UNDERSTANDING THE WORLDLY PATH AND THE BUDDHA'S NOBLE PATH

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

In this session, we examine the Khattiya Sutta (AN 6.52) in order to further UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE WORLDLY PATH AND THE BUDDHA'S NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH.

In most of our recent insight pathway meditations, we take up the Buddha's wholesome determinations, for Truth, Relinquishment, Wisdom and Calm, to overcome the worldly ones we have been taught or conditioned to have, as well as being deluded by. The Khattiya Sutta (AN 6.52) is very useful in showing us where worldly objectives and inclinations differ from those of the spiritual path. Why one goes "with the stream" and another goes "against the stream".

It can help us understand why the Buddha encourages us in certain ways, and to know there are challenges when we attempt to reconcile lay life and spiritual practice.

In this session we:

• — examine Jānussoni’s questions to the Buddha on the wishes, quest, determination, inclination and final goal of different groups of people in the world.
• — define some of the terms to helps us understand the Buddha's meanings in this teaching
• — use the teaching as a means to understand some of the challenges for lay people walking the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path, in contrast to those who ordain
• — link this teaching with our recent meditations on Painful Practice with Slow Realisation, the Profitable Path (Cunda Sutta), and Halidakkani Sutta.
• — look into the Buddha's definition of a samana
• — end our session with some instructions for a powerful meditation that goes into wrong view vs right view relating back to supramundane right livelihood

Some of the suttas covered directly or indirectly in this session:

• — Dhātuvibhaṅga Sutta (MN 140)
• — Asubha Sutta (AN 4.163)
• — Cunda Sutta (Ud 8.5
• — Hāliddikāni Sutta (SN 22.3)
• — MahāAssapura Sutta (MN 39)
• — Anusota Sutta (AN 4.5)

An electronic copy of the "Table with the Buddha's answers to the questions for each group of people" and a "Summary of the Four Determinations" has been posted (and pinned) to the Sutta Meditation Series Telegram channel.

Bohoma pin to the people who have asked questions on this Dhamma topic.

A VIDEO of this FULL SESSION with presentation slides has been published to the Sutta Meditation Series YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfZ-IafbP_0 AND on Spotify as a video podcast

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai