This book is a great gift from Bhante Dewananda in conveying his ideas on the Metta Sutta. A pearl is hidden inside the shell of an oyster. While most deliverances of the Metta Sutta are given in the shape of an oyster, Bhante Dewananda has peeled the layers away in order for us to see the beauty of the pearl within. This is the greatest gift that one can receive.
One of the most common unquestioned assumptions among Buddhist meditators is that Satipatthana is synonymous with Vipassana. This assumption, it seems, often is a result of reading the Satipatthana Suttas in isolation without carefully considering the context in which satipatthana is used throughout the Sutta. When the broader view of the entire Sutta Pitaka is taken into account, it becomes clear that such an assumption, at best, is only partially correct. In this short study he will investigate the various contexts in which satipatthana appears and particularly consider is relationship with samadhi.
In this booklet we will discuss why we should take an interest in what the Buddha taught and the significance of these teachings as part of Buddhist practice. Hopefully some of you will get encouraged to start reading the sutta and get inspired by the very words of the Buddha himself.