The Buddha explains how the notion of a personal existence emerges from the process of perception. A wide range of phenomena are considered, embracing naturalistic, cosmological and sense experiences. An uninstructed ordinary person interprets experience in terms of a self, while those who have understood the Dhamma have the same experiences without attachment.

The Buddha explains the cause for the restraint of all the taints and how there is abandoning of all the taints through the seven methods of seeing, restraint, proper use, enduring, avoiding, removing, and cultivation.

The Buddha describes the four establishments of mindfulness to be cultivated in detail, namely - mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of the felt experience, mindfulness of the mind, and mindfulness of the mental qualities.

The Buddha outlines an approach to cross-examine other sects and their doctrines, and how to distinguish between the true Dhamma and the false Dhamma through the comprehension of the four kinds of clinging.

When a bhikkhu who has left the Dhamma and training is disparaging the Buddha's states as merely human and his teaching as merely leading to the ending of suffering, the Buddha counters that this is in fact praise and goes on to enumerate his various attainments.

The Buddha explains how to completely comprehend the gratification, drawback, and escape in the case of sensual pleasures, form, and felt experience.

A lay disciple asks the Buddha why greed, aversion, and illusion still occupy and remain in his mind. The Buddha explains the importance of cultivating discernment of the gratification, drawback, and escape in the case of sensual pleasures along with cultivating the joy and happiness apart from sensual pleasures. He then recounts a conversation with the Nigaṇṭhas on this topic.

The Buddha explains the five barriers and five shackles of the mind that prevent a bhikkhu from coming to growth, increase, and fulfillment in his teaching and training.

The Buddha teaches the bhikkhus how to reflect on a dependence that one is taking using the example of a suitable place to live - a forest retreat, a village, a market town, a city, a country. He concludes with an example of depending on a certain person.

The Buddha explains how he divided his thoughts into two kinds - 1) thoughts of sensual desire, ill-will, and harm; and 2) thoughts of relinquishment, non-ill-will, and non-harm. He explains how he abandoned harmful thoughts and cultivated wholesome thoughts, leading to the attainment of the four jhānas and the three knowledges.

The Buddha explains how to cultivate the higher mind through similes whenever a harmful or unwholesome thought associated with desire, aversion, or delusion arises. Applying these five methods in a gradual sequence leads to abandoning of unwholesome thoughts, and to steadiness, calming, unification and collectedness of the mind.

The Buddha teaches about the harmful view of practicing while engaging in obstructions, and the simile of the water snake. The Buddha also teaches about the raft simile, the six views, and the abandoning of what is not yours.

The Buddha shares his own journey of seeking the path to awakening, from leaving the household life, to studying under two meditation teachers, to attaining full awakening and an account of teaching the Dhamma to his first five disciples.

Venerable Sāriputta explains how all wholesome teachings are encompassed by the Four Noble Truths. He then explains the four great elements of earth, water, fire and air.

The Buddha teaches Rāhula about the importance of truthfulness and how to purify one's bodily, verbal and mental conduct by reflecting on the consequences of one's actions.

The Buddha shares the gradual training guidelines in the Dhamma and discipline with the Brahmin Moggallāna. It is through a gradual practice and gradual progression per these guidelines that one attains the ultimate goal of Nibbāna.

Venerable Ānanda recollects the wonderful and marvelous qualities of the Tathāgata, the Buddha, relating to his conception and birth. The Buddha then caps it off by sharing what he considers the most wonderful and marvelous quality of all.

The Buddha shares a powerful verse on what leads one to have had a single auspicious night.

The Buddha teaches Venerable Pukkusāti the Dhamma of this person which constitutes of the six elements, six bases of contact, the eighteen explorations of mind, and is established in four ways.

An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon

### 8. Mastering the Mind 1. [The Mind Is the Key - AN 1.21 - 30](/an1.21-30) 2. Developing a Pair of Skills 1. [Serenity and Insight - AN 2.31](/an2.31) 2. [Four Ways to Arahantship - AN 4.170](/an4.170) 3. [Four Kinds of Persons - AN 4.94](/an4.94) 3. The Hindrances to Mental Development - SN 46.55 4. The Refinement of the Mind - AN 3.101 5. [The Removal of Distracting Thoughts - MN 20](/mn20) 6. [The Mind of Loving-Kindness - MN 21](/mn21) 7. The Six Recollections - AN 6.10 8. [The Four Establishments of Mindfulness - MN 10](/mn10) 9. [Mindfulness of Breathing - SN 54.13](/sn54.13) 10. [The Achievement of Mastery - SN 28.1](/sn28.1)

Venerable Sāriputta explains the ten strengths of a bhikkhu who has exhausted the defilements.

Then, Venerable Sāriputta approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. While Venerable Sāriputta was sitting to one side, the Blessed One said this to him:

The Buddha outlines a progressive training guideline for the bhikkhus to undertake in order to be recognized as ascetics and Brahmins. The Buddha also describes the abandonment of the five hindrances, the four jhānas, and the three knowledges using similes.

Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Anga country, in a market town of the Angans called Assapura. There, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus."