Can we go back to original Buddhism?

Finally, "Buddhism" makes verifiable sense!

THERAVADA Buddhism: Is this what the historical Buddha (Prince Siddhattha Gotama, "the Sage of the Sakas," the Shakyas, the Indo-Scythians) really taught? The Three Baskets (Ti-pitaka) of Suttas, Vinaya, and Abhidhamma (Discourses, Discipline, and Higher Doctrine). The Buddha did not speak Sanskrit, the exclusive liturgical language of Brahmin priests, but rather Magadhi (colloquial Pali, the lingua franca) and Prakrit. He certainly knew and understood Sanskrit, having been expert in it in past lives, a knower of the Three Vedas. The Pali canon is a collection of canonical texts preserved in the ancient Pali language the Buddha likely spoke.

• (Buddha's Wisdom)

Eating in Bali, Indonesia for big bucks

Why do monks and nuns chant in Pali?

The only reason Mahayana uses Sanskrit is because Brahmin (Brahminical Vedic Hindus) used it to whitewash Mahayana Buddhism into a kind of comprehensible form of Hinduism. The goal of Theravada, the "Teaching of the direct Elder enlightened disciples of the historical Buddha," is enlightenment here and now as soon as possible, whereas the goal of Mahayana is enlightenment never, only after an inexhaustible supply of living beings first attain it. When will that be? It will never be, alleviating the need for any Mahayana Buddhist to actually practice and bring what the Buddha taught about in one's own life. Imagining themselves supremely awakened buddhas of the future, there's never a need to do it now, the only time we actually ever have.

• What the Buddha Taught: revised and expanded edition with texts from suttas and the Dhammapada (Ven. Walpola Rahula, Paul Demieville)

Zen Buddhism came much later

(Tao Temple) We can't understand Zen until we understand this first

No self? Buddhism makes no sense until...

(ECHOES OF LOST KNOWLEDGE) Ego is not ready for this video: ego death | Zen Wisdom

(Tao Temple) Buddhism makes no sense until you understand this

Even Zen can see it's not self.

Two things are true. 1. There is no self. In other words, all things are marked by the characteristic of being impersonal ("empty"). 2. Whatever arises arises dependent on causes and conditions, which is known as Dependent Origination.

Only by comprehending both will someone avoid confusion and an apparent paradox. Of course, there are two "truths," the conventional everyday truth (honesty) and the ultimate truth (reality). That there is, ultimately speaking, no ongoing persisting surviving transmigrating self is of the latter variety.

How could that possibly be true if all that we have is ourselves and our experiences, our conscious awareness and this body?

It is completely counterintuitive, but it can be known-and-seen directly, which results in enlightenment (awakening) if penetrated as it really is. Before that, it can be comprehended intellectually.

German Theravada Buddhist scholar-monk Venerable Nyanatiloka (born Anton Walther Florus Gueth) in his Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines:

• This is a very advanced teaching for dedicated meditators and monastics, not easily understood by them until they develop direct insight into the Truth. Therefore, how is any ordinary, uninstructed person ever to figure it out? They will not. But anyone can receive intellectual instruction to understand it without being liberated by the Truth. For liberation, practice of direct-seeing and insight (vipassana) into the true nature of existence is necessary:
• Not-self (anatta) is the central doctrine in Buddhism, without understanding which a real knowledge of Buddhism is altogether impossible.

There has to be a self, there just has to be!

Buddhist Dictionary (Ven. Nyanatiloka)

"NOT SELF" (anattā) means "non-ego," "egolessness, "impersonal," "empty." It is the third of the Three Universal Characteristics of Existence (ti-lakkhana).

This uniquely Buddhist anattā doctrine teaches that there is neither within the body or mind -- the bodily or mental phenomena of existence -- nor outside of them can there be found anything that in the ultimate sense could be regarded as a "self" (a real self-existing ego-entity, soul, or any other abiding substance.

This is the pivotal central doctrine of Buddhism, that which without comprehending, no real understanding of Buddhism (i.e., the historical Buddha's Dharma) is possible.

This strange doctrine is the only really specific Buddhist teaching, with which the entire structure of the Buddha Dharma stands or falls.

All other Buddhist doctrines might, more or less, be found in other philosophical systems or religions, but the anattā-doctrine (that ultimately ALL things are impersonal) has been clearly and unreservedly taught only by a buddha, which is why the Buddha was known in his day as the Anattā-vādi or "Teacher that all is Impersonal."

Whoever has not yet penetrated the impersonal nature of all existence, who does not comprehend that in reality there exists only this continually self-consuming process of arising and passing bodily and mental phenomena (called the Five Aggregates CLUNG to as self), and that there is no separate soul, self, or ego-entity within or without this impersonal process, such a person will not be able to understand Buddhism, that is, the teaching of the Four Ennobling Truths (sacca) the fourth of which is the Ennobling Eightfold Path, in the correct light.

One will necessarily assume (wrongly think)

• that it is one's self, soul (atta, atman), ego, or personality that chooses and performs skillful and unskillful karma (intentional actions),
• that experiences suffering, neutral feelings, and happiness as a result (phala, vipaka, the fruition and resultants of previous actions),
• that will be reborn according to that karma (those former deeds),
• that will enter or fail to enter nirvana (nibbāna, the quenching and cooling of the threefold fire of greed, hatred/fear, and delusion),
• that walks or fails to walk the Eightfold Path to awakening.

So it is said in The Path of Purification (Vis.M. XVI)

"Mere suffering exists, no 'sufferer' is to be found;

Deeds are, but no 'doer' of deeds is really there;

Nirvana is, but not any 'person' who 'enters' it;

The Path is but no 'traveler' on it is to be seen."

"Whoever is unclear with regard to conditionally arisen phenomena and fails to comprehend that ALL actions are conditioned through ignorance and so on [through the 12 causal links of Dependent Origination], that person [necessarily assumes] thinks that it is one's soul, self, ego, or personality that understands or fails to understand, that acts or causes to act, that comes to existence at rebirth and passes out of existence at death...that has sense-impressions, feels, desires, becomes attached, continues, and at rebirth reappears or enters a new existence" (Vis.M. XVII. 117).

• [The Three Universal Characteristics of Existence are that all things are radically impermanent, unable to fulfill (ultimately unsatisfactory, disappointing, liable to suffering), and impersonal.]

While in the case of the first two characteristics, it is stated that all "formations" (sabbe sankhārā) are impermanent and subject to suffering, the corresponding text for the third characteristic states that "all things are not-self" (sabbe dhammā anattā, MN 35, Dhp. 279).

This is for emphasizing that the wrong view of assuming, believing, holding that it is an abiding self or substance is neither applicable to any "formation" or conditioned phenomenon, nor to nirvana (the "unconditioned element" (asankhatā dhātu)

The "Discourse on the Characteristic of Not-Self" (Anattā-Lakkhana Sutta) was the second discourse delivered by the historical Buddha after his great awakening, enlightenment (maha-bodhi) to his first five disciples, who after hearing it attained to the same awakening (arhatship).

The contemplation of not-self (anattā-anupassanā) leads to the freedom of the "emptiness liberation" (suññatā-vimokkha).

Here the faculty of wisdom (pañña-indriya) is predominant, and one who attains the path of stream-entry this way is called a "Dharma-devotee" (dhammānusāri).

At the next two stages of enlightenment, one becomes a "vision-attainer" (ditthippatta or "right view reacher"), and at the ultimate stage of "full awakening" (arhatship), one is called "liberated by wisdom" (paññā-vimutti). More

• Tao Temple (video); Ven. Nyanatiloka (Buddhist Dictionary) edited and clarified by Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly, summer 2026

Zen and the power to disappear (enso)

(DHARMA) The power of disappearing: What a Zen circle (enso) teaches us about silence

Sin versus Karma: Jesus vs. Buddha

(Spinoza Forever) Spinoza proved that "Paul the Apostle" (aka the Jew Saul of Tarsus) INVENTED Christianity: Jesus Christ would REJECT every single Christian sect and church today

(Buddha's Wisdom) Jesus the Christ (the Anointed One) vs. Siddhartha the Buddha (the Awakened One): Who forgives what we cannot undo?

(Finding Meaning Project) When why do they sound different?

• If there's a God who can forgive "sin," who can erase "karma" (our deeds that ripen in pleasant and unpleasant resultants)
• Aṅgulimāla: from serial killer to saint
• Aṅgulimāla Sutta (MN 86)—translated by Ven. Nyanamoli
• Jesus and Buddha on Karma, Sin, and the Ending of Suffering | by Siri Perera | Medium

There is this beautiful inspirational saying in Christianity that goes, "Ever saint has a past, every sinner a future." 😇👹

Angulimala Discourse (MN 86)

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Buddha was living in Sāvatthi at Jeta’s Grove in the millionaire’s park.

On that occasion there was a serial killer in the King Pasenadi's kingdom of Kosala by the name of Aṅgulimāla (“Finger-garland”). He was a murderer, bloodyhanded, given to beatings and violence, without mercy for living beings.

Villages, towns, and whole districts were being laid waste by him. He was constantly murdering people, and he wore their fingers (aṅguli) like a garland string (māla) [as a gruesome trophy].

Angulimala and the Buddha

Then, when it was morning, the Blessed One dressed and, taking his bowl and outer robe, went into Sāvatthi for alms. When he had wandered for alms and had returned after his meal, he set his resting place in order. Then taking his bowl and robe, he set out on foot to Aṅgulimāla's location.

Cowherds, shepherds, and ploughmen passing by saw the Buddha taking the road to Aṅgulimāla. Seeing him, they shouted, “Do not take that road, wandering ascetic!

"On that road is the serial killer Aṅgulimāla, who's a murderer, bloodyhanded, given to beatings and violence, without mercy for living beings.

"Villages and towns and districts are being laid waste by him. He is constantly murdering people, and he wears their fingers as a garland. Men have come along this road in groups of 10, 20, 30 and, even 40 from time to time, but they have all fallen into Aṅgulimāla’s bloody hands!”

When this was said, the Blessed One continued on in silence. More

• The previous rebirths of Aṅgulimāla

Is this mass murderer a historical figure?

Ahimsaka becomes a highway robber nicknamed Angulimala or "Garland of Fingers"

.

Making an act of truth to a pregnant woman

The story of Aṅgulimāla is most well known in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition [5]. Two texts in the early sutras of the Pāli language canon are concerned with Aṅgulimāla's initial encounter with the Buddha and his conversion to nonviolence (ahimsa), which are believed to present the oldest version of the story [6, 7, Note 1].

The first is the Psalms of the Brethren (Theragāthā), probably the oldest of the two,[5] and the second is the Aṅgulimāla Sutta in the Middle Length Discourses (Majjhima Nikāya) [9]. Both offer a short description of Aṅgulimāla's encounter with the Buddha without mentioning much of the background information, which of course is the work of Indian commentaries to provide).

Returning to monastery bleeding from attack

Later details were incorporated into the story, such as Aṅgulimāla being placed under an oath by a jealous teacher [10, 5].

Apart from the Pāli texts, Tibetan and Chinese texts that originate in Sanskrit also describe the life of Aṅgulimāla [10, 7].

The Sanskrit collection called Saṃyuktāgama from the early Mūla-Sārvastivāda school, was translated in two Chinese texts (in the 4th–5th century CE) by the early Sarvāstivāda and Kāśyapīya schools and also contains versions of the story [11, 7, 12].

Aṅgulimāla calmed by the Buddha

A text translated in Chinese from the Sanskrit Ekottara Agāma by the Mahā-Saṃghika school is also known. Furthermore, three other Chinese texts dealing with Aṅgulimāla have also been found, of unknown origin but different from the first three Chinese texts [13].

Apart from these early texts, there are also later renderings that appear in the commentary to the Middle Length Discourses attributed to Buddhaghosa (5th century CE) and the commentary to the Theragāthā attributed to Dhammapāla (6th century CE) [10].

The two commentaries do not appear to be independent of one another: It appears that Dhammapāla copied or closely paraphrased Buddhaghosa, adding explanation to some of the inconsistencies [6, 7], which is of course the job of the sub-commentaries.

The earliest accounts of Aṅgulimāla's life emphasize his fearless violence and, by contrast, the peacefulness of the Buddha. More

The 'goal' of Buddhism: Enlightenment

(Buddhism Podcast) What is enlightenment (bodhi)? The ultimate goal of life in Buddhism

• Enlightenment in Buddhism

What could go wrong? Broken "enlightenment"

(Asangoham) The Four Stages of a Broken "Awakening"

Apathy or indifference?

In neurology, abulia (aboulia from Ancient Greek βουλή, meaning not-"will") [1] is a lack of will, volition, initiative, willful-motive. It is a disorder of diminished motivation.

Abulia falls in the middle of the spectrum of diminished motivation, with apathy being milder and akinetic mutism being the most severe [2].

The condition was originally considered to be a disorder of the will [3, 4], as aboulic individuals are unable to act or make decisions independently.

Can everyone become a buddha?

(Natasha Yehenara) If all have "Buddha-nature," can everyone become one?

Their condition may range in severity from subtle to overwhelming. In the case of akinetic mutism, many patients describe that as soon as they "will" or attempt a movement, a "counter-will" or "resistance" [a possessive demonic spirit?] rises up to meet them [5]. More

The Noble Eightfold Path explained ☸️🛞

(The East Made Simple) The Ennobling Eightfold Path of Buddhism explained: What each step (path factor) actually means:

1. right view
2. right intention
3. right speech
4. right action
5. right livelihood
6. right effort
7. right mindfulness
8. right meditation

When "desire" is GOOD in Buddhism

The Buddha's [distinction] about "desire" that Western Buddhism gets wrong

The rare beauty of Native American men

(The Midnight Library) July 10, 2026: [Theravada] Buddhism is often described as a tradition that teaches us to eliminate "desire." This is one of the most persistent misreadings in the history of the Western encounter with Eastern philosophy.

The ancient Pali canon makes a precise distinction between two words that, in English, may both be rendered as "desire," but they are almost opposites.

Tanha is compulsive "craving" driven by a sense of lack — whereas chanda is "aspiration" driven by genuine vision.

The Buddha actively encouraged chanda ("desire," "aspiration," "will," "intention") while working to release tanha ("desire," "craving," lit. "thirst").

Simplistic and wrong: Buddhism explained in 1 minute! - Misunderstanding the term "desire"

Professor of Neuroscience Dr. Wolfram Schultz, MD, at Cambridge University, England, documented that the dopamine reward system produces more activation in anticipation (wanting) than in satisfaction (getting) — confirming the structural mechanism of tanha (craving) 2,600 years after the Buddha described it.

• Dr. Robert Sapolsky: Behave

The Craving Mind (Dr. Judson Brewer)

Neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Judson Brewer, MD, who studies the default mode network at Brown University confirmed in The Craving Mind (2017) that mindful [dispassionate detached attention to what is happening in the present moment without moving towards the pleasant, away from the unpleasant, or being confused/bored by the neutral] observation of craving interrupts the compulsive cycle measurably.

• Tara Brach: Meditation teacher, psychologist, author

Radical Acceptance (Dr. Tara Brach, PhD)

Three Buddhist practices drawn directly from the Pali canon: The R.A.I.N. practice, the aspiration question, and the satiation experiment.

• Recognize, name what is present
• Allow, do not react (chase, act on, suppress, check out, do not crave, resist, or go dull in boredom/confusion), let it be present (radical acceptance)
• Investigate, what does it feel like, where is it located in the body, what is its texture?
• Nurture, bring kindness to the experience, not to the craving itself but to the part of you experiencing it
• "This practice interrupts the automatic cycle of trigger to craving to behavior and creates a gap in which choice becomes possible."
• "Prof. Brewer's research has confirmed that this gap created through mindful [dispassionate, equanimous, attentive, vigilant, wakeful, unbiased] observation of craving measurably reduces the compulsive quality of tanha [craving, addiction, obsession, compulsion] over time."

"The Craving Mind"

(Clear Mountain Monastery Project) The Craving Mind and the Default

Mode [Network]’s Addiction to Self | Dr. Judson Brewer. MD, PhD

• 

  Beauty is more than skin deep!

  BIO: Dr. Judson Brewer, MD, PhD (aka "Dr. Jud"), is a New York Times best-selling author and pioneering psychiatrist blending cutting-edge neuroscience with 20+ years of Buddhist mindfulness training. A leader in the science of habit change, he is director of research at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center and has held positions at MIT, Yale U., and UMass. Dr. Jud developed app-based programs like Mindshift Recovery, Unwinding Anxiety, Eat Right Now, and Craving to Quit, clinically proven to treat anxiety, addiction, and emotional eating. He’s the author of The Craving Mind, Unwinding Anxiety, and The Hunger Habit, and co-founder of the nonprofit Mindshift Recovery. He is also a collaborator with Clear Mountaineers and medical researchers Dori Rosenberg and Dave Arterburn. More

If this work matters, support the channel by becoming a member. Support is never expected — but always deeply appreciated. Join here: 👉 @therealmidnightlibrary. For those who resonate with the visual world of The Midnight Library, a curated collection of art and apparel inspired by these themes is available here: 👉 themidnightart.com. For ambient, chant, and cinematic music inspired by ancient traditions, visit The Midnight Library Music: 👉 @themidnightlibrarymusic. For intimate and emotional musical compositions, explore The Romantic Guy: 👉 @theromanticguy. Every story in The Midnight Library opens another door. 🕯️🔑

"The Rewarded Brain"

(Cambridge Philosophical Society) The Rewarded Brain | A V Hill Lecture

Handsome American Indian

Six tagged products available from The Midnight Library: (1) The Gatekeeper’s Key – Eternal Archive | Vertical Canvas themidnightart.com (2) The Gatekeeper’s Key – Eternal Archive | Square Canvas themidnightart.com (3) The Gatekeeper’s Key Fleece Joggers – Diagonal Dual Leg Print | Red | themidnightart.com (4) The Gatekeeper’s Key Fleece Joggers – Diagonal Dual Leg Print | Charcoal Heather | themidnightart.com (5) The Gatekeeper’s Key Classic T-Shirt – Front & Right Shoulder Print | Cardinal | Bella+Canvas 3001 themidnightart.com (6) The Gatekeeper’s Key – Bone Archive Edition (Front & Back Print) | Unisex Midweight Hoodie themidnightart.com

• The Midnight Library @TheRealMidnight...) July 10, 2026; Dr. Wolfram Schultz; Dr. Judson Brewer; Dr. Tara Brach; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Seven signs: I'm now closer to Nirvana

(Buddha's Wisdom) We're closer to Nirvana than we think: 7 signs the Buddha described in Theravada Buddhism's Pali canon.

COMMENTARY

Explained by Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal

The historical Buddha Gautama blissfully reclines into final nirvana (wiki)

 

But what is "nirvana" and why would anyone want it?

It is "the end of all suffering" or dukkha. It is the extinguishing of all greed, hatred, and delusion (craving, aversion, and ignorance) that keep the illusion and suffering going. It is the cooling of these fires (raging flames, smoldering coals, and blinding smoke). It is the highest bliss, the dissolution of all formations, the end of samsara, the incessant "continued wandering on" of rebirth and death.

• Nirvana is the "deathless" (amata, amrita, ambrosia)
• Nirvana is the "unconditioned element" (asankhata dhatu)
• Nirvana is the highest peace, the true refuge (sarana)
• Nirvana is the freedom (vimutti) from all afflictions
• Nirvana is the liberation (moksha) by wisdom
• Nirvana is the summum bonum of Early Buddhism and therefore of the back-to-basics Theravada school

But what is it, this thing with no equal?

In Theravada Abhidhamma texts such as the Vibhanga, where Sanskrit nirvana is called nibbana in Pali, the "unconditioned element" is defined this way:

"What is the unconditioned element (asankhata dhatu)? It is the cessation of passion, the cessation of hatred [aversion], and the cessation of delusion" [Note 12].

The Dhammasangani likewise describes it as that reality which is a sphere of experience unproduced by any cause or condition, according to L.S. Cousins [111].

The Dhammasangani also describes it in numerous other ways, such as the "immeasurable," "superior to everything," as "not past, present, or future" [the Ancient Greek anionic, the "not aeons," the "timeless," the "eternal now"], as "neither arisen nor not-arisen" and as "neither within nor without" [111].

• In Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism, "aeon" is used as a translation of the term kalpa and sometimes maha-kalpa or "great aeon" (Sanskrit महाकल्प). A maha kalpa, which cannot be pinned down to an exact numerical figure, is often said to be 1,334,240,000 years or the life cycle of the world (cakkavāḷa).
• Christianity's idea of "eternal life" comes from a Greek form of aión (αἰών) and the word for life, zōḗ (ζωή) [6], which has been translated to mean [timeless] immortality in the majority of texts, but is argued by some [7, 8, 9] to mean life in the next aeon, the Kingdom of God, or Heaven, instead.
• According to some proponents of Christian universalism, the Greek New Testament scriptures use the word aión (αἰών) to mean "a long period" (or age-long) and the word aiṓnion (αἰώνιον) to mean "during a long period" (or similarly, age-during); thus, there was a time before the aeons, and the aeonian period is finite. After each person's mortal life ends, one is judged worthy or not worthy of aeonian life...
• Another universalist reading, prevalent among Neoplatonists due to its similarity to views expressed in Plato's Timaeus [10], is that the "aeon" does not refer to a time, finite or infinite, but instead a Greek parallel of a Judaic view of distinct natures of time, between the χρόνος (chronos) of the present "age," or עולם הזה ('olam ha-zeh) and the αιώνιος (aionios) of the "age to come," or הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא ('olam ha-ba). More: aeon

Cousins also notes that "suggestively, however, it may be reckoned as nama (name) rather than rupa [form]. This does seem to suggest some element of underlying idealism of the kind which emerges later in the vijñanavada" (the "teaching of consciousness") [111].

Furthermore, for Theravada Buddhism, nibbana is uniquely the ONLY unconditioned element or phenomenon. Theravada argues that nibbana is unitary, that it cannot be divided.

Unlike other Buddhist schools, Theravada does not agree that there are any other unconditioned elements or phenomena, nor that there are different types of nirvana (such as the apratistha or "non-abiding nirvana" invented by Mahayana) [112, 111].

As noted by Thiện Châu, the Theravadans and the Pudgalavadans "remained strictly faithful to the letter of the [Buddha's original] sutras" and thus held that nirvana is the only unconditioned dhamma (phenomenon), while other schools posited various asankhata dhammas, such as the Sarvastivadan view that space (akasha) is unconditioned) [112].

Medieval Theravada exegesis

The fifth century Theravada scholar-monk and exegete Buddhaghosa says in The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga): "It is called nibbana (extinction) because it has gone away from (nikkhanta), has escaped from (nissata), is dissociated from craving, which has acquired in common usage the name ‘fastening (vana)’ because, by ensuring successive becoming, craving serves as a joining together, a binding together, a lacing together, of the four kinds of generation, five destinies, seven stations of consciousness, and nine abodes of being" [Note 13]. More

Zen Buddhism 101: Five Zen Stories

(Big Think) Harvard professor's six step guide to Zen Buddhism | Robert Waldinger

(Buddhist Insights Journey) 5 Zen stories to dissolve illusions of Ego | Buddhism Teaching

Taoism vs. Buddhism: Four big differences

(Flowing Void): 4 differences that actually matter

COMMENTARY

Wisdom Quarterly

• All those who quote Lao Tzu and speak of the "Tao" are not teaching the historical Buddha's message of liberation from suffering and samsara
• Anyone who says "nirvana is samsara" speaks ill of the Buddha's message of liberation in this very life, in this body, in this world
• Syncretism (blending traditions) is beautiful, but it will not likely produce the result of either path. If the Tao is the "way," then the Eightfold Way (magga) the Buddha talked about is a very different use of the word
• If the true Tao is everything, then there is no sense in talking about it
• The Buddha defined the problem, defined the cause, assured is there is a solution, and pointed out the path, the Middle Way, to that solution: dukkha, samudaya, nirodha, magga
  
• The problem is disappointment (suffering)
• The cause is ignorance bound up with craving and aversion
• The extinction of suffering is the extinction of ignorance
• The path leading to this extinction has eight parts
• Buddhism and Taoism may blend beautifully like milk and water, but they are not the same

Who created Creation? Who's the Creator?

Siddhartha in awakening, found 'the Creator'

It's interesting that when the wandering ascetic Siddhartha became "the Enlightened One," the Buddha, he found the Creator and said so. The words are famous in Buddhist history for what they say about our present situation even though we have not yet realized it. But we will at our awakening, when and if we become enlightened. It's not guaranteed that we will. In fact, if we do nothing, it's guaranteed that we won't. The Buddha's final words were, "All things are hurtling towards destruction; work out your salvation (enlightenment) with diligence." So what did he say?

"Through the round of many rebirths I roamed without reward, without rest, seeking the house-builder. Painful is rebirth again and again. House-builder, you are seen! You will not build a house again. All your rafters broken, the ridge pole destroyed, gone to the unformed, the mind has come to the end of craving."

— Dhammapada 153-4

I’ve seen you, house-builder!

You won’t build a house again!

Your rafters are all broken,

your roof-peak is demolished.

The mind, set on deconstruction,

has reached the end of craving.

Dhp 154—Bhikkhu Sujato (edited trans)

If there's no Creator, why does the Universe exist? A Buddhist answer

(Buddhism Podcast) June 4, 2025: Buddhism Explained. The universe exists not by a creator, but through endless cycles of conditions. The Buddha (in Buddhist cosmology) presents Dependent Origination, where everything that arises does so from interconnected causes, challenging traditional and scientific quests for a first spark [or prime mover].

Understand why the Buddha redirected focus from cosmic origins to the immediate path of ending suffering right here right now.

This profound wisdom finds surprising parallels in modern scientific thought, revealing a cosmos shaped by karma and interdependence. Learn how to transform external questions into inner clarity and liberation, finding peace in understanding reality as it truly unfolds.

• 00:00 - The human longing: Who made this?
• 06:12 - No creator: the universe of conditions
• 13:29 - The six realms [31 Planes of Existence] — where consciousness can reappear
• 17:43 - Waking from the cosmic dream [Maya]
• 21:20 - The real answer: From external questions to inner freedom

Ironic sarcasm (with a point)

Black Joshua, how shall we live? - It's all yours.

Aha, Buddhism must be wrong because obviously Creation must have a Creator. It's built right into the word. All of this was created by someone somewhere somehow at sometime. That much we know. The rest is a mystery. The Black God came down to Earth after it evaporated from being the "face of the deep," a great big sea or primordial soup, and he made a matching pair called Steve and Eve, or was that Adam and Lilith? And He, it was a he, right? We can all at least agree He was a white man, very Germanic, kind of Ashkenazi Scandinavian, but the Pair in the Garden got tanned from not wearing clothes or using the sunblock the Lord provideth... Preposterous, but so many of us buy into our society's creation myths without thinking.

Who created us? - We looked...

The Native American stories are best, very direct and campfiery. The Indigenous people were living by the beach in Tovaangar (future Los Angeles) and the Creator made a Rainbow Bridge for people to go to Catalina Island, saying, 'Don't look down as you cross over the ocean.' But some did, and as a result they fell off the bridge and became our brothers and sisters the dolphins."

Now that's a creation tale we can embrace, living on the beach, traversing rainbows, swimming with the dolphins.

down and fell. It had to be the Great D!

As Westerners invading the area, we laugh, but we can't imagine anyone laughing out our nonsense: "Once upon a time, before time, there was this nothingness but this Guy lived alone, very lonely, nothing to do all day but putter about, so he created us, put us in a Garden, male first to set the social order, populated the place with plants and animals, everyone living in peace, no one eating anyone else, everyone purely vegan and peaceful.

Should I have mentioned my Snake?

Except for this one snake jerk, a real troublemaker, doubting the Lord, and contaminating the mind of the Jenny-come-lately female pulled out of the male's rib. The Great Creator God wanted to keep us pig ignorant, and this dang Serpent (Reptilian) had to go and lead the Pair to the fruiting body of some kind of psychedelic mushroom growing off the lignans of a tree the Lord God forbade us from ever eating from. It's not like He set us up for failure or anything. We are full of sin and sinners, most of us unrepentant, so we deserve all we get. (Ya think maybe Natives roll their eyes at hearing such campfire tales from Bible thumpers?)

Both sound good. Don't know which to believe

Get real and stop joking around

Isn't the Buddha just another philosopher? NO!

Is irony any way to teach? Probably not given that we live in a Post-Ironic Age and everyone suffering from irony deficiency.

The Buddha often spoke of an imagined "Creator," Brahma ("Supremo") or Maha Brahma ("Great Supremo"). There are gods. Gods have powers and can create things. Now imagine a God creates something, as the creative gods can do on higher planes. That would not mean that they really bring us into being or end us, save us from bad karmic ("sin") results, or get us into heavens, of which there are many, none of which are actually permanent. No God creates new beings, new souls, new selves and individuals. But, then, what is creating ALL of this?

In a sense, each of us is the creator of our experience. This is deep and hard to understand by our usual way of thinking -- all of the misguided assumptions we've inherited. The Buddha was well aware of these philosophical problems and questions. Some are good. Most such questions do not lead to freedom, liberation, the end of suffering, enlightenment, or nirvana.

Indeed, there was once a dissatisfied Buddhist monk (Malunkyaputta) who, failing to meditate, got to thinking: Who am I, why am I here, is life infinite or not, what happens after death, and many such perplexing questions. He realized he had never asked the Buddha and gotten clarity on these philosophical conundrums, yet he was a monk.

So he went over to the Buddha and said, "If you cannot answer these questions to my satisfaction, I will stop being a monk and leave the sangha." Rather than answering him, the Buddha asked if they had ever entered into an agreement that if he became a monk, the Buddha would answer all of these perplexing questions.

The monk agreed that he did not. The Buddha further pointed out that what he said was for fast progress toward enlightenment and freedom. And these questions, whatever the answer, were not conducive to that.

It was far better to follow the Path than to remain stuck pondering all of these types of questions (which probably included the Four Imponderables). Become enlightened and see for yourself is the spirit of the matter. The monk was flummoxed by this logic.

Then the Buddha removed all doubt by teaching this monk using an amazing analogy: The Parable of the Poisoned Arrow

#BuddhistCosmology #Buddhism #NoCreator. Channel's purpose and commitment: This channel is committed to sharing the beauty and wisdom of Buddhist teachings with the purpose of education and inspiration. All content is created with deep respect for the [historical] Buddha’s teachings, aiming to promote understanding, mindfulness, and compassion in everyday life. The goal is to present the values and practices of Buddhism in a way that is accessible and beneficial to everyone, regardless of their background or [religious, agnostic, or atheistic] beliefs. It does not seek to influence or alter anyone’s faith but simply to offer insights into the timeless wisdom of Buddhism as a source of guidance and positivity. This channel is a space for learning, reflection, and connection, guided by the principles of respect, kindness, and truth. Feedback or concerns are welcomed as is open and respectful dialogue. Thanks for supporting the mission to share the meaningful messages of Buddhism with the world.

• Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad); Buddhist Podcast (video), 6/4/,25; Bible stories with Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian; text by Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Amber Larson, Xochitl (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly