What are Buddhism's Key Texts?

[@Sttonkeoj]

This channel is proving to be one of the best in explaining an understanding of Buddhism in a educated manner.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks for your kind note, Sttonkeoj. That is indeed what I am hoping to do.

[@agentofkarma666]

I echo Sttonkeoj. Your videos provide a great survey of Buddhism in general, and Early Buddhism in particular.

[@garradmill5946]

I agree. I've found this channel to be a superb resource and useful for perspectives

[@NullStaticVoid]

Bikkhu Bodhi's "In the Buddhas Words" is really good. The language is easy to follow and not too convoluted. While at the same time I don't get the feeling that anything was left out or that liberties were taken. I attended a study group based around this book a few years ago, and it really bears close study. I've met the venerable Bikhu Bodhi when I lived in NYC and he is a really down to earth person.

[@DougsDharma]

Indeed!

[@enumerado9]

I have been practicing Buddhism for nearly 10 years and studying it for like 7 years. The difficulty I have had is that everybody talks from a particular school of Buddhism or a particular guru, so it's been very hard for me, when I became interested in the stuff that I was practicing, to find someone to explain it to me plain and simple and, WITH INTELLECTUAL HONESTY. For that, I am grateful and I'm eating your videos!

[@DougsDharma]

Hey thanks so much for watching and letting me know! 🙏

[@miriamodonovan7895]

I can't thank you enough for your work the you do explaining buddhism to newcomers. It is wonderful.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Miriam, I'm glad you're finding the talks worthwhile! 🙂

[@poikkiki]

Thank you very much for all of your videos Doug. Superb material. As a fan from Spain, I really like 3 things about this channel: 1. I can see you love buddhism. 2. I can see you are critical. 3. I can see you are practical with it's teachings, but also know the material. I hope your channel keeps growing, you clearly deserve it!

[@DougsDharma]

¡Gracias poikkiki! Me alegro de que te gusten. 🙏

[@namename-kq8wt]

Late to the party with this one, Doug, but it's exactly what I've been looking for - especially re: where the mahayana scriptures fit into the whole scheme. Very nice work!

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Jorri, glad you found it worthwhile! 🙏

[@Zero-sj8qh]

Anyone can compare Buddhism with any religion if that what they wish. But one thing is clear. The level of freedom of thought given by Buddhism is unparalled. In fact Lord Buddha openly requested followers to question more. The motto is "come and see". No one is forced to beleive anything in Buddhism.

[@DougsDharma]

That's right CA, early Buddhism in particular has that hallmark of "come and see for yourself". If you aren't ready for it, that's fine too.

[@darrenking8941]

Great material, Doug. One thought: I could really do without the background music. I find it distracting and unnecessary. It comes across as two channels of input competing against each other, creating unnecessary cognitive load for the listener.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks for the comment Darren! Apologies for the music, it was an experiment in some earlier videos but I don’t use background music now. 🙂

[@TCWG87]

Although slightly distracting, I found the music absolutely beautiful

[@Brian_Chui]

Such great information, just a little comment on this particular video, your microphone is not very effective. In combination of the noisy background music, makes your content not as effective as it should be, because the listener is struggling to hear your words. that aside, thank you so much so much for sharing your thoughts and knowledge on this topic. Much appreciated from many of us.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks, yes in a few of my early videos I experimented with music, and it kind of got in the way.

[@martine2651]

Thank you so much for all these videos. You are doing a fantastic job! I am new to Buddhism, and this channel has been helping me to make more sense of it all.

[@DougsDharma]

You’re very welcome Martin, glad you are finding them useful! 👍

[@jamalmernissi-ars5720]

Thanks Doug for your effort , we learn a lot , thanks for your kindness , love and compassion

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome Jamal. Thanks for watching and for your kind practice. 🙏

[@shoein091991]

This is exactly what I was looking for. It seemed like a lot of others opinions on the dogma, but I wanted original text

[@DougsDharma]

Sure! Glad you found it useful. 🙏

[@shoein091991]

Can you show me where I can start reading and how to begin? I’m finding lots of other people talking about the subject. I want a actually start the Pali canon. I know it’s huge but where would you say t begin?

[@Avida-l7s-instrumental]

I am new to Buddhism and your channel answers a lot of my interrogations so thx a lot

[@DougsDharma]

Oh great, you're very welcome Avida!

[@arunenquiry]

Thank you for this talk! Very enlightening (as it were!). A gentle suggestion: would it be possible to turn down the volume of the music? It gets pretty distracting at times. 🙏

[@DougsDharma]

I only used music in a handful of early videos. I can’t change the volume on the ones with music.

[@arunenquiry]

@@DougsDharma No worries. 🙂Thanks for the videos again.

[@Roy-gj1ph]

Do you have any video on Vipassana meditation? I really find your videos educative and helpful.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, I have an earlier video on Insight meditation (Insight = Vipassana): kzbin.info/www/bejne/hn-9g3eGpditoas

[@xiaomaozen]

Thanks a lot for the video and all the links in the info box! 🙏🏻

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome!

[@marco6703]

Another fantastic video, with a link of texts that I even didn't know the existence! Thank you Doug (Ps. Have you ever considered to make a video about the most important Suttas in the Canon? I know there is a brief explanation at the beginning of any Nikaya, but explained by you, and linked to one another, will be surely more alive. Just a suggestion. Thanks again for your videos.. your work is priceless)

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Marco, very kind of you. It’s an interesting thought to discuss the most important suttas, though to be absolutely honest I’m not really would be an easy thing to do: there are a lot of them!

[@jespada]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKPFdZyDlNGEl8U

[@metafisicacibernetica]

This video is very good. Thank so much Doug.

[@DougsDharma]

You are very welcome!

[@juandeloeste6138]

Excellent! As everything from this channel. Thank you so much.

[@DougsDharma]

Glad you found it useful! 🙏

[@gerhargomguz]

Hi Doug ! Im very glad to watch and learn from you KZbin-videos , there are awesome ! So let me ask you a quick question , my daughter is 17 years old , and she wants to start to read about budism , but she doesn’t speak English 😑, I tried to find “the foundations of Buddhism” by Rupert Gethin that wasn’t possible in Spanish , so , do you know introductory Spanish material to present to my daughter ? Thanks !

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks! There are a number of good books on Buddhism translated into Spanish, but finding them can be difficult. Walpola Rahula's book was translated as Lo Que El Buda Enseñó. That may be the best place to start. There is also Bhikkhu Bodhi's compilation of early Buddhist texts En Palabras del Buddha (For some reason Casa del Libro spells his name as "Bhikkhu Boddhi"). If you want a more secular introduction by way of a personal memoir, Stephen Batchelor's Confesión de un Ateo Budista is very good too. Other names to look for would be Henepola Gunaratana or Analayo. Both have books translated into Spanish. If you want something a bit more difficult, Abraham Vélez de Cea has a good partial translation of the Majjhima Nikāya that you can find.

[@JohnGrove310]

Secular Buddhism seems to me to be the best and most moral philosophy on planet earth.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, I think it's a great way to orient oneself. 🙏

[@mattrousseau3121]

🤟The suttas in the Pali cannon 🤘 Theravada is by far the most pragmatic of major schools of Buddhism. I respectfully always found Tibetan Buddhism to be of a form of Hinduism with a strong focus on the Buddha as a main diety.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, thanks Matt. I agree the early texts are particularly pragmatic and down-to-earth!

[@tsekyidolma898]

The history of Buddhist teachings is quite interesting. As of my knowledge I have learned that as Sidharth became Buddha he did his first teachings to 7 Sadhus who followed him when he was doing severe meditation and later to his son and his half brother Sharibhu and did lots of public teachings as well. As you said, all his teachings were verbally and there were many debates as well. In total, he taught 84000 subjects. Interesting…….

[@suduenterprise2994]

beautifully crafted message Mr. Old path white clouds by thich nhat hanh also a very beautiful text. The master had drawn directly from 24pali,sanskrit and chinese sources and retold. It's all about Life and teachings of Gautama Buddha and not like sutta.

[@DougsDharma]

Interesting, thanks Sudu!

[@frankm.2850]

After years of reading Dhamma books I've recently started reading the suttas. I've gotta say at least some feel a bit like lab reports to me. These are definitely not myths and folklore. Though they have some mythical elements.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks for your comment Frank. It depends on the sutta, some have more mythic elements than others, and a few seem to be pretty complete fabrications. But yes, in the main they read like after-the-fact recollections of real happenings; discussions, arguments, discourses. That's part of what makes them so interesting! 🙂

[@pinklasagna8328]

Most of the myths always lead to the core pricipals

[@Zero-sj8qh]

Preserved by Sri Lankan monks thousand years ago spread by western scholars today. What a coincidence. Westerners came to SL looking for spices and "believers" and left with rouhly 10% of them after 300 years of colonization. Now Buddhism is spreding in western world ! Among the wise of course.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes! Well it is a very wise teaching CA and indeed deserves to be wider known and understood.

[@Zero-sj8qh]

@@DougsDharma Thanks to great sacrifices and forsight (after 12 year famine and invation) of ancient monks we have pali canon intact.🙏

[@seescafedeu]

Thanks for your info. I have learnt a lot with your videos.

[@DougsDharma]

You’re very welcome Glória. Glad you are finding them useful. 🙏

[@RakeshYadav-kf6he]

Hi Smith! It's really a good lecture. I'm just curious to know that what's your criteria to divide Buddhist texts in early and later segments??

[@DougsDharma]

Hi Rakesh, I'm generally following the scholarly consensus on earlier and later texts. If you look at some of the scholarly work you will see discussions on which ones probably came earlier and which ones later.

[@RakeshYadav-kf6he]

Ohh, thx Smith. I'LL do it! have a good time.

[@vikramoojorah566]

Very good explanation Doug🙏.

[@DougsDharma]

Glad it was helpful! 🙏

[@JustMe-999a]

Love the content, that repetitive "music" is torture, though.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, I used music in a few of my early videos ... no more though!

[@char6325]

thx for helping me w igcse religious studies bro ur a godsend

[@DougsDharma]

No worries paigey, glad you found the videos useful! 👍

[@stevenkok1926]

Seeking The Lost Key To The Heart Is Divine Love And Care/A Buddha.

[@sidneymusicstudio]

Thank you for your great work

[@DougsDharma]

You’re very welcome Benjamin! 🙏

[@stephenrizzo]

The evolution of the canon interests me. To your knowledge, have scholars attempted to break it down into sources like Old Testament scholars have broken down their canon into JEDP contributions?

[@DougsDharma]

There is work being done by a small number of scholars on the evolution of the early canon, but I think it's still in early stages. At this point a lot of comparative work needs to be done between the Pāli Nikāyas and the Chinese Āgamas for example, as well as other fragmentary material from early languages. Ven. Anālayo is doing some of that work.

[@christopherdragone]

super thank you for all these precious informations

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome drag.one!

[@someoneelse6618]

Sadhu sadhu Thank you for all your hard work!

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure! 🙏🙂

[@uliuli8997]

What book can teach you Love...Kindness...Compassion...and Joy??? What book can teach you to have a Kind Heart??? Whatever book feeds you Heart....your Soul...your Spirit. 🙏📿🙏📿🙏📿🙏📿

[@DougsDharma]

Yes exactly! 🙏😊

[@uliuli8997]

@@DougsDharma Oddly enough...The book I found most helpful to me on my Path...was The book Bruce Lee wrote...The Tao of Jeet Kune Do. To me... blue print for Life. Exceptional insights. But as Lord Buddha roughly said...Don't take my word...see how it works for you. Keep what is good...discard what is not. Wise words.

[@1027HANA-lc5ke]

Hello. No books exist .to teach anyone. It is natural to be kind ,compassion and giving love. It is just your own awareness. Japan.🥺

[@ZenTeaNow]

Useful and clear, thank you.

[@DougsDharma]

Glad to hear! Thanks for your comment. 🙂

[@davidknight7933]

Thank you Doug

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome David. 🙏

[@NewEarth25]

Most scholars think Abhidhamma came much after Buddha's time. It is nor reported in reports of the First Buddhist Council. Also there are different versions.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes exactly Susmita, thanks. 🙏

[@Sawo-500]

I think , Abhidharma is the deepest part of Buddhism. Many scholars do not understand the Abhidhamma correctly.

[@Sawo-500]

I am from Sri Lanka. Our some monk don't no understand Abhidamma.

[@stonew1927]

Some feedback: I much prefer to listen to you without the background music. I found the music to be a bit distracting. Also, visually I miss you speaking by a window. Not sure if you changed because your office burned (sorry about that). I know, no attachments. But anyway . . .

[@DougsDharma]

Yes this is a much earlier video, in a different location. For a few early videos I used background music, but I don't use it anymore. 🙏

[@stonew1927]

@@DougsDharma I see. Thanks for the clarification. New to your channel and enjoying your videos . . . 🙏

[@ramayanaroxas5457]

I'm writing a book and I've slightly based them on holy texts so I was really interested in this.

[@DougsDharma]

Interesting! Best of luck with it.

[@pritamsalokhe5900]

Which book are you going to write mam?

[@Magnulus76]

In Mahayana Buddhism, the early texts are usually called the Agamas, translated into Sanskrit.

[@DougsDharma]

That's right Magnulus, translated from Sanskrit, or at least some Sanskritic language, into Chinese.

[@limmeh7881]

Is there a recommended reading order?

[@DougsDharma]

Well not to my knowledge, although if you start say with Bhikkhu Bodhi's book "In the Buddha's Words" he will give you a particular order.

[@gustavthompson6689]

Great info! Music too loud though :) Difficult to concentrate on what you're saying.

[@DougsDharma]

Sorry Gustav, yes several years ago I experimented with background music. I don't do it anymore though!

[@gustavthompson6689]

@@DougsDharma No worries. Great content. I subscribed and will watch more :)

[@lazydaisy649]

Thank you so much.

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure, Daisy!

[@jean-michellaurora1854]

THANK YOU!

[@DougsDharma]

🙏🙂🙏

[@aniketmohite-e9l]

Buddha and his dhamma book 👆is one of the buddhist cannon in india

[@DougsDharma]

Yes I discuss that book in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p52rkKSfmqiaeaM

[@patrickdbuck]

I wonder if Ray Bradbury was influenced by the Buddhist memorization tradition when he wrote about the people in Fahrenheit 451 who memorized books. Very cool video! 👍

[@DougsDharma]

I don't know, though to be fair the tradition of memorization goes way back in India to the Vedic seers and the people who memorized the Vedas.

[@buckleycloud3962]

As an introductory text, In the Buddha's Words is a bit... dry, don't you think? (Can't fault you for recommending it, though, I myself own a copy, it's basically essential reading at some point if you're serious about Buddhism.) Have you read Glenn Wallis's Basic Teachings of the Buddha? Seems like you both have very similar ideas and attitudes about Buddhism, it's crazy that you wouldn't have read it at some point. Anyhoo, Basic Teachings of the Buddha was *my* introduction to Buddhism, and it blew me away. So, question, what book introduced you to Buddhism? Or maybe, rather, what book first got you excited about Buddhism?

[@DougsDharma]

Hi Buckley, I did an earlier video on four books that got me excited about Buddhism: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2aUiptsarmopLc . One was Walpola Rahula’s. I didn’t find it dry at all though I can’t say I understood it very well at the time. 🙂

[@buckleycloud3962]

@@DougsDharma You're a KZbin video factory, I can't keep track of it all. Thanks for the redirect, watching it now, I read people's comments and it sounds like you're helping a lot of people, keep up the good work!

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Buckley!

[@abhishek835]

Great job sir.

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome Abhishek. 🙏

[@bennysbuddies6879]

I have been told that pride is the last hindrance to go before 'Enlightenment' is attained - do you agree???...

[@DougsDharma]

"Conceit" is said to be one of the five "higher" fetters that one overcomes to become awakened. I did an earlier video on the stages of awakening here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYa6Zpt4fNR6brc

[@bennysbuddies6879]

@@DougsDharma Thank you for your reply Doug - however i was hoping that you could answer my question??? - was the Theravadan Buddhist teacher who told me such a thing correct, in your personal opinion???....

[@aeopmusic]

How can they get 50+ volumes, millions of words of content in the Tripitaka, but can’t reconcile on whether the Buddha died in 483 BC or 400 BC?

[@djb5320]

your voice is easy to listen to.

[@DougsDharma]

🙏

[@amitabhchahande3316]

The Buddha and his Dhamma by Dr. B.R.Ambedkar

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks, yes I did a video on that book as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p52rkKSfmqiaeaM

[@bhinbhinkaka6514]

It's not a Buddhist text.

[@aidanharrison3888]

The music does nt help .

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, it was an early experiment! 😄

[@samisiddiqi5411]

I'm learning Sanskrit and I need to ask-- is the Pali Prakrit of these texts mutually intelligible with Sanskrit?

[@DougsDharma]

I think it would be. There are some differences of expression and pronunciation, and Pāli is a good deal simpler than classical Sanskrit, but they should be roughly intelligible.

[@amitabhchahande3316]

No they are entirely different languages, with different grammar, inflection.

[@adityaguru6654]

😂 Buddha was a prince. He was not illiterate.

[@DougsDharma]

There is no evidence of writing around the time and place that the Buddha lived, nor evidence of writing in the early suttas.

[@adityaguru6654]

@@DougsDharma Because the first writing system in India, Brahmi developed in the 3rd Century BCE. That does not mean that people before that were illiterate. The Vedas and other texts were passed on orally. There were special Gurukuls where students learned different lessons, ranging from Sword Fighting to Archery to Horse Riding, Singing, Dancing, Law and Ethics. In all there were 64 such art forms. Buddha was very much a literate person. He gave his opinions on the Vedas alot of times, that means He learned them from his Brahman teachers when He was a Prince.

[@DougsDharma]

"Illiterate" simply means being unable to read and write. Since there was no writing system at the time and place, he wasn't able to read or write.

[@leongcheeyip]

what texts does Bodhi & PTS translate from?

[@DougsDharma]

Oh I'm not sure offhand though in the introduction to each book they talk about which ones.

[@deela262]

Theravada Thripitaka

[@sleepy314]

Sorry, the music was overwhelming

[@DougsDharma]

Apologies for that. I experimented with music in a number of my early videos. I don't use it anymore. 🙂

[@bensonputhethu5918]

Where can I buy the original early Buddhist texts, like how Christians buy the Bible?

[@DougsDharma]

Well there are links to translations in the show notes to this video. There are also free online translations at places like suttacentral.net.

[@bensonputhethu5918]

@@DougsDharma Thank you so much for suggesting the site and taking the time to reply.

[@tnt01]

What are your thoughts on the New Kadampa Tradition? A cult?

[@DougsDharma]

I don't have any personal experience with them, though I have read some troubling things.

[@tnt01]

@@DougsDharma Yes, me too.

[@tnt01]

@Buddhist Beast I went to a few of their meditation classes, great material, very calming but the people were kind of odd, a strange vibe.

[@tnt01]

@Buddhist Beast yes, plus I did my research beforehand.

[@Remi-B-Goode]

why cut every 2 secondes ???

[@DougsDharma]

Unfortunately Rémi, it's an early video and I was still learning how to edit properly! 😄

[@Remi-B-Goode]

@@DougsDharma oh sorry ! but the message is great; thank you for answer!

[@maumusa123]

Sorry. The background music is simply TOO noisy.

[@sonamtshering194]

I don't think the Buddha was illiterate since he was born in a upper class society which would give him access to education. On another note great reading recommendations

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Sonam! It's not that the Buddha was unusual in being illiterate at the time; it appears from all we know that the society was illiterate. There was no evidence of written material from that part of India during the Buddha's lifetime so far as I know, and no mention of it in the texts either.

[@saugamathazine1959]

there was writting system before Buddha .there is harappan civilisation who have there own writting script. But it's did not decode yet.

[@sanjeewaperera6796]

With all respect, how could a royal prince be illiterate? The reason for non documenting is that the respect on dhamma. And the duciples had to memorie and practice dhamma on daily basis.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Sanjeewa. To my knowledge there is no evidence of writing in that area of India until the age of Asoka, and no evidence of writing within the suttas themselves. (No discussion of writing, of texts, of books). This isn’t a value judgment. The Vedas and early Upanishads were composed by people who were illiterate as well, and preserved by oral recitation and memorization.

[@mael-strom9662]

@@DougsDharma It all makes sense now, why there were so many ascetics looking for the simple quiet contemplative life. The noise of the constant repetitive chanting must have driven them into the forests for relief. ...lol.

[@kaisersoze9886]

My favorite scripture is the vimalalirti surta! He rules auto correct the guys name is vimalakirti

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks for the info Kaiser!

[@HarshGupta-rs4pl]

Date of birth of Buddha?

[@DougsDharma]

Hard to say exactly, I think the best scholarly estimate is around 480 BCE.

[@MiguelDLewis]

So basically the Nikayas. Got it.

[@DougsDharma]

Well yes, the Nikāyas/Āgamas, the Vinayas, and the Abhidhamma/Abhidharma, but the Nikāyas and Āgamas are primary.

[@nasalimbu3078]

Yellow worship gar na ( keep it up)

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks NASA!

[@akisi1401]

So technically there is no original book like Bible for Christians

[@DougsDharma]

Well the Bible isn’t original either; it is a historical document constructed over many centuries. The equivalent in Buddhism would be the Pāli Canon and its recensions in other languages like Chinese.

[@akisi1401]

@@DougsDharma I want Pali Canon in English or hindi

[@DougsDharma]

@@akisi1401 Check out sutta central!

[@prateeksingh3112]

Please don't put music in informative videos... it's a request...not a suggestion..🙏🙏🙏

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, I haven't done so for years now ... it was an early experiment!

[@prateeksingh3112]

@@DougsDharma my apologies I did not notice dates ...

[@DougsDharma]

No worries! 🙏

[@EvenStarMN]

There is bunch of books. Only God knows which is authentic which is not. All claim their books are true.

[@DougsDharma]

It may never be possible to know absolutely for sure which books are authentic, but we can have a pretty good idea from patient and knowledgeable historical research.

[@the_irndome3768]

yeet

[@the_irndome3768]

fornite

[@jeroenjansen2709]

Please don't move up your hands every second. Speak with a calm, clear mind. A calm mind should enable you not to move while speaking.

[@DougsDharma]

It's just excess energy. 😄

[@HarshGupta-rs4pl]

We don't want to hear about your commentry on treatises.You could have given gist of Buddhism

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, I have other videos on the gist of Buddhism, for example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppPRmH6Fisx2ers

[@PC-jn3kq]

Sorry to say but you are not expert in indology. Languistics agree that Pali came first and sanskrit evolved later.

[@DougsDharma]

I don't know of any linguistics expert who claims such a thing. Vedic Sanskrit predates Pāli by a millennium.

[@PC-jn3kq]

@@DougsDharma the oldest veda that has ever been found is 1464 AD, for which proof is the nomination of rigveda filed by indian govt in UNESCO which is accessible in world archives website. For which any brahmin Hindu would say that we had culture of shruti and smriti, (listening and memorizing which can't be trusted because of evidence of language evolution) Sanskrit itself means "refined" while prakrit means "natural", certainly refined comes afterwards because u would only refine something unrefined. On Ashoka pillar which are all over india, everything is written in dhamma script (later brahminised as brahmi), and dhamma script has no alphabets to write sanskrit alphabets like visarga (:). Also some alphabets like श ष (sh without tongue rolling and with tongue rolling respectively) are missing in Pali prakrit and these are present in Sanskrit. So there is no way Sanskrit could be written in dhamma script which is found everywhere on ancient Ashoka pillars of india. So definitely refined language came later. And when the language itself changed and there is proof of that, so the ancient tradition of shruti and smriti can't be trusted. And hence vedic Sanskrit came when vedas came, after 10th century AD .