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).
A couple of centuries after his death, he came to be known by the title Buddha, which means '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 spread beyond the Indian subcontinent, evolving into a variety of traditions and practices, represented by Theravada and Mahayana. 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.
Title | Speaker | |
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Reflections on Sutta Nipata Story "The Ploughing"Serial: BZ-01148 Buddha encounters rich farmer and discusses the Buddha field, One-Day Sitting Buddha, Lay, Vinaya, American, Ego, Repentance, Intuition, Nirvana, Mindfulness, Vow... |
Jul 19 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #3: Introduction to Kôan StudySerial: BZ-01128 Baso's Sun-face Buddha, Moon-face Buddha, Saturday Lecture Buddha, Baso, BCR-3, First Principle, Duality, Non-duality, Buddha Nature, Non-... |
May 03 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Buddha's EnlightenmentSerial: BZ-01105 Rohatsu Day 7 Enlightenment, Buddha, Buddha Nature, Daily Life, Duality, Interdependence,... |
Dec 08 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Commentary on "Find Out For Yourself"Serial: BZ-01406 Suzuki-rôshi's lecture in "Not Always So", Rohatsu Day 6 Buddha, Suzuki Roshi, Intuition, Daily Life, Instruction, Bell, Don't Know Mind... |
Dec 02 2006 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Mumonkan: Case #9Serial: BZ-00233A Nonattained Buddha and Polishing the Tile, Sesshin Day 1 Buddha, MM-9, Lotus Sutra, Bodhidharma, Monkey Mind, Daily Life, Buddha Nature, Peace... |
Aug 31 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sun-face Buddha, Moon-face BuddhaSerial: BZ-00123B Saturday Lecture
Buddha, Koan, Buddha Nature, Blue Cliff Record, Thoroughness, Priest, Ordinary Mind,... |
Nov 18 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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One Buddha, Three Boddhisattvas: Practice is EverythingSerial: BZ-00081B Saturday Lecture Buddha, Bodhisattva, Practice, Composure, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Manjushri, Daily... |
Aug 26 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Mumonkan: Case #45: Who Is that Other?Serial: BZ-00711B Buddha and Maitreya Are Servants to Another, Saturday Lecture Buddha, Maitreya, MM-45, Ego, Anger, Five Ranks, Absolute-and-Relative, Bodhisattva... |
Jun 13 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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What is Buddha?Serial: BZ-00713A Sesshin Day 1 Buddha, Big Mind, Practice Period, Daily Life, Buddha Nature, Absolute-and-Relative,... |
May 17 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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GenjokoanSerial: BZ-00697A Going Beyond Buddha, Rohatsu Day 4 Buddha, cognitive process, Light-and-Darkness, resistance, Lay Practice, Absolute-and... |
Dec 05 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sun Faced Buddha/Moon Faced BuddhaSerial: BZ-00505A Saturday Lecture Buddha, Koan, Subject-and-Object, Buddha Nature, Constancy, First Principle, Observe... |
May 19 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #43Serial: BZ-00878A Hot and Cold Buddha, Sesshin Day 4 Buddha, BCR-43, Hate, Posture, Emotions, Silence, Nirvana, Tassajara Zen Mountain... |
Jun 07 1986 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #3Serial: BZ-00409A Sun Face Buddha, Moon Face Buddha, Saturday Lecture Buddha, Koan, BCR-3, First Principle, Buddha Nature, Cultivation, Commitment, Greed,... |
Feb 02 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Buddha's ParinirvanaSerial: BZ-00017 Eight Aspects of Enlightenment, One-Day Sitting Parinirvana Sutra, Enlightenment, Eight Aspects, Buddha, Eight Aspects, Right Effort... |
Feb 13 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |