"Unravelling the Mysteries of Mind & Body"

Sayalay Susila, Abhidharma text, edited by Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly UPDATED

Pa Auk Sayadaw, Sayalay, and Dhr. Seven (ed.) set out the Buddha's "Higher Teachings"

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Ultimately (Aidan McRae Thomson)

Unravelling the Mysteries of Mind & Body Through Abhidhamma, the long awaited book by the accomplished Buddhist monastic Sayalay Susila and Wisdom Quarterly editor Dhr. Seven, is available at amazon.com and from Inward Wisdom Books.

It is based on the work of Pa Auk Sayadaw as he directly penetrated the Buddha's teachings on the subject of the Ultimate Doctrine or Abhdharma.

All proceeds from the book support the establishment of Appamada Vihari, Sayalay Susila's meditation center, offering an opportunity for all to accumulate merit to advance on the Buddhist path toward enlightenment in this very life.
 

Why would anyone go on a meditation retreat?

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ABOUT

Ven. Sayalay Susila, Grand Canyon

Unravelling the Mysteries of Mind & Body Through Abhidhamma is based on a series of PowerPoint presentations and talks on the Abhidharma by Sayalay Susila as she learned it directly from her enlightened teacher.

It is based directly on instructions by famed Burmese Buddhist Meditation Master Pa Auk Sayadaw -- presented by the Chinese-Malaysian Buddhist nun Sayalay Susila on her trips around the U.S. and Canada in 2002.

How much longer will the liberating Dharma survive in the world? (Mikecogh/flickr.com)

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Repeatedly told how helpful these talks were in illuminating this complex subject, Sayalay developed them into a startlingly clear visual presentation then this book, now in a completely re-edited edition.

At first glance the Abhidharma can appear so dry and complicated as to be impenetrable. Just ask Bhikkhu Bodhi, who attempts to teach it at BAUS.org.

It may, therefore, seem dull and irrelevant, a mere commentary to the sutras rather than a systematic treatment of what is needed to attain enlightenment -- the details, the explanations, the factors explained in extreme detail.

 

The Buddha among devas explaining the Abhidharma leading to final liberation

 

That it has been largely overlooked outside of Burma comes as no surprise. But the Sayadaw, Sayalay, and Seven have made Abhidharma accessible by employing direct and concrete language, clear analogies, and simple anecdotes primarily based on the experiences of real meditators in Asia, America, and Europe over many years.

The essence of Abhidharma is drawn out from its vast and complex matrix. Doing so makes it utterly practical, relating to everyday life in a way practitioners find meaningful for ordinary living. The way to realization is through concentration-and-insight meditation instruction to tie together theory and practice.

First edition (holybooks.com)

In this way analytical knowledge is made available for direct personal realization in meditation (bhavana, cultivation and development of various kinds). By providing clarity, this book helps practitioners come to a knowing-and-seeing, or knowledge and vision, of Abhidharma as a path revealed by the historical Buddha. It that its application, not its theoretical grasping, leads to happiness, mundane and supramundane.

May all beings -- humans, devas, and others -- share in the blessings of this offering of liberating-wisdom.

Who sees the Dharma (Dependent Origination) sees the Buddha (MN 28; Mikecogh)