- Playfulness on the Path: The Buddha and Humor
Was the Buddha serious all the time? Or did he sometimes use humor and satire to teach lessons? We'll consider the Buddha's attitude towards laughter as well as his use of humor and satire in teaching and debating. Then we'll consider…
- Do Buddhists Believe in God?
Buddhism's views about god and gods are paradoxical. On the one hand, all traditional forms of Buddhism accept the existence of deities. On the other hand, Buddhism is fundamentally an atheistic religion. We'll consider this paradox with…
- Devas & Nagas in Early Buddhism
What role did deities and supernatural creatures such as nāgas play in early Buddhist mythology? We'll consider three ways the Buddha used and transformed mythic elements of his day to reinforce the dharma.
- How Was the Buddha Down-to-Earth? Demythologizing Prayer, Deities, and Devotion
How was the Buddha a down-to-earth, pragmatic teacher? In this second video on the subject (the first is linked below) we'll look at some of the ways the Buddha demythologized many deity practices of his day, as well as his skepticism…
- The Buddha on "Magic"
The Buddha had a nuanced view on magic and the supernatural. We'll look at one crucial aspect of that view, corresponding to what we might term "conversion magic" or magical means used to convince and convert. Recorded before our house…