Archive for January 2018
Was the Buddha a Philosopher?
The Buddha had some very interesting things to say, but was he a philosopher? Justin Whitaker and I recently wrote a paper on this topic, which I’ll discuss here. Justin’s great blog, American Buddhist Perspectives Ted’s podcast with Justin and me: Reading the Buddha as a Philosopher Check out my new Patreon page!
Read MoreEpisode 287 :: Justin Merritt :: Buddhist Orchestral Music Premier "The Path"
Justin Merritt Justin Merritt returns to speak about his upcoming Buddhist orchestral premier of The Path. Buddhism may not be known for its presence in orchestral music. In April of 2018, it will be taking a big step forward in Orchestral Hall in my old home of Minneapolis, with the premier of The Path. Composer…
Read MoreDependent Origination
The Buddhist notion of dependent origination (or dependent arising, interdependent origination, etc.) is complicated and difficult. We’ll look at its manifestation in the early teachings, in its canonical twelve-step formula as well as in formulations that are simpler. Then we’ll tackle the question of how to unbind oneself from the chain altogether. Suttas discussed in…
Read MorePractice Circle: Awareness of Breath
Click Here at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, January 28th to Join the Live Session. During January and February, Practice Circle will be aligned with the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Online Live program offered by Ted Meissner and Amy Balentine. There may be people from that class joining Practice Circle as an additional opportunity to…
Read MoreOur Stories: Are They Everything?
We structure our lives through our stories, but in what ways can they lead us astray? We’ll look at how story is important using some comments by YouTube filmmaker Casey Neistat. Then we’ll look at the story of the Buddha, and the stories many of us use to understand our pasts and futures. Check out…
Read MoreKnowledge and Wisdom: What's the Deal?
What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom? Should our aim be to pursue one or the other? We’ll look at these questions in this video, and also discuss the role of contemporary skepticism and science. Check out my new Patreon page!
Read MoreWhat are the Four Noble Truths?
The Four Noble Truths are the heart of Buddhist philosophy, but they wouldn’t have been the first thing we encountered when learning the teaching. We will look at where they fit into the path, then each of the truths in turn, and finish with a different take on the teaching, as tasks or practices. Check…
Read MoreGuardians of the World
Two emotional states play a key ethical role in early Buddhism. We’ll look at these states that the Buddha called “the guardians of the world”, and discuss how awareness of them can help our practice and our life. Check out my new Patreon page!
Read MorePractice Circle: Body Scan
Click Here at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, January 14th to Join the Live Session. During January and February, Practice Circle will be aligned with the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Online Live program offered by Ted Meissner and Amy Balentine. There may be people from that class joining Practice Circle as an additional opportunity to…
Read MoreConsidering Karma
Let’s consider karma. We’ll go over three problems with the Buddhist notion of karma. Then we’ll discuss how the Buddha defined the term, and how his usage was innovative and different in its time. We’ll see that there is a way to recover a useful sense of the term, so we can understand it in…
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