- How Karma Works (Even if You Don't Believe in Rebirth)
Karma can be understood as a this-life, psychological process. It can also be understood as deeply involved in the process of rebirth into other lifetimes. We'll consider both ways of approaching karma, and what the Buddha had to say…
- Buddhist Rebirth as Symbol and Metaphor
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…
- The Buddha's Answer on Wanting to Stay With Your Spouse ... Even Into the Next Life
A loving couple asked the Buddha how they could remain together, even into their next life. We'll consider the Buddha's answer to this question and what it tells us about his pragmatism.
- Buddhism: "If There Is No Self, What Is Reborn?"
"If there's no self, what is reborn?" It's confusing how to understand the traditional notion of rebirth in early Buddhism. In this video I'll look at both parts of the question: is there "no self" in Buddhism? What sort of "self" is…
- The Problem of Personal Continuity and Karma in Early Buddhism
Are we the same over time? We'll discuss the Buddha's answer to this question through various false leads that he rejects. We'll also look at the question of karma and the origin of suffering, and how it all relates to traditional notions…
- Buddhist Rebirth, Some Reflections
The Buddha did teach rebirth. I'll discuss that and a bit about the Buddha's approach to reality as an empiricist rather than a scientist in the modern sense of the term. Then I'll discuss some of my own thoughts about rebirth.
- Buddhism and Rebirth, a History
Rebirth has been a Buddhist view for centuries. We'll discuss its origins in ancient Indian thought as well as its commonalities with ideas in the West. We'll also discuss its relation to ideas of time, and how those changed in the West.…