- The Golden Rule in Early Buddhism
The Golden Rule plays a key role in early Buddhist ethics. I'll show where we find it, as well as how the Buddha seems to have derived it from a principle of psychology. I'll also consider the question of why the rule is expressed…
- Buddhism: "If There Is No Self, How Can There Be Self Love?"
A question from one of my viewers. In addition to the fraught question of "no self" in early Buddhism, I'll consider some of the pros and cons of self-love (or of what passes for it, at any rate). We'll look at a couple of early suttas…
- The Buddha on Loving Ourselves: Why Wasn't It Included?
In his many discourses on cultivating lovingkindness, the Buddha doesn't touch on any practices directed at self-love. Why might this be? We will look at an early sutta for clues.
- Lovingkindness Meditation: First of the Brahmaviharas
We'll look at the development of lovingkindness meditation practice beginning with its roots in early Buddhism and then at a couple of later practice techniques. We'll consider how the practices differ, and how they developed over time,…