Ep125: The Mahasi Debate – Dhammarato & Daniel Ingram
In this episode I host a third dialogue between Dhammarato and Daniel Ingram, this time on the vipassana meditation method of the highly influential Burmese monk Mahasi Sayadaw.
In this episode I host a third dialogue between Dhammarato and Daniel Ingram, this time on the vipassana meditation method of the highly influential Burmese monk Mahasi Sayadaw.
While Daniel’s own path has been deeply informed by the Mahasi Method, Dhammarato has critiqued it as incomplete – particularly as it has been applied by the American Vipassana movements that it influenced.
In this episode Daniel and Dhammarato share their own experiences of the method, reflect on its changes from Mahasi to U Pandita to America, and reveal rarely seen teachings from Mahasi’s own writings.
Daniel and Dhammarato also debate different approaches to working with meditation hinderances, compare the results of Mahasi practitioners to those of fire kasina meditation and Culadasa’s ‘Mind Illuminated’ school, and address topics such as the Dark Night, Stream Entry, and perennialism.
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Topics Include:
00:00 – Intro
00:58 – Dhammarato vs Daniel on the internet
03:55 – Daniel’s practice history with the Mahasi Method
12:47 – Who was Mahasi Sayadaw and what was his emphasis?
16:16 – Dhammarato’s experiences with the U Pandita and the Mahasi method
18:52 – ‘U Pandita was not the nicest of people’
19:20 – What was lost in the translation of Mahasi’s method to America?
29:46 – Dry vs wet vipassana
31:08 – Daniel on rare and surprising Mahasi teachings
32:52 – U Pandita’s stern personality
34:45 – The joyful vibe at the Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre
37:53 – Open discussion of attainments
38:47 – Does Mahasi noting dwell on hinderances and cause Dark Nights of the Soul?
39:57 – Do different people need different meditation methods?
46:16 – How to deal with hinderances
49:52 – Comparing Mahasi, TMI, and Fire Kasina
01:00:21 – Is there a good side to hindarances?
01:07:03 – Is the Dark Night inevitable or a sign of practice gone wrong?
01:23:42 – Dhammarato’s rock bottom and investigation vs noting
01:29:03 – The richness of the full Buddhist tradition
01:30:28 – Different definitions of stream entry and Daniel’s personal experience
01:35:47 – Perspective on practice
01:40:33 – Daniel’s concluding reflections on the varieties of insight experiences
01:42:59 – Has Daniel nuanced his perennialsm?
Dhammarato Episode Playlist
Daniel Ingram Episode Playlist
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To find out more about Dhammarato, visit:
To find out more about Daniel, visit:
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James