Ep342: Ānāpānassati - Dhammarato

In this episode, I am once again joined by Dhammarato: a lineage teacher in the Thai Buddhist tradition who is known for his unique, 1-1 teaching conversations conducted with students online. Dhammarato guides us through the Ānāpānassatisutta, a much loved scripture which describes Buddhism’s famous breath meditation practice. Dhammarato describes the technique in detail, challenges common misconceptions about this practice and the sutta, and explains how the whole Buddhist path is contained within it. Dhammarato also argues that loving kindness meditations and remembering past lives are not Buddhist practices, addresses jhana and other meditation practice mistakes, and reflects on the fruits of his own practice when faced with illness and physical pain. … Video version: Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. ... Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:52 - Various breathing meditations 02:28 - MN 118: Ānāpānassatisutta - about the sutta 04:58 - 4 foundations of mindfulness 05:37 - Factors of Enlightenment 06:39 - Mistaken readings of the sutta 08:01 - Critique of loving kindness meditation 10:12 - Sitting meditation vs ānāpānassati 11:22 - Sati vs loving kindness meditation and recalling past lives 13:00 - Right noble looking 13:55 - Entering the first jhana and gladdening the mind 17:19 - Victim attitude 19:31 - How to make the body comfortable 22:36 - The skill of developing sukha, satisfaction 26:02 - Thoughts, feelings, and body are interrelated 27:35 - Ānāpānassati is not a breathing meditation 28:42 - Pragmatic Dharma vs Engaged Buddhism 30:25 - How to apply ānāpānassati 33:27 - The first step of nobility 36:22 - A feeling of success 39:14 - Attaining knowledge and deliverance 41:58 - Common jhana practice mistakes 46:52 - Loving kindness meditation mistakes 51:50 - Metta is a consequence not a practice 53:06 - Vipassanā vs samatha 57:10 - Explaining other Buddhist masters’ enlightenments 59:23 - Comments on Ajahn Chah and correct practice 01:01:53 - Working with pain and sickness 01:03:06 - Cancer and meditation 01:05:31 - Dhammarato’s aging and health 01:06:03 - Criticism of Goenka and sitting through pain 01:07:11 - Magical thinking of sitting through pain 01:08:28 - Advice for approaching death 01:10:53 - Dhammarato reflects on the deaths of his loved ones 01:13:37 - How to die happy Dhammarato Episode Playlist - To find out more about Dhammarato, visit: - Email: dhammaratog@gmail.com - Discord: - - Read the Ānāpānassatisutta: - … For more interviews, videos, and more visit. - … Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

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Ep342: Ānāpānassati - Dhammarato is an episode from Guru Viking Podcast by GuruViking.

This episode is 01:18:36 long.

This episode was published on Jan 2, 2026.

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