NibbÃÂna: The Mind Stilled (Sinhalese: à ¶±à ·Âà ·Âà ¶±à · à ¶±à ·Âà ·Âà ·Âà ¶¸, Nivanànivëma) is the translation of a series of 33 sermons delivered in Sinhala by Venerable Bhikkhu Katukurunde ÃÂÃÂá¹Âananda during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The focus of the sermons was on the term nibbÃÂna and its deeper philosophical implications. The first volume of the seven-volume series was published in 2003.
It was inspired by an invitation that came from his revered teacher, the late venerable Matara Sri ÃÂÃÂá¹ÂÃÂrÃÂma Mahathera, the chief incumbent of the Nissarana Vanaya Hermitage in Meetirigala and an illustrious exponent of Insight Meditation in Sri Lanka. The sermons were delivered once every fortnight before the group of resident monks from August 1988 to January 1991. Thirty three sermons have been published in seven volumes.
Venerable ÃÂÃÂá¹Âananda had already written four books during the early phase of his monkâÂÂs life at Island Hermitage, Dodanduwa. They were Concept and Reality in Early Buddhist Thought, Samyutta Nikaya â An Anthology (Part 2), Ideal Solitude and The Magic of the Mind. He came under the tutelage of the late venerable Matara Sri ÃÂÃÂá¹ÂÃÂrama Mahathera when he shifted to Nissarana Vanaya Hermitage in 1972.
NibbÃÂna â the Bliss Supreme (Dhammapada 203) is the determined goal of the "spiritual endeavour" in Buddhism. Bhikkhu ÃÂÃÂá¹Âananda has followed a line of interpretation that highlights the psychological import of the term nibbÃÂna, drawing out at the same time the deeper philosophical implications. The term nibbÃÂna has been examined in the discourses of the Pali canon. In his analysis, he reinterprets the discourses dealing with the law of Dependent arising (paá¹ÂiccasmuppÃÂda) and the Middle Path. He expounds on the topics he has briefly dealt with in 'Concept and Reality' and 'Magic of the Mind'. Via media, he has suggested the âÂÂRelative validity and Pragmatic value of conceptsâÂÂ.
The sermons were studied in a three-year e-learning program (2017âÂÂ2018) offered by Bhikkhu AnÃÂlayo of the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Hamburg in cooperation with the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies preserved with Bhikkhu Analayo's commentary, transcripts and audio files at https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/lectures/Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.
Drawing inspiration from the dictum "The Gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts" (Dhammapada 354), he has specified that all publications should be distributed free as âÂÂgifts of DhammaâÂÂ. The Free Distribution of Dhamma (dhammadÃÂna-ideal) has been upheld by the Buddha in the following exhortation to the monks:<blockquote>Monks, there are these two kinds of gifts: the gift of material things and the gift of Dhamma. Of these two gifts, monks, this is supreme (namely): the gift of Dhamma. </blockquote>A group of lay enthusiasts initiated the Dhamma Publications Trust (Sinhala: Dharma Grantha Mudrana Bhaaraya â D.G.M.B.) to bring out the sermons in book form. A few years later, an affiliated trust (Sinhala: Dharma Shravana Maadhya Bhaaraya â D.S.M.B.) was set up to make the sermons available in audio form.