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Nibbāna: The Mind Stilled

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Nibbāna: The Mind Stilled
AuthorMost Ven.Katukurunde Nanananda Thera
Original titleනිවනේ නිවීම (Nivanē nivīma)
LanguageEnglish
SubjectDhamma sermons
GenreReligious
PublisherDharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya
Publication placeSri Lanka
Published in English
2003

Nibbāna: The Mind Stilled(Sinhalese:නිවනේ නිවීම,Nivanē nivīma) is the translation of a series of 33 sermons delivered in Sinhala byVenerableBhikkhuKatukurunde Ñāṇanandaduring the late 1980s and early 1990s. The focus of the sermons was on the termnibbānaand its deeper philosophical implications. The first volume of the seven-volume series was published in 2003.[1]

History

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It was inspired by an invitation that came from his revered teacher, the late venerableMatara Sri Ñāṇārāma Mahathera,the chief incumbent of theNissarana Vanaya Hermitage in Meetirigalaand an illustrious exponent ofInsight Meditationin Sri Lanka. The sermons were delivered once every fortnight before the group of resident monks from August 1988 to January 1991. Thirty three sermons have been published in seven volumes.[1]

Venerable Ñāṇananda had already written four books during the early phase of his monk’s life atIsland Hermitage,Dodanduwa. They were Concept and Reality in Early Buddhist Thought,[2]Samyutta Nikaya – An Anthology (Part 2),[3]Ideal Solitude[4]and The Magic of the Mind.[5] He came under the tutelage of the late venerable Matara Sri Ñāṇārama Mahathera when he shifted to Nissarana Vanaya Hermitage in 1972.[6]

Content

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Nibbāna– the Bliss Supreme (Dhammapada203) is the determined goal of the "spiritual endeavour" in Buddhism. Bhikkhu Ñāṇananda has followed a line of interpretation that highlights the psychological import of the termnibbāna,drawing out at the same time the deeper philosophical implications. The termnibbānahas been examined in the discourses of thePali canon.In his analysis, he reinterprets the discourses dealing with the law of Dependent arising (paṭiccasmuppāda) and theMiddle Path.He expounds on the topics he has briefly dealt with in 'Concept and Reality' and 'Magic of the Mind'.[7][8]Via media, he has suggested the ‘Relative validity and Pragmatic value of concepts’.[9]

The sermons are currently being studied in a three-year e-learning program (2017–2018) offered byBhikkhu Anālayoof the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at theUniversity of Hamburgin cooperation with theBarre Center for Buddhist Studies.

Topics covered

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  • vaṭṭa– The hidden vortex or whirlpool: Interdependence between Consciousness and Name-and-Form in the formula of Dependent Arising (paṭiccasmuppāda).[7]
  • nāma-rūpa– Name-and-Form: The elusive self-image with its ’Formal-Name’ and ’Nominal-Form’.[10][11]
  • papañcaandpapañca-saṅkhā– conceptual proliferation and prolific concepts.[15]
  • dvayatā– Duality: The antinomian conflict.[17]
  • The Chess-Game simile: An illustration of duality.[18]
  • antojaṭā- bahijaṭā– The Tangle-Within and the Tangle-without?[19]
  • dukkha– Conflict: An alternation between ’This-ness’ (itthabhāva) and ‘Otherwise-ness’(aññathābhāva).[20]
  • The world arises in the six-sense spheres.[23]
  • The dilemma and the tetra-lemma: The ‘Undetermined Points’ (avyākatavatthūni).[24]
  • Relative validity and pragmatic value of concepts.[25][26]
  • The Seamstress simile: The ‘two ends and the middle’.[27]

Distribution

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Drawing inspiration from thedictum"The Gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts" (Dhammapada 354), he has specified that all publications should be distributed free as ‘gifts of Dhamma’. The Free Distribution of Dhamma (dhammadāna-ideal) has been upheld by the Buddha in the following exhortation to the monks:

Monks, there are these two kinds of gifts: the gift of material things and the gift of Dhamma. Of these two gifts, monks, this is supreme (namely): the gift of Dhamma.

Monks, there are these two kinds of distribution: the distribution of material things and the distribution of Dhamma. Of these two kinds of distribution, monks, this is supreme (namely): the distribution of Dhamma.

— Itivuttaka 3.5.9

A group of lay enthusiasts initiated theDhammaPublications Trust (Sinhala:Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bhaaraya– D.G.M.B.) to bring out the sermons in book form.[6]A few years later, an affiliated trust (Sinhala:Dharma Shravana Maadhya Bhaaraya– D.S.M.B.) was set up to make the sermons available in audio form.[29]

English translation

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  • Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol. I)(PDF),Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya, 2003,ISBN978-955-8832-02-8
  • Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol. II)(PDF),Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya, 2004,ISBN978-955-9886-42-6
  • Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol. III)(PDF),Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya, 2005,ISBN978-955-1255-05-3
  • Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol. IV)(PDF),Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya, 2006,ISBN978-955-1255-07-7
  • Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol. V)(PDF),Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya, 2007,ISBN978-955-1255-13-8
  • Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol. VI)(PDF),Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya, 2010,ISBN978-955-1255-33-6
  • Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol. VII)(PDF),Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya, 2011,ISBN978-955-1255-34-3

See also

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References

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  1. ^abNanananda (2003).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.1)(PDF).Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya. pp. IX.ISBN955-8832-02-2.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2011-07-24.
  2. ^Nanananda (2012) [1971].Concept and Reality in Early Buddhist Thought(PDF).Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya.ISBN978-955-24-0136-7.
  3. ^Nanananda (2009) [1972].Samyutta Nikaya – An Anthology(Part 2)(PDF).Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya.ISBN978-955-1255-26-8.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2011-07-24.
  4. ^Nanananda (2010) [1973].Ideal Solitude.Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya.ISBN978-955-1255-31-2.
  5. ^Nanananda (2007) [1974].The Magic of the Mind(PDF).Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bharaya.ISBN978-955-1255-09-1.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2011-07-24.
  6. ^abNanananda (2003).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.1).pp. VII–VIII.
  7. ^abNanananda (2003).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.1).pp. 33ff.
  8. ^Nanananda (2007).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.5).pp. 445ff.
  9. ^Nanananda (1997) [1971].Concept and Reality in Early Buddhist Thought.pp. 38ff.
  10. ^Nanananda (2004).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.2).pp. 132ff.
  11. ^Nanananda (2007).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.5).pp. 533ff.
  12. ^Nanananda (2004).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.2).pp. 134ff.
  13. ^Nanananda (2003).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.1).pp. 108ff.
  14. ^Nanananda (2003).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.1).p. 93.
  15. ^Nanananda (2005).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.3).pp. 241ff.
  16. ^Nanananda (2004).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.2).pp. 218ff.
  17. ^Nanananda (2007).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.5).p. 451.
  18. ^Nanananda (2010).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.6).pp. 582ff.
  19. ^Nanananda (2003).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.1).pp. 8ff.
  20. ^Nanananda (2003).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.1).pp. 65ff.
  21. ^Nanananda (2007).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.5).pp. 450ff.
  22. ^Nanananda (2003).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.1).p. 13.
  23. ^Nanananda (2003).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.1).p. 83.
  24. ^Nanananda (2007).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.5).pp. 490ff.
  25. ^Nanananda (2006).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.4).pp. 392ff.
  26. ^Nanananda (2011).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.7).pp. 653ff.
  27. ^Nanananda (2011).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.7).pp. 704ff.
  28. ^Nanananda (2011).Nibbana - The Mind Stilled (Vol.7).pp. 661ff.
  29. ^DSMB."About DSMB – Seeingthroughthenet.net".Archived fromthe originalon 4 October 2011.Retrieved28 June2011.
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