- Buddha's Surprising Views on Old Age
What was the Buddha's experience with old age? We will begin by looking at the role aging plays in the Buddha's dharma, and then turn to a few early suttas to gain insight into what the Buddha's later years were like. We will see some…
- A Couple of Thoughts on "Who was the Buddha" by @ReligionForBreakfast
The engaging and popular YouTube channel @ReligionForBreakfast has put out a number of videos on Buddhism recently. Their video on "Who was the Buddha?" is a good intro to the topic that raised questions around the idea of a historical…
- Pleasure and Minimalism: an Early Buddhist Perspective
It often seems Buddhism is against our pursuing pleasures and avoiding pains. We'll consider whether and to what extent it is possible to live an ordinary life that doesn't pursue pleasures, looking in particular at minimalist lifestyles,…
- Was the Buddha Human or Divine?
We see aspects of both humanity and divinity in the Buddha of the early texts. I'll discuss some of those aspects and propose some ways the historical development might have proceeded.
- The Four Sights of Buddha: Beneath the Legends
Many of us will be familiar with the legend of the four sights that Siddhattha Gotama encountered on leaving his father's palace for the first time at age twenty nine. We'll look at that legend, its sources, and consider what might have…