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The Stream-entry Buddhist Blog

Long-format Pāli Canon-based Teachings and Essays



by Upāsaka Michael Turner

(f.k.a. Anagārika Pasannacitta)


Buddhist Therapist, Life Coach, and Dharma Trainer

 — One-on-One Buddhist Training by Request — 



practical teachings. insightful answers. penetrating essays.
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DISMISSED: "YOU WON'T BECOME A STREAM-ENTERER" — A dismissal letter from a Buddhist stream-entry teacher to his student for wrong views, violent entertainment, and incorrect practice — and explaining the deeper meaning of Buddhist renunciation.

4/19/2025

2 Comments

 
⚲ this post has been pinned to the top of the blog
This is my final teaching letter to a student who is choosing to remain misinformed on what Buddhism is, the importance of contemplation, and how meditation should be practiced if stream-entry is ever to be genuinely experienced.
Attaining achieving stream-entry is hard. Here's how to do it. Become a stream-enterer.

Becoming a Stream-enterer is hard. Here's how to do it.


​As a teacher dedicated to guiding my students toward spiritual progress, I sent a detailed letter to a middle-intermediate Dhamma practitioner and meditator explaining why I am dismissing him from my program.  In this letter, I explain the importance of correct and sufficient practice and I outline and detail the harmful nature of the various Wrong Views he subscribes to that are hindering his spiritual progress, such as his attachments to violent entertainment and modern interpretations of the Dhamma, his desire for shortcuts to enlightenment, his reliance on "insight meditation" (vipassana), and his clinging to the myth that the jhānas equate to stream-entry or any other stage of Buddhist enlightenment.  I also took the opportunity to explain what Buddhist renunciation truly means for those who are dedicated to achieving stream-entry, a.k.a., awakening; and the critical importance of yonisomanasikāra in the development of Right View and progress along the Buddhist path.
​

Teacher's Note

​Why I am sharing this private letter publicly?
​

In short: because people want awakening, but they are going about it all wrong.

I am sharing this letter with others not only because it brings light to what Buddhism actually is — beyond the misrepresentations of Buddhism that are overwhelmingly prevalent today — but also because it serves as a clear manifesto of the approach that I follow in my instruction of the early Buddhist texts (EBT) to my students; with the emphasis being on learning and cultivating the views and practices that slope them toward stream-entry, or beyond.  My intention is to provide potential future students with a clear understanding of what they can expect from me and my guidance as someone who successfully coaches veritable stream-enterers.

While reading this, it is absolutely necessary to understand that what I teach, and how I teach it, reflects my understanding of where each of my students are along the Buddhist Path and what each one of them needs to hear and do in order to make further progress toward nibbāna.  I don't teach them how to get to stream-entry or arahantship as much as I teach them how to make continuous progress from where they are on the spectrum of spiritual development, gradually taking them to higher and higher attainments along the Buddhist Path.  In support of that, I don't teach "generally" to any of my students; I teach precisely to each of my students based entirely on their individual needs and abilities. Accordingly, I am holding the student that this letter is directed at to a set of standards that are uniquely appropriate to his level of experience, his current place along the Path, and his personal hindrances — these standards should not be taken to apply to all (or any) of my other students.

For additional information on my approach and my teachings, please see this page.
​
(the student's name has been changed for confidentiality) ​

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What Are the Eight Worldly Concerns and Why Must We Let Them Go?

10/29/2021

6 Comments

 
How being free of stress and anxiety means letting go of the things that you think will make you happy.
What are the Eight Worldly Concerns and how do they relate to your pursuit of happiness and your freedom from worry, stress, and anxiety.

Stress and anxiety are signs that you're doing something wrong.



​In this article, we will cover what the Eight Worldly Concerns are and how they relate to your pursuit of happiness and your freedom from worry, stress, and anxiety.

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6 Comments

Buddhist Renunciation for Laypersons Explained (a practical how-to guide)

9/27/2020

10 Comments

 
Renunciation is about wanting to put an end to Samsara: the endless cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.
Renunciation for laypeople

Buddhist Renunciation explained by a Buddhist teacher


​In this short article, we will cover what Renunciation is and what it isn't for lay-practitioners; how to cultivate it; and, why it's so important to attaining Awakening and Enlightenment.


​(Note: after you read this article, if you wish to learn more about what Renunciation means for 
deeply dedicated Buddhist practitioners, read this.)​

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    Stream-entry Buddhist Blog
    ​by Michael Turner
    (f.k.a. Anagārika 
    Pasannacitta)

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    The Teacher

    Anagārika Michael Turner Buddhist Stream-entry Teacher, Awakening Trainer, Stream-enterer Coach
    Michael Turner, teacher and former Buddhist anagārika.

    "The only thing that prevents people from awakening, stream-entry, and directly experiencing the stages of enlightenment is incorrect instruction and/or insufficient practice."

    –  Michael Turner

    Hello! My name is Michael Turner (my Dhamma name is Upāsaka Pasannacitta).

    ​I am an Early Buddhism mentor, ariya-puggala (sakadāgāmi), therapist, coach, Buddhist 
    precept holder, and I spent eight years living and working as a Buddhist anagārika, a pre-monastic renunciant. I work with dedicated Buddhist practitioners of all levels, from beginners to advanced, to help them attain measurable progress toward happiness and nibbāna. This kind of one-on-one training is uncommon for most lay practitioners.  If you are interested, please visit my coaching page or training page to learn more,  or contact me to discuss becoming a Buddhist trainee today.

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Anagārika Michael Turner Pasannacitta Buddhist Teacher Philosopher, Dharma Coach, Meditation Instructor, Business Leader, Success Trainer, Mentor, Leadership Adviser, Executive Mentor
Michael Turner is a sakadāgāmi and a former Buddhist anagārika. He is also a deeply accomplished stream-entry mentor, applied-dharma coach, and Buddhist therapist. He emphasises and teaches the practical application of the Buddha's teachings in our everyday lives to overcome the problems that stand in the way of making measurable progress toward Buddhist enlightenment and he is particularly adept at explaining them in ways that can be easily understood and practiced by Western Buddhists. He has been meditating and cultivating the views and techniques that generate indestructible resilience, inner-strength, and direct experience for almost 30 years and has helped countless numbers of students and peers enhance and course-correct their practice to make veritable progress along the path toward Nibbāna.


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  • 🏠
  • Teachings, Blog, & Audio
    • Stream-entry Buddhist Blog
    • Achieving Stream-entry
    • Your Questions Answered
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  • Work With Me
    • Buddhist Happiness Coaching
    • Buddhist Path Training
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