Old News Archive

Summary:

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• [29 June 2004] From the Anguttara Nikaya (Nines):

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• Kotthita Sutta (AN 9.13) &mdash; With Kotthita {A iv 381} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. The holy life is lived, not with the purpose of altering the results of past actions, but with the purpose of gaining direct knowledge of the four noble truths.
• Ananda Sutta (AN 9.37) &mdash; With Ananda {A iv 426} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. On subtle states of concentration in which the sense spheres are present to one's awareness, but one is not taking mental note of them.
• Naga Sutta (AN 9.40) &mdash; The Tusker {A iv 433} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. With gentle humor, the Buddha tells how to allay the itch in your mind.
• Karaniya Metta Sutta (Snp I.8; Khp 9) &mdash; The Buddha's Words on Loving Kindess [The Amaravati Sangha, trans.]. Over the years, this popular translation of the Buddha's famous discourse on loving-kindness (metta) has appeared widely in print and on the Internet, although usually without due credit being given to its translator: the community of monks and nuns at the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery (UK). Now, properly attributed, it joins the company of four other translations of this sutta (Buddharakkhita, &Ntilde;anamoli, Piyadassi, Thanissaro). Taken altogether, these translations shed a revealing light on the original Pali text.
• [16 June 2004] From the Anguttara Nikaya (Sevens):

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• Udakupama Sutta (AN 7.15) &mdash; The Water Simile {A iv 10} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. In a beautiful progression of metaphors, the Buddha illustrates the various levels to which people allow their grasp of Dhamma to take them. How far are you willing to go?
• Mitta Sutta (AN 7.35) &mdash; A Friend {A iv 31} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. What is a true friend?
• Nagara Sutta (AN 7.63) &mdash; The Fortress {A iv 105} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Seven qualities that must be developed for the truest kind of homeland security.
• [13 June 2004] From the Anguttara Nikaya (Sixes):

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• Khema Sutta (AN 6.49) &mdash; With Khema {A iii 357} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Having abandoned all sense of self, arahants don't regard themselves as better than, worse than, or equal to anyone else.
• Siti Sutta (AN 6.85) &mdash; Cooled {A iii 434} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Six qualities required to achieve Awakening.
• Anisansa Sutta (AN 6.97) &mdash; Rewards {A iii 440} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Six rewards of stream-entry.
• Anodhi Sutta (AN 6.102) &mdash; Without Exception (1) {A iii 442}
  Anodhi Sutta (AN 6.103) &mdash; Without Exception (2) {A iii 442}
  Anodhi Sutta (AN 6.104) &mdash; Without Exception (3) {A iii 442} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. What six things motivate a monk to see for himself each one of the three characteristics of anicca, dukkha, and anatta?
• More answers to Warder: John Kelly has expanded his “Answer Key to Warder's Introduction to Pali” to include answers to exercises in the first eighteen chapters of Warder's Pali textbook.
• [9 June 2004] From the Anguttara Nikaya (Sixes):

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• Darukakhandha Sutta (AN 6.41) &mdash; The Wood Pile {A iii 340} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. If you ever wanted to know how psychic transformation works, here's a brief primer.
• Nagita Sutta (AN 6.42) &mdash; To Nagita {A iii 341} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. The Buddha, while staying in a forest grove, speaks in praise of modesty, contentment, unentanglement, and seclusion in the wilderness.
• Sanditthika Sutta (AN 6.47) &mdash; Visible Here-&-Now {A iii 355} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. A few of the more obvious ways in which the Dhamma is visible here-&-now.
• Seeking software technical assistance: I am considering putting together another free CD-ROM edition of this website. To make it even more useful than earlier editions, I would like to include a search engine right on the disk. Do you have any experience designing search engine software that could work on a CD-ROM? Requirements for the software include:
• Platform-independent: it can run on Macintosh, Windows, and Unix/Linux operating systems.
• Efficient: it is easy to use and reasonably fast.
• Inexpensive: it has a very low (preferably zero) per-unit licensing cost.

If you have any ideas as to where I might find such software, or if you might be interested in writing it (for free), let's talk ! </ul>

• [6 June 2004] From the Anguttara Nikaya (Sevens and Eights):

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• Sa&ntilde;&ntilde;a Sutta (AN 7.46) &mdash; Perceptions {A iv 46} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Seven inner reflections that are well worth pursuing.
• Avyakata Sutta (AN 7.51) &mdash; Undeclared {A iv 67} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Why does doubt not arise in the mind of a stream-enterer?
• Arakenanusasani Sutta (AN 7.70) &mdash; Araka's Teachings {A iv 136} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Seven beautiful similes on the brevity of the human lifespan. Use your short time here well!
• Aja&ntilde;&ntilde;a Sutta (AN 8.13) &mdash; The Thoroughbred {A iv 188} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Eight praiseworthy qualities that a good monk possesses.
• [22 May 2004] From the Khuddaka Nikaya:

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• Excerpts from the Milindapa&ntilde;ha. The Milindapa&ntilde;ha (“The Questions of King Milinda”) is a collection of Dhamma debates between the arahant Nagasena and the Bactrian Greek king Milinda (Menander). Although this work post-dates the Buddha himself by several centuries, students of Buddhism around the world have long held it in high esteem as an authoritative text that sheds a helpful light on some of the more difficult points of Dhamma. This sampling of passages from the Milindapa&ntilde;ha, translated from the Pali by John Kelly, gives a taste of what the text offers.
• I have revamped the Khuddaka Nikaya page and added my recommendations for print editions of English translations of each of the books in this Nikaya.
• [9 May 2004] From the Majjhima Nikaya

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• Alagaddupama Sutta (MN 22) &mdash; The Water-Snake Simile {M i 130} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Using two famous similes, the Buddha shows how the development of right view calls for the skillful application both of grasping and of letting-go. The sutta concludes with one of the Canon's most important expositions on the topic of not-self.
• [3 May 2004] From the Anguttara Nikaya, Tens

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• Samadhi Sutta (AN 10.6) &mdash; Concentration {A v 7} and Sariputta Sutta (AN 10.7) &mdash; With Sariputta {A v 8}
  

[Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Two descriptions of the concentration in which the mind is inclined towards the Deathless.

• Ariyavasa Sutta (AN 10.20) &mdash; Dwellings of the Noble Ones {A v 30} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Qualities of mind in which noble ones are at home.
• Kosala Sutta (AN 10.29) &mdash; The Kosalan {A v 59} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Like supremacy in the human and deva worlds, exalted states of mind &mdash; even experiences of all-encompassing white light and non-dual consciousness &mdash; are all subject to change and aberration. Some people criticized the Buddha for showing the way to freedom from this change and aberration. In this sutta the Buddha offers a series of contemplations for inducing disenchantment and dispassion for even the most supreme things in the cosmos.
• Kathavatthu Sutta (AN 10.70) &mdash; Topics of Conversation (2) {A v 129} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Right speech is most praiseworthy when you embody the good things you talk about.

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• [6 April 2004] From the Anguttara Nikaya, Nines

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• Samiddhi Sutta (AN 9.14) &mdash; About Samiddhi {A iv 382} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Where do thoughts and intentions come from?
• Ganda Sutta (AN 9.15) &mdash; A Boil {A iv 384} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Nine good reasons not to get enchanted with the body.
• Sa&ntilde;&ntilde;a Sutta (AN 9.16) &mdash; Perceptions {A iv 386} [Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans.]. Nine useful perceptions.

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