The Form(s) of Buddhism
For a more structured walkthrough of this content, see the course.
The anthropological, historical, and religious aspects of Buddhism.
Table of Contents
- Articles (13)
- Audio/Video (26)
- Booklets (8)
- Canonical Works (13)
- Essays (9)
- Excerpts (1)
- Monographs (5)
- Papers (2)
Articles (13)
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Explains the strange way that Buddhists proselytize.
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valuable material for the contemplation of the transit of ideas between South Asia and Korea
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The lotus is rooted and grows in the slimy mud at the bottom of a pond. As it moves upward and blossoms forth, the white lotus is untainted by the mud of the Earth. Likewise, the successful monk emerges clean and purified of the world
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Mudras are hand positions often depicted in Buddhist art and used in practice to evoke a particular state of mind. The most notable mudras (Sanskrit for “seal”) are those commonly found in representations of the Buddha.
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Discriminatory views and practices are the antithesis of Right View, and they undermine the Middle Path by perpetuating identification with concepts of independent, constant, inherently existing selves and others
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Tracks one fable as it moved out of India and through the Buddhist world, giving us a glimpse into both the historical places Buddhism spread to and the process of mythic assimilation.
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This paper reminds us that behind the abstract and academic discussions of monasticism there are real communities and relationships.
Audio/Video (26)
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Bhante Yuttadhammo talks about what it means to be a Buddhist, and how to think about “taking refuge”
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In the early 1970s, a young Sri Lankan boy named Dhammaruwan spontaneously recalled huge amounts of Pāli chanting. Eventually, his father gave the boy a tape recorder, and this haunting, beautiful chant was recorded some evening later. Recently, textual scholarship by Analayo Bhikkhu has suggested the memory may be from over a thousand years ago (see Rebirth in Early Buddhism).
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⭐ Recommended
Bhikkhu Bodhi encourages us, in this age of globalization, to recognize our shared Buddhist heritage and to bridge the gaps between the Buddhist schools which time and physical distance have created.
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Bhante Yuttadhammo revisits the Gotami Sutta (which you may remember from the Intro to Buddhism Course) and tells us how we can recognize when our own practice of Buddhism goes off track.
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🥇 Best Of The Library
A lonely temple, nestled in the mountains of central Taiwan, says goodnight.
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A day of lectures on the history of Buddhism which led off a series of lectures on Early Buddhism.
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Why Buddhism die out in India? And what factors will lead to the end of our own Buddhist Utopia?
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From the iconic period to the modern day in a few minutes. A very short introduction to Buddhist Art.
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On the benefit of making things together.
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A few tips on recognizing and practicing authentic Buddhism.
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The essence (as opposed to the expressions) of Buddhism. A lovely introduction.
Booklets (8)
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The dhamma-cakka, the ever moving Wheel of Law, is the most prominent symbol of the Buddhists.
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⭐ Recommended
The Monastic Sangha is both training ground and dwelling place for the Noble Sangha, much like a university is both a training ground and a dwelling place for scholars.
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⭐ Recommended
A straightforward and practical guide, this book gives detailed descriptions and explanations for the most important religious practices for lay Buddhists. Good reading for anthropologists of Buddhism, for those who have recently converted, or those who are thinking about it, this book is absolutely essential and remains my first recommendation for learning how to be a Buddhist.
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I. B. Horner’s rather dated translation of a key sutta where the Buddha describes his own spiritual journey.
Canonical Works (13)
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A simple, four line dedication prayer from the Nyingma Tradition.
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Explains the three primary duties of a monk: guarding the senses, moderation in eating, and the devotion to wakefulness.
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Good, spiritual friendship is the whole of the holy life.
Essays (9)
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⭐ Recommended
I would say that the Nikāyas and Āgamas give us a “historical-realistic perspective” on the Buddha, while the Mahāyāna sūtras give us a “cosmic-metaphysical perspective.”
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🥇 Best Of The Library
Ajahn Geoff explains how the monastic institution works by creating an economy of gifts.
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A beautiful sermon on the value of monasticism.
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the deed in the early text [MN135] is simply stated to be the killing, or refraining from killing, of living beings, and so on. The specific types of actions, and their approval are not mentioned. In the [later] Sanskrit text we get a list of normally around ten causes that lead to the result, many of which are illustrated
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⭐ Recommended
An intriguing (re)definition of religion, science, and culture.
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A brief, visual history of the Theravada stupa.
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when counterfeit dhamma appears, the true Dhamma disappears, in the same way that when counterfeit money appears, true money disappears.
Excerpts (1)
Monographs (5)
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⭐ Recommended
I cannot recommend this classic textbook on the history of Buddhism highly enough. Short and readable, yet thorough and precise, this must-read covers the entire history of Buddhism in a couple hundred, lively pages.
Papers (2)
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On trying to place Buddhist altruism in conversation with Altruism as understood by the Western philosophical tradition.
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Just as the beautiful lotus blossom grows up from the mud and water, so one with an enlightened mind develops out of the ranks of ordinary beings