- Buddhist Training Is Meant to End
Doug asks when Buddhist training is supposed to end, and how anyone would know. Working from the simile of the raft and the Buddha's refusal to appoint a successor — telling the sangha instead to be islands unto themselves — he traces…
- 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…
- Exploring Buddhism's Traditional And Lesser Known Refuges
In early Buddhism there were various understandings of "refuge". Most well known is that of the Three Jewels: Buddha, dharma, and sangha. But there were others as well. We will take a look at them, and consider how they interrelate.
- Four Ways Contemplating Mortality Can Be Life Changing: Its Role in Early Buddhist Practice
My father recently passed away, so I'm thinking about mortality. I'll discuss its centrality to early Buddhist meditation practice as well as its relation to impermanence generally. Then I'll turn to four ways that contemplating mortality…
- Heart of Early Buddhist Practice: the Sangha or an Island?
On the one hand the Buddha recommended the sangha as a vital place of practice, one of the three jewels. On the other hand, at the end of his life the Buddha recommended we take refuge in ourselves and the dharma, and in nothing else. Can…
- Don't Idolize People (Even the Buddha Made Mistakes)
Often religions are built around the ideal of a perfected being, but such ideals mask historical reality. We will look at a hint of this in early Christianity as well as several examples from early Buddhism of the Buddha's own fallibility…
- Is there a "Buddhist Bible"? Key Buddhist Texts
Is there a "Buddhist Bible"? We'll consider some key Buddhist texts, by analogy with the Old and New Testaments. What are they, and how do they relate to one another? NB: This is not intended to be an exhaustive list — I only barely…
- Paths to Merit Transfer in Early Buddhism?
What is the idea of "the transfer of karmic merit" in Buddhism? We'll look into that and whether it can be found in the early material. We will also see ways we can make use of it in our practice.
- Have We Found the Buddha's Bones? Two New York Exhibitions
A recent essay by John Guy, Chief Curator of South Asian Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY suggests we might have found the Buddha's relics. I'll consider a current exhibit at the Met and an essay by Guy discussing excavations…
- 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…
- "Devotion vs. Cultishness" in Buddhism
Considering the differences between devotional guru practices and "cultishness," discussed in a video interview with B. Allan Wallace, an expert on Tibetan Buddhism. What are some of the dangers with our relationship to a teacher or guru,…
- Buddha on Practicing for Worldly Benefit
A viewer of mine wondered recently about practicing in order to gain worldly benefits. What did the Buddha have to say about such things? We'll look at a few suttas for answers.
- 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…
- The Early Ideal of the "Lone Buddha" or Paccekabuddha
What is the early ideal of the "lone Buddha" or Paccekabuddha/ Pratyekabuddha? We'll look at its historical development and an early poem that may indicate the lifestyle of the "lone Buddha".
- Who Was Ananda? Life of the Buddha's Closest Companion
Apart from being the Buddha's close attendant, Ananda has the reputation of being everyone's favorite early monastic. We'll consider why that might be the case by looking at his life and the controversy that eventually clouded it.
- The Preeminence of Dharma Among the Buddhist Refuges or Jewels
Many of us will be familiar with the three refuges or three jewels of Buddha, dharma, and sangha. But how do they interrelate? We will look at a number of early suttas that indicate the Buddha's approach to them, and that suggest the…
- Buddhism on Suicide and Euthanasia
What does Buddhism have to say about suicide and euthanasia? We will first look at the broader Buddhist context and then turn to what may have been the Buddha's own views on euthanasia and the controversy surrounding them.
- Devotion in Early Buddhism
Many people pursue a devotional Buddhist practice. We will look at what the Buddha had to say about devotion, both in a general sense and with respect to himself.
- Is a Guru Necessary?
Do you need a guru or teacher to make progress along the Buddhist path? We'll look first at how the Buddha suggested his disciples should investigate their teacher with an eye to deciding if it was worth studying under them. Then we'll…
- Real Buddha Quotes!
Are you looking for Buddha quotes? Then this is the video for you! I'll have ten pithy and interesting quotes from the canonical words of the Buddha. For all you nitpickers out there, yes I'm also one of you. There is no way to know…
- Did the Buddha Feel Pain?
One question we may have is whether the achievement of awakening -- or even that of being a Buddha -- means we no longer experience pain. We'll consider that question, with an emphasis on what the early texts say about what the awakened…
- Avoiding Teacher Misconduct: the Buddha's Advice
Buddhist teacher misconduct has been in the news recently. We'll consider some ways the Buddha's teachings can point us to a more skillful and secure relationship to teachers and to the teachings themselves.
- Hidden History: Were There Originally Two Buddhist Refuges?
Nowadays traditional Buddhism involves taking the so-called "three refuges": refuge in the Buddha, dharma, and sangha. How many refuges were there in the Buddha's day? We'll look at the early accounts where the Buddha recommended we have…