- Doubt as Hindrance and Teacher in Buddhism
What did the Buddha have to say about doubt? We'll look at the ways it can be a hindrance to our progress along the path, as well as a stepping stone to advancement. We'll consider ways that doubt can be overcome, and look at two key…
- 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…
- Buddha's First Sermon: Metaphor, History, Teachings
The sutta on the Rolling Forth of the Wheel of the Dharma is purported to be the Buddha's first sermon. We will consider the relevance of the metaphor of the wheel in this discourse. Then we'll turn to some historical questions and…
- How Does Buddhism Help Us Accept Mortality?
One aim of Buddhism is to help us accept our mortality and so come to terms with death. We'll look at how his mortality was the Buddha's concern when he began his search, how coming to terms with mortality functions in various forms of…
- What is Buddhist Enlightenment?
What is Buddhist enlightenment or awakening? I'll look at three early suttas for indications of different pictures of the knowledge and results gained through enlightenment. Then I'll turn to how the picture of such knowledge and results…
- Effort and Non Effort in Buddhist Practice
"Right effort" is part of the Eightfold Path of Buddhist practice. It's also said that there is no effort to be made, and that non-effort is the appropriate way to approach practice. What's going on here, and can we reconcile these ideas?
- Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge
How do we come to know anything, by the lights of early Buddhist dharma? We will look at this key philosophical problem, illuminated by words from one key sutta, and a more recent, deep work of 20th century commentarial analysis.
- "Buddha Before Buddhism": Considering Gil Fronsdal's Title and Translation
In this video we'll take a look at the idea of finding a "Buddha Before Buddhism," an idea suggested by a recent translation of the Chapter of the Eights (Aṭṭhakavagga) by Gil Fronsdal. I'll talk a bit about his book, then we'll turn to…
- The Strange Case of the Formless Meditations in Early Buddhism
Early Buddhism presents us with a conundrum around the practice of the formless attainments of deep meditation. Namely, are they skillful routes to nirvana, or are they not? We will look at evidence from the early suttas that indicates…
- The "Formless Attainments" of Early Buddhist Meditation
What are the formless attainments of early Buddhist meditation? We'll look at these deep states of absorption. First we'll look at their history, how the Buddha first encountered them and where they appear to have arisen from, then we'll…
- 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 History of the Bodhisattva Ideal
How did the ideal of the Bodhisattva develop in Buddhism? We'll sketch out the history using a couple of recent scholarly papers as guides. We'll see that "Bodhisattva" meant something quite different in early Buddhism than it eventually…
- Who Was the Buddha?
Who was the Buddha? In this introduction to his life, we will look at how he got started, and at his struggle to attain enlightenment. Then we'll turn to his personality and major accomplishments during his mature teaching career.
- Buddhas and Awakened Beings: What's the Difference?
What's the difference between the Buddha and other awakened beings? We'll look at answers to that question from the early texts. In particular we'll focus on one early sutta where the Buddha responds to that very question!
- Are You Not Supposed to Think in Meditation?
Are we not supposed to think in meditation? We'll look at that question and see ways that thinking is integral to certain meditative practices, while in others we strive to reduce our thinking in certain ways.
- Compassion Meditation: Second of the Brahmaviharas
Compassion is the second of the four Brahmavihāras, or skillful emotional states. We will consider three forms of compassion meditation practice, from the early and later traditions. We will also look at its history in Buddhism, and…
- The Buddha and His Family
We'll take a look at some of the stories around the Buddha's family, his wife and child, and whether they may have been constructed out of whole cloth. Then we'll turn to look at the tension between family and practice in the early…
- The Four Sights of Buddha: Beneath the Legends
Many of us will be familiar with the legend of the four sights that Siddhattha Gotama encountered on leaving his father's palace for the first time at age twenty nine. We'll look at that legend, its sources, and consider what might have…