WHO ARE OUR ROLE MODELS? - Venerable Nanda Thera (foremost who guard the sense doors)

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast. Role models play an important part in all of our lives, whether we seek them out or not. And whether we walk the Buddhist Path or not, they can have the power to shape the direction we take and the ability to influence the decisions that follow on from there.  For Buddhist practitioners, the Buddha is our most eminent role model, teacher and the Perfectly Enlightened One. And there are also many noble and great disciples of the Buddha.   In this session we delve into the story of Venerable Nanda, the Buddha's half-brother, who was troubled particularly by sensual lust and other defilements, but through associating with Buddha and other noble disciples, he eventually became foremost who guard the doors to the sense faculties (indriyesu guttadvārānaṁ) and realised full awakening.   Some of the suttas referred to in this Dhamma talk:  – Catutthavagga (AN 1.230)  – Nandattheraapadāna (Tha Ap 15)  – Nandakattheraapadāna  (Tha Ap 408)  – Nandattheravatthu (Dhp 13-14)  – Nanda Sutta (Ud 3.2)  – Saṅgāmāvacarajātaka (Ja 182)  – Nanda Sutta  (SN 21.8)  – Sugatacīvara (Pli Tv Bu Vb Pc 92)  – Nandattheragāthā (Thag 2.19)  – Nanda Sutta (AN 8.9)  – Karaṇīyametta Sutta (Snp 1.8)  – Avijjā Sutta (AN 10.61)   In learning about such noble beings, we can delight in their lives and accomplishments; recognise the importance of seeing them as worthy role models; and use it as inspiration towards progress on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path. The VIDEO with slides has been uploaded to the Sutta Meditation Series podcast channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1mFI0nS2tw Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai