A Life of Inner Quality: A comprehensive guide to Buddhist practice

A Life of Inner Quality
A comprehensive guide to Buddhist practice - 10 talks

Introduction

This is a guide for integrating Buddhist practice into daily life, drawn from talks which Venerable Acariya Maha Boowa has given over the past 25 years to various groups of lay people – students, civil servants, those new to the practice and those more experienced. In each case he has adapted his style and strategy to suit the needs of his listeners. This point is worth bearing in mind as you read these talks.

Although most of the talks emphasise the more basic levels of the practice – levels frequently overlooked – they cover all levels, for as the Venerable Acariya says in the concluding talk, all are mutually reinforcing. The higher levels must build on habits and attitudes developed on the more basic levels, while the basic levels need reference to the higher levels so as not to become misguided or pointless.

Since this is an introductory book, terms in Pali – the language of the oldest Buddhist Canon – are used as little as possible. Some basic Pali terms, though, have no real equivalents in English, so I have had no choice but to leave them as they are wherever they appear in the talks. If they are new to you, please refer to the glossary at the back of the book.

If you are interested in more detailed instructions on meditation, I recommend that you read the essay, "Wisdom Develops Samadhi" – which is part of the book "Forest Dhamma" – and then any of the Venerable Acariya's other books, all of which build around that essay

As for this book, I hope you find it helpful and encouraging in developing in your own life the inner quality we each have latent within us.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Rayong
June, 1989