A comprehensive guide to the understanding and practicing Buddhist meditation The very idea that the teachings can be mastered will arouse controversy within Buddhist circles. Even so, Ingram insists that enlightenment is an attainable goal, once our fanciful notions of it are stripped away, and we have learned to use meditation as a method for examining reality rather than an opportunity to wallow in self-absorbed mind-noise. Ingram sets out concisely the difference between concentration-based and insight (vipassana) meditation; he provides example practices; and most importantly he presents detailed maps of the states of mind we are likely to encounter, and the stages we must negotiate as we move through clearly-defined cycles of insight. Its easy to feel overawed, at first, by Ingram's assurance and ease in the higher levels of consciousness, but consistently he writes as a down-to-earth and compassionate guide, and to the practitioner willing to commit themselves this is a glittering gift of a book. In this new edition of the bestselling book, the author rearranges, revises and expands upon the original material, as well as adding new sections that bring further clarity to his ideas. Daniel Ingram is a leading proponent of Buddhism as a practical path to enlightenment in this lifetime. He has played a key role in keeping Buddhism vital and accessible while also grounded in the core teachings. Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book (Revised and Expanded Edition) By Daniel M. Ingram Aeon Books Ltd Copyright © 2018 Daniel M. Ingram All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-911597-10-0 Contents Preface to the Second Edition, Foreword and Warning, Part I: The Fundamentals, 1. Introduction, 2. Morality, The First and Last Training, 3. Concentration, The Second Training, 4. Wisdom, The Third Training, 5. The Three Characteristics, 6. The Five Spiritual Faculties, 7. The Seven Factors of Awakening, 8. The Three Trainings Revisited, 9. The Four Noble Truths, 10. Objects for Insight Practices, 11. On Teachers, 12. Daily Life and Retreats, 13. A Few Odds and Ends About Retreats, 14. Post-Retreat Advice, 15. Postures, 16. Resolve, Part II: Light and Shadows, 17. Introduction to Parts Two through Five, 18. Buddhism versus the Buddha, 19. Content and Ultimate Reality, 20. What Went Wrong?, 21. A Clear Goal, 22. Harnessing the Energy of the Defilements, 23. Right Thought and the Augean Stables, 24. From Content to Insight, Part III: The Shamatha Jhanas, 25. Introduction to Part Three, 26. The Wide World of Jhana, 27. The Concentration States (Shamatha Jhanas), 28. The Formless Realms, 29. Kasina Practice, Part IV: Insight, 30. The Progress of Insight, 31. The Three Doors, 32. "What Was That?", 33. Review, 34. The Vipassana Jhanas, 35. How the Maps Help, 36. Beyond First Path ("What Next?"), Part V: Awakening, 37. Models of the Stages of Awakening, 38. Integration, 39. It Is Possible!, 40. More on the "Mushroom Factor", 41. So, Who the Heck Is Daniel M. Ingram?, Part VI: My Spiritual Quest, 42. Backstory, 43. The Early Years, 44. Bodysurfing, 45. College and Pre-Buddhist Exploration, 46. The Middle Years, 47. Thank U, India, 48. The First Bodh Gaya Retreat, 49. The First MBMC Retreat, 50. The Dark Night Gets Ugly, 51. The Second Bodh Gaya Retreat, 52. The Great Stream Enterer, 53. Dharma Power, Dharma Poison, 54. The Middle Paths, 55. Map Failure, 56. Wandering, 57. Kasinas, Powers, and Retreats, 58. Introduction to the Powers, 59. Are the Powers Real?, 60. Paradigm Fluency, 61. Crazy?, 62. Those Damn Fairies ..., 63. Definitions of the Powers, 64. Ethics and the Powers, 65. How to Cultivate the Powers, 66. Made Pliant and Malleable, 67. Benefits of the Powers, 68. Magick and the Brahma Viharas, 69. Bhavana Society 2001 Retreat, 70. Around the World and Finding Home, 71. More Practical Tidbits, 72. Conclusion and Best Wishes, Index, CHAPTER 1 Introduction If you have not yet read the Foreword and Warning, please do so now. The Buddhist path has often been called a "spiritual path", and this use of religious language can be very inspiring for some people. The Buddhist path can also be thought of in terms of a scientific experiment, a set of exercises that the Buddha and his followers have claimed lead to very specific, reproducible, verifiable effects, which are deemed not just worthwhile but liberative. Using this sort of practical, more scientifically oriented language can also be very inspiring for some people. However, as science doesn't often provide explicit emphases on the meaning and relevance of its findings to living humans with hearts and minds, language and concepts that can bridge that gap are often useful. To inspire a broader audience, I will use both spiritual and practical language when discussing some of the elements concerning the Buddhist path. My preference, h