Backstory

One of the first suttas we read in John Kelly’s Pāli Reading Group was the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. Being well familiar with this discourse in English and with a growing confidence in Pāli, I anticipated what a number of words or phrases would be. But a few key words in Pāli were not what I expected them to be. These surprises led to new ways of thinking about the instructions and how to practice. 

This naturally led to sharing these words in the peer-led sangha, Dharmachanics. The ‘Pāli for Practice’ series kicked off with a deep dive into those Pāli words that had surprised me, and then continued in later sessions looking at various aspects of the sutta such as the hindrances.

A few months into the series, I began Sanskrit studies with James Whelan of the London Buddhist Society. This opened my eyes to the richness of, as James describes, ‘the inner life’ of these words, not only in Pāli but also the related Sanskrit.

The driving force behind Dharmachanics, Ron Serrano, records and posts sessions, for which the links are given on this page.

As my understanding continues to evolve, so too do the presentations evolve. So how I present the material now varies somewhat from when these videos were recorded. Yet the videos still provide useful information, which you may find helpful for your practice.

I’m happy to share ‘Pāli for Practice’ with your sangha in a live virtual session.