Suttas/early texts

Doug asks when Buddhist training is supposed to end, and how anyone would know. Working from the simile of the raft and the Buddha's refusal to appoint a successor — telling the sangha instead to be islands unto themselves — he traces…

Doug distinguishes the scholarly category of "early Buddhism" — texts and teachings closest to the historical Buddha — from a normative claim that earlier means more authentic or authoritative, arguing that historical priority does not…

Prayer is a nearly universal human response to difficulty. But what did the Buddha think of it? We'll look at his complex and nuanced response.

We're often told that meditation means emptying the mind. But the Buddha's own path to enlightenment tells a different story. We explore how Right Intention (sammā saṅkappa) and two famous suttas show that practice isn't about stopping…

What did the Buddha have to say about living sustainably? We'll look to the early suttas for some clues and some inspiration we can take for living better lives today.

In the Buddha’s view, craving makes us bound to suffer. In MN 2, the Sabbāsava Sutta, he provided seven different strategies we can use to overcome such craving. We’ll look at all seven.

How is Buddhist nirvana described in its early texts? It’s called the ultimate bliss, but also a state where nothing is felt. It’s called the deathless element, but also likened to the extinguishing of a candle flame. We’ll try to…

After nine years and 600+ videos, I’ve built a fully searchable index of the entire channel, organized by topic, sutta reference, and keyword search. Whether you’re new to the channel or a longtime viewer, the catalog is designed to help…

The doctrine of dependent origination is one of the Buddha’s most profound teachings. It’s also very hard to get a real grasp on. We’ll try to simplify the teaching by looking at a couple of suttas that may reveal an earlier stage in its…

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 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.

How do you know whether you are enlightened? On the one hand, grasping for attainments can block our progress along the Path. But on the other hand, many of us have a legitimate curiosity about what enlightenment might be like. The early…

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…

The simile of the "monkey-mind" is common in Buddhism. We'll look at what may be its first appearance in an early sutta. Why did the Buddha use this simile? What was he trying to get across? We'll find a number of surprising and unusual…

How does wealth intersect with the dharma? We'll look at some of what the early texts say about wealth and poverty, as well as some of their challenges and opportunities along the path.

What did the Buddha have to say about doubt? We'll look at the ways it can be a hindrance to our progress along the path, as well as a stepping stone to advancement. We'll consider ways that doubt can be overcome, and look at two key…

Often pursuit of good karma is understood as the path to moral purity in Buddhism. The truth is somewhat different. We will look at one early sutta with a couple of incisive but disturbing parables to make the point.

The workings of karma in Buddhism can reveal some deep psychological insights. One has to do with the role of intention in promoting happiness or misery. We will consider one early sutta to make the point, and look at the example of the…

One way dependent origination begins is through the mutual conditioning of consciousness and name-and-form. What does this mean, and how is it supposed to work? We'll look at its traditional understanding first, using the early suttas as…

Central ethical principles in Buddhism involve various prohibitions, things we aren't supposed to do. But do we also have positive duties to act in Buddhism? We'll consider various examples from the early suttas.

Is meditation dangerous? We'll consider one recent journalistic investigation into the Goenka meditation retreat system, as well as some of the work of Brown University psychologist Willoughby Britton. Then we'll turn to the early texts…

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…

How do we practice Right Concentration in Buddhism? We'll look at various uses of the term "samādhi" (concentration) in early suttas, and then turn to perhaps the main practice of deep meditation that is indicated by Right Concentration.…

What is Right Livelihood in Buddhism? We'll consider the five traditional "wrong livelihoods", and then turn to other manifestations of wrong livelihood mentioned in the early texts. That will help us understand what Right Livelihood…

How can we practice Right Speech in Buddhism? We'll consider the four aspects of Right Speech as well as several important nuances suggested by the Buddha's own example that we should consider when putting them into practice in our daily…

What is "skillful means" in Buddhism, particularly in early Buddhism? We'll look at its usage in the early texts, in particular in one odd text where it seems the Buddha recommends a practice of sense desire, and then turn to its more…

What is Buddhist enlightenment or awakening? I'll look at three early suttas for indications of different pictures of the knowledge and results gained through enlightenment. Then I'll turn to how the picture of such knowledge and results…

A Buddhist sutta urges us all to check in with our successes and failures. I'll look at how this advice pertained to the Buddha's evil cousin Devadatta, as well as how it might pertain to contemporary cryptocurrency kingpin Sam…

The sutta on the "Incredible and Amazing" features of the Buddha is the key source for the story of his marvelous birth. It is a strange and problematic sutta for many reasons that we will get into in this video.

"All dharmas are not self" is perhaps the deepest wisdom in Buddhism. How should we understand it? We'll look at both a traditional interpretation and a new understanding based on the suttas by monastic scholar Bhikkhu Sujato.

Affection can be dangerous, this is some of the surprising and even shocking advice the Buddha gives in the early suttas. I'll look at what the Buddha said about some of affection's problematic role in lay and monastic life, as well as…

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?

How do we come to know anything, by the lights of early Buddhist dharma? We will look at this key philosophical problem, illuminated by words from one key sutta, and a more recent, deep work of 20th century commentarial analysis.

One of the most well-known images of the Buddha shows him touching the earth at the time of his enlightenment. Yet no mention is made of such a gesture in the early texts. Where, when, and why did it arise?

How can we cultivate confidence or faith in Buddhist practice? This is a question a viewer recently asked me. I'll look at an early sutta where Sāriputta has some helpful suggestions.

What is the goal of Buddhist practice? Does it have to do with knowing certain things directly? We'll look at the Cankī Sutta's advice for gaining direct knowledge and some problems with it. Then we'll consider some possible remedies,…

One early Buddhist sutta recounts a discussion the Buddha had with a young brahmin. The Buddha raises a number of important points about how we come to believe we have knowledge, particularly of spiritual matters. We will look at that…

So-called dog- and cow-duty ascetics approached the Buddha to ask him about their practices. We will look at the sutta in which this occurs and at what the Buddha had to say to them.

It's been almost a year now since our house fire, but the saga is coming to a close. I'm back in my office now making new videos! In this video I'll discuss a bit about what's happened, as well as making some recommendations in case you…

A question from one of my viewers. In addition to the fraught question of "no self" in early Buddhism, I'll consider some of the pros and cons of self-love (or of what passes for it, at any rate). We'll look at a couple of early suttas…

Why did the Buddha's teachings become an organized religion? Was it a good thing that they did? I'll consider what an organized religion is, some of its drawbacks and benefits, and then turn to an account from the early suttas of what the…

The Buddha believed that teachers should not be followed on faith, but rather that they required investigation. I'll look at one key sutta where the Buddha outlines such an investigation, and discuss how it can be overinterpreted. What…

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…

Mindfulness is ordinarily a practice of awareness of what is present to us, right now. But one aspect of such meditation involves being mindful of things that are not present. We will look at this aspect with reference to early suttas and…

Did you know the Buddha may have quit the sangha? I'll look at one early sutta and discuss what happened, and why it seems as though the Buddha was on the verge of permanent retirement. I'll also consider a couple of other interesting…

It's not the Eightfold Path, this is another approach the Buddha provided for how to understand his approach to practice and to life. What should we focus on? What should we leave aside? Here are eight answers from an early sutta.

A viewer of mine wondered recently about practicing in order to gain worldly benefits. What did the Buddha have to say about such things? We'll look at a few suttas for answers.

Is everything we experience due to our karma? I'll look at what the Buddha had to say in several early texts to find out his thoughts.

What does it mean to experience nirvana here and now, in this very life? The Buddha was asked this question in several early suttas and had answers. I'll go over a couple of those suttas and outline the interesting things he had to say.

One of the highlights of the early Buddhist teachings is their relative openness to investigation and inquiry. This is a point made in a recent paper by scholar and monastic Bhikkhu Sujato. I'll discuss the point with reference to a few…

According to one early sutta, there are many more than the traditional five hindrances to meditation. We'll look at that sutta, where the Buddha recounts his own difficulties with achieving deep meditative states and describes his…

Contemplating the impermanence of the elements helps us to understand their non-self nature. In one early Buddhist sutta, Sāriputta gives an argument as to how the four elements are impermanent. But it's a strange sutta, full of…

An early Buddhist practice with the four elements leads us to equanimity and calm with the ups and downs of life. We'll look at that practice in this video with reference to a few early texts.

One of the key practices in early Buddhism that often gets overlooked is a practice with the four elements leading to an experiential understanding of non-self. I'll look at that practice with reference to several early texts.

I'll outline three lessons learned from the fire, worldly wise things that helped out in a time of need, as well as two practices that I've found useful. I'll also consider a couple of key early Buddhist suttas.

We had a house fire a few weeks ago. I'll begin by looking at the Buddha's famous Fire Sermon, traditionally understood to be his third public discourse, and then turn to what happened to us during that long night. I'll also have a nice…

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 if there were something permanent and unchanging we could possess? Are there conceptions of a self, or beliefs that we should look to as permanent sources of happiness? We'll look at an early discourse of the Buddha that answers…

In his many discourses on cultivating lovingkindness, the Buddha doesn't touch on any practices directed at self-love. Why might this be? We will look at an early sutta for clues.

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.

Ordinarily it's said that there were four states of jhāna in early Buddhist meditation. But not always! Apart from considering some later understandings of the term that include eight, nine, or even more jhānas, we'll look at one early…

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…

What are the formless attainments of early Buddhist meditation? We'll look at these deep states of absorption. First we'll look at their history, how the Buddha first encountered them and where they appear to have arisen from, then we'll…

Should we look at ancient stories and myths historically, or as inspirational literature? I'll look at both options through the lens of the Aggañña Sutta, a famous, early Buddhist creation myth.

Did the Buddha ever suggest there was a way to find a real sort of self? We'll look to the Poṭṭhapāda Sutta for an answer to this question. There we will see an interesting dialogue where the Buddha delves into a discussion of personal…

The second argument the Buddha uses in his Second Sermon on non-self involves impermanence. I'll look at his argument there and why it seems rather odd to our ears. I'll consider one potential subtext for the Buddha's argument, and what…

Is there an important difference between study and practice in early Buddhism? We'll look to one recent article by Bhikkhu Anālayo for help in answering this question. He investigates one apparent mistake in oral transmission of a…

We'll look at the life of Bhikkhunī Khemā, whom the Buddha called his wisest female disciple, using a sutta about her, a poem she wrote, and later material from the Theravāda commentaries. These will help illustrate her incisive approach…

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 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…

Should we read Buddhist texts as philosophical treatises with particular, definite claims? Or should we read them as inspired literature to be enjoyed creatively? We'll look at one early text from the Pāli tradition that gives an answer…

Who was Anāthapiṇḍika/Anāthapiṇḍada? We'll look at his importance to the development of the early sangha, some of the topics that the Buddha discussed with him in various discourses, and the important dharma talk given him by Sāriputta on…

"Languaging" in Buddhism is something many dharma teachers will consider. Sometimes eliminating words like "I", "me", or "you" from our language can help us see things more objectively. But is it something we can keep up for long, and is…

The parable of the raft is one of the most famous early Buddhist parables. We'll look at it in context in this video, illustrating its place in a particularly profound early sutta.

In this video we'll look at the origins of the Buddhist doctrine of "two truths" in the Upaniṣads and certain of the suttas of early Buddhism. While the Buddha never actually discussed a concept of "two truths" per se, he did elaborate a…

What is the practice of self-effacement in early Buddhism? We'll look at one sutta that distinguishes a practice of self-effacement through kindness and non-harming from a separate practice of deep meditative absorption. We'll also…

The Buddha discussed five tendencies of mind that hinder our progress in meditation and indeed that can get in the way of our living a happy life. They may metaphorically be understood as the "armies of Māra". We'll discuss each of those…

In this video we'll look at the last eight aspects of mindfulness of breathing practice as described in the early texts. This includes practices of mindfulness of breathing related to mind, and to dharmas. We'll also consider how this…

We'll look at the first eight aspects of mindfulness of breathing practice from the early texts, four having to do with the body, and four with feeling tones.

When we begin our meditation practice we often begin with mindfulness of breathing. But it is so much more than an introductory practice. We'll look at its importance in the early suttas with help from a recent book on the topic by…

In an early sutta, the Buddha pointed to eight worldly conditions (otherwise known as "worldly winds") that effect our lives and stress us out. We will take a look at these eight conditions and try to understand them for what they are.…

Do we need to have achieved the jhānas -- four deep states of meditative absorption -- in order to become enlightened? We'll look at some early texts for clues as to what the Buddha might have thought about this complex and controversial…

Why is walking meditation important to our practice? We'll take a look at a couple of early suttas that give some insight into some of its potential benefits.

How do we practice walking meditation? There isn't a lot of evidence, but we'll look at an early sutta that gives some indications. I'll then illustrate some key aspects of the practice, and why we might want to include it in our…

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…

Conflict often stems from our disagreements with others. Early Buddhism contains material that can help us deal with such conflicts. Indeed, the Buddha claimed to teach in a way that avoided conflict altogether. We will look at how this…

What's the relation between believing something based on faith, and having knowledge of something, in early Buddhism? We'll consider the role of faith vs. that of knowledge, looking at several early suttas.

We'll look at a couple of passages from the early suttas that discuss the Buddha's limits with similarly shocking metaphors. There were, it seems, things the Buddha had no problem getting rid of!

Many of us will be familiar with the three refuges or three jewels of Buddha, dharma, and sangha. But how do they interrelate? We will look at a number of early suttas that indicate the Buddha's approach to them, and that suggest the…

What is the "gradual training"? It's a map of the path we find in early Buddhism, leading from our first inkling of the dharma up to nirvana itself. We will discuss "gradual training" as an idea, and then turn to the map itself, pointing…

In this "deep dive" we will look at some highlights of one complex and fascinating early sutta called "The Great Forty". We will see how it highlights a three-part engine of correct practice. We will also see how it makes a somewhat…

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…

Happiness comes partly from our framing of the world. A great practice to help us do this is one of gratitude, particularly nowadays with the Coronavirus. We will look at what the Buddha had to say about gratitude in the early texts, and…

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!

Was the Buddha omniscient? We will look at the attainment of nirvana or awakening and its overcoming of ignorance. We will also look at some evidence from the early suttas that the Buddha was not considered omniscient in his day. We will…

Is Buddhist enlightenment or awakening possible? Sometimes it seems as though it is extremely distant from us. We will consider the possibility of getting a glimpse of awakening, or having a partial awakening, focusing on one early text…

Marie Kondo's "KonMari method" to reduce clutter has some resonances with, and some differences from, the teachings of early Buddhism. We'll discuss her method and then look at a passage from an early sutta and what it might tell us about…

We hear lots of different things called "meditative" in daily life. But are they really meditation in the Buddhist sense of the term? We will look at several of these and see how they stack up, and then turn to a passage from the early…

Pāli is the language of many of the oldest Buddhist discourses. Do we need to know Pāli to know about or practice early Buddhism? We'll consider that question with reference to a new book out by eminent Pāli scholar Richard Gombrich, as…

We see aspects of both humanity and divinity in the Buddha of the early texts. I'll discuss some of those aspects and propose some ways the historical development might have proceeded.

How should we go about constructing a daily practice? We will look at several aspects that could go into it, including ethics, meditation, and wisdom infused by regular reflection and sutta readings.

It can be difficult to find reliable information about early or secular Buddhism on the Internet. I'll discuss some places we can look, and find both good translations of early texts and reasoned articles or discussions relating to them.

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…

The unconscious plays a key role in recent theories of psychology. Does it have any counterpart in Buddhism? Well ... sort of. We will look at the suttas of early Buddhism in particular, at one way we may be able to recover some ideas…

What is authentic Buddhism? We'll take a look at that question from the point of view of the early texts. We'll see that they present us with two different ways we might approach the question.

It may surprise us with today's "life is good" mindset, but the First Noble Truth can be liberating. Yes, it can be helpful and stress-reducing to consider that life is not ultimately satisfactory. We'll consider that conundrum, with a…

One question we may have is whether the achievement of awakening -- or even that of being a Buddha -- means we no longer experience pain. We'll consider that question, with an emphasis on what the early texts say about what the awakened…

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…

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…

When we practice loving kindness, are we really supposed to direct kindness towards everyone? Does everyone really deserve kindness? We will look at the early texts as well as a recent article in Tricycle Magazine by scholar Andrew…

The Buddha's discourse to the Kālāmas outlines a charter of free inquiry. It strikes us today as expressing a very modern approach to the world. We'll look at how that is, and its down-to-earth take on ethics and knowledge.

If we misuse the dharma it can come back to bite us: this is the upshot of one famous sutta. We will look at this sutta and consider some of its implications for our approach to the Buddha's teachings both online and in person.

Many contemporary Buddhists make prayer part of their practice. We will look at the early texts to see what the Buddha seems to have thought about such activities.

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.

Recent events, particularly those involving the Rohingya in Burma and the role of nuns in Theravāda Buddhism, raise the question as to what constitutes Buddhist fundamentalism, and whether and how it might be different from its Western…

Bad gurus: recently we've heard of various Buddhist gurus, teachers, and leaders displaying unskillful and even illegal conduct. Google searches should display relevant names and specifics so I won't go into the sordid details in the…

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…

Philosophies and religions the world over have key texts outlining their founders' beliefs and aims. What are Buddhism's key texts?

Folks interested in a secular approach to Buddhism will find many forms of Buddhism congenial. Why is early Buddhism particularly so? We will look at the Kevaddha Sutta (DN 11) and some material from Richard Gombrich, eminent scholar of…