Notes on 'Know Where You're Going: A Complete Buddhist Guide to Meditation, Faith, and Everyday Transcendence' by Ayya Khema

 

Notes on "Know Where You're Going: A Complete Buddhist Guide to Meditation, Faith, and Everyday Transcendence"

by Ayya Khema

Dean Paradiso

306 reviews50 followers

December 10, 2023

This is a good recording of talks and Q&A given over a week long (or multiple day) retreat in the 90s. Some of the topics included are an overall view of the Theravada / classical Buddhism framework, the Fourth Noble Truths and Dependent Origination.

Each day contained some practical meditation exercises and some questions and answers from the audience. 

Some things I liked were giving a high level overview of how the mediations related to the Buddha's teachings, and being specific in the meditation instructions and Q&A. Some things to note however- the approaches taken tend to be more commentarial (ie Visudhimagga, Burmese approach), than suttas based. As such, some emphasis is given to concentration and absorption throughout the exercises, and there seems to be more of an emphasis on sitting, rather than carrying around contemplations or integration throughout the day. 

I was also not clear on the difference that AK explained between worldly dependent origination and how that differs from transcendental dependent origination. Another quirk is AK's use of the term 'corelessness' and using terms like emptiness, which aren't very standard when looking at the early Buddhist vocab or the suttas. Overall, a helpful book, but keep in mind some context when considering these teachings and the approach here.