Dear friends,
Could you recommend good teachings on the Dhammapada? I’m looking especially for video or audio recordings, rather than books on the subject.
Thank you
Luís
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I have always had a great love and appreciation for Bhante Yuttadhammo’s series on the Dhammapada, which includes both the stories passed down in relation to the verses as well as reflections on the verses in regards to practice (which, depending on the verse, may be more applicable to what he, himself, teaches/emphasizes meditation wise). Check it out–I hope you find it compelling and inspiring:
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Hello, Anagarika_Drew.
I’ve watched this first video of the series. Is he following a traditional Theravada explanation? He interprets it as meaning that all is created by the mind, which, he says, means that karma isn’t to blame, so to say…
I’ve noticed Bikkhu Sujato chose to translate mano here as intention, and I think the reason is to stress that the verse is talking about karma. All is preceded by mind in the sense that intention will act as the cause for the fruit such as birth. What do you think?
Besides this one, would anyone have more recommendations for teaching on the Dhammapada?
thank you
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He interprets it as meaning that all is created by the mind, which, he says, means that karma isn’t to blame, so to say…
Interesting–I’ll have to listen to the talk again. Without going back to it however, I understand that “manopubbangamma dhamma, manosettha, manomaya” does give an opening to the understanding that phenomena (i.e. dhamma) is preceded by the mind (“mano”) as a general principle (i.e. “All phenomena are preceded by the mind”).
To say that “karma isn’t to blame” is some tricky wording: kamma, doctrinally speaking, is action that carries on to vipaka (result) for those who are not yet freed from ignorance. Action, however–on its most fundamental level–is intention. Kamma, to my understanding, can be understood as a means to express phenomenal processes–it’s no more to blame than “gravity” from one angle. So, yeah–I, personally, wouldn’t blame “karma” as much as I would understand “there is kammic processes that have kammic results.”
Still–I feel like both understandings of this verse are useful: intentionality is the emphasis of the latter part of the verse (intending with unwholesome mind states, there will be unwholesome consequences). On another scale, all experiential phenomena–from and manifesting the five khandhas and the sense consciousnesses–are mind made. A fundamental cause might be drawn to intentionality based in ignorance. So, the two scales loop on each other: intentionality based in ignorance (intention/mind process) leads to further becoming/vipaka, which are the grounds for that which manifests experience–a body, feeling, perception, sense consciousness, etc. (all based on mind activity!).
I’m a little blurry in my processes/conclusions, methinks–so take what I say with a novice’s grain to heap of salt–but I would invite any more experienced hands for their take!
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