Sati Center for Buddhist StudiesSupporting the study of Buddhist teachingsRadical Dharma Daylong - September 13, 2008 |
Radical Dharma: The Buddha’s Teachings on Views and Desire -
Verses from the Atthaka Vagga
Verses from the Atthaka Vagga
Taught by Andrea Fella
Saturday, September 13, 2008
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
They do not depend even on knowledge.
Not distinguishing themselves through opinions,
They do not depend on any views whatsoever.”
Atthaka Vagga V.5
Location: Insight Meditation Center, 108 Birch St., Redwood City, CA
The Atthaka Vagga (the Octet Chapter) of the Sutta Nipata contains sixteen poems on the subject of non-clinging. These teachings offer a radical and challenging approach to the liberative teachings of the Buddha, focusing most specifically on the subject of clinging to views and desire.
These verses may well contain some of the earliest teachings of the Buddha, since there are other discourses within the Pali Canon that refer to these teachings, and the language of these verses is more arachic than that of other discouses in the Pali Canon.
During this daylong, we will explore this ancient text from different perspectives: as an internally consistent teaching that proposes a radical path of non-clinging, without reference to any metaphysical belief system, and as a teaching contained within the larger body of Buddhist literature, highlighting some apparent contradictions between the two, and possible ways to reconcile them.
To get the most out of the class, we recommend that you read a version of the Atthaka Vagga prior to attending. Several versions are available freely; here are two that are easy to access:
- A translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, available in“A Handful of Leaves” Book 4, or online at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/index.html#vagga-4
- A translation by Bhikkhu Varado, available online at http://translations.awardspace.co.uk/pagehtml/download/AtthakaVagga.pdf