- What Did the Buddha Teach About Wealth?
How does wealth intersect with the dharma? We'll look at some of what the early texts say about wealth and poverty, as well as some of their challenges and opportunities along the path.
- Why Does the Buddha Emphasize Contentment?
Does searching for contentment in Buddhism mean settling for less out of life? How do we balance contentment with an aspiration for personal growth? We will consider such questions, as well as relate contentment to equanimity in early…
- Buddha's Response to Harm: Challenging Wisdom
What does early Buddhism say about responding to harm? We'll explore how the Buddha's teachings on kindness, compassion, and forgiveness inform a wise response to harm in general, and to habitual or unavoidable harm in particular.
- What Is Buddhist Nirvana?
What does nirvana mean in Buddhism? We'll look at some descriptions of it before turning to different views on its ontological status. Then we'll consider some later developments in ideas about nirvana. ** Note: the Pāli term "appatiṭṭha"…
- The Hierarchy of Pleasures in Early Buddhism
What role did pleasure have to play in the Buddha's teaching? We'll look at the hierarchy of pleasures that the Buddha described, some of its paradoxes, and where it might lead us to understand the dharma better.
- Buddhism and Happiness
Do you come to Buddhist practices in order to find greater happiness? We'll discuss what happiness might be, and some pitfalls with it, then turn to some early Buddhist ideas of happiness, and how they might impact our lives today.…