Posts Tagged ‘Pali canon’
What is Right Livelihood?
When looking at right livelihood within Buddhism, traditionally there are five prohibited livelihoods. However there is also a great deal of interesting additional material about inappropriate livelihoods for monastics, as well as a couple of wrong livelihoods for laypeople that the Buddha was reluctant to discuss. We’ll go over it all! It’s worth pointing out…
Read MoreWhat Might the Buddha Say About Secular Buddhism?
What might the Buddha have thought about secular approaches to Buddhism? We will take a look at arguments found in a couple of early texts, the Apaṇṇaka and Sandaka Suttas, as jumping-off points. Our trip will take us through perhaps the earliest known materialist philosopher, as well as Blaise Pascal’s wager for the existence of…
Read MoreWhat is Right Action?
The Buddha gave three key examples of actions we should avoid, but nuances remain depending on our status as layperson or monastic, as well as our understanding of some of the more in-depth teachings about the self.
Read MoreWhat is Right Speech?
What did the Buddha have to say about right speech? It was more than just “Don’t lie.” Some of his conclusions may be helpful to us today in a world of instant communication, both one-to-one and one-to-many.
Read MoreWhat is Right Intention?
As we traverse the path, the quality of our intention is of great importance. What are the three key aspects of Right Intention? We’ll try to answer that question in this video. Thanks for watching!
Read MoreWhat is Right View?
The first step along the Eightfold Path is Right View. We will see that Right View has three interrelated aspects, all of which are key to unlocking its secrets. For a very in-depth, scholarly treatment of the subject, see Paul Fuller’s book The Notion of Diṭṭhi in Theravāda Buddhism.
Read MoreIntro to Buddhism
Today we’ll touch on a bit of the early history of Buddhism and its context within ancient India, its social structure, and a little about some later developments. Thanks for watching!
Read MoreBuddhism's Key Texts
Philosophies and religions the world over have key texts outlining their founders’ beliefs and aims. What are Buddhism’s key texts? Some mentioned here: Majjhima Nikāya trans. by Ñāṇamoli and Bodhi Dīgha Nikāya trans. by Walshe Aṅguttara Nikāya trans. by Bodhi Saṃyutta Nikāya trans. by Bodhi Dhammapada trans. by Fronsdal Sutta-Nipāta trans. by Saddhatissa Questions of…
Read MoreWhat is "Dharma"?
What does the word “dharma” mean in early Buddhism? We will look at several ways it’s used in the texts, and discuss its importance. For further information, see Rupert Gethin, “He Who Sees Dhamma Sees Dhammas: Dhamma in Early Buddhism”. Journal of Indian Philosophy, 2004.
Read MoreWhat Did the Buddha Teach About Views?
The Buddha’s early teachings on non-clinging to views and opinions are some of his deepest and most profound, as well as being a little tricky to understand. For those interested in a very detailed look at the Buddha on views, do check out Paul Fuller’s book “The Notion of Diṭṭhi in Theravāda Buddhism”. Although it…
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