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Dhamma Study Group, Oak Park, IL

What guides our meditation & daily practice of Dhamma? Right Understanding guides the path and itself arises from study & reflection. Consequently, Liberation Park encourages wise study of the Buddha's teaching as found in the Pali Suttas.

We meet every month or two, usually on a Sunday when Santikaro can come down from Liberation Park. We begin with a 30 minute meditation, followed by a talk on the topic, a short break and a discussion. Prior reading of the material is required for attendance at the class.

Time & Location: 518 Belleforte Ave in Oak Park, 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Next session: June 29th

We will continue our discussion of readings from Buddhism in All Aspects. The core of this new book is Ajahn Buddhadasa's explanation of what he takes to be the original paticca-samuppada (dependent co-origination) teachings of the Buddha. The next chapters investigate the details of how suffering is concocted out of ignorance, craving, and clinging.

Santikaro is preparing a manuscript of Ajahn Buddhadasa's teachings for publication and will share with us chapters seven thru nine (to be posted in June).

Previous sessions

Saturday January 5th 2008

Sutta (MN 70): The Discourse at Kitagiri (alternative translation)

Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, p. 577ff.

Audio of our discussion: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

This sutta appears among an interesting string of suttas (late 60s thru 70s) that largely deal with topics that modern 'lay practitioners" (not that we want to overdo that distinction) easily over look. Here, the Buddha starts with the practice of abstaining from eating at night. Is this just a monastic practice or should we inquiry more carefully? From there he considers the relationship between feelings (pleasant, unpleasant, and neither) and whether wholesomeness or unwholesomeness follows them. Then he surveys a range of spiritual maturities, most of which have more work to do.

He concludes with a summary of the gradual training he advocates and how a faithful disciple relates to that training. Like many suttas, this one is addressed to monks. To what degree may non-monastics apply it to their own lives, seemingly so distant in time, space, and lifestyle?

April, May, & June 2008

We discussed drafts of Buddhism in All Aspects, a new translation that Santikaro is working on. The core of this new book is Ajahn Buddhadasa's explanation of what he takes to be the original paticca-samuppada (dependent co-origination) teachings of the Buddha. We hope that it will be published in 2009.