Another collection of short poems from the Theragatha. Each of these little poems is in a series and all are connected to rain. As spring approaches, it seemed like the right image to have in mind. My little hut is safe and homey, Protected from … Continue reading Rain
a podcast on original Buddhism
The Buddha looked on suicide as he looked on as doing harm to any living being. The living being just happens to be yourself! But the Buddha had great compassion for people who were in such suffering that they contemplated suicide. There are several stories where … Continue reading Suicide
a podcast on original Buddhism
a podcast on original Buddhism
There is a near universal human urge to confess to someone when we have done something wrong. And confession rarely fails to provide some solace. It is an altogether laudably feature of human nature. Not growing up Catholic, I always envied their practice of confession. … Continue reading Confession Is Good for the Not-Soul
The Meghiya Sutta is one of my favorite little teachings. For one thing, it is an excellent introduction to Buddhist meditation straight from the lips of the Buddha himself. But it is also a very human portrait of a teaching and student. Once when the … Continue reading Meghiya Sutta
Have you ever sat through a dhamma talk that just felt like it would not end. I remember for me many years ago I went to see a dhamma talk at a Sri Lankan monastery for a dhamma talk from a visiting monk. It turned … Continue reading Boring Dhamma Talks
a podcast on original Buddhism
When I started seriously reading the suttas, it was immediately clear that while individual suttas are perfect little pristine gems, the collections as a whole were a disorganized mess. After all, this was just a collection of people’s memorized put together in a fairly arbitrary … Continue reading Vinyl Buddha
a podcast on original Buddhism
Belief in Buddhism is a confusing thing. On the one hand, there are dozens of suttas saying that having fixed beliefs is a huge problem that the sage avoids by having no fixed views. Here is a quote form the Attavagga translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu: … Continue reading Beliefs
Do you know the Buddha’s last words? Seems like something important for a Buddhist to know. The Buddha’s last words as recorded in the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16) go like this: “Anda dāni, bhikkhave, āmantayāmi vo, vayadhammā saṅkhārā appamādena sampādethā.” Or according to Ānandajoti Bhikkhu: … Continue reading The Buddha’s Last Words
Have you ever taken a vacation and gone to a cabin in the woods? Maybe rented a little place on the north shore? And when the sun is starting to set you come back from a long walk, start a little fire in the stove, … Continue reading Cabin in the Woods
In one of my favorite little suttas, the Buddha shows how leading a good life is the key to deep states of meditation and finally to liberation, not the other way around. As with the Eightfold Path, each step can be strengthened by strengthening the … Continue reading One Things Leads to Another
Long ago there was a spiritual teacher named Araka. He was wise and free of lust. He had many students. He taught: “The life of a person is short, miserable, and filled with problems. So a wise person will follow the holy life. After all, … Continue reading Life is Short and Fleeting
This tiny little excerpt from a sutta might make a wonderful teaching to memorize and say before you meditate, go to sleep, or get on an airplane. A wise person who is truly free Will always sleep well. They are not corrupted by lust. Their … Continue reading The Heart is Free
There are many wonderful translations of the metta sutta. I’m not saying this is better than any of the others, but I wanted to try my hand at it, and give it the simple|suttas treatment. To train in goodness, to find peace This is what … Continue reading Metta Sutta Translation
This sutta lays out the main points of Buddhist philosophy in a few simply lines. The beginning of all things cannot be found. You will never find the first cause of beings wandering on snagged by ignorance and imprisoned by desire. Someday the ocean will … Continue reading Dog on a Leash
The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta is said to be the first teaching given by the Buddha to the 5 ascetics. It lays out the whole of the teaching in the clearest possible way. This is the Truth of Suffering: birth is suffering, old age is suffering, sickness … Continue reading Set Rolling the Wheel of Truth
The Anattalakkhana Sutta was the second teaching the Buddha gave to the 5 ascetics. It is all about the true nature of self. Your body is not your true self. If your body was your true self, it wouldn’t lead to pain and suffering. If … Continue reading Without Essence
