Theravāda Buddhism
The southern Buddhist lineage.
Table of Contents
- Articles (11)
- Audio/Video (5)
- Booklets (11)
- Canonical Works (8)
- Essays (5)
- Monographs (9)
- Reference Shelf (4)
Articles (11)
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the Theravāda version of events in the Nandakovāda-sutta conveys an attitude towards nuns that is considerably less favorable than the attitude underlying the parallel versions
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Since the footprints of the Buddha are understood to represent the physical presence of the historical Buddha, they are especially venerated in such Theravada Buddhist countries as Sri Lanka and Thailand, although they also exist in other Buddhist countries.
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⭐ Recommended
the vinaya is nearly as central to the Buddhist religion as the shari’a is to Islam. If we were to rank religions in order of legalism, Theravada would come at the legalistic end of the scale, near to Islam and far from, for example, Taoism.
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The traditional, Pāli commentaries on the Canon composed in Sri Lanka have had an enormous impact on Theravada doctrine and practice. This article introduces the history of their authorship.
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⭐ Recommended
In Theravāda monasteries, nuns, even those who have been ordained for decades, typically sit on a mat on the floor, while monks, even those who have just been ordained, sit on a raised platform above them. The seating arrangement of nuns below or behind the monks is symbolic of [their] subordinate position
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a historically and contextually sensitive understanding of elite lay Buddhist women in Sri Lanka, bringing a “critical yet empathetic look” at their participation in ethno-nationalist Sinhala Buddhist hegemony
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the trajectory of the term theravāda from its earliest occurrence in the Pāli canon to its present day usage as a designation of the form of Buddhism found in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.
Audio/Video (5)
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🥇 Best Of The Library
To understand Buddhism, one must understand the tension between the knowledge of impermanence and the love of the Dharma. This sense of loss has defined Buddhism from the Buddha’s Parinirvana through to the present day.
Booklets (11)
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The devotional used for daily chanting at Āloka and Karuṇā Vihāras in California, derived from the Thai style and adapted for use by the American Bhikkhunis.
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Kaṭhina is arguably the most important holiday of the year for Theravadan Buddhists. This booklet lays out the history and significance of this tradition in an admirably non-sectarian way.
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A collection of Buddhist devotional chants common in Sri Lanka.
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without showing any disrespect simply because it is worded in Sinhala, if you listen to this marvellous Dhamma with worshipful devotion and gladness, you will surely gain heavenly bliss
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⭐ Recommended
This book is intended to provide an introduction to the teachings of the Buddha which will shed some light on a subject that, to non-Buddhists, can appear both unexpectedly rational and exotically strange.
Canonical Works (8)
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An abridged translation of the much-beloved, ancient Pāli classic of Theravāda doctrine.
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⭐ Recommended
The essential meditation manual of the Theravada Tradition and the book that, legend has it, convinced the Sri Lankan elders to allow Acariya Buddhaghosa to write the (now quasi-canonical) Pāli Commentaries.
Essays (5)
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There is a common religious tendency to mythologize and eternalize the historical particularities of your given religion: claiming, for example, that the Sanskrit language of the Vedas is the language of the universe itself. Sadly, Theravada Buddhism too isn’t immune from such narcissistic excess.
Monographs (9)
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🥇 Best Of The Library
teachings from twelve of the greatest masters and monasteries in the Theravada tradition