Fronsdal, Gil

How do you approach the concept of Buddhist rebirth? Traditionally it's understood literally, which is how the Buddha saw it. But there is another option open to us, which is to take it as a resonant metaphor for the changeable nature of…

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…

What did the Buddha have to say about anger and hatred? Did he distinguish between the two, and what should we do about them? We'll look at a few of the key early discourses of the Buddha for answers.

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…

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…

The simile of the chariot is one of the most famous in all of Buddhism. We'll look at the deep history of the chariot in the cultures of ancient Eurasia and its importance generally to the area. Then we'll turn to how the chariot was used…

For the Buddha good intentions play a key role in the ethical value of our actions. But isn't the road to hell paved with good intentions? We'll look at the Buddha's ethical system and some concerns about the role of intentions.

How do we confront illness and death? We will all experience them, but often don't want to contemplate them. I'll discuss some recent YouTube channels that have dealt with illness and death in deep and profound ways, as well as a little…

Buddhism's three marks of existence are the deepest part of the dharma. We will discuss what they are, and how there are subtle differences between their scope. We'll then look at how they were emphasized in different ways throughout…

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.