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This practical commentary on one of the most important scriptures
of the Pali canon will provide essential sustenance for Buddhist
practitioners. Ayya Khema is a mountain of strength, encouragement,
and tough love as she pours out down-to-earth practical instruction
on the journey to enlightenment, following the framework set forth
in the "Samannaphala-sutta," the Buddha's discourse on the rewards
of spiritual life.
The sutta--included here in the translation by Bhikkhu
Bodhi--contains the Buddha's teachings in response to questions
posed by King Ajatasattu. Why, the king asked, should we give up
the satisfactions of worldly life and devote ourselves to
meditation? What are the tangible benefits to be gained from
following the Buddha's way? In answering this question, the Buddha
provides a compact synopsis of the entirety of the spiritual path,
and Ayya Khema expands on this with her characteristic
approach--simple, direct, experiential, and loving.
An important aspect of the sutta is an account of the eight
meditative absorptions, or jhanas--states of mind that bring joy,
serenity, and peace and that open the way to clarity and
liberation. Ayya Khema, who was herself adept at the eight
absorptions, confidently leads the reader to, through, and beyond
the jhanas, following the Buddha's plan. Her words have the effect
of inspiring us to roll up our sleeves and get to work so that we
may grasp the insights, accomplish the meditative goals, and become
enlightened to the highest extent of our talents and efforts.
Experience a complete meditation course with one of the West's most
renowned Buddhist teachers.
"Know Where You're Going" provides a full course of instruction in
Buddhist meditation and reflection, and contains a wealth of
exercises and advice to help the reader grow. As we put these
teachings into practice over time, we learn to see things as they
really are and discover transcendence right here in our everyday
lives.
Ayya Khema shows us how to live a wholehearted spiritual life,
even amid our day to day concerns and responsibilities. Her
teachings unfold simply, free of jargon, and are ideal for the
contemporary world. Grounding the practice of more advanced
meditations in a deeply cultivated sense of mindfulness, love, and
altruism, Khema shows us, step by step, how to access to liberation
and freedom.
Ayya Khema (1923-1997) was the first Western woman to become a
Theravadan Buddhist nun. As such, she has served as a model and
inspiration for women from all the Buddhist traditions who have
sought to revive the practice of women's monasticism in modern
times. Though her renown as a teacher is widespread, few know the
truly amazing details of her life before her monastic ordination at
the age of fifty-eight. And what a life it was. Born Ilse Kussel in
Berlin, Germany, she grew up in a prosperous Jewish family that was
broken up by Nazi terror in 1938. The story of her escape alone to
Scotland, and her journey to rejoin her family in China, would be
enough for a thrilling adventure novel in itself--but it is only
the beginning of the story. Her later adventures included--but were
not limited to--surviving the Japanese invasion of China; living
the life of a suburban housewife in Los Angeles, California;
journeying up the Amazon; studying in a Bolivian university;
building a power plant in Pakistan; and establishing the first
organic farm in Australia. Her Buddhist practice was a result of a
pursuit of the spiritual life that began in her forties when she
encountered spiritual teachers in India. She eventually founded a
monastery in Sri Lanka, from where, through her books and her
teaching travels, she became one of the most widely respected of
contemporary teachers, particularly skilled in interpreting the
Buddhist teachings for her fellow Westerners.
In this eminently accessible study of one of the Buddha's most
important teachings, Ayya Khema, a Buddhist nun and expert, guides
the reader toward a higher understanding and realization of the
true nature of the self. Interpreting the Potthapada Sutta, one of
the fundamental texts on meditation, with insightful examples from
her vast experience, Khema explains perhaps the most effective
Buddhist meditative practice for personal transformation.
Throughout the book, readers learn about the language, the customs,
and the culture of the time period in which the Buddha gave his
famous discourse, and will be surprised at the applicability of the
message, both on a personal and social level.
"En este estudio altamente asequible a una de las ensenanzas mas
importantes del Buda, Ayya Khema, una monja y experta budista, guia
al lector hacia un mayor entendimiento y comprension de la
verdadera naturaleza del yo. Interpretando el Potthapada-sutta, uno
de los textos fundamentales sobre la meditacion, con reveladores
ejemplos extraidos de su larga trayectoria, Khema explica la
practica de meditacion budista tal vez mas eficaz para la
transformacion personal. A lo largo del libro, el lector aprende
sobre el lenguaje, las costumbres y la cultura de la epoca en la
que el Buda dio su famoso discurso, y se sorprendera de la vigencia
del mensaje, tanto a nivel personal como social."
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