Buddha (historical)

What is the absolute minimum a human being needs, not just to survive, but to flourish? We often argue about "safety nets" as if they are a modern political invention. But 2,500 years ago, the Buddha established a specific list of…

Is exercise some kind of "cheat" to mental stability? We'll consider the importance of physical exertion to our practice, what it meant in the Buddha's day, and how we can integrate it into our routine.

What makes someone wise? We'll consider two competing views from the Buddha's day, as reflected in an early sutta. Then we'll see how both views can be integrated into a livelier whole.

How can we know who's really enlightened? It's not a simple question. We'll take a look at various early suttas that show even back in the Buddha's day it was not considered at all straightforward, but rather required a lot of time and…

Communication is a critical life skill, particularly in the contemporary world of 24/7 social media. We'll look at what the Buddha had to say about skillful speech and apply it to communication more broadly. We will also look at examples…

Did laypeople practice meditation in the Buddha's day? We'll look to a recent paper by Anālayo to answer the question of whether lay meditation is a recent innovation in Buddhist practice, or a revival of something that went on in early…

Was there a word for "Buddhism" in the Buddha's day, or was Buddhism somehow different or special in having no such term? We'll look at how Buddhism was both similar and different from its cultural competitors and how it did indeed have a…

The Buddha often referred to himself as "the Tathāgata". But what does that epithet mean, and where does it come from? I'll look at some scholarly opinions, and then turn to the interesting history of the term. Recorded before our house…

The engaging and popular YouTube channel @ReligionForBreakfast has put out a number of videos on Buddhism recently. Their video on "Who was the Buddha?" is a good intro to the topic that raised questions around the idea of a historical…

We'll look at Citta the Householder. Who was he and what were some interesting events in his life as recounted in the early suttas? We'll see how it was that even laypeople could be accomplished teachers of the dharma during the Buddha's…

What is the early ideal of the "lone Buddha" or Paccekabuddha/ Pratyekabuddha? We'll look at its historical development and an early poem that may indicate the lifestyle of the "lone Buddha".

How important is healthcare to society, and to each of us individually? We will consider that question and how it can best be provided. We will also take a look at an event from the Buddha's life that illustrates the essential nature of…

Were there Buddhas before Gotama? Will there be Buddhas in the future? We'll look at what the early texts say about past and future Buddhas, and see why the evidence there is historically questionable in various ways. We will also see how…

Many people gain confidence in the path of Buddhist practice by thinking of the Buddha's own story. We'll consider the difference between a story based in history and one based in myth and legend. We'll take a look at how both Socrates…

Did the Buddha really exist? It's a question that concerns some of us today, given the paucity of hard evidence from the early period of the Buddha's lifetime. We'll look at some of the issues involved in reconstructing that early history…

Are you looking for Buddha quotes? Then this is the video for you! I'll have ten pithy and interesting quotes from the canonical words of the Buddha. For all you nitpickers out there, yes I'm also one of you. There is no way to know…

Did you know the Buddha is a Christian saint? We'll look at the convoluted history of the story of Barlaam and Josaphat, its origins in early Buddhism, and some lessons it holds for today. Images of Barlaam, Josaphat, and Avenir courtesy…

Nowadays traditional Buddhism involves taking the so-called "three refuges": refuge in the Buddha, dharma, and sangha. How many refuges were there in the Buddha's day? We'll look at the early accounts where the Buddha recommended we have…

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…

Buddhist compassion meditation practices changed dramatically during the millennium from the Buddha's lifetime to the lifetimes of some of his most famous commentators. Using a paper by the gifted scholar Anālayo as a guide, we will look…

It's a good question. We'll consider some of the reasons why someone with a secular outlook should care what the Buddha thought, as well as other aspects of this question.

What is Loving Kindness (mettā) meditation and how did it develop? Many people today practice a form that probably originated centuries after the Buddha's day. Thanks to Andy Olendzki for his work on the historical roots of mettā…