The Atthakavagga: the original seeds that gave rise to Buddhist teachings (Part2)
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Mentor, Diane Wilde

“For someone sunk in confusion, even if well concealed in a hiding place, seclusion is far away.” This is another paradoxical reflection from one of the earliest collections in the Pali Cannon, the Atthakavagga. In this verse from a verse entitled “The Hiding Place”, the protagonist appears to be redefining solitude or seclusion, and perhaps loneliness. Just as we discovered during our first discussion two weeks ago, this verse asks us to draw our own conclusions. Gil Fronsdal states in his introduction to his translation of the Atthakavagga: “Here we find the Buddhist teachings pared down to their most essential elements, free of the more complex doctrines often associated with Buddhism.” The poems and verses from this small collection reveal a pattern of teachings that are much different — in their directness and simplicity — from the later sutta collections. Verses in the Atthakavagga often have an almost a koan-like quality, which seem open to interpretation.

To listen to Part 1 of this talk, click here or visit the audio dharma post date of Nov 16, 2017.

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