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This volume is published from the posthumous papers of the late
Venerable Bhikkhu Ñanamoli, whose life sketch appears at the end
of this book. The bulk of the book had received its final form by the
author himself and the typescript had been carefully and neatly prepared by him. The introduction, however, was marked as a draft
and appendices mentioned in the manuscript were not found
among the author’s papers. More than half of the texts in this book
had been published before, in serial form, in a fortnightly Buddhist
periodical, Buddha Jayanthi (Colombo, 1954-1956), though some
renderings were different. For the present version, the late author
had revised and considerably expanded his translation of canonical
texts and had added the ingeniously devised framework of the book,
incorporating ample material from non-canonical sources. This
arrangement of the book is explained in the prefatory section,
“Voices.”
He had also experimented with new renderings of a number of
doctrinal and other terms. But in the case of five of these, the editor
thought it advisable to return to the author’s earlier renderings as
they appeared in Buddha Jayanthi and in his translation of the Visuddhimagga. References to some of these few alterations have
been made in the editor’s footnotes. As shown by handwritten
changes in the manuscript, the author had found that some of his
new renderings could not be consistently applied in all contexts—a
fact that contributed to the editor’s decision to prefer the author’s
earlier renderings in those few instances.
Chapter 1 Reflecting on old age, disease, and death [page] 12
Chapter 2 Recollecting one’s wholesome conduct 21
Chapter 3 Distinguishing between wholesome and unwholesome thoughts 30
Chapter 4 Noting the divine quality of a concentrated mind 40
Chapter 5 Contemplating emptiness 50
Chapter 6 Working with five methods to remove distraction 59
Chapter 7 Mindfulness of breathing in sixteen steps 67
Chapter 8 Cultivating contentment 76
Chapter 9 Rejoicing in wholesome states of mind 85
Chapter 10 Contemplating feelings 94
Chapter 11 Contemplating dharmas 104
Chapter 12 Contemplating consciousness and name-and-form 113
Chapter 13 Cultivating dispassion, cessation, and letting go 123
Chapter 14 Arousing compassion 132
Chapter 15 Balancing the awakening factors 141
Chapter 16 Applying the four truths to daily practice 151
Chapter 17 Inclining the mind towards Nirvāṇa 160
Chapter 18 Recollecting the Dharma 169
Chapter 19 Cultivating equanimity 178
Chapter 20 Non-attachment to views 187
Chapter 21 Perception of space as a mode of dwelling in emptiness 196
Chapter 22 Clear comprehension in daily activities 206
Chapter 23 Mindfulness of death 214
Chapter 24 Recollecting the community 224
Conclusion Recollecting the Buddha 231
While Buddha Śākyamuni is residing in the Sudharmā assembly hall in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he explains to the great bodhisattva Maitreya four factors that make it possible to overcome the effects of any negative deeds one has committed. These four are: the action of repentance, which involves feeling remorse; antidotal action, which is to practice virtue as a remedy to non-virtue; the power of restraint, which involves vowing not to repeat a negative act; and the power of support, which means taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and never forsaking the mind of awakening. The Buddha concludes by recommending that bodhisattvas regularly recite this sūtra and reflect on its meaning as an antidote to any further wrongdoing.
Ácariya Buddharakkhita's booklet Mettá: The Philosophy and Practice of Universal Love
Quote:
Introduction
1. The Karanìya Mettá Sutta - Hymn of Universal Love
2. The Background to the Mettá Sutta
3. Three Aspects of Mettá
4. The Ethics of Mettá
5. The Psychology of Mettá
6. Meditation on Mettá
7. The Blessings of Mettá
8. The Power of Mettá
The Pali word mettá is a multi-significant term meaning loving kindness, friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, fellowship, amity, concord, inoffensiveness and non-violence. Essentially mettá is an altruistic attitude of love and friendliness as distinguished from mere amiability based on self-interest.
One whose mind does not shake when touched by worldly conditions, sorrowless, dust-free, secure: this is the highest blessing.
Buddha, Suttanipata
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