Category Archives: Essays

A Higher Criticism of Archeology

The found­a­tions of modern under­standing of Buddhist history have been challenged by skeptical scholars like Gregory Schopen, who allege that the methods of the ‘higher criticism’ are so dubious as to be worthless. However, Schopen’s critique badly misrep­resents how text crticism has been used, and his influence has led to a worrying decline in schol­arship of early Buddhism.

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Rebirth and the In-between State in Early Buddhism

Does Early Buddhism categor­ically reject or, on the contrary, tacitly admit the possib­ility of an inter­me­diate state between two adjacent lives? How can these descrip­tions and views be used to make sense of research findings on ‘Near Death Exper­i­ences’ bring us closer to a more accurate under­standing of death and beyond?

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The Ring & I

The Dhamma of the Lord of the Rings.

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How to Grow a Nun

How monastics, especially nuns, are trained at Santi Forest Monastery, in accordance with the original Vinaya, and incor­por­ating the best modern practices.

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Bhikkhunis in Thai Monastic Education

In the debate about bhikkhuni ordin­ation, inform­ation plays a key role. We have made substantial strides in our under­standing of Buddhism in history, the relation between different Buddhist tradi­tions, and so on. Unfor­tu­nately, little of this inform­ation has permeated into the tradition Sangha bodies. Century-old textbooks are not corrected, not matter how obvious their mistakes are.

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Bala the Clown

Exist­ential clowning for loners and misfits.

| Bhikkhu Sujato | Posted in Essays, Play |

The Tyranny of Transcendence

This essay focusses on saṅkhāra, the use of will. In spiritual circles, relin­quishing will is often touted as the route to enlight­enment, whereas in fact it is an essential part of healthy human development.

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The Mystique of the Abhidhamma

While the abhid­hamma is presented as being based on the Buddha’s ultimate discernment of ‘mind & matter’, in reality the classical Theravādin abhid­hamma is a schol­astic philo­sophy which is little under­stood, and which, if examined critically, is full of incoher­encies. Within Buddhist tradition, however, the abhid­hamma is perhaps more signi­ficant for its purely religious or mystical signi­ficance, rather than as a guide for practice or understanding.

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When Life Begins

Repro­ductive ethics are one of our most urgent modern dilemmas. Each year, it seems, new techno­logies push the bound­aries of life. Abortion remains a divisive political issue. In the Buddhist under­standing of the Middle Way, we can seek a more reasonable approach.

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Just A Little Peace

The Buddha’s words exemplify peace, teach us peace, and lead to the ultimate peace of Nibbana. It is a sad thing that in the complex­ities and contra­dic­tions of Buddhist history, peace has sometimes been sacri­ficed on the altar of Buddhist nation­alism. By asking the hard questions and accepting the answers fearlessly we can arrive at the essential, the true state of peace, for the sake of which all Buddhist ethics, medit­ation, and wisdom are taught.

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