Audios

Most of my talks can be heard by visiting my Buddhasāsana Podcast at the bottom of this page. For a number of years I posted a new talk every Friday. Now, giving more attention to research and writing, I post less frequently.

I present a number of representative, popular, or particularly clever or informative audios here for direct access.

On Buddhist Ethics (February 9, 2024)

The primary principle of Buddhist ethics is the development and cultivation of virtue as a quality of character. Virtuosity in virtue is a quietly 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.

A History of Emptiness (July 16, 2021)

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.

The Story of My Ordination

This is a narrative account of March 10, 2009 ordination in Sagaing, Myanmar, at which time I became “BC.”

What did the Buddha Think of Women? (1/2)

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.

What did the Buddha Think of Women (2/2)

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.