Dependent Arising in Context, by Linda Blanchard: A Review

In the introduction to Dependent Arising in Context, Linda Blanchard credits the inspiration of Nanavira Thera.  One of the first Westerners to become an ordained Theravadin monk, Nanavira’s spirit echoes through Blanchard’s work.  Boldly idiosyncratic, driven both by his ferocious intellect and his fervent belief that the Pali canon held wisdom that had been ignored…

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Episode 163 :: Tuere Sala :: People of Color Sanghas

Tuere Sala Meditation teacher and community leader Tuere Sala speaks with us about moving from a monotheistic tradition to Buddhism, and supporting the growth of diversity in our sanghas. Our race is more than simply the color of our skins. There are subtle but profound cultural templates, and ways of thinking, that permeate and motivate…

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Gotama and Parfit on the Self

The self is perhaps one of the most fraught and confusing elements of the dhamma. The Buddha considered it an advanced teaching: it’s not something he brought up in discussions with laypeople. Indeed, the great lay benefactor Anāthapiṇḍika was apparently not aware of any of the doctrine of non-clinging until his deathbed, and urged that…

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