- 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.
- The Buddha on "Magic"
The Buddha had a nuanced view on magic and the supernatural. We'll look at one crucial aspect of that view, corresponding to what we might term "conversion magic" or magical means used to convince and convert. Recorded before our house…
- Past and Future Buddhas
Were there Buddhas before Gotama? Will there be Buddhas in the future? We'll look at what the early texts say about past and future Buddhas, and see why the evidence there is historically questionable in various ways. We will also see how…
- King Asoka: Buddhism's Great Political Modernist
King Aśoka was arguably Buddhism's most important political convert. We'll look at how his edicts were modern, enlightened, and inclusive, bringing to fruition a Buddhist approach to society and politics.
- What are the Four Noble Truths?
The Four Noble Truths are the heart of Buddhist philosophy, but they wouldn't have been the first thing we encountered when learning the teaching. We will look at where they fit into the path, then each of the truths in turn, and finish…
- The Buddha's Surprising Advice to Converts
When folks converted from competing religions or philosophies to the Buddha's dhamma, he had a couple of pieces of advice that might surprise some of us. We will look at that advice and some lessons we can take away from them for today's…