- What I Got Wrong About Buddhism (And What Changed Everything)
Doug reflects on five key lessons he wishes he had understood earlier in his Buddhist practice: misconceptions about meditation, the importance of testing teachings rather than accepting them on faith, treating the Dhamma as tools rather…
- Striking A Balance: Finding The Middle Way In Buddhism
The Middle Way is a convenient shorthand for a number of related views and practices tending towards balance and moderation in early Buddhism. We will consider some of them, as well as other traditions that put forward similar viewpoints.…
- Buddha's First Sermon: Metaphor, History, Teachings
The sutta on the Rolling Forth of the Wheel of the Dharma is purported to be the Buddha's first sermon. We will consider the relevance of the metaphor of the wheel in this discourse. Then we'll turn to some historical questions and…
- Is there a "Buddhist Bible"? Key Buddhist Texts
Is there a "Buddhist Bible"? We'll consider some key Buddhist texts, by analogy with the Old and New Testaments. What are they, and how do they relate to one another? NB: This is not intended to be an exhaustive list — I only barely…
- Buddha's Surprising Views on Old Age
What was the Buddha's experience with old age? We will begin by looking at the role aging plays in the Buddha's dharma, and then turn to a few early suttas to gain insight into what the Buddha's later years were like. We will see some…
- The Early History of the Bodhisattva Ideal
How did the ideal of the Bodhisattva develop in Buddhism? We'll sketch out the history using a couple of recent scholarly papers as guides. We'll see that "Bodhisattva" meant something quite different in early Buddhism than it eventually…
- Did the Buddha Say "Life is Suffering"?
Oftentimes you will hear that the Buddha did say "Life is suffering," but it's not so. Nevertheless there is some truth to the misconception, and we'll look into the more nuanced point the Buddha made about life.
- Buddhism's Fourth Noble Truth
What is the Fourth Noble Truth of Buddhism? We'll look at this truth of "magga" or "the Path" through a dive into the Buddha's definition of it in his first sermon. NOTE: Kwok Wai points out in the comments that the quote about stimulus…
- Buddhism's Third Noble Truth
What is the Third Noble Truth of Buddhism? We'll look at this truth of "nirodha" through a dive into the Buddha's definition of it in his first sermon.
- Buddhism's Second Noble Truth
What is the Second Noble Truth of Buddhism? We'll look at this truth of samudaya through a dive into the Buddha's definition of it in his first sermon.
- Buddhism's First Noble Truth
What is the First Noble Truth of Buddhism? We'll look at this truth of dukkha through a dive into the Buddha's definition of it in his first sermon.
- There Were Two Nirvanas
Did you know that in early Buddhism there were two kinds of nirvana to which we could attain? We'll look at what those two were, how they differed, and why the difference between them was of dharmic importance, particularly for a…
- Four Noble Truths of Buddhism: the Practice
The Four Noble Truths lie at the heart of Buddhist teachings. We'll discuss how they should also be seen as practices we undertake rather than just truths in which we believe.
- The Four Sights of Buddha: Beneath the Legends
Many of us will be familiar with the legend of the four sights that Siddhattha Gotama encountered on leaving his father's palace for the first time at age twenty nine. We'll look at that legend, its sources, and consider what might have…
- Is Buddhism Pessimistic?
Is Buddhism pessimistic? We'll talk about why one might think of Buddhism in that way, and whether or not that's really accurate. We'll also look at how Buddhism approaches difficulties that we find in the world, and why it's necessary to…
- What is the Middle Way in Early Buddhism?
What is the Buddhist Middle Way? We'll take a look at early Buddhism in particular, and some of the material found in suttas of the Pāli Canon. There we'll see there are a few related approaches to this topic, some immediate and…
- 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…