THE DANGER OF GAIN, HONOUR & PRAISE (FULL DHAMMA SESSION, Poya)

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

This is the FULL DHAMMA SESSION conducted on UNDUVAP POYA (18 December 2021) via zoom on "THE DANGER OF GAIN, HONOUR & PRAISE - Obstacles on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path". In pali, this is lābhasakkārasiloka.

Throughout his teachings, the Buddha strongly cautions against becoming overwhelmed and obsessed with gain, honour and praise. He describes it as dreadful, bitter, vile and obstructive to realising the cessation of all suffering. The similes given by the Buddha are profoundly powerful and visual when contemplated. And the ruin and downfall of Devadatta, due in large part to his obsession with gain, honour and praise, provides a very good example for us to explore and investigate.

Whether you are a lay practitioner or a monastic, the Buddha's teachings on gain, honour and praise are important and something for all of us to be mindful of in developing the Noble Eightfold Path. It's often easier to see these characteristics in someone else, than in ourselves, but we must hold up the mirror and look for blemishes.

In this Dhamma session, we cover:

• — Defining the Spiritual Life?
• — What is lābhasakkārasiloka?
• — The Buddha’s Teachings and Similes
• — Devadatta’s obsession and downfall
• — Tackling the dangers

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

• — Brahmacariya Sutta (AN 4.25)
• — Dutiyakodhagaru Sutta (AN 4.44)
• — Anaṅgaṇa Sutta (MN 5)
• — Sakkāra Sutta (Iti 81)
• — Lakundakabhaddiyatthera Vatthu (Dhp 81)
• — Paṭhamalokadhamma Sutta (AN 8.3)
• — Tuvaka Sutta (Snp 4.14)
• — Khattiya Sutta (AN 6.52)
• — Sappurisa Sutta (MN 113)
• — most of the suttas from chapter 17 of the linked discourses (SN 17)
• — Roga Sutta (AN 4.157).
• — Devadatta Sutta (Iti 89)
• — Devadattavipatti Sutta (AN 8.7)
• — Devadatta Sutta (AN 4.68)
• — Caṅkama Sutta (SN 14.15)
• — Nāgita Sutta (AN 5.30), (AN 6.42) and (AN 8.86)
• — Samādhi-bhāvanā Sutta (SN 22.5)
• — Vatthūpama Sutta (MN 7)
• — Karaniyametta Sutta (Sn1.8)
• — Anumāna Sutta (MN 15)
• — Sīlavanta Sutta (SN 22.122)
• — Mahāsāropama Sutta (MN 29)

Bohoma pin to the person who requested this talk.

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=7wVnFwkYaDQ AND on Spotify as a video podcast

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai