Favourite or Inspiring Suttas Given to Non-Monastics

It could be interpreted that way, but I have my doubts as to that being the intended meaning for householders - especially for women of that culture - that would be a good way to be called lazy. (Editted)

Just in case anyone is interested, the Pali is “Appakicco”, from kp9

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Yes! The part that you cited about laziness really rings true!
The two sections that follow “Fake friends” and “good hearted friends” is also really applicable for the modern layperson. I want to read those sections to my own teenage children and to my middle school students! So much of my 20’s and 30’s were spent trying to identify those “takers” in my life and getting rid of them. Now I seek out people who are true and are good for my growth as a person. The following can be a checklist for relationships…
This is one thing I love about reading the suttas, they are usually filled with common sense that can be applied to 2018 life.

“Householder’s son, you should recognize these four enemies disguised as friends: the taker, the talker, the flatterer, the spender.
You can recognize a fake friend who’s all take on four grounds.
_Your possessions end up theirs. _
_Giving little, they expect a lot. _
_They do their duty out of fear. _
They associate for their own advantage.
You can recognize a fake friend who’s all take on these four grounds."
“Householder’s son, you should recognize these four good-hearted friends: the helper, the friend in good times and bad, the counselor, and the one who’s compassionate.

You can recognize a good-hearted friend who’s a helper on four grounds. They guard you when you’re negligent. They guard your property when you’re negligent. They keep you safe in times of danger. When something needs doing, they supply you with twice the money you need. You can recognize a good-hearted friend who’s a helper on these four grounds.
You can recognize a good-hearted friend who’s the same in good times and bad on four grounds. They tell you secrets. They keep your secrets. They don’t abandon you in times of trouble. They’d even give their life for you. You can recognize a good-hearted friend who’s the same in good times and bad on these four grounds.
You can recognize a good-hearted friend who’s a counselor on four grounds. They keep you from doing bad. They support you in doing good. They teach you what you do not know. They explain the path to heaven. You can recognize a good-hearted friend who’s a counselor on these four grounds.
You can recognize a good-hearted friend who’s compassionate on four grounds. They don’t delight in your misfortune. They delight in your good fortune. They keep others from criticizing you. They encourage praise of you. You can recognize a good-hearted friend who’s compassionate on these four grounds.”

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Yes, that’s a good point. The Commentaries (such as the Visuddhimagga) speak of “near” and “far” enemies of the Brahmaviharas. In the case of Metta, the “far enemy” is ill will, the “near enemy” is selfish affection.

So, I think you are right. There is never anything wrong with metta, but someone in a greedy/lustful state may confuse metta with selfish emotions.

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I’ve always been thoroughly delighted by the teaching given to the Brahmins of Sala (MN 41). In many ways I guess it could be taken as a pretty boring, run-of-the-mill sutta, but I just love it and it typically gives me this weird (for its, so to speak, inexplicable and spontaneously arising) happiness to read through the description of what constitutes wholesome conduct.

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https://suttacentral.net/an5.176/en/sujato

Householders, you have supplied the mendicant Saṅgha with robes, alms-food, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. But you should not be content with just this much. So you should train like this: ‘How can we, from time to time, enter and dwell in the rapture of seclusion?’ That’s how you should train.”

At a time when a noble disciple enters and dwells in the rapture of seclusion, five things aren’t present in him. The pain and sadness connected with sensual pleasures. The pleasure and happiness connected with sensual pleasures. The pain and sadness connected with the unskillful. The pleasure and happiness connected with the unskillful. The pain and sadness connected with the skillful. At a time when a noble disciple enters and dwells in the rapture of seclusion, these five things aren’t present in him.”

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I’m really fond of this sutta, too. The Buddha frequently emphasized the importance of cultivating virtue—especially to householders. One can’t hope to attain any level of peace of mind while lying, stealing, and killing.

Noticed something peculiar about this sutta. It lists the pain and sadness and the pleasure and happiness connected with sensual pleasures and the unskillful, but it doesn’t list the pleasure and happiness connected with the skilful. Perhaps it was omitted so the sutta would fit in the book of fives?

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Amen to that! To my own tastes I’d also give explicit mention to the slightly less coarse unwholesome actions too, and in particular flag up the deeds of mind, not least:

They have ill will and hateful intentions: ‘May these sentient beings be killed, slaughtered, slain, destroyed, or annihilated!’

In my own terms I’m inclined to extend this out to include not quite so murderous forms of anger. The more I’ve considered it, the more I’ve recognised how much of an obstacle a fairly subtle (usually. ish. :slightly_frowning_face:) ‘baseline’ irritation has been to me.

Also, on the other side, I’d really want to emphasise the positive qualities outline in this sutta and the joy taken from them. As far as I can tell (which, of course, I have to stress isn’t very far), it is cultivating wholesome joy that provides the foundation for a stable peace to emerge.

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@tonysharp Or perhaps, with a focus on renunciation, possible confusion in seeking is avoided? From "How can we, from time to time, enter and dwell in the rapture of seclusion?’ That’s how you should train.” one moves towards perhaps a quietness of mind, a contentment and being Present in seclusion?

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Perhaps the rapture of seclusion is the pleasure and happiness of the skillful?

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The Abhiṇhapaccavekkhitabbaṭhāna Sutta (AN 5.57) is unique in that it’s very forthright about the completion of the spiritual life being for everyone—householders, renunciants, women, men, and, presumably, everyone on the gender spectrum.

“Mendicants, a woman or a man, a layperson or a renunciate should often reflect on these five subjects. What five? ‘I am liable to grow old, I am not exempt from old age.’ … ‘I am liable to get sick, I am not exempt from sickness.’ … ‘I am liable to die, I am not exempt from death.’ … ‘I must be parted and separated from all I hold dear and beloved.’ … ‘I am the owner of my deeds and heir to my deeds. Deeds are my womb, my relative, and my refuge. I shall be the heir of whatever deeds I do, whether good or bad.’ A woman or a man, a layperson or a renunciate should often reflect on this.”

Same. I’m pretty angry. Like, even right now I’m kinda angry, lol. This is usually because of dissatisfaction. I’m working on countering this by being more proactive and content with what I already have, but it ain’t easy.

Well said.

:pray:

Another aspect of the Sāleyyaka Sutta that I appreciate is that, like SN 55.7, it presents an alternative goal for those unable to abandon all attachments and desires due to work or family obligations. Buddhism sometimes gets a bad rap for being very renunciatory, but there are teachings for everyone at all levels.

Makes sense. The structure just struck me as peculiar because I’m used to seeing a symmetry in these kinds of suttas, where each point has a counterpoint. But I digress.

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MN60 Guarenteed

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Bhikkhu Ṭhānissaro wrote an informative introduction for this sutta.

The opening paragraph:

The Buddha often likened himself to a doctor, offering a treatment for the sufferings of the heart. Unlike ordinary doctors, however, he could not show newcomers the state of health—nibbāna—that his teaching was supposed to produce. If they followed his teaching, they would see it for themselves. But until they followed his teaching, he could offer them no empirical proof that nibbāna was a genuine possibility. As he stated in MN 27, the proof that he was awakened—and that awakening was a good thing—came with one’s first taste of the deathless, at the first level of awakening, called stream-entry. However, stream-entry could be attained only through a serious commitment to the practice. Thus he had to provide other, non-empirical, means of persuasion to induce his listeners to give his teachings a serious try.

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This week I stumbled upon a helpful and timely reminder from SN 7.2 on maintaining composure with difficult people. Taking on someone else’s hostility only worsens matters, and doesn’t solve anything.

When you get angry at an angry person
you just make things worse for yourself.
When you don’t get angry at an angry person
you win a battle hard to win.

When you know that the other is angry,
you act for the good of both
yourself and the other
if you’re mindful and stay calm.

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thank you @tonysharp . Very nice sutta.

=D Sometimes, the difficult person with whom i need to maintain composure is myself. Getting angry with myself also can just worsen matters, and waste energy, attention, etc. And at a time (as it goes) when there are interesting, useful things to notice…

:slight_smile: tyvm. Helpful & timely for me, too.

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One I like is the Nakulapita Sutta (SN 22.1) where the old layman Nakulapita is told by the Buddha to train thus: ‘Even though I am afflicted in body, my mind will be unafflicted.’ Ven Sariputta further explains to him how this is practiced: by not regarding the aggregates as self or mine. I’m not that old myself, but have a fair share of chronic pains and physical issues. Practicing this way is helpful for lifting the mind above these inevitable life experiences. This sutta also shows, like quite a few others, that deep teachings like anatta are given and explained to lay followers.

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In the introduction of Bhikkhu Bodhi’s Suttanipāta translation from Wisdom Publications, I saw an interesting note on how the collection addresses lay ethics. I’ll quote part of it here and link the suttas for those who may be interested.

"The Suttanipāta contains five discourses, popular in character, that have served as sources of moral guidance for lay Buddhists through the centuries. These are the Parābhava (snp 1.6: mills/than), the Vasala (snp 1.7: mills/than), the Āmagandha (snp 2.2: mills/than), the Mahāmaṅgala (snp 2.4: brahmali/than), and the Dhammika Suttas (snp 2.14: mills/than). (…)

In the living Theravāda tradition three discourses in the Suttanipāta—­the Mahāmaṅgala (snp 2.4: brahmali/than), the Ratana (snp 2.1: mills/than), and the Metta Suttas (snp 1.8: mills/than)—­play a special role as parittas or protective suttas. Recited daily in the monasteries and on ceremonial occasions, these discourses are regarded as a source of spiritual blessings."

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SN 56:11 Rolling Forth the Wheel of Dhamma

good for everyone.

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Maybe this is a bad habit I have now, when I see a sutta directed to bhikkhus / bhikkhunis / mendicants / etc, I think, “this isn’t for me,” and I stop reading it. I believe there’s some truth to this, though. The Buddha himself drew a distinction between monastics and householders. In Sn 2.14, after explaining a monk’s duties, he introduces the householder duties with the following verse. Translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi.

“Now let me tell you the householder’s duty,
how one should act to become a good disciple.
For this entire duty of a bhikkhu
cannot be carried out by one with possessions."

Regardless, if we want a more in-depth understanding of certain topics like dependent origination, elements, anatta, and so on, we’ll likely have to read one of the discourses “out of our league”, so to speak.

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I think the teachings that are recorded as being directed toward bhikkhus are in a sense for everyone. If you are living the life of a bhikkhu - you have renounced the life of household affairs, refrain from sensual pleasures and luxury, do not take what is not given, “wander” unattached in the world without dear ones or enemies, etc. - then you are are bhikkhu, even if it is for a few hours. And when you read the suttas that start, “bhikkhus!”, they are for you.

The Buddha who so freaquenly disparaged rites, rituals and status hierarchies didn’t mean his instructions on the path to be reserved only for people who had recited some special words inside a sima.

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I agree that the teachings are for everyone’s benefit. I respectfully disagree that every teaching can be put into practice by a lay follower.

There are relatively consistent tonal differences in how the Buddha addressed different people. Teachings to monastics tend to be more renunciatory. And teachings to the laity—such as MN 41 and AN 8.25—tend to center on good conduct, and attaining a higher rebirth, or stream-entry.

This seems appropriate. For instance, one can’t expect to totally abandon the fourth fetter, sensual desire, in this life time while in a relationship with a home “crowded with children”, as SN 55.7 states it (in Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translation).

The Buddha took everyone’s needs and limitations into consideration.

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