Travel Guide to the Buddha’s Path

The Buddha’s training in conduct, meditation and understanding

Preface
Terminology and Conventions
Abbreviations Used for Pāli Text References

I. Learning How to Meditate

An Introduction to Meditation – an introduction to how to meditate.
Establishing a Physical Posture for Meditation – a guide on how to sit comfortably for meditation.
Establishing a Mental Posture for Meditation – a procedure for bringing the mind into the present moment for meditation.
Breath Meditation – how to use the breath as your object of meditation.
More Meditation Techniques – additional meditation techniques to support the development of concentration and tranquility.
Problems While Meditating – a list of common problems that arise in meditation and suggested antidotes.
Metta and the Brahma Viharas – a description of formal loving-kindness meditation, as well as the other “brahma viharas”: compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
Additional Aids in Meditation – additional tools to aid in establishing concentration and tranquility as well as some comments on bringing the practice into everyday life
Chanting – using traditional Buddhist chants to facilitate your practice

II. Right View/Right Understanding

What the Buddha Taught – Sources for the Buddha’s teachings
The Life of the Buddha – The Buddha’s journey as a model for our own practice.
The Four Noble Truths – The first of the Buddha’s teachings after his awakening.
Virtue, Ethics and Morality – The five lay precepts.
Karma – Understanding the law of karma.
Dependent Co-arising – Understanding the law of causation.
The Three Characteristics – The three aspects of all experience.

III. Right Mindfulness

Satipaṭṭhāna – the Four Foundations of Mindfulness
Ānāpānasati – Mindfulness of Breathing

IV. Right Concentration

Material Attainments – the four material jhānas
Immaterial Attainments – the four immaterial jhānas

V. The Unconditioned

Rebirth and the Buddhist Cosmology – the nature of existence
Nirvana – attaining Awakening

Appendix

Appendix A – glossary of terms
Appendix B – bibliography