Posts by Doug Smith
Why Buddhism Isn't a Religion
We’ll look at three ways that Buddhism isn’t a religion, focusing on early Buddhism in particular. Of course, Buddhism has religious aspects. However it also can be seen as something entirely non-religious, more in the vein of a school of philosophy.
Read MoreOn Gratitude
Thanksgiving is a good time to reflect on the great number of people for whom we should be grateful. This includes not only the folks close to us, or who we know well, but also includes those whom we may never lay eyes on. So many people are responsible for our living a life as…
Read MoreSpiritual Materialism
What is spiritual materialism and how can it get in the way of our progress along the path? Spiritual materialism is a concept that originates from the Tibetan teacher Chögyam Trungpa. We’ll look at three different aspects of it, and discuss what an alternative approach would look like.
Read MoreJudgment and Non-Judgment
It is critical to our progress along the path that we make lucid judgments about skillful and unskillful thoughts and behaviors. At the same time though we are often enjoined to pursue a kind of non-judgmental awareness. How are these recommendations reconciled? Or are they completely at odds? We will look at this question in…
Read MoreWhat is the Present Moment?
The present moment, the “now” is often made the focus of our intention and practice, for many very good reasons. In this video we will turn to some of the more philosophical aspects of the present moment, in order to investigate certain problems that arise with it. At the end we will turn to practical…
Read MoreThe Five Precepts
The five precepts are the basis of Buddhist ethics, particularly as practiced in a lay context. What are the precepts, how should we think of them, and how should we use them as practice?
Read MoreWhy Read Early Buddhist Texts?
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. Four texts to start with: (1) The Buddha’s “First Sermon” (2) The Kālāma Sutta (3) The Water Snake Sutta (4) The Dhammapada (There is also a very good translation…
Read MoreSpiritual Bypassing
Spiritual bypassing is a condition we can all fall into from time to time, even those of us who do not see ourselves on a “spiritual” path. What is the condition and how can we strive to avoid it?
Read MoreIs Early Buddhism in Danger?
Academic study of early Buddhism has waned to near nothing, if a recent editorial by eminent scholar Richard Gombrich is anything to go on. In today’s video I’ll discuss why this should concern us.
Read MoreMeditation 101
Ever thought about meditating, but weren’t sure how to begin? This video goes through some of the basics involved in sitting and walking meditation. Just the right thing to get you started!
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