The historical Buddha said many things in his long lifetime of teaching. But have you ever heard a supposed Buddha quote and wondered, Did he really say that? Monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu, a trained translator of the Buddha's words, certainly has. Here he reveals seven of many he's found. See if you're not surprised. 1. "Life is suffering." This is one of the Big Lies of [...]
About Thanissaro Bhikkhu
On Thailand’s Late King and the Power of Goodness
Monk-scholar Thanissaro Bhikkhu recalls the life and example of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who died at the age of 88 earlier this month. The Buddha set forth the ideal of a righteous king — a Dhamma-raja — who rules generously for the benefit of his people, in line with the Dhamma, and in return is widely loved by the people he rules. Interestingly, the Buddha never [...]
Creating a Good Ground for Meditation
Meditation isn't a one-way street—you can’t just meditate and your life will get better. You have to change the way you live to improve your meditation. Thanissaro Bhikkhu outlines five principles of the ethical, restrained life conducive to meditation practice. Often we like to think that simply by adding meditation to our daily schedule, the effects of the meditation will [...]
See Things Clear Through
In this practical and pointed meditation instruction, Upasika Kee Nanayon, the foremost woman dhamma teacher in twentieth-century Thailand, shows us how to combine concentration and clear-seeing to penetrate the "mass of deceit" that is the mind. It’s important that we discuss the steps of the practice in training the mind, for the mind has all sorts of deceptions by which [...]
I Want To Be… Loving
We all want to be loved, yes, but our most heartfelt wish is to love, deeply and universally. If this seems like an unreachable ideal, says Thanissaro Bhikkhu, the place to start—and often the most skillful response—is the simple attitude of goodwill. Love is a word that contains multitudes. It covers some of the finest qualities of the heart—such as the care and attention [...]
Protecting Others by Protecting Goodwill
“You can’t,” says Buddhist monk and teacher Thanissaro Bhikkhu, “let your desire for warm feelings of love and intimacy render you insensitive to what would actually be the most skillful way to promote true happiness for all.” Here he continues his look at what the Buddha actually said about metta – the phrase so often rendered and understood as “lovingkindness” – and why [...]
When Goodwill is Better than Love: The Meaning of “Metta.”
You’ve likely heard of the concept of practicing lovingkindness, a common translation of the word metta. But what if metta and lovingkindness are not quite the same? How could that affect you? Buddhist monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu gets to the original meaning of metta. Ajaan Fuang, my meditation teacher, once discovered that a snake had moved into his room. Every time he came [...]
The Lessons of Gratitude (Part Two)
Here we present the second installment of a two-part teaching on what the Buddha taught about gratitude, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu of Metta Forest Monastery in California. (Click here to view the previous installment.) Well-focused gratitude can also teach lessons that apply further to the training of the mind. First are the lessons touching on the nature of human action [...]
The Lessons of Gratitude
From Thanissaro Bhikkhu, abbot of the Metta Forest Monastery, comes a new teaching about what the historical Buddha taught about gratitude. “These two people are hard to find in the world. Which two? The one who is first to do a kindness, and the one who is grateful and thankful for a kindness done.” — The Buddha, in the Anguttara Nikaya (AN 2:118). In saying that kind and [...]
No Donation Required
“How can I ever repay you for your teaching?” Meditation teachers often hear this question from their students, and the best answer I know is one that my teacher, Ajaan Fuang, gave every time: “By being intent on practicing.” Each time he gave this answer, I was struck by how noble and gracious it was. And it wasn’t just a formality. He never pressured his students for [...]