Simple Suttas

Do you know the Buddha’s last words? Seems like something important for a Buddhist to know. The Buddha’s last words as recorded in the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16) go like this: “Anda dāni, bhikkhave...

12 Des 20143min

Have you ever taken a vacation and gone to a cabin in the woods? Maybe rented a little place on the north shore? And when the sun is starting to set you come back from a long walk, start a little fire...

2 Des 20143min

In one of my favorite little suttas, the Buddha shows how leading a good life is the key to deep states of meditation and finally to liberation, not the other way around. As with the Eightfold Path, e...

26 Nov 20142min

Long ago there was a spiritual teacher named Araka. He was wise and free of lust. He had many students. He taught: “The life of a person is short, miserable, and filled with problems. So a wise person...

14 Nov 20141min

This tiny little excerpt from a sutta might make a wonderful teaching to memorize and say before you meditate, go to sleep, or get on an airplane. A wise person who is truly free Will always sleep wel...

2 Nov 20141min

There are many wonderful translations of the metta sutta. I’m not saying this is better than any of the others, but I wanted to try my hand at it, and give it the simple|suttas treatment. To train in ...

20 Okt 20142min

This sutta lays out the main points of Buddhist philosophy in a few simply lines. The beginning of all things cannot be found. You will never find the first cause of beings wandering on snagged by ign...

14 Okt 20142min

The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta is said to be the first teaching given by the Buddha to the 5 ascetics. It lays out the whole of the teaching in the clearest possible way. This is the Truth of Sufferi...

8 Okt 20143min