- Obsessions, Compulsions: Mental Proliferation in Buddhism
What does early Buddhism have to tell us about our everyday obsessions and compulsions? We'll look at the centrality of such syndromes in Buddhist dharma, particularly around the idea of "papañca" or "mental proliferation". Note that I…
- Nirvana in a Few Words: the Buddha's Enigmatic Instruction to Bahiya
Is it possible to reach enlightenment with a few words? This is what we find in the story of the Buddha's enigmatic instructions to the wanderer Bāhiya. We'll look at those instructions and then turn elsewhere in the early canon to find…
- Overcoming Arrogance: Story of the Buddhist Monk Malunkyaputta
Who was Malunkyaputta and why was he important in early Buddhism? We'll look at his story: how he began as an arrogant monk interested in intellectual matters and learned how to overcome his problems through meditation and wisdom.