- 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…
- The Buddha in the Voting Booth: Buddhist Political Thought
What would the Buddha have told us about political involvement? We'll look at a couple of recent scholarly takes on this question that suggest political disengagement. Then we'll turn to some of the Buddha's political views, and how it…
- Buddha Nature
What is Buddha nature or the "Tathāgatagarbha"? We'll begin by looking at the roots for these concepts in the early Buddhist texts. Then we'll turn to the origins of the mature concepts in later Mahāyāna texts. Finally we'll turn to some…
- The Buddha's Creation Story: Myth as History and Inspiration
Should we look at ancient stories and myths historically, or as inspirational literature? I'll look at both options through the lens of the Aggañña Sutta, a famous, early Buddhist creation myth.
- 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 and Race: Caste in Early Buddhism
Today we're dealing with crimes perpetrated through centuries of racial injustice in the United States and indeed around the world. Was there anything the Buddha said that might be helpful or interesting to us? We will look at issues of…
- The Buddha on Just Government
Did the Buddha feel that it was possible to have a just ruler or just government? We will look at the early Buddhist texts for an answer to this vexed question, and find several different possible answers.