Advice to Rahula

Advice to Rahula. This is the second book in our line-up of translations from the Pali Canon which deals with meditation. Advice to Rahula, Mahārāhulovādasuttaṁ, MN 62,  is an important discourse on mindfulness. It was given directly from the Buddha to his son Rahula. Here Buddha talks about the development of meditation on the elements as a precursor to mindfulness while breathing.

From the book:

And what, Rāhula, is the space element? The space element may be internal or may be external. And what, Rāhula, is the internal space element? That which is inside that is space, or has become spacy, and is attached to, like this: ear-holes, nose-holes, the door of the mouth, and that by which what is eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted is swallowed, that place where what is eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted settles, and the lower part by which that which is eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted goes out – or whatever else there is that is inside, in oneself, that is space, or has become spacy, and is attached to, that, Rāhula, is called the internal space element. Now, that which is the internal space element, and that which is the external space element, that is only the space element. “This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self,” like this it ought to be seen, as it really is, with right wisdom. Having seen it like this, as it really is, with right wisdom, one loses interest in the space element, one detaches the mind from the space element

This version was revised in 2008. Download Advice to Rahula here (30 pages/320 Kb) :

 Advice to Rahula