- Is Early Buddhism the "Real" Buddhism? (A Buddhist View)
Doug distinguishes the scholarly category of "early Buddhism" — texts and teachings closest to the historical Buddha — from a normative claim that earlier means more authentic or authoritative, arguing that historical priority does not…
- Did the Buddha Believe in "Progress"?
We live in a world that strives for progress. What does early Buddhism have to say about it? We'll consider two views of progress, how the Buddhist path aligns with them, and what it might really mean to "progress" along the Path.
- Buddhism and Loneliness
We'll look at what the Buddha had to say about solitude and living an uncrowded life, and then turn to how the Buddha's advice can help us to reframe the problem of loneliness. Then we'll turn to two major problems associated with…
- Buddhism in Brief: Eight Key Aspects of the Buddha's Teaching
It's not the Eightfold Path, this is another approach the Buddha provided for how to understand his approach to practice and to life. What should we focus on? What should we leave aside? Here are eight answers from an early sutta.
- What is Authentic Buddhism?
What is authentic Buddhism? We'll take a look at that question from the point of view of the early texts. We'll see that they present us with two different ways we might approach the question.