FREEDOM WITHIN – SAYADAW U PANDITA

Freedom Within

Sayadaw U Pandita

To be in the midst of noble warriors steeped in the satipatthāna meditation practice is a blessing, to learn from them, a rare occurrence, and to realize their wisdom, an aspiration.

Freedom Within was completed in the wake of Most Venerable Sayadaw U Pandita’s passing away on 16 April 2016. Although his passing away is an incalculable loss, he continues in our midst, teaching us, guiding us in the Buddha’s way through the valuable utterances of Dhamma, which he has shared on many occasions.

Work on this publication commenced as a mark of appreciation and gratitude to the Venerable Sayadaw, to venerate his worth as one of the most insightful meditation masters of our time, his generosity with time and tireless service.

It is now a poignant tribute, a solemn mark of respect, to recollect and venerate the meditation master, to continue to spread his teachings, so that the shimmer of his presence remains alight through the Dhamma he loved and taught so passionately.

All things of veneration and fortitude, such that one holds them to one’s heart, as pillars of strength, bears emblance of instability and change, a testament to a common provenance of pain and suffering as one directly witnesses how all formations continue in their true nature, to only arise, persist and then, pass away.

The great teachers of our time, their utterances, their presence and their wisdom, serve as a spiritual backbone in our quest for liberation. When faced with obstacles – in those moments of distress, they bolster our commitment to the practice, inspiring us to aspire to a realization that will unfold if only we put forth effort and continue our search with urgency and immediacy, directly meeting all presently arising objects, completely and without delay, in each moment. This, no doubt, was Venerable Sayadaw U Pandita’s clear message.

It is hoped that the insightful and practical teachings contained in this publication are a helpful guide to those dedicated to the Buddha’s way, the direction of travel where all things uncreated and unbound are free of cessation.

18 April 2016