Talks on the Buddhist Life
Buddhism began with the Buddha, a towering figure who lived some hundred generations ago, taught for forty-five years, developed a huge following of ascetics and householders, kings and paupers, and left behind a vast corpus of teachings, astonishingly profound and comprehensive, consistent, brilliantly coherent and still intelligible today. His teachings span not only the higher training of meditation, psychology and the path to awakening, but also practical advice on virtue, harmony, community and basic human values. He left behind a culture of peace and awakening and a monastic community that persist to this day.
These talks on the Buddhist Life, based on the earliest stratum of scriptural sources, on early Buddhism, encompass instructions for leading an upright, virtuous and devoted Buddhist life, a life rooted in basic Buddhist values, which constitute the prerequisites for the Buddhist Path. They supplement Book One of the text Buddhist Life/Buddhist Path: foundations of Buddhist based on earliest sources, and it is recommended that these talks be heard in conjunction with reading the text. These talks also supplement the series of Talks on the Buddhist Path, based on Book Two of the text.
12. Refuge (2/2). We finish looking at what the earliest texts tell us about the the practice of refuge in Buddhism. (BL12)
11. Refuge (1/2). We begin looking at what the earliest texts tell us about the the practice of refuge in Buddhism. (BL11)
10. Harmony (2/2). We finish looking at what the earliest texts tell us about the the practice of harmony in Buddhism. (BL10)
9. Harmony (1/2). We begin looking at what the earliest texts tell us about the the practice of harmony in Buddhism. (BL9)
8. Purity (2/2). We finish looking at what the earliest texts tell us about the development of purity of mind in Buddhism. (BL8)
7. Purity (1/2). We begin looking at what the earliest texts tell us about the development of purity of mind in Buddhism. (BL7)
6. Harmlessness (2/2). We finish looking at what the earliest texts tell us about the practice of precepts (sila) in Buddhism. (BL6)
5. Harmlessness (1/2). We begin looking at what the earliest texts tell us about the practice of precepts (sila) in Buddhism. (BL5)
4. Generosity (2/2). We finish looking at what the earliest texts tell us about the practice of generosity (dana) in Buddhism. (BL4)
3. Generosity (1/2). We look at what the earliest texts tell us about the practice of generosity (dana) in Buddhism. (BL3)
2. Life of the Buddha (2/2). We look at what the earliest texts tell us about the life of the Buddha from his awakening and through his teaching career. (BL2)
1. Life of the Buddha (1/2). We look at what the earliest texts tell us about the life of the Buddha through his awakening under the Bodhi tree. (BL1)
Buddha-Sāsana 