New book about Vimalaramsi´s style TWIM

Jose Moral, modified 6 Years ago at 5/6/17 10:37 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 5/6/17 10:37 AM

New book about Vimalaramsi´s style TWIM

Posts: 23 Join Date: 1/26/11 Recent Posts
Anyone has read it?
It looks really good.


https://www.amazon.com/Path-Nibbana-Mindfulness-Loving-Kindness-Progresses/dp/1508808910
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chris mc, modified 4 Years ago at 5/22/19 12:15 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 5/22/19 12:14 AM

RE: New book about Vimalaramsi´s style TWIM

Posts: 57 Join Date: 5/31/12 Recent Posts
I'm reading this book now.  I'm about half way through, past the section that describes what they think Buddhism is, and what their method of meditation achieves that isn't found elsewhere, and what their correct interpretation of the Pali words is.

I have to say that they (the author and Bhante V) bring up some interesting points so far in the book.

I've read in books, and I've read posts on internet forums, from people that went through the insight knowledges and got stream entry and then anagami or whatever, but they didn't get the personality changes that were detailed in the suttas.

One pointed concentration meditation practices and vipassana practices aren't what the Buddha taught, he taught a more relaxed less striving approach, that leads to seeing dependent origination which is the thing that the Buddha said made the real difference in terms of ridding oneself of the fetters.

So 1) you've either done the practices as detailed in the suttas and they didn't produce the effects described, or 2) you did a fairly different practice, something that comes from the "vissudimagga" which was a commentary put together hundreds of years after the Buddha died, instead of the method and instruction from the best meditation teacher in human history, and they didn't produce the effects described in the suttas.



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Chris M, modified 4 Years ago at 5/22/19 6:27 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 5/22/19 6:27 AM

RE: New book about Vimalaramsi´s style TWIM

Posts: 5116 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
Or... ancient writings are idealized versions of Buddhist practice and its benefits.
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Daniel M Ingram, modified 4 Years ago at 5/23/19 1:52 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 5/23/19 1:52 PM

RE: New book about Vimalaramsi´s style TWIM

Posts: 3268 Join Date: 4/20/09 Recent Posts
Haven't read it, but the debates between those who read the Pali Canon very specific ways who put it in opposition to the Commentaries vs those who see them as reasonable extensions of each other are ancient, and getting tied up in them may not be that helpful.

Also, the debates about what the paths lead to are also very old, and also often don't help as much as people think they will.

It often becomes more about being on one dogmatic or political team than about real questions regarding practice.

Still, I haven't read the book, so perhaps it would add something fresh to debates I consider pretty stale.
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Daniel M Ingram, modified 4 Years ago at 5/23/19 1:53 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 5/23/19 1:53 PM

RE: New book about Vimalaramsi´s style TWIM

Posts: 3268 Join Date: 4/20/09 Recent Posts
Oh, yes, the notion that the Buddha taught a more relaxed, less striving approach requires a very hyper-selective reading of the Pali Canon that ignores simply hundreds of suttas where he says the exact opposite.

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