Ep310: 10 Unanswered Questions - Dhammarato
Dhammarato is a lineage teacher in the Thai Buddhist tradition who is known for his unique, 1-1 teaching conversations conducted with students online.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Dhammarato critiques Western and Asian Buddhist forms, including the Mahasi method, and addresses widespread misconceptions about spiritual attainments such as stream entry.
Dhammarato gives a commentary on the The Shorter Discourse to Mālunkyāputta (MN 63), Majjhima Nikāya, explains why the Buddha refused to teach on certain metaphysical subjects, challenges doctrines such as reincarnation, and questions meditation techniques such as a mettā bhāvanā.
Dhammarato also presents his understanding of the Buddha’s true teachings, advises on how to find a guru and to become a good teacher, and reflects on his own training under Ajahn Po.
00:00 - Intro
00:58 - Moving the community to Discord and how to work with Dhammarato
01:17 - 600 people on the “Dhamma Friends” Discord server
01:52 - Dhammarato reflects on approaching 80 years old
02:36 - What the Buddha taught vs Western Buddhism
03:02 - Buddhism with a lot of baggage
03:59 - Buddhism’s spread throughout Asia
04:42 - Buddhism’s inferior spread in the West
05:25 - Alan Watts was more Christian than Zen
05:35 - Western Buddhist centres are not run by ordained Buddhist monks
06:33 - Steve reads an excerpt from Majjima Nikāya 63 (the ten unanswered questions), translated by Bikkhu Bodhi
09:12 - The imponderables and what the Buddha left undeclared
10:06 - Reincarnation is not part of the teachings of the Buddha
10:33 - The metaphor of the shrine
11:23 - The Buddha only taught suffering and the end of suffering
12:29 - Dhammarato on the four noble truths
13:23- Enlightenment is immediately available
14:08 - Right samadhi and its supports
15:18 - How to be free of suffering right here, right now
15:33 - Buddha only taught one practice: ānāpānasati
16:20 - How to practice ānāpānasati with the right attitude
17:28 - The noble mind and perfect morality
18:34 - Letting the cat out of the bag
19:50 - The four noble truths are the central and only teaching
20:35 - Life is not suffering
21:22 - What is not the teachings of the Buddha
21:48 - The Mahasi method is way off the mark
22:13 - The 16 stages of insight is a misguided model
23:18 - Western Buddhism is a ripoff
25:15 - The problem with large group teaching
26:37 - Magical teachings and the folly of attainments
28:21 - Mahasi attainments vs what the Buddha taught
29:09 - Avoid these aspects of Western Buddhist meditation
30:16 - Mettā bhāvanā is not a teaching of the Buddha
31:25 - How to find true Dhamma
32:44 - How to become a meditation teacher
33:21 - Bad meditation teacher training courses
34:02 - 5 ways to gain the Dhamma
35:15 - Critique of meditation retreats
37:28 - Buddha’s path is easy, the metaphor of the cement bags
40:44 - Attainments and mutual validation
42:03 - Peoples don’t see their greed
44:03 - Don’t brag about attainments
44:30 - How to know is someone is enlightened
49:32 - Huge understandings about stream entry
57:48 - Why do people make bold claims about stream entry?
01:00:37 - Christian Buddhism
01:02:33- How to demonstrate attainments
01:05:45 - How to expose fake stream enterers
01:07:42 - Buddha at the gas pump
01:08:52 - Meditation teacher trainings
01:10:37 - Certificates and the Wizard of Oz
01:18:11 - What are teacher trainings good for?
01:18:50 - Modern universities
01:22:24 - How to become a good teacher
01:23:57 - Don’t train under a lay man for money
01:24:36 - Cultural trappings in Thai Wat
01:25:47 - How to really learn the Dhamma
01:26:18 - Dhammarato’s teacher Ajahn Po
01:27:42 - Dhammarato’s Youtube channel and Dhamma Friends discord group
Dhammarato Episode Playlist
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=DHAMMARATO
To find out more about Dhammarato, visit:
- Email: dhammaratog@gmail.com
- Discord: https://discord.gg/epphTGY
- https://dhammaratoblog.wordpress.com/
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxg5GJFsRqnS-YLTzyrjLQ
The Shorter Discourse to Mālunkyāputta (MN 63), Majjhima Nikāya:
https://suttacentral.net/mn63/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James