Buddha-Sasana

Feb 16 2024 59

Buddha-Sasana Podcast artwork

This podcast consists of Dharma talks given by Bhikkhu Cintita of the Sitagu Monastery in Austin, TX. Each talk illuminates some aspect of the Buddha's teachings. Bhikkhu Cintita (or "BC") is an American-born, Burmese-ordained monk in the Theravada tradition and a former Zen priest. Before that he was a professor and corporate researcher in cognitive science and artificial intelligence. He has written five books on Buddhism and is always working on another.

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Contemplations of non-self

Feb 16 2024 25 mins

Non-self is a practice more than it is a philosophical viewpoint. However, this practice begins with a conceptual investigation of the presumed experiential manifestations of the constructed self. (February 16, 2024)

On Buddhist ethics

Feb 09 2024 22 mins

On Buddhist ethics. The primary principle of Buddhist ethics is the development and cultivation of virtue as a quality of character. Virtuosity in virtue is a quality of the awakened ones. This is contrasted with modern understandings of ethics, but is arguably a basic human drive and definitive of a meaningful or well-lived life. (February 9, 2024)

Samādhi in the earliest texts.

Feb 02 2024 21 mins

This talk reviews what the early texts say about samādhi 'concentration', much of which may surprise you. This talk was originally presented on July 2, 2023 broadcast from Minnesota via Zoom to the English Dharma Group at Jade Temple in Houston Texas. (February 2, 2024)

Was the Buddha a biologist?

Jan 26 2024 21 mins

“If consciousness were not to descend into the mother's womb, would name-and-form take shape in the womb?” "No." The most common traditional interpretation of this famous passage (from DN 15) is that consciousness travels into the womb to unify with the fetus of name-and-form at conception. I argue that this interpretation is untenable. (Rebroadcast 1/26/2024, originally broa

What is the Buddha-Sasana?

Jan 19 2024 23 mins

The Buddha-Sāsana is Buddhism as a living tradition, something that evolves, spreads to new lands, dies out in old lands, rather than Buddhism as the Dharma, which is much more static. A key question for the Buddha seems to be is how well the Buddha-Sāsana would retain the authenticity of the Buddha-Dharma.

A history of emptiness

Jan 12 2024 21 mins

The teaching of emptiness is often considered to be an innovation of Nagarjuna or of the Prajnaparamita Sutras. However this important teaching had been expounded by the Buddha many centuries before, but has become obscured. But how? (Rebroadcast 1/12/2024, originally podcast 7/16/2021)

The Buddha’s Method 2/2: insubstantial and conditional

Jan 05 2024 26 mins

The Buddha clarifies an explicit methodology which is nonetheless often overlooked by students of the Dharma. Much of this has to do with the practical and experiential orientation of the Dharma. The Buddha's methodology furthermore involves regarding the world as both insubstantial and conditional. (Repodcast 1/5/2024, originally podcast 7/30/2021).

The Buddha’s Method 1/2: practical and subjective

Dec 29 2023 24 mins

The Buddha clarifies an explicit methodology which is nonetheless often overlooked by students of the Dharma. Much of this has to do with the practical and experiential orientation of the Dharma. (Repodcast 12/29/2023, originally podcast 7/23/2021).

What did the Buddha think of women?(2/2)

Dec 22 2023 30 mins

Last week's talk demonstrated the exemplary support the Buddha provided to women's practice. This week we will look at a controversial text, describing with the origin of the nun's sangha, that at first sight seems to paint a starkly contrasting picture of the Buddha. (repodcast 12/22/2023, originally podcast 6/5/2020)

What did the Buddha think of women? (1/2)

Dec 15 2023 27 mins

Buddhism is not widely known as a religion of gender-equality. But the early the discourses show repeatedly that the Buddha had the deepest kindness and respect for women, as particularly evident in his treatment of the nun's Sangha. (repodcast 12/15/2023, originally podcast 5/29/2020)