Nyanaponika Thera [info icon]
Anguttara Nikaya: The Discourse Collection in Numerical Order, by Nyanaponika Thera (2007; 51pp./152KB)
A collection of thirty-four suttas excerpted from the Anguttara Nikaya, with detailed notes and commentary.
Buddhism and the God-idea, by Nyanaponika Thera (2004. BuddhaNet edition © 1996.; 5pp./15KB)
Mystics from all the world's great religions have reported extraordinary meditative experiences that theists often attribute to the experience of God itself. But is it necessary to invoke the God-idea to explain these experiences? (This essay also appears in the book, The Vision of the Dhamma: Buddhist Writings of Nyanaponika Thera, (Buddhist Publication Society, 2000), which is available from Pariyatti).
Contemplation of Feeling: The Discourse-Grouping on the Feelings, translated from the Pali, with an Introduction by Nyanaponika Thera (1995; 23pp./70KB)
An anthology of passages from the Samyutta Nikaya and other texts concerning the Buddha's teachings on vedana (feeling).
Courageous Faith, by Nyanaponika Thera (2004. BuddhaNet edition © 1996.; 2pp./6KB)
A short reflection on the Buddhist view of faith (saddha). (This essay also appears in the book, The Vision of the Dhamma: Buddhist Writings of Nyanaponika Thera, (Buddhist Publication Society, 2000), which is available from Pariyatti).
Devotion in Buddhism, by Nyanaponika Thera (2004; 5pp./15KB)
A short essay on the role of devotion in Buddhist practice. (This essay also appears in the book, The Vision of the Dhamma: Buddhist Writings of Nyanaponika Thera, (Buddhist Publication Society, 2000), which is available from Pariyatti).
The Discourse on the Snake Simile: Alagaddupama Sutta (MN 22), translated from the Pali, with an Introduction and Notes by Nyanaponika Thera (2006; 30pp./91KB) [PDF icon]
The Discourse on the Snake Simile (MN 22) contains important presentations of the Buddha's teachings on not-self and on the dangers of clinging to views. It also contains two of the Canon's most memorable similes: that of the raft, and that of the snake. Nyanaponika's translation is here accompanied by an Introduction and copious detailed footnotes.
The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest: Selected Texts from the Pali Canon and the Commentaries, compiled and translated by Nyanaponika Thera (1994; 19pp./58KB)
An anthology of excerpts from the suttas and the Commentaries that address how to deal with the hindrances (sense desire, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, and doubt) when they arise in the mind.
The Four Nutriments of Life: An Anthology of Buddhist Texts, translated from the Pali, with an Introductory Essay by Nyanaponika Thera (2006; 32pp./97KB) [PDF icon]
Among the Buddha's most profound teachings is his observation that, like our bodies, our minds demand food for survival. Like a starving person, the mind hungers for sense-impressions; it feeds on thoughts, memories, ideas, and dreams; it even yearns for consciousness itself. This book includes carefully chosen excerpts from the suttas and commentaries that, together with the introductory essay, provide an excellent introduction to this vital topic.
The Four Sublime States: Contemplations on Love, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity, by Nyanaponika Thera (1994; 12pp./37KB)
A series of short but illuminating reflections on the development of the four brahmavihara ("sublime states" or "divine abidings": love, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity) and the role they play in meditative practice.
Is Unselfish Joy Practicable?, by Nyanaponika Thera
In this short essay the author explains how the methodical cultivation of mudita (sympathetic or unselfish joy) can "act as a powerful agent in releasing dominant forces of good in the human heart." (From the anthology: Mudita: The Buddha's Teaching on Unselfish Joy, four essays by Nyanaponika Thera, Natasha Jackson, C.F. Knight, and L.R. Oates.)
Kamma and its Fruit, by Nyanaponika Thera (2004. BuddhaNet edition © 1996.; 6pp./17KB)
An exploration of the subtle nature of kamma, and of the ultimate importance of cultivating wholesome kammic actions so that we may arrive at liberation — the final ending of kamma itself. (This essay also appears in the book, The Vision of the Dhamma: Buddhist Writings of Nyanaponika Thera, (Buddhist Publication Society, 2000), which is available from Pariyatti).
The Life of Sariputta, compiled and translated from the Pali texts by Nyanaponika Thera (1994; 55pp./166KB)
A biography of the "Marshal of the Dhamma," the Buddha's chief disciple, whom the Buddha praised for his deep wisdom, humility, patience, and forbearance.
The Power of Mindfulness: An Inquiry into the Scope of Bare Attention and the Principal Sources of its Strength, by Nyanaponika Thera (1994; 36pp./107KB)
An excellent overview of the powers of "bare attention" in mindfulness practice, organized in terms of four of its aspects: its capacity to "name" experience with dispassion; its non-coercive attitude toward experience; its capacity to slow down the mind so that the mind can see itself more clearly; and its capacity to see things directly, as they are.
Protection Through Satipatthana, by Nyanaponika Thera (1994; 6pp./17KB)
How mindfulness practice can serve as a powerful means of protecting oneself and others from harm.
Seeing Things as They Are, by Nyanaponika Thera (2004. BuddhaNet edition © 1996.; 2pp./6KB)
A short reflection on what it means to see things as they really are — namely, in terms of the three characteristics of impermanence, suffering, and not-self. (This essay also appears in the book, The Vision of the Dhamma: Buddhist Writings of Nyanaponika Thera, (Buddhist Publication Society, 2000), which is available from Pariyatti).
The Simile of the Cloth & The Discourse on Effacement: Two Discourses of the Buddha, edited with Introduction and Notes by Nyanaponika Thera (1994; 30pp./91KB)
Translations of two important suttas (Majjhima Nikaya 7 and 8) on the purification of mind, with introductions and extensive notes.
The Threefold Refuge, by Nyanaponika Thera (2006; 16pp./48KB)
An excellent introduction to the multilayered meaning of "going for refuge," that crucial realignment of one's spiritual compass towards the highest Buddhist goal.
Why End Suffering?, by Nyanaponika Thera (2004. BuddhaNet edition © 1996.; 4pp./12KB)
In this essay the author explores how the resolve to bring a skillful end to one's own suffering (dukkha) simultaneously works to diminish the suffering of others. (This essay also appears in the book, The Vision of the Dhamma: Buddhist Writings of Nyanaponika Thera, (Buddhist Publication Society, 2000), which is available from Pariyatti).
The Worn-out Skin: Reflections on the Uraga Sutta, by Nyanaponika Thera (1994; 34pp./102KB)
Reflections on the Uraga Sutta, an ancient Buddhist poem that compares one who abandons unskillful qualities of mind to a snake that sheds its skin.