Few words in Buddhism are more well-known, and more debated historically among Buddhists, than the word “emptiness.” What do we find about “emptiness” in the Pali canon, the oldest records we have of the Buddha‘s teachings? In this essay Buddhist monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu explains how Theravadan Buddhists understand the word in terms of these earliest […]
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Tag Archives: Pali-canon
What the Buddha Said about Purity of Heart and the Grasping Self
2011/09/08 
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This passage from the Sutta Nipata of the Pali canon has very special place in many Buddhist hearts. To me, the teaching is closely related to the beloved passage from the 9th Chapter of the great Mahayana Diamond Sutra that I recently posted: See: “Does a Buddha say to himself ‘I have obtained Perfect Enlightenment?‘” I […]
Continue reading Dhamma and Non-duality-A Theravadan Point of View
2010/09/07 4 Comments
“Where I think the teaching of the Buddha, as preserved in the Theravada tradition, surpasses all other attempts to resolve the spiritual dilemmas of humanity is in its persistent refusal to sacrifice actuality for unity. The Buddha’s Dhamma does not point us toward an all-embracing absolute in which the tensions of daily existence dissolve in […]
Continue reading The Dhammapada-Verses That Bring Peace and Wisdom
2010/06/28 0 Comments
The Dhammapada comes from the earliest period of Buddhism in India and is loved by Buddhists of all traditions. These teachings, originally put in verse form for easy memorization for those who could not read, expound many of the philosophical and practical foundations of the Buddha’s teaching. Every day I open up one of my […]
Continue readingWings to Awakening-An Anthology from the Pali Canon
2010/04/26 5 Comments
For the student who wants to dig deeply into the Buddha’s teachings, “Wings to Awakening” is one of the best anthologies available because of its very specific focus on the “how” and “what” of the Buddha’s Awakening. As its author, Thanissaro Bhikkhu writes in the Preface: Many anthologies of the Buddha’s teachings have appeared in […]
Continue readingMay All Beings Be Happy
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Metta Refuge 