- The Knowledge That Can't Be Overpowered — Socrates & the Buddha
Doug takes up Socrates' claim that genuine knowledge cannot be "overpowered" by desire or emotion, and reads it alongside early Buddhism's treatment of the same problem. Distinguishing knowing about what is good for us from the kind of…
- Why the Buddha Taught You TO Think
We're often told that meditation means emptying the mind. But the Buddha's own path to enlightenment tells a different story. We explore how Right Intention (sammā saṅkappa) and two famous suttas show that practice isn't about stopping…
- The Karmic Gym: Why Kindness to AI Matters (Even if it Can’t Feel)
If AI might or might not be sentient, how should we treat it? In this companion video to "AI and the Vagueness of Sentience," I propose "strategic compassion": treating AI systems with kindness and moral consideration regardless of…
- How Karma Works (Even if You Don't Believe in Rebirth)
Karma can be understood as a this-life, psychological process. It can also be understood as deeply involved in the process of rebirth into other lifetimes. We'll consider both ways of approaching karma, and what the Buddha had to say…
- Why You Don't Do What You Know You Should
How often does it happen that we know what to do and yet don't do it? In the West this is often chalked up to "weakness of the will", but the Buddha had a different diagnosis.
- Wisdom Isn’t What You Might Think — The Buddha’s View
What makes someone wise? We'll consider two competing views from the Buddha's day, as reflected in an early sutta. Then we'll see how both views can be integrated into a livelier whole.
- Can a Small Intention Change Your Life? Buddhist Karma as Cause and Effect
What is Buddhist karma and how does it work? It's most useful to view karma as a natural law of cause and effect, showing how our intentions shape our experiences. I'll demystify some common misconceptions of Buddhist karma, provide some…
- Early Buddhist Philosophy of Mind
What was the philosophy of mind in early Buddhism? I'll look at several different aspects of the Buddha's analysis of the mind, including a couple of topics that are important in a Western philosophical context but that the Buddha didn't…
- Emptiness and the Skillful Self in Buddhism
Buddhist notions of non-self open up possibilities for reforming who we are in more skillful ways. Those are the heart of Buddhist practice. But how does it work?
- AI Chat and Meditation | Understanding Internal Dialogue
Can our understanding of AI chat technology help our meditation practice? I'll answer a viewer question on dealing with internal dialogue by first delving into how large language model AI works, and how its structure may help us to…
- Mindfulness for Computers? Buddhist Practice and the AI "Alignment Problem"
Can training in mindfulness help AI to align its values more wisely? I'll look at how honesty requires self-awareness, and how mindfulness can help. I'll also consider how AI systems might use internal feedback loops to monitor their own…
- The Strange Case of the Dog and Cow Duty Ascetics in Early Buddhism
So-called dog- and cow-duty ascetics approached the Buddha to ask him about their practices. We will look at the sutta in which this occurs and at what the Buddha had to say to them.
- 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…
- Practicing Positive Thinking
Remaining positive is a great skill to have. We'll discuss practicing positivity with an eye to early Buddhism: some of its advantages and pitfalls, as well as a number of things we can do to add to a positive outlook on life.
- The Road to Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions
For the Buddha good intentions play a key role in the ethical value of our actions. But isn't the road to hell paved with good intentions? We'll look at the Buddha's ethical system and some concerns about the role of intentions.
- Escaping the Thought Trap
It sometimes seems we are trapped by our thoughts. We will look at how the Buddha considered thoughts, both in their general character, and also how he saw obsessive rumination arising and proliferating in the mind.