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Buddha Talks

Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (lit. 'the awakened one'), was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was born in Lumbini, in what is now Nepal, to royal parents of the Shakya clan, but renounced his home life to live as a wandering ascetic. After leading a life of mendicancy, asceticism, and meditation, he attained nirvana at Bodh Gaya in what is now India. The Buddha then wandered through the lower Indo-Gangetic Plain, teaching and building a monastic order. Buddhist tradition holds he died in Kushinagar and reached parinirvana ("final release from conditioned existence").
According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and severe asceticism, leading to freedom from ignorance, craving, rebirth, and suffering. His core teachings are summarized in the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, a training of the mind that includes ethical training and kindness toward others, and meditative practices such as sense restraint, mindfulness, dhyana (meditation proper). Another key element of his teachings are the concepts of the five skandhas and dependent origination, describing how all dharmas (both mental states and concrete 'things') come into being, and cease to be, depending on other dharmas, lacking an existence on their own svabhava).
While in the Nikayas he frequently refers to himself as the Tathāgata, the earliest attestation of the title Buddha is from the 3rd century BCE, meaning 'Awakened One' or 'Enlightened One'. His teachings were compiled by the Buddhist community in the Vinaya, his codes for monastic practice, and the Sutta Piṭaka, a compilation of teachings based on his discourses. These were passed down in Middle Indo-Aryan dialects through an oral tradition. Later generations composed additional texts, such as systematic treatises known as Abhidharma, biographies of the Buddha, collections of stories about his past lives known as Jataka tales, and additional discourses, i.e., the Mahayana sutras.
Buddhism evolved into a variety of traditions and practices, represented by Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, and spread beyond the Indian subcontinent. While Buddhism declined in India, and mostly disappeared after the 8th century CE due to a lack of popular and economic support, Buddhism is more prominent in Southeast and East Asia.
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Sitting Meditation as a Service and a Gift for All Beings - Part One Buddha, Practice, Meditation |
Mar 08 2025 No Abode Hermitage |
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What's the Point? - Part One Practice, Buddha, Compassion |
Dec 14 2024 AM No Abode Hermitage |
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What's the Point? - Part Two Compassion, Buddha, Practice |
Dec 14 2024 PM No Abode Hermitage |
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Another Few Little Steps Into The Flower Treasury Array Of Oceans Of WorldsA Dharma talk by Tenshin Roshi for a gathering of the No Abode community Enlightenment, Buddha, Avatamsaka Sutra, Flower Adornment Sutra, Evil, Lotus Sutra,... |
Jul 15 2023 AM No Abode Hermitage |
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Just SittingA Dharma talk by Tenshin Roshi for a gathering of the No Abode community Karma, Buddha, Emotions, Anger, confusion, Observe, Enemies |
May 06 2023 PM No Abode Hermitage |
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Embodied Faith and Dynamic Doubt Buddha, Vow, Intimacy |
Jan 25 2023 |
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Unspoken Bonds of Zen Practice Buddha, Zazen, Precepts |
Jan 19 2023 |
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Compassionate Paths to Buddhahood Buddha, Compassion, Bodhisattva |
Jan 13 2023 |
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Selfless Giving in Zen Practice Buddha, Practice, Bodhisattva |
Dec 03 2022 |
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November 12th, 2021, Serial No. 04594 Compassion, Buddha, Karmic Consciousness |
Nov 12 2021 |
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October 20th, 2021, Serial No. 04576 Compassion, Buddha, Pain |
Oct 20 2021 |
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October 13th, 2021, Serial No. 04575 Compassion, Suffering, Buddha |
Oct 13 2021 |
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July 10th, 2021, Serial No. 04565 Compassion, Buddha, Practice |
Jul 10 2021 |
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June 12th, 2021, Serial No. 04562 Generosity, Evil, Buddha |
Jun 12 2021 |
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May 5th, 2021, Serial No. 04560 Zazen, Buddha, Practice |
May 05 2021 |
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April 14th, 2021, Serial No. 04559 Buddha, Practice, Evil |
Apr 14 2021 |
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January 27th, 2021, Serial No. 04548 Lotus Sutra, Time, Buddha |
Jan 27 2021 |
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January 26th, 2021, Serial No. 04547 Lotus Sutra, Buddha, Practice |
Jan 26 2021 |
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January 11th, 2021, Serial No. 04534 Lotus Sutra, Study, Buddha |
Jan 11 2021 |
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November 21st, 2020, Serial No. 04531 Buddha, Lotus Sutra, Practice |
Nov 21 2020 |
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No Abode Lay Disciples GatheringA virtual Dharma talk by Tenshin Roshi for an online gathering of lay-ordained disciples. Lotus Sutra, Time, Buddha |
Nov 07 2020 Zoom |
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November 7th, 2020, Serial No. 04530 Lotus Sutra, Time, Buddha |
Nov 07 2020 |
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Gazing at a Tree for Ten EonsA virtual Dharma talk by Tenshin Roshi for an online gathering of the No Abode Community. Lotus Sutra, Buddha, Practice |
Oct 17 2020 Zoom |
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October 17th, 2020, Serial No. 04529 Buddha, Lotus Sutra, Practice |
Oct 17 2020 |
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Buddha Dharma Wants To Be CriticizedA virtual Dharma talk by Tenshin Roshi for an online gathering of the No Abode Community. Buddha, Practice, Transmission |
Sep 05 2020 Zoom |
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May 16th, 2020, Serial No. 04526 Vow, Buddha, Practice |
May 16 2020 |
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No Abode Virtual GatheringA virtual Dharma talk by Tenshin Roshi for an online gathering of the No Abode Community via Zoom. Zoom, Buddha, Vow, Practice |
May 16 2020 Zoom |
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May 2nd, 2020, Serial No. 04525 Buddha, Compassion, Precepts |
May 02 2020 |
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Caring for Everything as AwakeningA virtual Dharma talk by Tenshin Roshi for an online gathering of the No Abode Community via Zoom. Zoom, Coronavirus, Buddha, Precepts, Compassion |
May 02 2020 Zoom |
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February 24th, 2020, Serial No. 04519 Buddha, Practice, Bowing |
Feb 24 2020 |
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February 16th, 2020, Serial No. 04517 Practice, Buddha, Vow |
Feb 16 2020 |
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November 17th, 2019, Serial No. 04496 Precepts, Buddha, Buddha Mind |
Nov 17 2019 |
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Stories of EnlightenmentIn our class this fall we will contemplate and converse about several stories of Zen practice and enlightenment. Our contemplation and conversations will naturally bring up questions and concerns... YRB-2019-Fall, Buddha, Doubt, Freedom |
Oct 31 2019 5/7 The Yoga Room |
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July 21st, 2019, Serial No. 04492 Buddha, Suffering, Practice |
Jul 21 2019 |
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July 13th, 2019, Serial No. 04490 Compassion, Buddha, Consciousness |
Jul 13 2019 |
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Buddhas Converse: Unity in Duality Practice, Buddha, Daily Life |
Apr 01 2019 |
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March 17th, 2019, Serial No. 04474 Buddha, Consciousness, Stillness |
Mar 17 2019 |
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March 16th, 2019, Serial No. 04473 true dharma, Buddha, Vow |
Mar 16 2019 |
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March 7th, 2019, Serial No. 04471 Zazen, Buddha, Concentration |
Mar 07 2019 |
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March 4th, 2019, Serial No. 04470 Buddha, Suffering, Zazen |
Mar 04 2019 |
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February 17th, 2019, Serial No. 04465 Buddha Mind, Stillness, Buddha |
Feb 17 2019 |
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February 2nd, 2019, Serial No. 04464 Buddha Mind, Buddha, Practice |
Feb 02 2019 |
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January 2019 talk, Serial No. 04462 Intimacy, Buddha Mind, Buddha |
Jan 2019 |
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Teachings and Meditations On Our True NatureOur true nature is that we fully possess the wisdom and virtues of the buddhas. But because of misconceptions and attachments we do not realize our buddha nature. Therefore, teachings are given to... YRB-2018-Summer, Buddha Nature, Bodhidharma, Buddha |
Jul 31 2018 6/7 The Yoga Room |
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Teachings and Meditations On Our True NatureOur true nature is that we fully possess the wisdom and virtues of the buddhas. But because of misconceptions and attachments we do not realize our buddha nature. Therefore, teachings are given to... YRB-2018-Summer, Buddha Nature, Buddha, Delusion |
Jul 10 2018 3/7 The Yoga Room |
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Teachings and Meditations On Our True NatureOur true nature is that we fully possess the wisdom and virtues of the buddhas. But because of misconceptions and attachments we do not realize our buddha nature. Therefore, teachings are given to... YRB-2018-Summer, Buddha Nature, Buddha, Mindfulness |
Jul 03 2018 2/7 The Yoga Room |
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Teachings and Meditations On Our True NatureOur true nature is that we fully possess the wisdom and virtues of the buddhas. But because of misconceptions and attachments we do not realize our buddha nature. Therefore, teachings are given to... YRB-2018-Summer, Buddha Nature, Buddha, Karmic Consciousness |
Jun 26 2018 1/7 The Yoga Room |
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The Womb of the Tathagata #2: Introducing the Brahma's Net SutraIntroducing the Brahma's Net Sutra: https://www.tinyurl.com/Brahma-Net Buddha Nature, Platform Sutra, Precepts, Buddha, Platform Sutra, Bodhisattva Precepts... |
May 12 2018 PM No Abode Hermitage |
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The Womb of the Tathagata #2: Introducing the Brahma's Net SutraIntroducing the Brahma's Net Sutra: https://www.tinyurl.com/Brahma-Net Platform Sutra, Bodhisattva Precepts, Nirvana Sutra, Confession-and-Repentance, ... |
May 12 2018 AM No Abode Hermitage |
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Zen Meditation - Sitting in the Middle of Fierce FlamesYRB-2018-Spring, Wisdom, Time, Buddha |
Apr 25 2018 7 of 7 The Yoga Room |