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Novice Young Monks in Myanmar.

Most Ven. U. Dhammajiva Maha Thero commenced on a new Dhamma Talk series based on Mūla Pariyāya Sutta to the Mitirigala Monastery Monks after completing the series on Aggi Vachchagoththa Sutta.

Mūla Pariyāya Sutta is an important Sutta from Majjima Nikaya. It is also the first Sutta of Majjima Nikaya and a spiritual prologue to Majjima teachings. The Sutta analyses the perceptual process of different types of individuals.

The Majjhima Commentary says that the Buddha delivered this discourse to dispel the pride and conceit that had arisen in 500 monks because their Vedic learning and intellectual mastery of the Buddha’s teachings. These monks were formerly Brahmins learned in Vedic literature. The subtle nuances of this discourse are intended to loosen the grip of Brahmanical views to which they may be clinging to. As eternal teachings, the suttas today address our own narrow “Brahmanical” views of Buddhism whether about the Dharma or the Abhidharma or Buddhism in general. Their purpose is reminding us of the ultimate purpose of the spiritual life—that of wisdom, liberation and joyful peace.

This sutta is unique in that it is the only sutta that ends with the monks “not approving” of it.

The monks were not happy with this discourse because they were faced with an open challenge by the Buddha that they should deal with their own pride and arrogance. The Majjhima Commentary also contains the Mūla Pariyāya Jataka which the Buddha expounds to these 500 monks a short while later. After listening to this Jataka, the monks thought, “In the past as well we were knocked down because of conceit” and were humbled (MA 1:59).8

The Majjhima Commentary remarks that the monks did not understand the sutta despite the excellent and melodious voice of the Buddha and his well-taught discourse, for it was for them “like delicious food placed before a man with his mouth bound by a thick broad cloth”. The Buddha nevertheless taught it “for shattering their conceit” (MA 1:56). What is truly interesting is that the sutta is, on the contrary, not difficult at all (although the subject is profound) but the 500 monks were blinded by their conceit. After all, it was after listening to the Mūla Pariyāya Jataka, that their conceit is removed, which then led them to understand the sutta in retrospect.

Please click the following link to read the text of the Sutta directly from Thripitakaya.org;
Mūla Pariyāya Sutta

The latest update is No. 52 conducted on 25 April 2019. The sound of the questions asked by the monks without a microphone has been increased through audio editing.

How to Download or Directly Listen to the audio files.

To download: You could download the file by right clicking on the file link and then selecting “save as” from the drop down menu. Save the file into a pre designated folder to listen on multiple occasions. This is the best way to save your internet allocation.

To listen directly: Please left click on the link to listen directly. Once the link is clicked, you will be directed to a separate page containing the talk. Usually the file starts to play in that window. If it doesn’t you could highlight the browser window and click ‘reload this page’. It will start to play.

1. 01 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_20-04-2017
2. 02 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_27-04-2017
   
3. 03 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_18-05-2017
4. 04 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_06-07-2017
5. 05 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_20-07-2017
6. 06 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_27-07-2017
7. 07 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_03-08-2017
8. 08 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_10-08-2017
9. 09 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_17-08-2017
10. 10 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_24-08-2017
11. 11 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_31-08-2017
12. 12 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_14-09-2017
    
13. 13 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_21-09-2017
14. 14 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_12-10-2017
15. 15 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_16-11-2017
16. 16 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_23-11-2017
17. 17 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_30-11-2017
18. 18 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_07-12-2017
19. 19 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_08-02-2018
20. 20 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_15-02-2018
21. 21 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_08-03-2018
22. 22 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_15-03-2018
23. 23 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_22-03-2018
24. 24 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_05-04-2018
25. 25 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_12-04-2018
26. 26 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_19-04-2018
27. 27 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_26-04-2018
28. 28 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_03-05-2018
29. 29 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_17-05-2018
30. 30 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_31-05-2018
31. 31 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_02-08-2018
32. 32 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_09-08-2018
33. 33 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_16-08-2018
34. 34 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_30-08-2018
35. 35 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_06-09-2018
36. 36 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_13-09-2018
37. 37 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_20-09-2018
38. 38 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_27-09-2018
39. 39 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_04-10-2018
40. 40 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_11-10-2018
41. 41 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_18-10-2018
42. 42 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_15-11-2018
43. 43 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_07-02-2019
44. 44 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_14-02-2019
45. 45 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_21-02-2019
46. 46 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_28-02-2019
47. 47 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_07-03-2019
48. 48 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_14-03-2019
49. 49 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_21-03-2019
50. 50 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_28-03-2019
51. 51 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_11-04-2019
52. 52 Mūla Pariyāya Sutta_25-04-2019

To be Continued….

Please click here to reach the other Dhamma series conducted in Sinhala by the Maha Thero.