Courses / Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life /

07 Mindfulness of Breathing

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Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life

B. Alan Wallace
03 Sep 2013 – 25 Oct 2013
Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand

Alan Wallace Fall 2013 8-Week retreat on Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life, including teachings on the Seven-Point Mind-Training and A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, by B. Alan Wallace at the Thanyapura Mind Centre in Phuket, Thailand, from September 2nd- October 28th, 2013

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B. Alan Wallace, 06 Sep 2013

We immediately start with a meditation session. After the guided meditation, a question comes up about the role of pain in meditation, based on a comment from an abbot who claimed that pain is a goal to reach Nirvana, and a comfortable position during meditation is not suitable for reaching Nirvana.
Dr. Wallace goes into this question using references from the Pali Canon, Theravada tradition and Tibetan tradition. He shows that such a claim about pain as a goal to Nirvana is nowhere to be found. On the contrary, adopting a position that is most suitable during meditation is strongly recommended (Buddhaghosa).

Meditation starts at: 0:35

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