History of Zen Buddhism: Paradox and Tension

Many people come to Buddhist belief and practice through Zen, but not many people have an appreciation for its history. In this video we’ll take a look at both its more and less legendary history, as well as the internal strains that led to the development of the two major schools of Zen. Books: Bashō,…

Read More

History of Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism: Power and Transgression

We’ll go over the history of tantric Buddhism, its origins as well as its differences from other forms of Buddhist belief and practice. Then we’ll give an overall characterization of what constitutes this somewhat transgressive form of Buddhism. It’s a huge topic so this video should only be seen as an intro! Suggested readings: Ronald…

Read More

History of Mahāyāna Buddhism: Innovation and Perfection

We’ll take a quick overview of the history of Mahāyāna Buddhism, beginning with its earliest developments and how it separated from the rest of mainstream Buddhism. Then we’ll look at a few of its later developments that came to define the Mahāyāna approach. It’s a huge topic so this video only can provide an introduction!…

Read More

History of Theravada Buddhism: Very Old and Very New

Theravāda Buddhism can be seen both as very old and very new. We’ll go over the ways Theravāda has roots in the earliest forms of Buddhism, as well as the way it may be a very recent form of religious identity. This is a huge topic and so the video should only be seen as…

Read More