- Is Early Buddhism the "Real" Buddhism? (A Buddhist View)
Doug distinguishes the scholarly category of "early Buddhism" — texts and teachings closest to the historical Buddha — from a normative claim that earlier means more authentic or authoritative, arguing that historical priority does not…
- Why the Buddha Might Tell You to Log Off - Practice in a World of Sensory Overload
Modern media are tailored to grab and hold our attention in ways that are not entirely healthy. The early Buddhist technique of guarding the sense doors can be a useful antidote. We'll discuss the syndrome of doomscrolling and the…
- Unveiling "Skillful Means" in Buddhism: Early Developments
What is "skillful means" in Buddhism, particularly in early Buddhism? We'll look at its usage in the early texts, in particular in one odd text where it seems the Buddha recommends a practice of sense desire, and then turn to its more…
- Did the Buddha Get Angry?
Was anger recommended by the Buddha as potentially beneficial? Did the Buddha himself ever get angry? In early Buddhism we learn of the unskillfulness of hatred, but is anger in the same category? We will consider these questions in this…
- Buddhism: "If There Is No Self, What Is Reborn?"
"If there's no self, what is reborn?" It's confusing how to understand the traditional notion of rebirth in early Buddhism. In this video I'll look at both parts of the question: is there "no self" in Buddhism? What sort of "self" is…
- Buddha on Anger and Hatred
What did the Buddha have to say about anger and hatred? Did he distinguish between the two, and what should we do about them? We'll look at a few of the key early discourses of the Buddha for answers.
- Meditation: Focus on the Present Moment in Early Buddhist Practice
Much of Buddhist meditation practice involves a focus on the present moment. We'll look at the history behind such ideas with help from one recent paper by Anālayo that takes a look at mindfulness practices in early Buddhism. Then we'll…
- Consciousness and the Self: One Early Buddhist Monk's Famous Mistake
Are you your consciousness? We'll look for an answer to this question by considering the famous mistake of Sāti the Fisherman's Son, an early Buddhist monk who was famously corrected by the Buddha. We'll also consider where Sāti might…
- The Parable of the Raft in Early Buddhism: Right View and Non-clinging
The parable of the raft is one of the most famous early Buddhist parables. We'll look at it in context in this video, illustrating its place in a particularly profound early sutta.
- Was the Buddha Human or Divine?
We see aspects of both humanity and divinity in the Buddha of the early texts. I'll discuss some of those aspects and propose some ways the historical development might have proceeded.
- What Continues?
We'll look at one way that was proposed for understanding what of our selves continues from moment to moment. Then we'll see what the Buddha had to say about that: how past, future, and present relate to the self.
- What is Authentic Buddhism?
What is authentic Buddhism? We'll take a look at that question from the point of view of the early texts. We'll see that they present us with two different ways we might approach the question.