Compiled by Bhikkhu Moneyya
The system of meditation taught at Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in Myanmar is based on the Tipitaka (The Three Baskets, or main divisions, of the Pali Canon) and its commentaries. For clarity, the subject matter in this book has been organized into an outline format, using the three trainings of sila (morality), samadhi (concentration) and pañña (wisdom) as its main headings. The three trainings are then further subdivided into the seven stages of purification, originally described in the “Rathavinita Sutta” (“Relay Chariots Discourse”) of the Majjhima Nikaya and later expounded in the Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification), a widely respected commentary, compiled by Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa around AD 400. The seven stages of purification provide a step-by-step formula for systematically purifying one’s body (physical actions), speech and mind of defilements in order to realize Nibbana in this lifetime.