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**AnthonyKing** · 06-07-2011, 10:18 PM

I prefer reading commentaries, explanations and elaboration on the various discourses of the Nikayas rather than reading the actual discourses itself. It is just a personal preference I guess.

Reading commentaries are useful of course, can guide but in my personal experience a commentary can induce you to that personal understanding and you can lose your own personal experience. As a personal preference I tend to be cautious with "commentaries". Direct reading of suttas, with insight, gotten through meditation, slowly, giving time to digest it, proving it, experiencing it, with out resistance makes a difference. I first read the sutta as it is given, then after reflection I go to the commentaries so to contrast the experience given by the direct reading with what the commentary is telling. This is a very slow process and I have seen that a single sutta keeps me meditating and reflecting for a long time.

I don't know if this is a correct procedure...

06-07-2011, 10:18 PM	#36
AnthonyKing Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 574 Senior Member	I prefer reading commentaries, explanations and elaboration on the various discourses of the Nikayas rather than reading the actual discourses itself. It is just a personal preference I guess. Reading commentaries are useful of course, can guide but in my personal experience a commentary can induce you to that personal understanding and you can lose your own personal experience. As a personal preference I tend to be cautious with "commentaries". Direct reading of suttas, with insight, gotten through meditation, slowly, giving time to digest it, proving it, experiencing it, with out resistance makes a difference. I first read the sutta as it is given, then after reflection I go to the commentaries so to contrast the experience given by the direct reading with what the commentary is telling. This is a very slow process and I have seen that a single sutta keeps me meditating and reflecting for a long time. I don't know if this is a correct procedure...
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