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Buddha-Sasana

Religion & Spirituality Podcas

This podcast consists of Dharma talks given by Bhikkhu Cintita of the Sitagu Monastery in Austin, TX. Each talk illuminates some aspect of the Buddha's teachings. Bhikkhu Cintita (or "BC") is an American-born, Burmese-ordained monk in the Theravada tradition and a former Zen priest. Before that he was a professor and corporate researcher in cognitive science and artificial intelligence. He has written five books on Buddhism and is always working on another.

Location:

United States

Description:

This podcast consists of Dharma talks given by Bhikkhu Cintita of the Sitagu Monastery in Austin, TX. Each talk illuminates some aspect of the Buddha's teachings. Bhikkhu Cintita (or "BC") is an American-born, Burmese-ordained monk in the Theravada tradition and a former Zen priest. Before that he was a professor and corporate researcher in cognitive science and artificial intelligence. He has written five books on Buddhism and is always working on another.

Language:

English

Contact:

9038837955


Episodes
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Contemplations of non-self

2/16/2024
Non-self is a practice more than it is a philosophical viewpoint. However, this practice begins with a conceptual investigation of the presumed experiential manifestations of the constructed self. (February 16, 2024)

Duration:00:25:09

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On Buddhist ethics

2/9/2024

Duration:00:22:33

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Samādhi in the earliest texts.

2/2/2024
This talk reviews what the early texts say about samādhi 'concentration', much of which may surprise you. This talk was originally presented on July 2, 2023 broadcast from Minnesota via Zoom to the English Dharma Group at Jade Temple in Houston Texas. (February 2, 2024)

Duration:00:21:21

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Was the Buddha a biologist?

1/26/2024
“If consciousness were not to descend into the mother's womb, would name-and-form take shape in the womb?” "No." The most common traditional interpretation of this famous passage (from DN 15) is that consciousness travels into the womb to unify with the fetus of name-and-form at con­ception. I argue that this interpretation is untenable. (Rebroadcast 1/26/2024, originally broadcast 9/25/2020)

Duration:00:21:34

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What is the Buddha-Sasana?

1/19/2024
The Buddha-Sāsana is Buddhism as a living tradition, something that evolves, spreads to new lands, dies out in old lands, rather than Buddhism as the Dharma, which is much more static. A key question for the Buddha seems to be is how well the Buddha-Sāsana would retain the authenticity of the Buddha-Dharma.

Duration:00:23:45

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A history of emptiness

1/12/2024
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. But how? (Rebroadcast 1/12/2024, originally podcast 7/16/2021)

Duration:00:21:52

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The Buddha’s Method 2/2: insubstantial and conditional

1/5/2024
The Buddha clarifies an explicit methodology which is nonetheless often overlooked by students of the Dharma. Much of this has to do with the practical and experiential orientation of the Dharma. The Buddha's methodology furthermore involves regarding the world as both insubstantial and conditional. (Repodcast 1/5/2024, originally podcast 7/30/2021).

Duration:00:26:59

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The Buddha’s Method 1/2: practical and subjective

12/29/2023
The Buddha clarifies an explicit methodology which is nonetheless often overlooked by students of the Dharma. Much of this has to do with the practical and experiential orientation of the Dharma. (Repodcast 12/29/2023, originally podcast 7/23/2021).

Duration:00:24:43

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What did the Buddha think of women?(2/2)

12/22/2023
Last week's talk demonstrated the exemplary support the Buddha provided to women's practice. 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. (repodcast 12/22/2023, originally podcast 6/5/2020)

Duration:00:30:01

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What did the Buddha think of women? (1/2)

12/15/2023
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. (repodcast 12/15/2023, originally podcast 5/29/2020)

Duration:00:27:45

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The four noble truths

12/8/2023
The wide-ranging teaching of the four noble truths can come under satipaṭṭhāna investigation if we look for its observables in those texts that are more nuts-and-bolts in style, although the fourth noble truth, when equated with the path itself, is more difficult to accommodate.. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 12, 12/8/2023)

Duration:00:19:17

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The seven awakening factors

12/1/2023
The awakening factors describe the growth of samādhi that is readily experienced within satipaṭṭhāna practice per se. This exercise should be assimilated as in routine monitoring of the constellation of satipatthana factors alive in other exercises. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 11, 12/1/2023)

Duration:00:20:03

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The sixfold sphere

11/24/2023
We look at the dhamma and the observables involved in comprehending the six senses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 11, 11/24/2023)

Duration:00:19:00

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The five aggregates

11/17/2023
The appropriation-aggregates (form, feeling, perception, fabrication and cognizance) represent one of the most fruitful themes of satipatthana contemplation. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 10, 11/17/2023)

Duration:00:20:09

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The five hindrances

11/10/2023
The five hindrances fall under the fourth (dhamma) satipaṭṭhāna. Verifying and internalizing their understanding is an aid in general Buddhist practice, and only secondarily in quelling the presumption of self. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 9, 11/10/2023)

Duration:00:19:37

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Contemplating Mind

11/3/2023
The observables in the mind contemplation are states of mind. Once again the observables reveal non-self, but the chosen observables also collaterally support the understanding of important Dhammic concepts. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 8, 11/3/2023)

Duration:00:20:46

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Feeling

10/27/2023
Feeling (pain, pleasure and neither) is the basis of the second satipatthana contemplation, which seeks to demonstrate that there is no witness/self behind witnessing the world. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 7, 10/27/2023)

Duration:00:20:39

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Corpses

10/20/2023
The charnel ground contemplations give a means of observing the shift in our presumption of body/self with the progressive natural decay of a corpse. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 6, 10/20/2023)

Duration:00:20:27

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Elements

10/13/2023
The elements (earth, water, fire and air) give an alternative was of deconstructing the body/self. I also discuss the the practical need sometimes to favor samādhi over analysis and vice versa. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 5, 10/13/2023)

Duration:00:20:10

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Body parts and modes of practice

10/6/2023
We review the contemplation of body parts, which we talked about some weeks ago, then discuss the varying modes of context and conceptuality in practice. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 4, 10/6/2023)

Duration:00:19:26