Bright On Buddhism

Bright on Buddhism Episode 12 - What is a Bodhisattva? What are the different meanings of this word? How have those meanings changed over time? Resources: Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Anthology of World Religions: Buddhism; Chan Master Sheng Yen: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism; Robert E Buswell: Encyclopedia of Buddhism: Zen; Nagarjuna: Verses of The Middle Way (T...

Bright on Buddhism Episode 11 - How does gender function in Buddhism? What is the doctrinal basis for the status of women in Buddhism? How does this change over time? Resources: Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Anthology of World Religions: Buddhism; Chan Master Sheng Yen: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism; Robert E Buswell: Encyclopedia of Buddhism: Women; Nagarjuna: Ve...

Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta - Join us as we read and discuss a critically important text in the Buddhist tradition: the First Sermon  Bhikku Bodhi Translation: https://suttacentral.net/sn56.11/en/bodhi Ñanamoli Thera Translation: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.harv.html Piyadassi Thera Translation: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.nymo.html...

Mahasatipatthana Sutta - Join us as we read and discuss a critically important text in the Early Buddhist tradition: the Mahasatipatthana Sutta! Resources: Bhikku Sujato, English Trans.: https://suttacentral.net/dn22/en/sujato ; Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta—Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka Buddhavasse 2500: Majjhima Nikaya 10: Transliterated Pali Version: https://suttacentral.net/mn10/pli/ms ; Anālayo, Bhikkhu (2006...

Bright on Buddhism Episode 10 - What is Zen Buddhism? How does it differ from other Buddhist schools? How does it reinterpret the oder teachings?  Resources: Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Anthology of World Religions: Buddhism; Chan Master Sheng Yen: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism; Robert E Buswell: Encyclopedia of Buddhism: Zen; Nagarjuna: Verses of The Middle Way...

Bright on Buddhism Episode 9 - What is Dharma? What are the different meanings of the word Dharma? How do these meanings change over time? Resources - Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Anthology of World Religions: Buddhism; Gethin: He who sees dhamma sees dhammas: dhamma in early buddhism (2004); Chan Master Sheng Yen: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism; Robert E Buswell:...

Bright on Buddhism Episode 8 - What is Buddhist Modernism? What are its origins? Why are we critical of it? Resources - The Making of Buddhist Modernism, David L. McMahan. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008; Buddhism and Science, Donald S Lopez Jr, 2008, University of Chicago Press; How the Swans Came to the Lake: A Narrative History of Buddhism in America, Rick Fields, 1992. Shambhala Publicat...

Bright on Buddhism Episode 7 - Who can become a Buddha? What does somebody have to do to become a Buddha or realize their Buddhahood? What is the difference between becoming enlightened, becoming a Bodhisattva, and reaching nirvana? Resources - Mario D’Amato: Can all Beings Potentially Attain Awakening? Gotra-theory in the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra; Stone, Jacqueline (1995): "Medieval Tendai Hongaku Th...

Bright on Buddhism Episode 6 - What are the major schools of Buddhism in East Asia? How do they differ? What sorts of rituals do they do? Resources: Robert E Buswell: Encyclopedia of Buddhism: Upaya, Roger R. Jackson. Mahayana, Gregory Schopen. Theravada, Kate Crosby. Vajrayana, Ronald M. Davidson. Ritual, Richard K. Payne; Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Anthol...

Bright on Buddhism Episode 5 - What is the Middle Way? What is non-attachment? How does it differ from detachment? Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Anthology of World Religions: Buddhism; Chan Master Sheng Yen: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism; Buddhaghosa, Bhadantācariya & Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli (trans.) (1999). The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga. Seattle, WA: BPS P...

Bright on Buddhism Episode 4 - Does Buddhism believe in the existence of a soul? What is karma? What are the moral tenets of Buddhism? Resources: Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Anthology of World Religions: Buddhism; Gethin: He who sees dhamma sees dhammas: dhamma in early buddhism (2004); Chan Master Sheng Yen: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism; Nagarjuna: Verses of T...

Bright on Buddhism Episode 3 - What are the fundamental beliefs of Buddhism? Does Buddhism have an afterlife? Does Buddhism have a bible like Christianity? Resources: Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide Donald Lopez: Norton Anthology of World Religions: Buddhism Chan Master Sheng Yen: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism Nagarjuna: Verses of The Middle Way (The Madhyamakarika) Conze, Edward, trans....

Bright on Buddhism Episode 2 - Who is the Buddha? Is the Buddha a god? Is there more than one Buddha? Resources: Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Anthology of World Religions: Buddhism; Gethin: He who sees dhamma sees dhammas: dhamma in early buddhism (2004); Chan Master Sheng Yen: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism; Robert E Buswell: Encyclopedia of Buddhism: Buddha(s),...

Bright on Buddhism Episode 1 - What is Buddhism? Why are we talking about it? What are the central beliefs of Buddhism? Resources: Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Anthology of World Religions: Buddhism; Ashvaghosa, author. Patrick Olivelle, translator: Life of the Buddha”; Robert E Buswell: Encyclopedia of Buddhism: Buddha(s), Jan Nattier Do you have a question...

Trailer for Bright on Buddhism! This will be a podcast where we discuss and explain topics of Buddhism in a casual, conversational, question and answer setting. My name is Nick Bright, scholar of East Asian Buddhism. I am currently studying for my Master’s degree in East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, where I am specializing in early modern Japanese Bu...