One Week Retreat - Shamatha and the Four Immeasurables
D4S2 - The Buddha's Instructions to Bahiya, and the Stages of Attention
David Oromith · 75 minutes · recorded August 21, 2025
A few lines the Buddha gave to Bahiya, who urgently wanted teachings, used here as preparation: in the seen let there be only the seen, in the heard only the heard, in the sensed only the sensed, in the cognized only the cognized, without labelling or identifying any of it. David then takes the first four of the nine stages shown in the elephant artwork, where the meditator chases a mind that is following the monkey of involuntary thoughts, and the powers, faults and antidotes that go with them.
Distraction and attention Enthusiastic effort (virya) Lineage and tradition Shamatha (calm abiding) The four applications of mindfulness The four immeasurables The Pali suttas