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In this new section, I hope to discuss essential material on Buddha Dhamma (Buddha’s teachings) that could help beginners and long-term readers.
November 13, 2026
This section was previously entitled “Key Dhamma Concepts”.
New Posts (starting on November 13, 2026):
Dhamma Essentials – Introduction
Old Posts (these will be revised as needed):
oSubsection: Basic Framework of Buddha Dhamma
▪Buddha Dhamma – Noble Truths, Paṭicca Samuppāda, Tilakkhaṇa
▪Noble Truths, Paṭicca Samuppāda, Tilakkhaṇa – Key Relationships
▪Anicca Nature, the First Noble Truth, and Paṭicca Samuppāda
▪Anicca Nature – Not Possible to Overcome Suffering in This World
•Anicca and Anatta – Two Characteristics of the World
•Anuloma Khanti and Sammattaniyāma – Pre-requisites for a Sotāpanna
•Anicca Nature – Not Possible to Overcome Suffering in This World
•Dukkha in Tilakkhaṇa Is a Characteristic – Not Dukkha Vedanā
•Attachment to Things with Dukkha Lakkhaṇa Leads to Dukkha
•How Does Anicca Nature Lead to Dukkha?
•Anatta is a Characteristic of the World, not About a “Self”
•Anatta in Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta – Part 1
•Anatta in Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta – Part 2
Critically-Relevant Posts in Other Sections:
▪Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means
▪Correct Meaning of Vacī Saṅkhāra
oSubsection: San (Explanation of many key Pāli words)
▪What is “Saŋ”? Meaning of Sansāra (or Saṁsāra)
▪Saṅkhāra, Kamma, Kamma Bīja, Kamma Vipāka
▪Saṅkhāra – Life is a Bundle of Saṅkhāra
▪Difference Between Dhamma and Saṅkhāra
▪Kamma are Done with Abhisaṅkhāra – Types of Abhisaṅkhāra
oSubsection: Nibbāna
▪Nibbāna – Is it Difficult to Understand?
▪The Four Stages in Attaining Nibbāna
▪What Are Rūpa? (Relation to Nibbāna)
▪Does the First Noble Truth Describe only Suffering?
▪Nirodha and Vaya – Two Different Concepts
▪Nibbāna “Exists”, but Not in This World
oSubsection: Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta
▪Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – Distortion Timeline
▪Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – Wrong Interpretations
▪The Way to Nibbāna – Transcription of a Discourse by Waharaka Thero
•Anicca – Inability to Keep What We Like
•Anicca – Repeated Arising/Destruction
•Anicca – Worthlessness of Worldly Things
•Anicca – The Incessant Distress (“Pīḷana”)
•How to Cultivate the Anicca Saññā
•How to Cultivate the Anicca Saññā – II
•If Everything is Anicca Should We Just give up Everything?
▪Anattā – A Systematic Analysis
•Anattā in Anattalakkahana Sutta – No Soul or an Ātma
•Anatta – No Refuge in This World
•Dasa Akusala and Anatta – The Critical Link
•Anatta – the Opposite of Which Atta?
•Anattā (Mundane Interpretation) – No “Unchanging Self”
▪Anatta and Dukkha – True Meanings
▪Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – According to Some Key Suttā
▪Tilakkhaṇa – English Discourses
▪Sotāpanna Stage and Tilakkhaṇa
•Sakkāya Diṭṭhi and Tilakkhaṇa
•Sakkāya Diṭṭhi – Getting Rid of Deeper Wrong Views
•Associations (Sevana) – A Root Cause of Wrong Views
▪37 Factors Of Enlightenment – Meditation To Attain Arahanthood
▪Types of Bodies in 31 Realms – Connection to Jhāna
▪Finest Manomaya Kāya of an Arūpāvacara Brahma
▪
oSubsection: Gati, Bhava, and Jāti
▪Nāmagotta, Bhava, Kamma Bīja, and Mano Loka (Mind Plane)
▪Gati and Bhava – Many Varieties
▪Gati to Bhava to Jāti – Ours to Control
▪Memory, Brain, Mind, Nāma Loka, Kamma Bhava, Kamma Vipāka
▪Bhava and Jāti – States of Existence and Births Therein
▪Cuti and Maraṇa – Related to Bhava and Jāti
▪Difference Between Taṇhā and Upādāna
▪Anusaya, Gati, Bhava – Connection to Manomaya Kāya (Gandhabba)
▪Pāpa Kamma Versus Akusala Kamma
oSubsection: Sorting out Some Key Pāli Terms (Taṇhā, Lobha, Dosa, Moha, etc)
▪Kāma Taṇhā, Bhava Taṇhā, Vibhava Taṇhā
▪Taṇhā – How We Attach Via Greed, Hate, and Ignorance
▪Lobha, Raga and Kamaccanda, Kamaraga
▪Lobha, Dosa, Moha Versus Raga, Patigha, Avijjā
▪Diṭṭhi (Wrong Views), Sammā Diṭṭhi (Good/Correct Views)
▪Anantara and Samanantara Paccaya
oVedanā (Feelings) Arise in Two Ways
▪Indriya and Āyatana – Big Difference
▪Hetu-Phala, Paccuppanna, and Paṭicca Samuppāda
▪Correct Meaning of Vacī Saṅkhāra
▪Pañca Indriya and Pañca Bala – Five Faculties and Five Powers
▪Kāmaccandha and Icca – Being Blinded by Cravings
oSubsection: The Five Aggregates (Pañcakkhandha)
▪Sensory Experience, Paṭicca Samuppāda, and Pañcupādānakkhandha
▪Saññā – Hidden Aspect of Paṭicca Samuppāda
▪Overcoming Attachment to “Distorted/False Saññā” Leads to Nibbāna
▪Five Aggregates – Introduction
▪Rūpa, Vedanā, Saññā, Saṅkhāra, Viññāṇa – Mostly Misunderstood
▪Rūpakkhandha and Rūpa Upādānakkhandha
▪Arising of Five Aggregates Based on an Ārammaṇa
▪Memory Records – Critical Part of Five Aggregates
▪Pañca Upādānakkhandhā – Introduction
▪Five Aggregates – Connection to Tilakkhaṇa
•Five Aggregates and Tilakkhaṇa – Introduction
•Icca, Nicca, Anicca – Important Connections
•“Me” and “Mine” – The Root Cause of Suffering
•Difference Between “Me and Mine” and Sakkāya Diṭṭhi
•Sakkāya Diṭṭhi – “Me and Mine” View
•Atta – Two Very Different Meanings
▪Saṅkhāra is discussed at, “Saṅkhāra, Kamma, Kamma Bīja, Kamma Vipāka.”
oSubsection: Nāma & Rūpa to Nāmarūpa
❖Future Suffering – Why It Arises
❖Vipallāsa (Diṭṭhi, Saññā, Citta) Affect Saṅkhāra
❖Vedanā – What It Really Means
❖Does Bodily Pain Arise Only Due to Kamma Vipāka?
•What is Saṅkhāra (Mental Formations)?
❖Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means
•Bhūta and Yathābhūta – What Do They Really Mean
•What are rūpa? – Dhamma are rūpa too!
•Viññāṇa – What It Really Means
•Kamma Viññāṇa – Link Between Mind and Matter
•Anidassana Viññāṇa – What It Really Means
•Kamma Viññāṇa and Nāmarūpa Paricceda Ñāṇa
Deeper Analyses:
▪Pañcakkhandha or Five Aggregates – A Misinterpreted Concept