- Buddha's Advice on Discussion and Debate
How did the Buddha handle difficult discussions and debates? We will look at four ways he said we should respond to questions, as well as the key differences between skillful and unskillful discussion. Then we will turn to how we can make…
- How Was the Buddha Down-to-Earth? Demythologizing Prayer, Deities, and Devotion
How was the Buddha a down-to-earth, pragmatic teacher? In this second video on the subject (the first is linked below) we'll look at some of the ways the Buddha demythologized many deity practices of his day, as well as his skepticism…
- Ignorance In Early Buddhism
What is our root problem in early Buddhism? We'll answer that question, and then consider how to understand it in an early Buddhist context.
- How We Get Caught By Practice: Clinging to Rules and Rituals in Early Buddhism
One of our unskillful underlying tendencies of mind in early Buddhism is that of clinging to rules and rituals. We'll discuss what that is, as well as its potential historical development, and how it may manifest in us today.
- The "Underlying Tendencies" of Our Minds: Early Buddhist Understanding of Unskillfulness
On an early Buddhist understanding, our minds are beset by certain "underlying tendencies" that produce in us unskillful thought and behavior. We will look at those tendencies through their most well-known list and also look at a couple…
- 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…
- Buddhism Crash Course: Four Shortest Descriptions of Early Dharma
You want a crash course in Buddhism? Here are four of the shortest descriptions of the dharma of early Buddhism: four ways to get a handle on the Buddha's teaching. We will look at what they tell us, and how they help us triangulate on…
- Was the Buddha Omniscient?
Was the Buddha omniscient? We will look at the attainment of nirvana or awakening and its overcoming of ignorance. We will also look at some evidence from the early suttas that the Buddha was not considered omniscient in his day. We will…