ESW 1

ESW 100 Introduction & Overview of Workshop 8:59

Entering the Stream and Beyond Sutta Study with Meditation Workshop aims to investigate what the suttas say about how to enter the stream and what it entails to become a stream-enterer. The 2-day workshop is designed for interactive participation through guided open mindfulness sessions, and the stimulation of intellectual analysis and discussion among the participants based on the contents of the provided workbook.

The workshops were conducted in the first half of 2023 during a nationwide (including Singapore) tour for 16 Buddhist organisations.

The edited videos in this playlist are based on the footage from Nalanda Wisdom Park, Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor (8-10 July 2023) with supplementary clips from other venues.

In this video, Āyasmā Aggacitta gives an introduction to the nature of the workshop followed by an overview of the sections to be covered.

0:00 Opening
0:19 Welcome Speech
0:33 Introduction
2:52 Overview of the Workshop
3:00 Section 1 – WHEN & WHAT? The Process and Nature of Stream Entry
3:11 Section 2 – HOW? Conditions for Attainment
3:29 Section 3 – THEN WHAT? Qualities of a Stream-Enterer
4:06 Section 4 – BUT WHY? Difficulty of Authenticating Its Attainment
4:15 Ambiguous Criteria for Determining Stream-Entry in Dhamma Mirror Discourse
4:46 Claimed Gold Standard to Authenticate Stream-Entry
5:14 Section 5 – AND SO? Comprehension, Retention and Benefits
5:28 Guided Meditation on Open Mindfulness in Between Group Discussions
5:57 Why Practise with Open Eyes
7:19 Emphasis on Practical Application in Daily Life
8:59 End

ESW 101 When & What – The Event of Entering the Stream 19:51

In this edited video, Āyasmā Aggacitta gives a brief summary for each of the excerpts in this first section: When and What—The Event of Entering the Stream.

He concludes by explaining the discussion topics for this section.

00:00 Opening
00:14 Introduction to Section 1
00:33 Stories of Stream-Entry During the Buddha’s Time
00:42 Nakhasikhā Sutta (SN 13.1)—Terms Indicating Stream-Entry
00:52 Dhammacakkhu/Dhamma-Eye Refers to Stream-Entry and Above
02:04 The First People Who Became Stream-Enterers
02:14 Buddha’s Desire to Share the Dhamma with His Teachers
02:36 The Five Ascetics and How They Attained Stream-Entry
05:00 The 1,500 Fire Ascetics Became Awakened Upon Listening to the Fire Sermon
05:25 The First Lay People Who Became Stream Enterers
05:36 Yasa, the Son of A Wealthy Man
07:58 The Five Hindrances Are Listed As Defilements of the Mind in Upakkilesa Sutta (SN 46.33)
09:35 Yasa’s Father
10:19 Yasa’s Mother
10:26 King Bibimsara the Ruler of Magadha
10:42 Suppabuddha the Leper
11:59 Other Renunciants Who Became Stream-Enterers
12:20 Sāriputta and Moggallāna
15:15 The Monks Who Created a Schism in the Saṅgha
18:07 A Sick Monk
18:37 Discussion Topic 1a
18:56 Discussion Topic 1b
19:24 Discussion Topic 1c

ESW 102 When & What – Summary & Conclusion of D1 8:19

In this edited video, Āyasmā Aggacitta gives his summary and conclusion for this first section on the When & What of Stream-Entry.

0:00 Opening
0:12 Introduction to Summary & Conclusion
0:24 The Process of Entering the Stream for Lay People
0:35 Listens to Gradual Teaching
1:52 The Mind Becomes Ready
2:17 Listens to The Four Noble Truths
2:24 Dhamma-Eye Arises
2:36 The Process of Entering the Stream for Renunciants
2:43 Gradual Teaching Becomes Redundant
3:45 The Mind Still Needs to Be Ready
4:01 May Still Need to Listen to The Four Noble Truths
4:38 Why is the Process of Entering the Stream for Renunciants More Varied?
6:10 Gradual Teaching Vs Gradual Training
6:17 What Is Gradual Training?
7:30 What is the Most Important Element of the Process?
8:07 Closing

ESW 103 When & What – Sutta Excerpts on the Experience of Stream Entry 19:29

In this edited video, Āyasmā Aggacitta gives a brief summary for each of the excerpts in this second part of Section 1: The What of Stream Entry. He concludes by explaining the discussion topics for this sub-section: D2a and D2b.

00:00 Start
00:15 What Is the Experience of Stream Entry (2nd Part of Section 1)
00:24 Different Translations of the Dhamma-Eye Experience (Pg 31)
04:06 What Does the Dhamma-Eye Actually See?
04:12 Ariyasāvaka Sutta (SN 12.49) – The Ability to See Conditional Cessation
04:49 Classical 12 Links of the Dependent Origination
07:21 Kosambi Sutta (SN 12.68) – Experientially See Nibbāna as the Cessation of Existence/Becoming
07:45 The 5 Grounds of Acceptance
08:09 Faith
09:35 Personal Preference
10:34 Oral Tradition
10:54 Reasoned Reflection
11:26 Acceptance of a View after Pondering It
12:29 Clearly Seen Nibbāna Yet not an Arahant
13:39 Sāriputta Sutta (AN 10.7) – Not Percipient of Anything Worldly or the Āruppas but Yet Still Percipient … of What?
15:36 Was Āyasmā Sāriputta Already an Arahant Then?
16:13 Samādhi Sutta (AN 10.6) – Percipient of Nibbāna and Nothing Else
17:03 A More Elaborate Description of Nibbāna
18:08 Discussion Topic D2a
18:54 Discussion Topic D2b