Bodhi, Bhikkhu

Is the Buddhist Path one of political engagement and activism, or one of disengagement and quietism? We'll look at some proponents of both views, then turn to how the early texts frame the issue.

Time is fundamental to lived experience, but it's also something we don't give much thought to. The Buddha had a complicated approach to time, both cosmological and practical. We will consider his views about past, present, and future,…

In this second video on the Heart Sutra we'll look at its importance within the history of Buddhist dharma. What is its distinctive, polemical framing? What sorts of claims does it make, and how does it justify them? This all leads to the…

What does nirvana mean in Buddhism? We'll look at some descriptions of it before turning to different views on its ontological status. Then we'll consider some later developments in ideas about nirvana. ** Note: the Pāli term "appatiṭṭha"…

Is solitary practice superior? We will consider that problem through a look at one of the most powerful and enigmatic early Buddhist poems, the sutta on the rhinoceros. What does it tell us, and who composed it?

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?

We may have heard discussion of "mind moments" in Buddhism and how things last for only a moment and then are replaced. Did such ideas originate from the Buddha? We will look at their history, and what the Buddha had to say about time and…

We can approach the conundrum of non-self in early Buddhism through conceptual and non-conceptual means. We will look at how the two approaches differ, and a few ways the Buddha highlighted the difference.

It's often understood that the Buddha claimed only to teach about suffering (dukkha) and its cessation. But is this really so? We'll consider a recent paper by scholar and translator Bhikkhu Bodhi, and how to better understand the…

In this video we'll take a look at the idea of finding a "Buddha Before Buddhism," an idea suggested by a recent translation of the Chapter of the Eights (Aṭṭhakavagga) by Gil Fronsdal. I'll talk a bit about his book, then we'll turn to…

What was Buddhism like early on? We'll consider that question when looking at an early text called the Chapter of the Eights or Aṭṭhakavagga. In particular we'll look at its early concept of dependent origination and how it relates to…

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…

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…

Several years ago the eminent scholar and professor Richard Gombrich put forward a controversial thesis: that the Buddha believed practicing kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity could lead us directly to enlightenment. We…

How do we find good fortune in our daily lives? I've written a book on answers from early Buddhism, which is just out! I'll discuss the origins of the book in a retreat by scholar and translator Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi: his kindness has made…

Much of Buddhist meditation practice involves a focus on the present moment. We'll look at the history behind such ideas with help from one recent paper by Anālayo that takes a look at mindfulness practices in early Buddhism. Then we'll…

We'll take a look at a recent article by scholar and translator Bhikkhu Bodhi on the meaning of "Buddha" and his related realization. Some recent scholars have argued that it should be termed "awakening" and Buddha should therefore be…

Was early Buddhism non-dualistic? We'll begin by looking at what non-dualism means, then turn to its origins in some pre-Buddhist ideas. Then we'll turn to look at early Buddhism in particular. Last we'll look briefly at some ways…

This is a short introduction to the development of the doctrine of two truths in Buddhism. We'll look briefly at the doctrine's origins that are treated in an earlier video, then we'll turn to the role of the abhidhamma/abhidharma in…

In the past few decades a controversy has arisen over the restarting of nuns' orders in two schools of Buddhism. We will discuss the controversy as it relates to the Theravāda school, and note in passing that a similar controversy exists…

Doubt in early Buddhism is something we need to overcome in order to make progress along the path. I'll look at doubt in this video, and provide three different strategies we can use that can help with them.

What is "the Unconditioned" in early Buddhism? Well, it's a description of nirvana. But how? What does it describe? We'll look at how the word can mislead us, and discover what it means.

There has been a recent disagreement over how deep meditative concentration practice should go, and over how deep the early Buddhist texts claim it was. We will look at that disagreement and help illuminate it by looking at some…

We will look at what one recent Buddhist teacher termed a "spiral path" in Buddhism, and how it guides us out of our ordinary, mundane lives into a more transcendent encounter with the dharma. We will also then turn to look at how another…

What does "faith" mean in Buddhism, and how important is it? Should Buddhism be termed a "faith tradition"? We'll look at those questions in this video, beginning with the question of what faith means in Western traditions, and then…

We will look at the practice of patience in early Buddhism, and relate it to our current problem: dealing with the coronavirus. We will see that although patience is not as central to early practice as it later became, it is nevertheless…

Remaining positive is a great skill to have. We'll discuss practicing positivity with an eye to early Buddhism: some of its advantages and pitfalls, as well as a number of things we can do to add to a positive outlook on life.

The Coronavirus can provide us wisdom teachings. We will look at one in this video. In particular we will look at how important it can be at times to step out of our ordinary lives and in so doing overcome our ordinary tendencies towards…

What's the difference between the Buddha and other awakened beings? We'll look at answers to that question from the early texts. In particular we'll focus on one early sutta where the Buddha responds to that very question!

Did you know there was an early Buddhist emptiness practice? We'll discuss the deep and subtle meditative practice known as the "liberation of mind by emptiness". We'll look at its stages as well as at a section that seems to have been…

What is the doctrine of emptiness in Buddhism? We'll look at its early history to see how the notion of emptiness may have began in response to ideas of the day, how it matured, and how it developed in later Buddhist dharma.

How can early Buddhist practice help our effort for social change? We'll discuss ways that these teachings can impact our efforts towards making the world a better place, and ways that they might help make us healthier and more effective.

We may have heard the metaphor of the "luminous mind" in Buddhist discourse. We'll discuss one famous source of that metaphor and how it has influenced some aspects of Buddhist thought in the abhidharma and thereafter, as well as certain…

What are the three realms of existence in early Buddhism? We'll begin by looking at the way early thinkers sometimes had odd ways of approaching the world. Then we'll turn to the early Buddhist account of the three realms themselves, and…

In the early texts the Buddha speaks of six main teachers of his day with whom he disagrees. We will look at those six, and their ideas as presented in the early canonical material. We'll also take a look at a seventh major competitor to…

What does early Buddhism have to say about our fears and anxieties? We will look at some passages from the early texts and their commentaries to get insights into one particular practice that can help to alleviate anxiety and gain…

We all want to make the world a better place, but doing so can be at times difficult, frustrating, even stressful. Rather than turning towards cynicism, why not start making the world a better place by working with yourself?

Recently the renowned translator and activist Bhikkhu Bodhi gave a daylong event on Buddhism and climate change. Today's video summarizes his concerns and diagnoses, and looks at some aspects of Buddhist practice that can help us in our…

The Buddhist notion of dependent origination is a complicated and difficult subject. We'll look at its manifestation in the early teachings, in its canonical twelve-step formula as well as in formulations that are simpler. Then we'll…

Why and how should we read the early Buddhist texts? We'll go through three reasons to read them, and outline three strategies to use when approaching them.

What might the Buddha have thought about secular approaches to Buddhism? We will take a look at arguments found in a couple of early texts, the Apaṇṇaka and Sandaka Suttas, as jumping-off points. Our trip will take us through perhaps the…

Many of us have heard of the Eightfold Path as perhaps the definitive description of Buddhist practice. What is it?

Lots of folks ask me for recommendations of good books on early Buddhism. I have a bunch of good ones here. This is my fourth YouTube video, so it's a bit rougher than some of the later ones. Apologies and thanks for watching!

Here we'll look at what the Buddha had to say about politics and society. He had a very interesting approach and some unique insights to provide! This is my third YouTube video, so it's a bit rougher than some of the later ones. Apologies!