Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book
author: Daniel M. Ingram
edition published: 2018

Credits

www.aeonbooks.co.uk

Nancy Largent

Preface to the Second Edition

Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha MCTB1

MCTB1

Dedication

Foreword and Warning

The Fundamentals

Introduction to Part I

dharma

axes of development

The Long Discourses of the Buddha Digha Nikaya

Morality, The First and Last Training

sila

MCTB1

Sutta Nipata

Karaniya Metta Sutta

For a Future to be Possible A Heart as Wide as the World Loving­kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness Light on Enlightenment A Path with Heart

Lust for Enlightenment: Buddhism and Sex

In This Very Life On the Path to Freedom danta

Concentration, The Second Training

to get anywhere in meditation you need to be able to steady the mind and be present in the present

Wisdom, The Third Training

we can do these specific practices and be successful

is

The Three Characteristics

Impermanence

All phenomena are impermanent! Work out your salvation with diligence!

only

in that instant

In short, when doing insight practices, constantly work to perceive sensations arise and pass as quickly and accurately as you possibly can

Dissatisfactoriness

dukkha

an understanding of something in our relationship to all things

[^1]

[^1: The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking]

kilesas kleshas Abhidhamma[^2]

[^2: A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma]

how

No-Self

anatta

stop

Teachings of a Buddhist Monk

Raising Arizona

The Five Spiritual Faculties

[^3]

[^3: Visuddhimagga]

Faith and Wisdom

Energy and Concentration

Mindfulness

faith energy mindful concentrate wiser

The Seven Factors of Awakening

Mindfulness

These two paragraphs contain formal insight practice instructions

Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha Majjhima Nikaya Satipatthana Sutta Mahasatipatthana Sutta Long Discourses of the Buddha Digha Nikaya

Practical Insight Meditation

Practical Insight Meditation Manual of Insight Practical Insight Meditation

that you know what they are

Investigation

dhamma things come and go, don’t satisfy, ain’t us

Mindfulness in Plain English A Path with Heart The Mind Illuminated,

no matter what it is is the practice is

Energy

Rapture

just

A Path with Heart

vedana vedana

Tranquility

Concentration

Equanimity

as

MCTB A Still Forest Pool Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

reality is continually “letting go” of itself

The Three Trainings Revisited

Happiness

Renunciation

Suffering

Awakening

The Play

[^4]

[^4: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck]

The Four Noble Truths

Truth Number One: There Is Suffering

dukkha

is

Truth Number Two: There Is the Cause of Suffering

tanha

fundamental attraction

fundamental aversion

fundamental ignorance

Don’t

Loving-Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

Truth Number Three: There Is the End of Suffering

Truth Number Four: The Noble Eightfold Path

Objects for Insight Practice

When, Where, and For How Long?

On Teachers

Blink

Frog and Toad

Daily Life and Retreats

A Few Odds and Ends About Retreats

sila, samadhi, pañña

Post-Retreat Advice

Postures

Resolve

I resolve that for this hour I will consistently investigate the sensations that make up reality to attain to liberating insights for the benefit of myself and all beings.

Light and Shadows

Introduction to Parts Two through Five

sangha

A Path with Heart

Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha

Buddhism versus The Buddha ⚡

Vinaya

in common

dana

Content and Ultimate Reality ⚡

A Path with Heart Light on Enlightenment

religious

feel

What Went Wrong ⚡

want

Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha

already

lamrim Introduction to Tantra

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind regardless of whether you wish to call them that

after

A Clear Goal

x x y Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen

always avoid purely future-oriented or results-oriented goals!

[^5]

[^5: Secret Drugs of Buddhism]

Harnessing the Energy of the Defilements

A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma Abhidhamma

don’t stop investigating

Journey without Goal Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism Transcending Madness

is

Right Thought and the Augean Stables

[^6]

[^6: samma ditthi samma sankappa]

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha

brahma viharas Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness Training the Mind

Tracing Back the Radiance

From Content to Insight

The Samatha Jhanas

Introduction to Part Three

jhana

jhanic

The Wide World of Jhana

insight

shamatha jhanas vipassana jhanas The Path of Purification The Path of Freedom

investigation

shamatha jhanas dhyanas samadhi

both Abhidhamma

The Wizard of Oz

acinteyya Acintita Sutta Anguttara Nikaya

The First Jhana

The Second Jhana

The Third Jhana

The Fourth Jhana

vedana

The Saccavibhanga Sutta: The Analysis of the Truths mindful

The Concentration States (Shamatha Jhanas)

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Visuddhimagga Path of Purification Vimuttimagga Path of Freedom Path to Liberation A Critical Analysis of the Jhanas The Path of Serenity and Insight The Buddha’s Path to Deliverance Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhanas

Path to Deliverance Path of Freedom

The Path of Serenity and Insight Path of Purification

j

The First Shamatha Jhana

as a continuous entity for ten seconds

[^7]

[^7: Vimuttimagga]

attaining the first jhana is extremely important

Visuddhimagga, The Path of Serenity and Insight

The Second Shamatha Jhana

The Third Shamatha Jhana

The Fourth Shamatha Jhana

The Formless Realms

arupa jhanas rupa jhanas

The Fifth Jhana, Boundless Space

The Sixth Jhana, Boundless Consciousness

truly

je ne sais quoi

what there

The Seventh Jhana, Nothingness

The Eighth Jhana, Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception

nirodha samapatti

Vimuttimagga Visuddhimagga

Kasina Practice

Vimuttimagga Visuddhimagga

nimitta

Insight

The Progress of Insight

Abhidhamma[^8]

[^8: A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma]

1.Knowledge of Mind and Body (ñ1, M&B)	The pre-vipassana stages	1st jhana
2.Knowledge of Cause and Effect (ñ2, C&E)		1st jhana
3. Knowledge of the Three Characteristics (ñ3, 3C)		1st jhana
4. Knowledge of the Arising and Passing Away (ñ4, A&P)	Vipassana formally begins	2nd jhana
5.Knowledge of Dissolution (ñ5)	The Knowledges of Suffering, aka Dark Night or dukkha ñanas	3rd jhana
6.Knowledge of Fear (ñ6)		3rd jhana
7.Knowledge of Misery (ñ7)		3rd jhana
8.Knowledge of Disgust (ñ8)		3rd jhana
9. Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance (ñ9, DfD)		3rd jhana
10. Knowledge of Re-observation (ñ10, Re-obs)		3rd jhana
11.Knowledge of Equanimity (ñ11, EQ)		4th jhana
12. Knowledge of Conformity (ñ12)		4th jhana
13. Change of Lineage (ñ13)		4th jhana
14. Path (ñ14)		4th jhana
15. Fruition (ñ15)	Nirvana/Nibbana (one of two meanings)	
16. Review (ñ16)		

ñanas stage state

A Path with Heart The Progress of Insight Practical Insight Meditation Living Dharma Practical Insight Meditation Living Dharma Manual of Insight

In This Very Life Visuddhimagga Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhana and Vipassana Visuddhimagga

A Map of the Journey Dharma Paths The Path of Serenity and Insight

Swallowing the River Ganges

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation through Hearing in the Bardo Journey to the Lord of Power Dark Night of the Soul

1. Mind and Body

2. Cause and Effect

3. The Three Characteristics

kriyas

kriyas

Kriyas A Path with Heart How to Direct the Life Force to Dispel Mild Aches and Pains Internal Moving Healing Manual of Instruction: Stopping Your Pain & Other Unpleasant Things

4. The Arising and Passing Away

Visuddhimagga

tummo

On the Path to Freedom[^9]

[^9: www.vipassanadhura.com/sixteen.html#two]

[^10]

[^10: Traveling: An Accidental Expert’s How to Leave Your Body Handbook]

Portlandia

but not all

5. Dissolution, Entrance to the Dark Night

possible

Resolve Thus:

stay the fuck out of the Dark Night

The Science of Enlightenment Five Ways to Know Yourself

6. Fear

7. Misery

8. Disgust

9. Desire for Deliverance

inscape plan within

feel

10. Re-observation

safe

When Things Fall Apart Start Where You Are

should

temporarily

can

and do not leave the retreat early!

sensate

[^11]

[^11: , by Viktor E. Frankl,]

actually

This is the most important paragraph of this whole section

what is happening

11. Equanimity

is

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Practical Insight Meditation

MCTB1

A Still Forest Pool

formations are always what occur MCTB1

not these sensations are not clearly perceived

is is

12. Conformity

MCTB

Practical Insight Meditation

13. Change of Lineage

14. Path

magga[^12]

[^12: Dharma Paths]

15. Fruition

phala

nibbana Abhidhamma abhi dhamma A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma javana[^13] javanas dhammas

[^13: A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma]

Abhidhamma Abhidhamma

The Three Doors

hundreds of times

dat.dat.dat-gone!

bodhicitta

à la

content

truly actually

“What Was That?”

A Manual of Abhidhamma

- not

MCTB1

Repeat It Again and Again and Be Honest With Yourself

MCTB

Review

nissarana can will renunciation

understanding you them

[^14]

[^14: Transcending Madness: The Experience of the Six Bardos]

not

The Vipassana Jhanas

Abhidhamma

One by One as They Occurred The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha

you

Bill Hamilton’s Model

Saints & Psychopaths

Vipassana Jhana	Ñanas
First (vj1)	1 to 3: Mind and Body, Cause and Effect, Three Characteristics
Second (vj2)	4: The Arising and Passing Away
Third (vj3)	5 to 10: The Dark Night
Fourth (through seventh/eighth) (vj4-vj7, j8)	11 to 14: Equanimity, Conformity, Change of Lineage, Path

[^15]

[^15: The Fire Kasina]

Fractals

vedana

U Pandita’s Model

In This Very Life

One More Model

Visuddhimagga[^16]

[^16: Visuddhimagga]

How the Maps Help

profoundly empowering

Beyond First Path (“What Next?”)

this that

very common

Awakening

Models of the Stages of Awakening ⚡

General Problems with Current Models

[^17]

[^17: Great Disciples of the Buddha, Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacy]

Models that are Mostly Unhelpful

when practicing

MCTB1

MCTB1

this is it this is it

Kung Fu

Non-Duality models:
Direct Perception models:
Time and Space models:
Fundamental Perception models:
Specific Perception models:
Emotional models:
Action models:
Powers models:
Energetic models:
Sleep models:
Specific Knowledge models:
Psychological models:
No-thought models:
God models:
Unity models:
Physical models:
Biological models:
Radiance models:
Karma models:
Perpetual bliss models:
Concentration models:
Immortality models:
Transcendence models:
Extinction models:
Love models:
Equanimity models:
No-preferences models:
Special models:
Social models:
Ultimate reality and unreality models:
Meaning models:
Other models:

The Non-Duality Models

Bāhiya Sutta Udana

Udana

Udana

Udana advaya

Wikipedia

The Sudden Schools of Awakening

The Direct Perception Models

Time and Space Models

no are

The Fundamental Perception Models

shunyata maha ati mahamudra, rigpa

The Specific Perception Models

The Emotional Models

MCTB

- MCTB1

x y

verboten

The Theravada Four Path Model

Hamlet[^18]

[^18: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn]

sotapanna sakadagami anagami nibbana arhat, arahant arhant arahant arahat Transcending Madness

māna

appear

mélange

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

à la Lobsang Rampa[^19]

[^19: The Third Eye]

away

A Revised Four Path Model

nirvana nibbana Abhidhamma

- where in space they occur
- [^20]

[^20: Pepper!]

MCTB1

MCTB1

The Bodhisattva Bhumi Model

The Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom Bodhisattvabhumi, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation

cum grano salis

The Mahayana Five Path Model

Dharma Paths

The Vajrayana Models

MCTB1

The Concentration Models

suddhavasa rupa-lokas The 31 Planes of Existence

The Cessation of Perception and Feeling (Nirodha Samapatti)

nirodha samapatti nirodha

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha Path to Deliverance Visuddhimagga Vimuttimagga

Back to the Vajrayana Story

Journey without Goal

The Simple Model

The Action Models

The Perfect Speech Models

results

The Perfect Internet Behavior Models

The Powers Models

The Sleep Models

Dreaming Yourself Awake: Lucid Dreaming and Tibetan Dream Yoga for Insight and Transformation The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep Wonders of the Natural Mind Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying: An Exploration of Consciousness with the Dalai Lama

The Specific Knowledge Models

The Psychological Models

TA Today: A New Introduction to Transactional Analysis

Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha

The No-Thought Models

- Saints & Psychopaths

The God Models

is this is it

is

The Unity Models

The True Self Models

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying I Am That The Root of All Things Middle Length Discourses The Supreme Net: What the Teaching Is Not Long Discourses

The Physical Models

The Biological Models

kilesa

The Radiance Models

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha sutta 26

The Karma Models

[^21][^22]

[^21: Cullavagga (Cv) VII, 3.9 SN 1.38]

[^22: http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/English-Texts/Why-the-Buddha-Suffered/Why-the-Buddha-Suffered.pdf]

not

The Perpetual Bliss Models

The Three Kayas

nirmanakaya

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha

sambhogakaya

dharmakaya[^23]

[^23: Pointing Out the Great Way]

The Immortality Models

The Transcendence Models

The Extinction Models

The Love Models

The Equanimity Models

The No-Preference Models

The Special Models

Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited

[^24]

[^24: http://www.johnwelwood.com/articlesandinterviews.htm]

The Social Models

The Wizard of Oz

The Ultimate Reality versus Unreality Models

Abhidhamma

The Meaning Models

The Three Yanas

shunyata

bodhicitta

Clarifying the Natural State

Evolving Dharma: Meditation, Buddhism, and the Next Generation of Enlightenment

Ditching our “Stuff” versus Ditching the Split

The “Nothing To Do” and “You Are Already There” Schools

Depths of Realization and Integration

Archetypes, Roles, Inspiration, and Becoming

Dependent Origination

The Long Discourses of the Buddha

vedana san˙khāras

vedana to vedana

Final Points

Towards Contemporary Models

Integration

A Path with Heart After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

[^25]

[^25: The Spectrum of Consciousness Integral Spirituality]

Casablanca

It Is Possible!

mudita, brahma viharas

More on the “Mushroom Factor” ⚡

Animal House[^26]

[^26: Animal House]

à la American Idol

Saints & Psychopaths

Jataka

paramis

SN 3.2

sutta 26 Middle Length Discourses

So, Who the Heck is Daniel M. Ingram?

Raising Arizona

double dare

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

you

My Spiritual Quest

Backstory

Let Me Tell You about My Spiritual Quest MCTB1 MCTB1

MCTB1

The Early Years

Free To Be You and Me

The Dancing Wu Li Masters

Nivazo samsara

Bodysurfing

College and Pre-Buddhist Exploration

The Middle Years

should

Thank U, India

The First Bodh Gaya Retreat

Majjhima Nikaya

The First MBMC Retreat

Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre

nearly nearly

Practical Insight Meditation Agga Maha Pandita In This Very Life Practical Insight Meditation

Practical Insight Meditation

Practical Insight Meditation DN 22 Mahasatipatthana Sutta MN 111 Anupada Sutta

The Dark Night Gets Ugly

Eyes of the Overworld

The Second Bodh Gaya Retreat

Practical Insight Meditation In This Very Life

The Great Stream Enterer

Dharma Power, Dharma Poison

metta

The Middle Paths

Slam-Shifting Ñanas and Jhanas

Visuddhimagga Vimuttimagga

caveat emptor

Luminosity

Nirodha Samapatti

initially

Map Failure

Dharma Paths

Wandering

sephirot

Harry Potter

Journey without Goal

Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness tonglen

The Light of Wisdom, Tracing Back the Radiance Introduction to Tantra Secret of the Vajra World Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand The Roots of Wisdom Moon in a Dewdrop

Kasinas, Powers, and Retreats

Vimuttimagga Visuddhimagga The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation The Path of Serenity and Insight

nimitta

Introduction to the Powers

iddhis siddhis iddhis siddhis

Are the Powers Real?

Paradigm Fluency

Condensed Chaos

Star Trek

The Intention Experiment The End of Materialism The Sense of Being Stared At

Crazy?

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5

gentle

qi mensches

DSM-5

stop meditating

Those Damn Fairies …

nagas garudas

Sutta Nipata

Definitions of the Powers

Samaññaphala

Visuddhimagga

Ethics and the Powers

A Wizard of Earthsea

How to Cultivate the Powers

Visuddhimagga Vimuttimagga The Path of Serenity and Insight

The Art of Dreaming

k Modern Magick Magick without Tears

before

Made Pliant and Malleable

sila samadhi pañña

Benefits of the Powers

Frozen

Dhammapada,

Magick and the Brahma Viharas

MCTB1

brahma viharas MCTB1 people

Formal Definitions

Consciousness plus intention produces magick

field of beliefs

The Brahma Viharas

brahma viharas

- metta
- karuna
- mudita Mudita
- upekkha upekkha

tonglen

- Visuddhimagga
- Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice
- Path to Deliverance

- [^27]

- Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

[^27: Wheel #7: The Practice of Loving-Kindness (Metta): As Taught by the Buddha in the Pali Canon http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanamoli/wheel007.html]

Sutta Nipata Visuddhimagga Vimuttimagga

Bodhicitta as Magick

Vipassana as Magick

[^28]

[^28: Vimuttimagga]

Bhavana Society 2001 Retreat

Fire Kasina Practice

kutis

nimitta

voilà

Ghostbusters

Morality and Magick

causal mind

Dhammapada

Around the World and Finding Home

Shift into Freedom

The Second MBMC Retreat

Untangling

it

Agencylessness

we

Wobble and Fall

Vimuttimagga, The Path of Freedom

More Practical Tidbits

Describing Your Practice

The more map theory you use, the less map theory you are likely to get from teachers who will naturally try to counterbalance your overemphasis on theory over practice.

Dependent Origination Revisited

vedana

vedana vedana Abhidhamma

Final Wishes

Last Words of Wisdom

The Light of Wisdom

The Eyes of the Overworld