear to him, through his ability to see past lives, that these women were his wives in other lifetimes before this one! He, at first, does not want to go up to where the nuns are, due to the danger of desire arising, and needs to be asked to go by the Buddha’s personal request.
In this exercise we are using the translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi from the Majjhima Nikaya, the Middle Length Sayings in order to write this out fully beyond any ditto marks.
MN-149 Great Six-fold Base - Mahaslayatanika Sutta
This Sutta is taken from "The Majjhima Nikaya: The Middle Length Sayings by Bhikkhu Bodhi and Bhikkhu Nanamoli. It had to do with ego identification and the releasing of this self-identification. It is to be read out-loud and internalized as you go along. Do not read it fast. Read it slowly and consider each part as you go along. Reading it out-loud, in English, as a group is very helpful. Although it takes a long time, it is worth the effort.
MN-028 The Greater Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant's Footprint - Mahahatthipadopama Sutta
A discussion of the Four Elements and their relationship to the meditation practice is pursued in this sutta. You go through the experience of Contact in an interesting way.
SN: 12:51 Thorough Investigation (section of: Suffering (or the Tree) - Nidanavaggasamyutta)
This discourse demonstrates for us the Buddha’s system of practicing "a thorough investigation" during meditation while attempting to discover this truth of what is real by examining the Impersonal Process of Dependent Origination, link by link. As you read this, you will observe the several linking parts of the process up close and their interconnectedness. You may recognize several of these links in particular as being part of what you have observed within your meditation. These would include your six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, and sometimes even being in a moment to moment context as you observe. The reading of the full version of this sutta often helps a person to grasp the series of links in this process more clearly and to understand what happens if one lets a feeling go as it arises. By learning to identify these links and realizing that this process is very impersonal you are can come to understand the root point of suffering. The process itself is a very applicable teaching which can then be observed with any arising phenomena at any sense door at any time using this new knowledge and sharpened awareness. After practicing releasing what arises for some time, noticing the arising and passing away, then tranquilizing the mind and body following the release, one’s mind begins to behave with a new habitual tendency to let go of that which was so bothersome in the past, that which caused stress, beginning with subtle tension, then worry, fear, hate, restlessness etc.
Eventually, one reaches a place of changing perspective gradually seeing "what is actually real". One sees feeling as just feeling and let's go of any idea of attachment or aversion to it. As we tranquilize our minds and bodies more and more, we discover a true personality change begins to take place. It is through this change we begin to become disengaged, and then disenchanted with the tensions of attachment and aversion thus finding more equanimity and balance in our lives. This is a change for the better! It is a change leading us towards real tranquility and balance. WE are now beginning to see more clearly HOW things truly work and how what is going on is not a part of a self at all but, is, in fact, a very impersonal process. This is genuine relief! It results in less stress, increased patience and more contentment in life.
The sutta also demonstrates the four noble truths within the three paragraph structure of each link defining the suffering component, its origin, and its cessation and showing the path to the cessation.
Bhante Vimalaramsi has taken out the ditto marks in this translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi so that it can be a more useful tool in your practice as you read it through. So please do read it, many times if you like, until it all becomes clear.
MN-037 The Shorter Discourse on the Destruction of Craving - Culatanhasankhaya Sutta
MEMORIZATION LIST FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS
After working for a time with the reading out loud suttas, then you move on into memorization work with the following suttas which will help you immensely in your practice.
MN-148
MN-111
MN-038
MN-010
MN-118
Edit by SK – August 23, 2013
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Sutta translations (C) Bhikkhu Bodhi 1995, 2001. All sections of the suttas are Reprinted from The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya or © Bhikkhu Bodhi 2000, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A translation of the Samyutta Nikaya with permission of Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144 U.S.A, www.wisdompubs.org
test zeezapzoo
The Read out-loud/memorization Sutta project:
While developing the initial training program at DSMC in 2003, it was discovered very quickly that a student will learn faster in a particularly good way the information found in the texts by listening to the suttas very closely during evening Dhamma talks. Students discovered the true meaning when the texts mention the phrase “giving ear” which meant “giving total attention” to what was heard and repeated for better understanding. They would then go to sit in various places in the forest and practice what they remembered to verify it for themselves.
Another way the suttas were preserved after the Buddha was no longer there was through large monasteries that supported 800 or more monks responsible for memorizing and repeating in a group setting the suttas over and over again to preserve them. This was a really good way to keep them perfectly accurate. One monk would take his turn reciting the sutta while 799 listened to him very carefully to catch any mistake. If someone caught a mistake, that monk would have to go back to the beginning again. It was very accurate to keep them in this way.
The first step is learning the sutta is to listen and learn the basic meaning. The more you recite is the deeper your understanding becomes. Every time you repeat it, you learn something different to some degree.
Today many of these large monasteries are gone due to the arising of books. So there are now many different versions of translations and things are not as accurate as they were in the beginning. This was expected to eventually occur. But there is still great value in learning suttas in this way if you are a serious student or in monastic in training and really want to get to the heart of them.
In 2003, we started the program of reading out loud certain suttas and gradually, this turned into a memorization program for those who wanted to continue on further. Slowly, some students have gotten into learning certain suttas advised by Venerable Vimalaramsi to help them to recognize the signposts while passing through the aware jhanas levels, or to ingrain the meaning of Anatta perspective, or totally grasp the inter-woven relationship between Anatta-Craving-and the impersonal process of dependent Origination.
This is why we begin by reading out loud these suttas, working on only one at a time until we learn it by heart and then we keep on repeating it, by reading out loud, until we can recite it. Anyone who gets involved with this project and has any questions should get in touch with Rev. Sister Khema or Bhante Vimalaramsi to answer them.
1. Subject: Anatta Study
It is suggested that you first work with The Chachakka Sutta “Six Sets of Six” because this is easiest to get going because the design of the sutta repeats itself so often and the sections are easy to remember.
This link takes you over to your transcript:
MN-148 Six Sets of Six - Chachakka Sutta – Transcript
This link takes you over to listen to this sutta taught by Bhante Vimalaramsi. There are other links here too where Rev. Sister Khema reads the sutta out loud.
MN-148 BB
For a Detailed study of MN 148 go HERE
2. Subject : Jhana review
The second sutta is the Anupada Sutta, “One by One as they Occurred”
This sutta teaches you the description of what is experienced while practicing serenity/insight meditation as you pass through each of the four material jhanas and then the four immaterial jhanas: Learn how Sariputta progressed through these levels of meditation to achieve his goal of Nibbana. What occurred? See clearly each state as they appeared, one by one, in each jhanas level as the Buddha recounts how he passed through them. Discover for yourself each immaterial realm by clear description, and the end result.
MN-111 One by One as They Occurred - The Anupada Sutta
3. Subject: The impersonal process of Dependent Origination.
The Third sutta helps the student go more deeply into the process of dependent origination to become very familiar with how human cognition operates.
You will learn the 12 links as you keep on repeating this sutta and come to understand the full impact of how this process is interwoven with the meditation practice.
This sutta reveals the story of Sati, son of a fisherman. We hear the Buddha attempt to correct Sati’s wrong view about Consciousness and learn that Buddhism was not an eternalistic doctrine. In this sutta, through the correct teaching of how suffering arises and passes away, we learn about how Consciousness arises in the beginning of life and how all of the links of Dependent origination for the conditions for the next in line to arise. Another name for this process thus becomes ‘dependent arising’. This is one of the best ways to help you learn the links in detail.
This link takes you to your transcript:
MN-038 the Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving - Mahatanhasankhaya Sutta
This link takes you to a version of the sutta being taught by Bhante Vimalaramsi:
Watch MN-038 on Youtube
ADDITIONAL SUTTAS FOR THE READ OUT LOUD PROGRAM.
Some other suggested suttas are listed here to add to your read out loud collection.
MN-147 Shorter Discourse of Advice to Rahula- Cularahulovada Sutta
This Sutta has been extended out to its full version for better practice and understanding, eliminating all ditto marks. As you read it, consider each point individually for full benefit. This sutta helps with the clear understanding of Anatta, or the impersonal nature of the process of existence.
MN-146 Advice from Nandaka - Nandakovada Sutta
Description notes:
This sutta is a demonstration of the kind of teaching the Buddha and his monks gave to those who wanted to achieve enlightenment. A group of nuns are being taught by the Venerable Nandaka a lesson about impermanence and the impersonal nature of the Process of Dependent Origination which one can observe during the meditation session. It becomes clear that there is no controller or self (Atta) making any arising phenomena occur. So the lesson clarifies an understanding of Anicca (impermanence) and Anatta (impersonal nature of existence).
The circumstances in the opening of the sutta are interesting because the Venerable Nandaka is asked take his turn teaching a group of nuns who, it is very clear to him, through his ability to see past lives, that these women were his wives in other lifetimes before this one! He, at first, does not want to go up to where the nuns are, due to the danger of desire arising, and needs to be asked to go by the Buddha’s personal request.
In this exercise we are using the translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi from the Majjhima Nikaya, the Middle Length Sayings in order to write this out fully beyond any ditto marks.
MN-149 Great Six-fold Base - Mahaslayatanika Sutta
This Sutta is taken from "The Majjhima Nikaya: The Middle Length Sayings by Bhikkhu Bodhi and Bhikkhu Nanamoli. It had to do with ego identification and the releasing of this self-identification. It is to be read out-loud and internalized as you go along. Do not read it fast. Read it slowly and consider each part as you go along. Reading it out-loud, in English, as a group is very helpful. Although it takes a long time, it is worth the effort.
MN-028 The Greater Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant's Footprint - Mahahatthipadopama Sutta
A discussion of the Four Elements and their relationship to the meditation practice is pursued in this sutta. You go through the experience of Contact in an interesting way.
SN: 12:51 Thorough Investigation (section of: Suffering (or the Tree) - Nidanavaggasamyutta)
This discourse demonstrates for us the Buddha’s system of practicing "a thorough investigation" during meditation while attempting to discover this truth of what is real by examining the Impersonal Process of Dependent Origination, link by link. As you read this, you will observe the several linking parts of the process up close and their interconnectedness. You may recognize several of these links in particular as being part of what you have observed within your meditation. These would include your six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, and sometimes even being in a moment to moment context as you observe. The reading of the full version of this sutta often helps a person to grasp the series of links in this process more clearly and to understand what happens if one lets a feeling go as it arises. By learning to identify these links and realizing that this process is very impersonal you are can come to understand the root point of suffering. The process itself is a very applicable teaching which can then be observed with any arising phenomena at any sense door at any time using this new knowledge and sharpened awareness. After practicing releasing what arises for some time, noticing the arising and passing away, then tranquilizing the mind and body following the release, one’s mind begins to behave with a new habitual tendency to let go of that which was so bothersome in the past, that which caused stress, beginning with subtle tension, then worry, fear, hate, restlessness etc.
Eventually, one reaches a place of changing perspective gradually seeing "what is actually real". One sees feeling as just feeling and let's go of any idea of attachment or aversion to it. As we tranquilize our minds and bodies more and more, we discover a true personality change begins to take place. It is through this change we begin to become disengaged, and then disenchanted with the tensions of attachment and aversion thus finding more equanimity and balance in our lives. This is a change for the better! It is a change leading us towards real tranquility and balance. WE are now beginning to see more clearly HOW things truly work and how what is going on is not a part of a self at all but, is, in fact, a very impersonal process. This is genuine relief! It results in less stress, increased patience and more contentment in life.
The sutta also demonstrates the four noble truths within the three paragraph structure of each link defining the suffering component, its origin, and its cessation and showing the path to the cessation.
Bhante Vimalaramsi has taken out the ditto marks in this translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi so that it can be a more useful tool in your practice as you read it through. So please do read it, many times if you like, until it all becomes clear.
MN-037 The Shorter Discourse on the Destruction of Craving - Culatanhasankhaya Sutta
MEMORIZATION LIST FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS
After working for a time with the reading out loud suttas, then you move on into memorization work with the following suttas which will help you immensely in your practice.
MN-148
MN-111
MN-038
MN-010
MN-118
Edit by SK – August 23, 2013
test zeezapzoo
Sutta translations (C) Bhikkhu Bodhi 1995, 2001. All sections of the suttas are Reprinted from The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya or © Bhikkhu Bodhi 2000, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A translation of the Samyutta Nikaya with permission of Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144 U.S.A, www.wisdompubs.org
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