Bhikkhu Bodhi, a Buddhist monk and expert translator of Buddhist texts, shares insightful perspectives on the teachings of the Buddha. He discusses the importance of understanding the Buddha's life and teachings for modern meditators. Topics include how his teachings survived an oral tradition, interpretations of karma and rebirth, and the daily life of the Buddha. Bhikkhu also emphasizes the significance of compassion and social engagement within Buddhist practice, illustrating how these teachings remain relevant today.
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Approach to Buddhist Teachings
Approach Buddhist teachings with critical inquiry, not blind faith.
Test the principles in your own life to see their effects on your mind and actions.
insights INSIGHT
Two Aspects of Liberation
Liberation has two aspects: eliminating mental afflictions and escaping the cycle of rebirth.
This aligns with the Buddhist concept of karma and multiple realms of existence.
insights INSIGHT
Oral Transmission of Teachings
Buddha's teachings were initially transmitted orally for centuries.
They were likely memorized and chanted by monks before being written down.
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Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives
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Return to Life is a thought-provoking book that explores the phenomenon of children remembering past lives. Dr. Jim B. Tucker, a psychiatrist and researcher, documents his scientific investigations into these extraordinary cases. The book includes detailed accounts of children who recall specific details of past lives, such as a boy who describes a previous life on a small island and another who identifies himself in a photograph from the 1930s. Tucker's work challenges readers to consider the possibilities of reincarnation and the nature of consciousness and spirituality.
The Noble Eightfold Path
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This book provides a clear and detailed analysis of the Noble Eightfold Path, a central teaching of Buddhism aimed at ending suffering. Bhikkhu Bodhi examines each factor of the path, offering practical insights and relating them to modern life. The book serves as a valuable reference for meditators and those interested in Buddhist teachings.
The foundations of Buddhism
Rupert Gethin
What the Buddha Taught
Walpola Rahula Thero
This book provides a foundational understanding of Buddhism, particularly from the Theravada tradition. It covers key concepts such as the Four Noble Truths, the Doctrine of No-Self, and the practice of meditation. The book also includes important Buddhist texts from the Pali Canon, offering insights into how Buddhist teachings apply to contemporary life.
When I first got interested in meditation, all the talk of the Buddha that I encountered in the various books I was reading and lectures I was attending seemed like more of a bug than a feature. I was looking for science-backed stress relief, not religion. But the more I learned, the more interested I became in the Buddha. He was, after all, not a god or a prophet. He was, based on the available evidence, a mortal man who made no claims about the creation of the universe. In fact, to the extent that he did make metaphysical claims, he explicitly told people: don’t believe anything because I tell you. Meanwhile, he laid out a set of meditation instructions and an approach to the human situation that, in my experience, are extraordinarily practical and valuable. And yet, many of today’s meditators don’t know much about who the Buddha was or what he actually taught. Hence today’s guest, the Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi. He was born Jeffrey Block in Brooklyn, became a Buddhist monk as a young man, and then went on to become one of the premier translators of Buddhist scripture. In this conversation, we talk about: why it can be so helpful for meditators to know what the Buddha taught; how these teachings survived for centuries before they were ever written down; how he makes sense of the teachings on karma and rebirth; the Buddha’s daily schedule; what kind of person the Buddha was; and what the Buddha taught about staying engaged in politics. Before we started rolling, I asked Bhikkhu Bodhi how I should address him, and he said many people call him “Bhante,” which is a term that is used in Buddhist circles to address monks, and translates into something like “venerable sir.” Where to find Bhikkhu Bodhi online: Website: https://bodhimonastery.org/ven-bhikkhu-bodhi.html Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bhikkhu.bodhi.1 Books Mentioned: • The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi http://www.noblepath.org/audio.html?fbclid=IwAR3dAFyckLujaBuYe1y8v0arh9UTq6XLsS_bQHq-layEdGVoA_cfoqVfODg • Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives by Dr. Jim B. Tucker: http://www.jimbtucker.com/return-to-life.html • What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula Thero http://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/documents/What%20the%20Buddha%20Taught_Rahula.pdf • The Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin https://bookshop.org/books/the-foundations-of-buddhism/9780192892232 Other Resources Mentioned: • Dr. Ian Stevenson’s research on Perceptual Studies (apparitions, past lifetimes, and near death experiences) - https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/who-we-are/dr-ian-stevenson/ • Buddhist Global Relief - https://www.buddhistglobalrelief.org/ Additional Resources: • Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live • Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide • Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Show Notes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/Bhikkhu-Bodhi-302
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