Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.
This is the FULL DHAMMA SESSION, conducted on VESAK POYA (15 May 2022) via zoom, on THE TRUE GOAL OF SPIRITUAL LIFE. We examine the Mahāsāropama Sutta (MN 29), which is an important teaching of the Buddha on the benefits that result from making progress in the spiritual life, which can also become obstacles to the Path when unwholesome states enter our practice.  
The 3 short meditation sessions from today's session are INCLUDED in this episode. The first was to lift the mind and the other two were to put into practise the insight pathway taught by the Buddha. You are invited to practise the short meditations we undertook during this Vesak Dhamma session.
**Please note - we are examining this teaching from the Buddha with the aspiration for the supramundane development of the Noble Eightfold Path**  
In this Dhamma session, we cover: 

— Why the Buddha taught the spiritual life? 
— Background and context to the Mahāsāropama Sutta (MN 29) 
— Mapping to the Higher Training (including the Noble Eightfold Path) 
— What enables us to develop to fullness? 
— “Deep dive” into the Simile of the Heartwood, including examples for each of the benefits and how we can go wrong, other sutta references, some meditation practice  

Our earlier Dhamma session on "The Danger of Gain, Honour and Praise" can be also be listened to here - https://bit.ly/3yF68px
Some of the suttas covered directly or indirectly in this session: 

— Aggidattabrāhmaṇavatthu (Dhp 190-192) 
— Brahmacariya Sutta (AN 4.25) 
— Dutiyajananakuhana Sutta (Iti 36)  
— Vajjiputta Sutta (AN 3.84) 
— Kalahavivādasuttaniddesa (Mnd 2/Mnd 11) 
— Paṭhamasikkhattaya Sutta (AN 3.89) 
— Dussīla Sutta (AN 5.24) 
— Dāruṇa Sutta (SN 17.1) 
— Pañcarathasata Sutta (SN 17.36) 
— Ghaṭikāra Sutta (MN 81) 
— Sekha-patipadā Sutta (MN 53)  
— Paṭhamahatthaka Sutta (AN 8.23) 
— Paṭhamaugga Sutta (AN 8.21)  
— Dutiyaugga Sutta (AN 8.22)  
— Dutiyagilāna Sutta (SN 35.75) 
— Rathavinīta Sutta (MN 24)  
— Sīlabbata Sutta (AN 3.78) 
— Saṅghabheda, (Pli Tv Bu Vb Ss 10) 
— Samādhibhāvanā Sutta (AN 4.41) 
— Samādhibhāvanā Sutta (SN 22.5) 
— Patisambhidamagga (Ps 1) 
— Sāmaññaphala Sutta (DN 2) 
— Avakujja Sutta (AN 3.30) 
— Sambahula­sīlā­disa­m­pa­n­na­bhikkhu­vatthu (Dhp 271-272)  

An electronic copy of "Summary of the Simile of the Heartwood" and the "Insight pathway to contemplate for each benefit of spiritual life" from the Mahāsāropama Sutta (MN 29), as discussed in this Dhamma Session has been posted (and pinned) to the Sutta Meditation Series Telegram channel (https://t.me/suttameditationseries)  
Bohoma pin to the person who requested this sutta.
A VIDEO of this FULL SESSION with presentation slides has been published to the Sutta Meditation Series YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S46qXRMlD9I
Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai


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