Don’t Buy This Book!

By Doug Smith | June 18, 2018

My good friend Justin Whitaker and I have a paper in the recently published Oxford Handbook of Buddhist Ethics. I’ll discuss some aspects of our paper, how it relates to Buddhist ethics, and some other interesting points before getting to the meat of the matter: why you shouldn’t buy this book! Justin Whitaker’s blog (highly…

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The Dalai Lama’s Secular Turn

By Doug Smith | January 4, 2018

Is the Dalai Lama a secular Buddhist? In two of his recent books he has outlined a universal, secular ethical program grounded in basic human values that are shared by believers and nonbelievers alike. We will take a look at these two books and discuss some of their conclusions and implications. Check out my new…

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Good Books on Early Buddhism

By Doug Smith | March 27, 2017

Here are the books mentioned in the video: Bhikkhu Bodhi: In the Buddha’s Words Rupert Gethin: The Foundations of Buddhism Williams, Tribe, Wynne: Buddhist Thought Walpola Rahula: What the Buddha Taught Richard Gombrich: What the Buddha Thought Richard Gombrich: Theravāda Buddhism, 2nd Ed. Johannes Bronkhorst: Buddhist Teaching in India Anālayo: Satipaṭṭhāna, the Direct Path to…

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Basic Teachings of the Buddha

By Dana Nourie | July 22, 2011

I’ve just finished reading  Basic Teachings of the Buddha by Glenn Wallis for the second time, and I must say I really like this book. In fact, I wish I had had it years ago when I first started my exploration into Buddhism. I will be referring to this book in years to come. So…

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