How the Buddha learned to meditate | EN | Bhante Sujato

This talk is about the process the Buddha went through learning to meditate, starting with an experiences he had as a child, which teachers he met and learned from and how he was conditioned by other schools.

Then later on, how the Buddha stayed with the sramanas doing all kinds of ascetic practises, which the Buddha found as a waste of time.

And finally, when he had been searching out all the best teachers of his time, and not finding them good enough, he started to develop his meditation alone, finding inspiration from his childhood experiences − not following a path but finding out himself.

And we have all this texts today explaining what problems the Buddha had, how he struggled and how he found his way. So this is a beautiful story about perseverance, not giving up, and finding your way yourself.

This teaching was given during a retreat at Venabu in October 2024.

  • Publisert: 2024-11-07

    From the opposite side of the planet, the retreat's instructor Bhante Sujato came by plane to Oslo, and he was transported straight to the mountains to rest and overcome jet lag, before the retreat at Venabu started.

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About the Author: Bhante Sujato

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Bhante Sujato, born Anthony Best in Perth, Australia, is a Theravāda Buddhist monk, scholar, and former musician who was ordained in Thailand in 1994. He founded Santi Forest Monastery in NSW, co-founded SuttaCentral for early Buddhist text translations, and has published widely on early Buddhism. His work includes supporting Bhikkhunī ordination and translating the four Nikāyas into English. He travels extensively to teach Buddhism and meditation retreats.

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