Buddha-Sasana

We discuss Buddhist practices for deconstructing the thing-self, and then how modern Buddhism is interpreted in terms of the modern authentic self. (Buddhism as Self-Help 5, 10/21/2022)

We discuss how the ego-self is produced through appropriating assets as “me” and “mine” in Buddhist thought, and then how the historically evolved self in the west became the authentic self. (Buddhism as Self-Help 4, 10/14/2022)

We discuss the thing-self in Buddhist thought, and the evolution of the self in European history. (Buddhism as Self-Help 3, 10/7/2022)

The Buddha analyzed the self at two levels: the thing-self and the ego-self. We use the ego-self, produced in becoming, to begin the analysis of the evolving western sense of self and its shadow sense of lack. (Buddhism as Self-Help 2, 9/30/2022)

Has Buddhism become “the hegemonic ideology of global capitalism"? (Self-Help 1, 9/23/2022)

I argue that modern “mindfulness” corresponds pretty closely to ‘samādhi’ in the early Buddhist texts. (9/16/2022)

How did the meaning of sati evolve from early Buddhist times to give us our modern understanding of “mindfulness”? (9/9/2022)

‘Mindfulness’ misses the mark as a translation of Pali sati. Preferable is ‘recollection.’ (9/2/2022)

More tips for the student confused by Buddhist technical terms. (Buddhist Terminology, talk 2, 8/26/2022)

Tips for the student confused by Buddhist technical terms. (Buddhist Terminology, talk 1, 8/19/2022)

What can we expect to result from the practice of Satipatthana? (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 22, 8/12/2022)

Inclusion of the for noble truths under phenomena greatly extends the scope of the satipatthana. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 21, 8/5/2022)

We discuss how the practice of satipatthana helps us to perceive the world directly in terms of Dharma, to gain knowledge and vision of how things are. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 20, 7/29/2022)

The factors of awakening arise from satipatthana practice to produce concentration. Concentration in turn influences or rather interferes with the process of constructing the world. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 19, 7/22/2022)

The key exercises of the contemplation of phenomena are closely connected to the links of dependent coarising. We discuss what we can learn from this critical teaching. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 18, 7/15/2022)

We discuss the an alternative model of cognition in the Buddha’s teachings that accounts for the arising of the experiential world from the basis of the six senses. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 17, 7/8/2022)

We discuss the five aggregates of appropriation, a hugely important model of cognition in the Buddha’s teachings that accounts for the internal constructedness of the world. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 16, 7/1/2022)

We discuss the five sources of distraction in meditative and contempletive practice. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 15, 6/24/2022)

We introduce the fourth broad subject of contemplation, phenomena or experiences as described in the Dharma, a set of six exercises to be discussed in the following weeks. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 14, 6/17/2022)

We talk about the third broad subject of contemplation, states of mind. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 13, 6/10/2022)

We move past the body contemplations to contemplating our likes and dislikes. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 12, 6/3/2022)

We use the analogy of understanding clouds to illustrate the logic of internal analysis, then consider the contemplation of decaying corpses, which are much like clouds. (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 11, 5/27/2022)

We take a closer look at internal analyis described in the satipatthana refrain, its logic and its function. Find supplementary materials at sitagu.org/shortlinks/satipatthana/ (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 10, 5/20/2022)

We take up contemplation of elements, and consider to what extent we are examining something imagined as opposed to something imagined in the body contemplations. Find supplementary materials at sitagu.org/shortlinks/satipatthana/ (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 9, 5/13/2022)

We take up contemplation of body parts and contemplation of elements. Find supplementary materials at sitagu.org/shortlinks/satipatthana/ (Rethinking Satipatthana, talk 8, 5/6/2022)