Dear Bhikkhu Pesala,

> That particular example that you quote, which is from the Anattalakkhana
> Sutta, rather than the First Sermon

[snip]

If vipassana were so central to the Buddha's true teachings, then it is
surely strange how infrequently the term is used in the Nikyas whereas
"jhana" occurs thousands of times. You would also need to account for its
glaring omission from the eightfold path which culminates in samadhi (=
jhana) -- though your understanding of the relationship of the eight
elements of the path will probably differ from mine: whether they are to be
practised sequentially or at the same time, or according to my understanding
that the first seven items are auxillary elements which are conducive to the
eighth.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge