Ajahn Brahmali conducts a workshop on Satipaṭṭhāna, which is about meditation practice.

This series consists of 8 workshops, conducted in two sessions. The first session (Workshop 1 – 4, Part 1 to 8), covers general aspect, such as:

  • The purpose of satipaṭṭhāna on the Buddhist path,
  • The interplay of samatha and vipassanā (calm and insight), and
  • The historical development of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta.

The second session (Workshop 5 – 8, Part 9 to 16), applies the findings of the first workshop to the Satipatthana Sutta:

  • We investigate the Satipatthana Sutta in detail with a view to discover how the Buddha most likely wanted us to go about this practice.
  • We will look at each satipatthana exercise in detail and discuss its place on the path.
  • The final result will be a simple and practical guide to meditation practice.

General Reading:

Workshop Series:

  • Workshop 1 (Part 1 – 2 ) | 27 November 2021 | Ajahn Brahmali
  • Workshop 2 (Part 3 – 4) | 04 December 2021 | Ajahn Brahmali
  • Workshop 3 (Part 5 – 6) | 11 December 2021 | Ajahn Brahmali
  • Workshop 4 (Part 7 – 8) | 18 December 2021 | Ajahn Brahmali
  • Workshop 5 (Part 9 – 10) | 19 February 2022 | Ajahn Brahmali
  • Workshop 6 (Part 11 – 12) | 26 February 2022 | Ajahn Brahmali
  • Workshop 7 (Part 13 – 14) | 05 March 2022 | Ajahn Brahmali
  • Workshop 8 (Part 15 – 16) | 12 March 2022 | Ajahn Brahmali

You may also like to watch the following Friday night talk by Ajahn Brahmali on Buddhist meditation, which summarised some of the main issues discussed at the workshop:

 

Workshop 1 (Part 1 – 2) | 27 November 2021 | Ajahn Brahmali

Satipaṭṭhana: The Big Picture

  • A brief summary of meaning of EBT
  • The purpose of this course is to arrive at simple meditation instructions (MN 118)
  • A brief review of noble eightfold path (SN 45.1, SN 45.8)
  • Definition of sammāsati (SN 45.8)
  • The breadth of satipaṭṭhāna: Satipaṭṭhāna Saṁyutta and historical developments (SN 47)
  • The meaning of satipaṭṭhāna
  • The use of sati in the suttas
  • Why the Buddha can speak on satipaṭṭhāna for a hundred years (MN 12, end)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna is a gem! (AN 8.19)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna as a refuge (DN 26, beginning)
  • The relationship between the Aids to Awakening (bodhipakkhiyadhammas) and satipaṭṭhāna
  • The place of satipaṭṭhāna on the path
  • How satipaṭṭhāna meditation works.

Part I

Satipatthana-part-1-(Workshop-1)

Part 2
Satipatthana-part-2-(Workshop-1)

 

Workshop 2 (Part 3 – 4) | 04 December 2021 | Ajahn Brahmali

Myths/Misconceptions

  • What do we do when there are disagreements of interpretation?
  • Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta is the most important sutta
  • Satipaṭṭhāna can be fully understood through the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
  • Satipaṭṭhāna means “foundation of mindfulness” (SN 47.1)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna can be done without morality (SN 45.1)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna is equivalent to vipassanā (SN 45.1)
  • Modern vipassanā/satipaṭṭhāna is a direct lineage going back to the Buddha
  • Satipaṭṭhāna is “Mindfulness meditation”
  • Satipaṭṭhāna is non-judgmental awareness of the present moment.

Part 3
Satipatthana-part-3-(Workshop-2)

Part 4
Satipatthana-part-4-(Workshop-2)

 

Workshop 3 | 11 December 2021 | Ajahn Brahmali

Samatha and Vipassanā

  • The roots of vipassanā meditation
  • What are samatha and vipassanā? (AN 2.32)
  • Why there is no such thing as vipassanā meditation
  • How samatha and vipassanā arise together
  • Specific suttas that deal with samatha and vipassanā (AN 4.94; AN 4.170)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna and samādhi (AN 8.63; SN 47.4)
  • Saññā and vipassanā, how they work together
  • Satipaṭṭhāna leading to deep insight (AN 10.28; SN 52.3; SN 47.37)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna and sammāñāṇa (AN 10.103)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna and samādhi, a practical sutta example (SN 47.10).

Reading: Ajahn Brahmali: Why Samatha and Vipassanā Are Inseparable; Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw: Satipatthana Vipassana; S.N. Goenka: Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta Discourses.

Part 5
Satipatthana-part-5-(Workshop-3)

Part 6
Satipatthana-part-6-(Workshop-3)

 

Workshop 4 | 18 December 2021 | Ajahn Brahmali

The Original Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta

  • How original are the suttas?
  • The two versions of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
  • The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta in comparative light
  • Satipaṭṭhāna mūla, “the root Satipaṭṭhna Sutta”.

Reading: Bhante Sujato: A History of Mindfulness (second half of book).

Part 7 
Satipatthana-part-7-(Workshop-4)

Part 8
Satipatthana-part-8-(Workshop-4)

 

Workshop 5 | 19 February 2022 | Ajahn Brahmali

The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta: Overview and General Issue

  • A brief summary of the findings of the previous workshop
  • The purpose of this course (MN 118)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta context (MN 10):
    o Location of delivery of Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
    o Results of satipaṭṭhāna practice, beyond samādhi
    o Satipaṭṭhāna summary statement

Part 9

Satipatthana-part-9-(Workshop-5)

Part 10
Satipatthana-part-10-(Workshop-5)

 

Workshop 6 | 26 February 2022 | Ajahn Brahmali

Myths/Misconceptions

  • Satipaṭṭhāna develops mindfulness (SN 45.1 + SN 47.1)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna is the “one and only way” (SN 47.1)
  • You are either mindful or you are not (SN 48.12)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna is all about direct observation: anupassanā/vipassanā (MN 10)
  • Breath meditation belongs to body contemplation (MN 118)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna is to be practiced in everyday life (SN 47.2)
  • Satipaṭṭhāna includes watching pain (MN 118).

Part 11

Satipatthana-part-11-(Workshop-6)

Part 12
Satipatthana-part-12-(Workshop-6)

 

Workshop 7 | 05 March 2022 | Ajahn Brahmali

Satipaṭṭhāna 1, 2, and 3: contemplation of body, feelings, and mind

Body:

  • Breath meditation: belongs to all four satipaṭṭhānas (MN 10, MN 118)
  • Four postures (MN 10)
  • Clear awareness: comes before satipaṭṭhāna (SN 47.2 + MN 27)
  • 31 parts of the body: original body contemplation (MN 10)
  • Elements (MN 28)
  • Cemetery contemplations (MN 10).

Feelings:

  • Practice in context of mindfulness of breathing (MN 118)
  • Painful feeling: do we need to contemplate it? (MN 118)
  • Spiritual pain (MN 137)
  • Spiritual happiness: samādhi and jhāna (MN 10 + SN 36.31).

Mind:

  • Practice in context of mindfulness of breathing (MN 118)
  • Mind contemplation vs. sense restraint
  • Defiled mental states: should they be contemplated? (MN 10 + MN 118)
  • Special emphasis of samādhi and jhāna (MN 10 + MN 118).

Reading: Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw: Satipatthana Vipassana; S.N. Goenka: Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta Discourses.

Part 13

Satipatthana-part-13-(Workshop-7)

Part 14

Satipatthana-part-14-(Workshop-7)

 

Workshop 8 | 12 March 2022 | Ajahn Brahmali

Satipaṭṭhāna 4: contemplation of Dhammas, and summary

  • Dhammas: practice in context of mindfulness of breathing (MN 10 + MN 118)
    • Hindrances: original
    • Aggregates: insight addition
    • Sense spheres: insight addition
    • Seven factors of awakening: original
    • Four noble truths: insight addition
  • Satipaṭṭhāna and Ānāpānasati compared (MN 10 + MN 118)
  • How to practice satipaṭṭhāna (MN 118)
  • Conclusion of Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10)
  • Summary: importance of morality and right view; satipaṭṭhāna leads to samādhi, then deep insight; mindfulness of breathing.

Part 15

Satipatthana-part-15-(Workshop-8)

Part 16

Satipatthana-part-16-(Workshop-8)

 

Satipatthana – Workshop series 1 – Program and Reading Materials

Satipatthana – Workshop series 2 – Program and Reading Materials

 

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