5.3 THE STORY OF BĀLANAKKHATTA FESTIVAL - Dhammapada verses 26-27 (YOUTH DHAMMA SESSION)

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

Another session to accompany the fourth module in the Youth Dhamma Gradual Teachings series looking into Buddha's Gradual Instructions to Lay People on DANGER IN SENSUAL PLEASURES (kāmānaṁ ādīnavaṁ)

In this additional session, we look at THE STORY OF BĀLANAKKHATTA FESTIVAL from the Dhammapada verses 26 - 27. Through this story the Buddha emphasises the important distinction between negligence and vigilance when it comes to knowing the danger in sensual pleasures, using the behaviour at the festival as the example. Negligence is for the foolish and vigilance is for the wise.

The focus of this session is to

• — examine this story from the time of the Buddha and connect it with our modern times
• — understand what the Buddha means by negligence vs vigilance
• — recognise sense restraint as important when it comes to vigilance towards sensual pleasures
• — learn about the proximate cause for sense restraint, being moral shame and fear of wrongdoing
• — delving into moral shame and fear of wrongdoing to understand why the Buddha calls these two bright qualities that protect the world.

Some of the suttas that are mentioned directly or indirectly in this session:

• — Pamādavihārī Sutta (SN35.97)
• — Hirīottappa Sutta (AN 7.65)
• — Cariya Sutta (AN 2.9)
• — Vitthatabala Sutta (AN 7.4)
• — Vitthatadhana Sutta (AN 7.6)

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If you have any questions or comments regarding this talk, please email them to suttameditationseries[at]gmail.com or leave a voicemail message via anchor.fm

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=2Fr-l_87m5Q

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai