- 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…
- A Hidden Assumption in Buddhist Abhidhamma? The Doctrine of Seriality
Is there a hidden assumption in the Buddhist abhidhamma understanding of the mind? I'll look at what I'll term the "doctrine of seriality", that the mind operates sequentially. What does this mean, and why might it be a problem?
- 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 Buddhist Doctrine of Two Truths: Origins
In this video we'll look at the origins of the Buddhist doctrine of "two truths" in the Upaniṣads and certain of the suttas of early Buddhism. While the Buddha never actually discussed a concept of "two truths" per se, he did elaborate a…
- Who Was Sariputta/Śariputra? (Life of the Buddha's Chief Disciple)
The Buddha's chief disciple was a man named Sāriputta. We'll look at his life and influence in this video. First we will look at where his main motivation seems to have lain, by looking in detail at how he encountered the Buddha dharma…
- "Only This Is True": a Phrase the Buddha Questioned
When does certainty become a problem? Is it always a problem? We'll look at what the Buddha had to say about some people who expressed certainty and the extent to which the Buddha himself did so.