Hunter Tissa’s wet straw

The monk elder Tissa, the hillman, we are told, was born in the land Rohana* in a hunting family and grew up in the vicinity of the Abbey Gamendavala. After he had reached a certain age and started a family, he made his living as a hunter. He dug countless traps, lay hidden snares and rammed [...]

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The first discourse

A beautiful and very convincing modern rendering of the first discourse given by the Buddha happened to cross my path this afternoon. If you thought you’d already read the famous “Dhammacakkapavattana” sutta before, think again. Richard Blumberg’s translation is contemporary while actually staying very close to the spirit of the original Pāli text. While many [...]

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How to awaken from a movie by remembering to cut barley

I am sitting in a movie theater. But I don’t know. I am lost in the story in front of my eyes, around my ears. I am immersed, completely engulfed in the story of the movie. I don’t know where I am – I believe I am … in the movie, part of the movie, [...]

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