The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching


The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching

By Thich Nhat Hanh

 

 

Part One: The Four Noble Truths

 

01. Entering the Heart of the Buddha

 

02. The First Dharma Talk

Discourse on Turning the Wheel of the Dharma (Dhamma Cakka Pavattana Sutta – Samyutta Nikaya V, 420)

Three points:

 

03. The Four Noble Truths

Figure 1: The Four Noble Truths

 

04. Understanding the Buddha’s Teachings

Brief history of Buddhism

Schools of Buddhism

Understanding Buddhist teachings

 

05. Is Everything Suffering?

Three Kinds of Suffering (NOT a teaching of the Buddha)

List of afflictions (kleshas)

Dwelling happily in things as they are (drishta dharma sukha viharin)

 

06. Stopping, Calming, Resting, Healing

Stopping (shamatha)

Calming – five stages:

Resting -> Healing

 

07. Touching Our Suffering

Figure 2: The Twelve Turnings of the Wheel

Four Nutriments

First and Second Holy Truths

 

08. Realizing Well-Being

Third and Fourth Holy Truths

Interconnectedness of the Four Holy Truths

Renumbering:

 

 

Part Two: The Noble Eightfold Path

Arya ashtangika marga (a noble path of eight limbs)

 

09. Right View

 

10. Right Thinking

Two parts of thinking:

Four practices:

Other phrases:

 

11. Right Mindfulness

Seven Miracles of Mindfulness

Four Establishments of Mindfulness (smriti upasthana)

 

12. Right Speech

Explanation of right speech:

Sources of right speech:

 

13. Right Action

Five Mindfulness Trainings (pancha shila)

 

14. Right Diligence

Fourfold Right Diligence

 

15. Right Concentration

Two forms of concentration:

Nine levels of meditation (dhyana):

Practicing samadhi (concentration / absorption):

 

16. Right Livelihood

 

 

Part Three: Other Basic Buddhist Teachings

 

17. The Two Truths

 

18. The Three Dharma Seals

 

19. The Three Doors of Liberation

Four signs

 

20. The Three Bodies of Buddha

Three Bodies (trikaya) of Buddha

 

21. The Three Jewels

Faith (shraddha) in the Three Jewels (triratna)

 

22. The Four Immeasurable Minds

Four Immeasurable Minds (brahmaviharas)

 

23. The Five Aggregates

Five aggregates (skandhas)

 

24. The Five Powers

Five Faculties / Bases (indriyani) -> Five Powers (balani)

Three Kinds of Pride

Bodhisattva Never-Despising

Good time to start watering positive seeds in store consciousness when the following are dormant:

 

25. The Six Paramitas

Meaning:

 

Giving (dana paramita)

 

Mindfulness trainings (shila paramita)

 

Inclusiveness (kshanti paramita)

 

Diligence (virya paramita)

Four practices (Fourfold Right Diligence):

Figure 5: Seeds of Mindfulness

 

Meditation (dhyana paramita)

Two aspects:

 

Understanding (prajna paramita)

 

26. The Seven Factors of Awakening

Seven Factors of Awakening / Seven Limbs of Enlightenment (sapta bodhyanga)

 

27. The Twelve Links of Interdependent Co-Arising

Twelve Links of Interdependent Co-Arising (pratitya samutpada)

 

Twenty-four conditions (paccaya)

 

Four kinds of conditions (pratyaya)

 

28. Touching the Buddha Within