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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 Gayā 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 Mahāyāna sūtras.

Buddhism evolved into a variety of traditions and practices, represented by Theravāda, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna, 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 has grown more prominent in Southeast and East Asia.

From The Buddha on Wikipedia

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The Path of the Bodhisattva: Friendship for Fear, With Nothing to Attain

Practice, Buddha, Compassion
Jul 12 2025
AM
No Abode Hermitage

In a World of Pain and Chaos, What is an Appropriate Response?

Buddha, Time, Consciousness
Jun 14 2025
AM
No Abode Hermitage

Understanding the Teaching: We Can’t Do It Alone, and Nobody Else Can Do It for Us

Instruction, Buddha, Time
Jun 14 2025
PM
No Abode Hermitage

All Living Beings Fully Endowed with the Wisdom and Virtues of the Buddha

Buddha, Consciousness, Pain
May 31 2025
No Abode Hermitage Online

Prediction and Affirmation at the Heart of the Bodhisattva Path - Part Two

Buddha, Bodhisattva, Vow
May 10 2025
PM
No Abode Hermitage

Prediction and Affirmation at the Heart of the Bodhisattva Path - Part One

Buddha, Bodhisattva, Lotus Sutra
May 10 2025
AM
No Abode Hermitage

Sitting Meditation, Making Buddha

Baso, Five Skandhas, Buddha, Buddha Nature, Practice
Apr 26 2025
No Abode Hermitage Online

Our Zen Ancestors Employ the Teachings of the Great Scripture to Illuminate the Bodhisattva Precepts

Work, Compassion, Buddha
Apr 12 2025
AM
No Abode Hermitage

Nanquan Subtly Offers a Garland of Dharma

Buddha, Love, Avatamsaka Sutra
Apr 12 2025
PM
No Abode Hermitage

Sitting Meditation as a Service and a Gift for All Beings - Part One

Buddha, Practice, Meditation
Mar 08 2025
No Abode Hermitage

What's the Point? - Part One

Practice, Buddha, Compassion
Dec 14 2024
AM
No Abode Hermitage

What's the Point? - Part Two

Compassion, Buddha, Practice
Dec 14 2024
PM
No Abode Hermitage

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 25 part 7

Book 25 - Ten Dedications p 649

Thomas Cleary translation

 

 

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Practice, Buddha, Enlightenment
2024
25g

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 25 part 8

Book 25 - Ten Dedications p 665

Thomas Cleary translation

 

 

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Practice, Buddha, Enlightenment
2024
25h

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 26 part 2

Book 26 - The Ten Stages, p 721

Thomas Cleary translation

 

 

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Buddha, Desire, Enlightenment
2024
26b

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 29

Book 29 - The Ten Acceptances

Thomas Cleary Translation

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Buddha, Enlightenment, Practice
2024
29

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Books 30, 31 and 32

Book 30 - The Incalculable

Book 31 - Life Span

Book 32 - Dwelling Places of Enlightening Beings

Thomas Cleary Translation

 

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Buddha
2024
30

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 37 - Part 1

Book 37 - Manifestation of Buddha, part 1

Thomas Cleary translation.

 

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Buddha, Enlightenment, Practice
2024
37-1

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 35

Book 35 - Qualities of Buddha’s Embellishments and Lights

Thomas Cleary Translation

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Buddha, Concentration, Complete Perfect...
2024
35

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 33

Book 33 - Inconceivable Qualities of Buddhas

Thomas Cleary translation

 

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Buddha, Work, Enlightenment
2024
33

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 34

Book 34 - Ocean of Physical Marks of Ten Bodies of Buddha

Thomas Cleary translation

 

 

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Buddha, Enlightenment
2024
34

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 36

Book 36 Practice of Universal Good
Thomas Cleary translation

 

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Obstacles, Buddha, Practice
2024
36

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 19

Book 19 - The Ascent to the Palace of the Suyama Heaven

Thomas Cleary translation.

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Buddha, Time, Faith
2024
19

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - The Meditation of Samantabhadra

Bhikshu Dharmamitra translation.

 

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Concentration, Buddha, Wisdom
2024
3-dharmamitra

Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 37 - Part 2

Book 37 - Manifestation of Buddha - part 2

Thomas Cleary translation.

 

Meiya Reading Flower Adornment Sutra, Buddha, Nirvana, Enlightenment
2024
37-2

Another Few Little Steps Into The Flower Treasury Array Of Oceans Of Worlds

A 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

Just Sitting

A 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

Embodied Faith and Dynamic Doubt

Buddha, Vow, Intimacy
Jan 25 2023

Zen's Path to Accountability

Repentance, Practice, Buddha
Jan 24 2023

Zen's Silent Symphony of Practice

Buddha, Practice, Zazen
Jan 19 2023

Compassionate Paths to Buddhahood

Buddha, Compassion, Bodhisattva
Jan 13 2023

Faith and Focus in Zen Practice

Faith, Buddha, Practice
Jan 09 2023

Harmony Through Mindful Connection

Buddha Mind, Buddha, Practice
Jan 08 2023

Zen's Path of Selfless Giving

Buddha, Practice, Bodhisattva
Dec 03 2022
Green Gulch Farm

Cultivating Compassion Through Gentle Zen

Practice, Compassion, Buddha
Dec 02 2022
Green Gulch Farm

November 12th, 2021, Serial No. 04594

Compassion, Buddha, Karmic Consciousness
Nov 12 2021

October 20th, 2021, Serial No. 04576

Compassion, Buddha, Pain
Oct 20 2021

October 13th, 2021, Serial No. 04575

Compassion, Suffering, Buddha
Oct 13 2021

July 10th, 2021, Serial No. 04565

Compassion, Buddha, Practice
Jul 10 2021

June 12th, 2021, Serial No. 04562

Generosity, Evil, Buddha
Jun 12 2021

May 5th, 2021, Serial No. 04560

Zazen, Buddha, Practice
May 05 2021

April 14th, 2021, Serial No. 04559

Buddha, Practice, Evil
Apr 14 2021

Awakening Through Misrecognition and Misdirection

Lotus Sutra, Buddha, Time
Jan 29 2021

Embracing Interconnectedness Through the Lotus Sutra

Lotus Sutra, Buddha, Practice
Jan 28 2021

January 27th, 2021, Serial No. 04548

Lotus Sutra, Time, Buddha
Jan 27 2021

Eternal Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra

Lotus Sutra, Buddha, Practice
Jan 26 2021

Embracing the Eternal Lotus Path

Buddha, Lotus Sutra, Time
Jan 25 2021

Awakening Through Time and Introspection

Buddha, Lotus Sutra, Samadhi
Jan 22 2021

Journey from Ignorance to Awakening

Buddha, Practice, Time
Jan 21 2021

Freedom Within Entangled Existence

Buddha, Lotus Sutra, Vow
Jan 19 2021

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