Description
Description
This 34-page booklet presents a translation and commentary on the short Velama Sutta in which the Buddha provides a vivid outline of the relative degrees of merit that can be acquired by performing different kinds of good actions. These deeds are arranged in a scale beginning with the practice of generosity and culminating in the practice of insight into the truth of impermanence. The author illumines the subject from a foundation in Vipassana meditation in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin.
"Giving gifts, taking the Refuges, and keeping the Precepts are essential to build the foundation of good kamma. But the way out of the misery of the round of repeated rebirths is to develop a mind sufficiently concentrated to penetrate the ultimate truth. It is by fully comprehending the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and essenceless nature of all things in all the planes of conditioned existence that the final goal, the Deathless, is to be won." (p. 29)
Susan Elbaum Jootla is the author of several other BPS publications including Inspiration from Enlightened Nuns and Dana: The Practice of Giving..
View eBook versions for free on the BPS site.
There are a total of 447 Wheels published by the Buddhist Publication Society (BPS), with 222 titles listed on our website. However, many of these are currently out of stock. Please note that items which are out of stock will not be re-stocked.
When an individual Wheel is out of stock, it can be found within the Collected Wheel Publications (BPS edition). There are 29 Collected Wheel Publications (BPS edition), each containing 15 individual Wheels.
Pariyatti has also started publishing the Collected Wheel Publications (Pariyatti edition), which also include 15 individual Wheels each. We have completed Volumes 1 through 13 (available in both print and e-book versions), and the remaining volumes will be released in the coming years. Free PDF copies of the Collected Wheel Publication (Pariyatti edition) are also available on our website.
Additionally, you can download free PDF copies of individual titles from the BPS website.
VIPASSANA PRODUCTS
Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. More information about Vipassana as taught by S.N. Goenka is available at www.dhamma.org.
The tag Vipassana identifies products that are directly related to this tradition and differentiates them from other Theravada resources available on our site. While the main emphasis in Vipassana meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka is on actual practice, this product may provide inspiration and guidance to a Vipassana meditator.
We also carry titles from the Theravada tradition, as we feel that by exploring the wider world of the Theravada texts, which include the Buddha’s discourses, commentaries, and scholarly articles and treatises, meditators have an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the Dhamma and thereby enrich their meditation practice. This kind of intellectual exploration also helps a meditator to gain an understanding of the evolution and historical context of their meditation tradition. This understanding in turn deepens their practice and understanding of the Dhamma.
Disclosure: Pariyatti is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Q: Why have you decided to partner with Amazon for the printing and distribution of your books?
A: Pariyatti is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to help disseminate the words of the Buddha.
The generosity of our customers and donors (donations make up ~25% of our revenue) is what has allowed Pariyatti to cover our annual shortfall, and permitted us to continue operations. We strive to continue to find ways to make best use of this hard-earned money, generously donated by so many to Pariyatti. One of these is to explore ways to optimize our operations.
Our goal is to disseminate Dhamma content. The choice of working with a given distribution partner is solely based on whether they can provide you, our customer (no matter where you live) with the item(s) you ordered in an accurate, timely, and reliable manner.
With the advent of eBooks and the internet, the entire book publishing and distribution industry has faced significant challenges. With these industry changes, and Pariyatti's additional challenges in serving a niche market with low sales volumes, it has been financially difficult to staff our own warehouse and operations. Year after year, the costs of maintaining our own warehouse has far exceeded the income.
By focusing on what we do best (such as make Dhamma content available at low or no cost), and partnering with others who have already built robust printing, packing, and delivery systems, we free up resources that can be redirected towards expanding Pariyatti's offerings for you.
We are always on the lookout for creative ways to make Dhamma content as widely and freely available as possible. If you have any ideas along these lines, please feel free to be in touch via director@pariyatti.org .