Buddha-Sasana

Pleasurable abiding in samadhi.

Pleasurable abiding in the progressively unfolding factors of delight, tranquility and samadhi is a karmic fruit that we enjoy when we are engaged in wholesome practice of all kinds. It has the important function of informing our practice of the difference between worldly and supramundane pleasure.

The context of samadhi

Far from the common characterization of samadhi (concentration) as a difficult and specialized practice of samatha, what we find in the Suttas is that samadhi arises quite spontaneously in a wide variety of practice contexts. It is a rather bread-and-butter factor in Buddhist practice.

Was the Buddha a biologist?

“If consciousness were not to descend into the mother's womb, would name-and-form take shape in the womb?” "No." The most common traditional interpretation of this famous passage (from DN 15) is that consciousnessis travels into the womb to unify with the fetus of name-and-form at con­ception. I argue that this interpretation is untenable.

Conflict in society - Empathy (3/3)

The same principles by which Buddhism understands interpersonal conflict and how to resolve it, apply also to social issues such as criminal justice, ethnic and racial tensions, our consumption of media and news, and even political views.

Dismembering conflict Empathy (2/3)

This talk discusses Early Buddhist antidotes to the judgmental mind, and to the anger that often accompanies it.

Anatomy of a conflict - Empathy (1/2)

How conflicts - from tiff to shootout - typically arise, with particular emphasis on the violent nature of judgmental thinking.

MDP - Living in the midst (2/2)

In this eleventh and final talk in the "Mindfulness, where Dharma meets Practice" series, we look at the virtues of simplicity and devotion and the importance of community in framing a Buddhist life.

MDP - Living in the midst (1/2)

In this tenth talk in the "Mindfulness, where Dharma meets Practice" series, we look at the challenges to integrating practice into everyday life, the need to practice mindfully throughout the day, and the importance of choosing an appropriate livelihood.

MDP - Living in wisdom (3/3)

In this ninth talk in the "Mindfulness, where Dharma meets Practice" series, we look at the art of investigation and the role of mindful observation and mental composure in the process that leads to insight into how things are.

MDP - Living in wisdom (2/3)

In this eighth talk in the "Mindfulness, where Dharma meets Practice" series, we look at the main logic of the wisdom teachings, that have to do with the contingency and unsubstantiality of our experiential world.