To save oneself or everyone else?

(Buddha's Wisdom) Save yourself or save everyone else? Buddhism's most dangerous question

• Ven. Śāriputra, Maha Thera (Śrāvaka)
• Vimalakirti Sutra
• Mahayana exalts itself and condemns a scarecrow stick figure of its own creation, the Hinayana, no school of which remains, the last being the Sarvastivada
• Theravada, back-to-basics non-Hinayana tradition of the historical Buddha
• The Bodhisattva Ideal (Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka)

Save oneself or save everyone else? Buddhism's most dangerous question

(Buddha's Wisdom) May 6, 2026: ⚡ FOR 2,000 YEARS BUDDHISM HAS BEEN FIGHTING ITSELF...AND NO SIDE HAS WON YET. Is personal enlightenment (arahantship) selfish?

The Bodhisattva Ideal (BPS)

Buddhism's two greatest paths ideals, that of the Arhat and that of the Bodhisattva, have been locked in the most consequential debate in Buddhist history since the first century CE.

What began as a philosophical disagreement between Mahāyāna and [Hinayana schools until they were all destroyed and] Theravāda Buddhism [arose]. It became something far more dangerous: a 2,000-year argument about what "liberation" (vimutti, moksha) actually means, who it's for, and whether saving oneself first is an act of wisdom or an act of cowardice.

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 The [apocryphal] trial of Śāriputra [where Ven. Sariputra, male disciple "foremost in wisdom," comparable to Ven. Khema, female disciple "foremost in wisdom" used as a stick figure to represent first the Hinayana ("Lesser Vehicle"), a pejorative epithet, and later the Theravada ("Teaching of the Elder Enlightened Disciples of the Historical Buddha") to attack them with Brahminical and Hindu residues on what the Buddha Taught]
• 02:01 The debate we've been building to
• 04:19 The prosecution — Mahāyāna's real case
• 08:10 The defense — the sentence that stops everything
• 13:19 The trap — who is taking this infinite vow?
• 18:26 The real wound — self-view in spiritual clothing
• 24:01 The dissolution — each path guards the other
• 29:19 The same mountain

🔍 DISCOVER

• Why the [apocryphal Mahayana invented discourse] Vimalakīrti Sūtra placed the arhat (Pali arahant) ideal on trial
• How the Lotus Sūtra reframed personal liberation through the One Vehicle (Ekayana) teaching
• Why Theravāda’s strongest defense begins with one simple fact: the Buddha called himself an was called an arahant
• How the Diamond Sūtra complicates the bodhisattva vow through no-self (anatta) and emptiness (shunyata)
• Why Vajrayāna Buddhism refuses to take sides in this debate...and what that refusal reveals about both paths simultaneously

📚 SOURCES AND FURTHER READING: (with affiliate links)

• Primary [Mahayana] Buddhist texts: Vimalakīrti Sūtra (Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra) — Robert Thurman translation recommended https://amzn.to/3QTtGSD
• Diamond Sūtra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra) — Red Pine translation recommended https://amzn.to/3OP9Mro
• Lotus Sūtra (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra) — Burton Watson translation recommended https://amzn.to/4d2JFqh
• Primary [Theravada] texts: Majjhima Nikāya (Collection of "Middle Length Discourses" from the Pali canon) — Ariyapariyesanā Sutta (MN 26) — Bhikkhu Bodhi translation https://amzn.to/4dcS2y9
• Pāli canon — Nikāya (collection of) discourses on the brahma-vihārās ("Four Divine Abidings" of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity or dispassionate looking on) 

Scholarly and Modern Resources

• Paul Williams — Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations https://amzn.to/4evxKCq
• Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) — The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha https://amzn.to/3OMwqkd
• Étienne Lamotte — The Teaching of Vimalakīrti
• Peter Harvey — An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics https://amzn.to/42e1RH9
• Nāgārjuna — Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Jay Garfield translation recommended) https://amzn.to/4w8J0Lr
• Rupert Gethin, The Foundations of Buddhism https://amzn.to/4d5IG7h

🙏 Exploring Buddhism, Theravāda, Mahāyāna, the arhat path, the bodhisattva vow, Buddhist enlightenment (bodhi), no-self (anatta), and Buddhist philosophy for the first time? Maybe subscribing to Buddha’s Wisdom would be helpful. The Buddhist Schools Series goes deeper every video.

📱 Join community on Instagram (buddhaswizdom), Facebook (buddhaswizdom), X (x.com/BuddhasWizdom), Spotify (open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5...), TikTok (buddhas.wisdom)

☕ Support the channel: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom, paypal.me/buddhaswisdom

#Buddhism #Arhat #Bodhisattva #Theravada #Mahayana #BuddhistPhilosophy #Enlightenment #BuddhistDebate #Vajrayana #DiamondSutra #VimalakiriSutra #BuddhistSchools #Dharma #BuddhasWisdom #nirvana #BuddhistSchools #NoSelf #LotusSutra

How this was made auto-dubbed audio tracks for some languages were automatically generated. More

Beth Upton: Wildflowers and Wanderings

 

Monthly update: Wildflowers and wanderings

Ayya Anuttara picking wildflowers, Burma

May 4, 2026: Hello, friends! Springtime is in full bloom here in Austin, Texas, as we find ourselves halfway through our third Buddhist meditation retreat.

It is an incredible pleasure to spend the month with an American group this strong — a testament to the dedication we have all put in over the past years, both in meditation and in service to the Sangha, the spiritual community.

• VIDEO: Disenchantment with the mundane world: Beth Upton as a Buddhist nun for ten years

As the wildflowers come out to play and our retreat deepens, I am left feeling surprisingly hopeful for the future of our growing community.

Like wildflowers: You must allow

yourself to grow in all the places

people thought you never would.

— E.V. Rogina

🌼 "Like wildflowers" E.V. Rogina (pinterest)

For those who are keen to join a retreat with me before the end of the year (and before I take a year off), the last opportunity will be a short retreat that I will be leading in Uruguay in October 2026.

Registration is open through May, and places will be distributed on a lottery basis with half of the places reserved for students from Uruguay. REGISTER.

For those patiently waiting for appointments with our wonderful team of teaching assistants, four out of five of them remain on retreat with me for the next two weeks. Please be patient as they enjoy some precious time to deepen their own practice. They will be back online towards the end of the month.

Good news! Eva will be back leading online Dhamma Circles with me through the first two weeks of May and the whole of June, 2026. We look forward to seeing everyone there to deepen our skills in this powerful work.

Book Dhamma Circles along with all of my online groups here. I will be spending the second half of May mostly offline as I travel from this beautiful mini-Burma here in Austin to Spain, London, and then to Hungary for the start of our June retreat. So be sure to get all of the instruction you need from me in the first half of the month.

Where will wildflowers wander?

Last month, you may remember, I did a session with the team at Sangha Live. The session was on deepening our relationships in practice. It was a joy to meet the group. If unable to join the session at the time, a recording is now available. WATCH.

 

On Thursday May 14th I will be hosting the next Ask Me Anything group call. This call is open to everyone. It is a chance to ask all the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Come along in the spirit of the Dhamma. Ask me anything, and I will answer almost anything. Book a place on the call HERE.

Sacred stupa (reliquary mound) in Burma

Our next Service Team Call will be on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 — a chance for our Service Team to catch up and regroup after this season of service at Sitagu to learn and grow more deeply in our service to the Dhamma [the historical Buddha's Doctrine as preserved in the Pali canon]. If interested in joining the Service Team, find out more HERE.

Full Moon Gatherings

Full Moon Gatherings with Beth Upton

On Sunday, May 31st, 2026, Beth Upton will be hosting our next Full Moon Gathering. This month’s topic will be on the much requested subject of food — something we all need to deal with every day. Come share struggles and wisdom as we support one another through this tasty topic. Book a spot at the gathering HERE. As always, our Sangha Support groups are open to everyone and are here to keep everyone resourced and motivated in the Dhamma.

Join Josipa, Ricardo, Iva, Jonathan, Laura, Ayya Ahimsa, Joe, and Isabelle for online group sittings, Dhamma study, accountability, and parts work. If interested in leading a Sangha Support group, APPLY HERE.

E. V. Rogina on setting fire to her work

Last but not least, my one-on-one availability has now been updated through May 2026. These appointments are made available ONLY through the newsletter and tend to book up very quickly, so if interested, get on it without delay.

Because my one-on-one time is very limited, out of consideration for the community as a whole, please use this time only for things that cannot be easily addressed in a group setting. Book an appointment.

All of my work is given on a donation (dana) basis, which means that all of this is only possible because of generous voluntary support. Support this work.

With metta and gratitude, Beth Upton

• Beth Upton (Monthly updates: Wildflowers and Wanderings by Beth Upton), edited by Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly, Pa Auk Sayadaw students

Trump defeated in Strait of Hormuz, Iran

(TJDS) Part II continues on Rumble.com: Trump administration handed another colossal defeat in Strait of Hormuz negotiations with Col. Macgregor

(The Jimmy Dore Show) Trump administration handed another colossal defeat in Strait of Hormuz negotiations (with guest Col. Douglas Macgregor). With comedic voice impersonator Mike MacRae (IMDb, @mikemacraeonline • Instagram). More at jimmydore.com

Meditate w/ Bhikkhu Bodhi (Zoom), Vesak

CLASS INFO: Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 pm (EDT) with Bhikkhu Bodhi

Our Theravada JuBu teacher Bhikkhu Bodhi

Dear Dharma Students, please join us tonight (May 6, 2026) at 7:00 pm for a meditation session over Zoom by clicking here.

Each Wednesday evening, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi leads a meditation session over Zoom. The session consists of a 15-minute vandana (chanting Pali verses of homage) followed by a 45-minute guided meditation.

All are welcome to join. The texts for recitation are attached separately. Please see class page on website (BAUS.org/en) for chanting text. Miss it? Don't worry. This is a recurring meeting from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm (EDT, New York time), Wednesdays.

With metta,

Chuang Yen Monastery/BAUS

• Join Zoom Meeting us02web.zoom.us/s/83540900862?pwd=V1VkL0NhVEVnbGU4RnByNVJGRUhNUT09
• Meeting ID: 835 4090 0862
• Passcode: 368764
• Subscribe to eNews from BAUS
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• US (Washington DC) Dial by location +1 646 876 9923
• US (New York) +1 301 715 8592
• US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799
• US (Chicago) +1 253 215 8782
• US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799
• US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833
• US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 835 4090 0862, Passcode: 368764
• Find local number: us02web.zoom.us/u/kcYniDdmfU
• DONATION
• BAUS (The Buddhist Association of the U.S.)
• 美國佛教會, 2020 Route 301 Carmel, NY 10512
• contact@baus.org

More activities at Chuang Yen Monastery (BAUS)­ for May 2026

Dates: Saturdays, May 2, 9, and 23. Time: 6:30 am to 8:30 am (PT) - 9:30 am to 11:30 am (ET) On Saturdays, Bhikkhu Bodhi leads a full morning program of meditation and sutra study.

May 2nd and 9th is a "hybrid" program in-person and online. The May 23rd class online only this month. The online class can be accessed through Zoom. Please note: To participate in this class, one must register with BAUS ahead of time: Sign up for class with Bhikkhu Bodhi

The Sanctuary Within with Ven. Youmin

Instructor: Ven. Youmin Date: May 10th, time: 10:00 am-11:30 am and 1:30-3:00 pm. Place: Woo Ju Memorial Library. Lead by Ven. Youmin, we will explore the ancient mechanics of the mind through the art of breath, deconstruct the filters of our perception, and gain a definitive framework for stress management. This is more than a lecture, it is a mental operating system upgrade. THE SANCTUARY WITHIN with Ven. Youmin 4/19 & 5/10

VESAK 2026: "Buddhist Christmas" in New York: the Buddha’s Birthday Celebration

Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Place: The Great Buddha Hall at Chuang Yen Monastery. All are invited to celebrate Vesak, commemorating the birth of the historical Gautama Buddha (Shakyamuni). We will recite the Sutra on the Merit of Bathing the Baby Buddha and make a Grand Meal Offering to all the Buddhas. BAUS invites everyone to sponsor the lighting of a blessing lamp or other blessing or memorial services.

• Vesak: The Buddha's Birthday Celebration • May 17, 2026

Group meditation Wednesdays on Zoom

Group Meditation on Zoom w/Bhikkhu Bodhi

Group Meditation over Zoom, Wednesdays, 7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Platform: Zoom. Every Wednesday evening, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, Bhikkhu Bodhi leads online group meditation. The session consists of a 15-minute vandana (chanting verses of homage), followed by a 45-minute guided meditation, either on loving-kindness or on mindfulness of breathing.

Temple of Enlightenment (TOE)

• 3070 Albany Cresent Bronx, NY 10463
• TOE Meditation Class and Dharma Talk with Ven. Subodha

Instructor: Ven. Subodha, Sundays, 10:00 am to 11:30 am on Zoom and in person at TOE on Tuesdays from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Location: Temple of Enlightenment Meditation Program. In person only at the Temple of Enlightenment in the Bronx.

Children's Dhamma Class at Temple of Enlightenment in the Bronx, NY

• Bhikkhu Bodhi (BAUS); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Om Mani Padme Hum (Tibetan chanting)

(Om Mantra Style) This Tibetan mantra changes our state - Himalayan Buddhist meditation for nervous system healing

• Om mani padme hum ("all hail the jewel in the lotus," perhaps referring to the shining adamantine core wrapped in delicate sheaths or koshas, a "soul" or spirit in a corporeal body) is a Sanskrit chant uttered for its vibrational power rather than literal meaning

(Soulful Energy)

Avalokiteśvara as Kwan Yin

Oṃ maṇi padme hūm̐ [1] (Sanskrit ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ) is a six syllable Sanskrit mantra particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteśvara (later transformed into Kwan Yin), the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

It first appeared in the Mahayana Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra, where it is also referred to as the sadaksara (Sanskrit षडक्षर, the "six syllabled") and the paramahrdaya or "innermost heart" of Avalokiteśvara [2].

In that text the mantra is seen as the condensed form of all Buddhist teachings [3]. The precise meaning and significance of the particular words remain much discussed by Buddhist scholars.

The literal meaning in English has been expressed as "praise to the jewel in the lotus" [4] or as a declarative aspiration, possibly meaning "I in the jewel-lotus" [5].

Padma is Sanskrit for the Indian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and mani means "jewel," as in a type of spiritual "gem" or "treasure" widely referred to in Buddhism [6].

The first word, om (aum), is a sacred syllable [bija or seed mantra] in various Indian religions, and hum represents the spirit of enlightenment [7], though it is the sound of the throat chakra.

In Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism this ubiquitous mantra and its recitation is a popular form of religious practice, performed by laypersons and monastics alike. It is an ever-present feature of the landscape, commonly carved onto rocks, known as "mani stones," painted into the sides of hills, or written on prayer flags and giant rotating prayer wheels [8].

(Mantraon)

 

The mantra is also popularly used in East Asian Buddhist traditions, where it is mainly associated with the Bodhisattva Kwan Yin (Guanyin), who is the female East Asian manifestation (version) of Avalokiteśvara.

In Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, the recitation of the mantra remains widely practiced by both monastics and laypeople, and it plays a key role as part of the standard liturgy utilized in many of the most common Chinese Buddhist rituals performed in monasteries [9, 10, 11].

It is common for the Chinese hanzi transliteration of the mantra to be painted on walls and entrances in Chinese Mahayana Buddhist temples, as well as stitched into the fabric of particular ritual adornments used in certain rituals.

The mantra is also recited in the standard liturgies of temples belonging to the Vietnamese and Japanese Ōbaku Zen Buddhist traditions as well. The mantra has also been adapted into Chinese Taoism [12], which is not Buddhist at all though it came to form the basis of Zen philosophy. More

Peace Class, poetry w/Mandy Kahn (5/6)

Friends, Peace Class meets tonight Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 6:00 pm (Pacific). Join by simply clicking on this Zoom link: us02web.zoom.us/j/82150472713. Meeting ID: 821 5047 2713.

LIVE: Deep Dive Poetry at PRS w/Mandy Kahn

Share the link with friends. ALL are welcome. Host Mandy Kahn has new photos of a National Poetry Month billboard that was running throughout the month of April 2026. May has a live poetry reading she will be hosting on Tuesday, May 26th, in Manly P. Hall's historic religious library at the Philosophical Research Society (prs.org). We hope to see everyone there. Here's the text of last week's class:

How to use harmony to end a war

Mandy Kahn makes it onto LA billboard

Perpetual peace is a state in which belligerence does not begin. We can work to create a state of perpetual peace. When we do, we will have stepped out of the Era of Belligerence entirely.

However, before that occurs, we may find we have a desire to balance out an active outbreak of belligerence—a war—that is presently occurring. A very effective way to do that is to introduce increasing large amounts of harmony into the collective consciousness until active belligerence subsides.

Harmony is energy that balances active belligerence. Harmony is an aspect of the peace state. A perpetually peaceful world features a pervasive harmony that begins with an honoring of all aspects of the self (atta, atman) and continues with an honoring of all aspects of others.

To introduce more harmonic energy into the collective, we can either create harmony within ourselves or create harmony within a group. Either of these projects can generate powerful, balancing levels of harmony.

Let's look at each of the ways we can choose to work with harmony to end a war. First, we can play/work to create harmony within ourselves. Every self features various polarities—various ways of being, various viewpoints, various parts of lived history. When we introduce unconditional love and unconditional honoring to all aspects of self, we create harmony in the self.

If we are not yet ready to unconditionally love all aspects of self, we may work with a gentler energy: We can work with unconditional (universal metta and karuna) loving-kindness and compassion. These also heal, and they create a healed state within which unconditional love can more easily be chosen in the future.

So we can build harmony in ourselves, and when we do, we add harmony by way of individual consciousness to the collective consciousness. Once there, our personal harmony begins to balance harsh judgments expressed as belligerence in the collective.

Secondly, we can build harmony within a group. In any group, just as with self, there are various viewpoints, various ways of being, and lots of lived history. When we choose to unconditionally honor all members of a group with unconditional love, we create powerful energy for group harmony, which then contributes to the collective consciousness.

Group harmony is a powerful force that balances its opposite, which is the harsh judgment of others. The extreme expression of this judgment is collective violence called war.

But harmony in self and harmony in a group create a powerful healing process in the collective. (As with the building of harmony in self, when we work with group harmony, we can begin with unconditional kindness and compassion without limit and without end if we do not yet feel ready to work with unconditional love and honoring.

All of these powerful modalities create a platform for the next. Getting to a state of harmony in the collective is a “numbers game.” A certain amount of disharmony, fear, and lack-of-peace flows into our collective consciousness. That already exists.

All that is needed now is to get to a state of loving, a group expression to introduce the opposite energies of courageousness, harmony, and peace to balance, which creates a stasis of openness otherwise known as peace.

If we choose the energy of harmony, we may simply begin to generate it first within our own consciousness because doing so begins to send into the collective consciousness. From there, we can observe its effects. They indicate how much more is needed.

When we have added enough harmony, we will notice that belligerence has ceased altogether.

Think of playing with these balancing energies as adding hot and cold water to a tub. If we begin with a tub full of scalding hot water when the goal is to achieve warmth, what do we do? We cool water, gauge the temperature, and continue to add what is needed...until we reach what we desire.

Similarly, if there is a state of active belligerence around us and we'd like to create stasis (peace), what should we do? We can add harmony to our collective consciousness, through a group of individuals or an individual, until belligerence ceases. A “warm” state will be achieved.

Peace is a healed state. It is what we experience after what is disharmony has been healed into wholeness with unconditional love and unconditional honoring. Peace is the original state that existed before healing was needed, before judgment was introduced.

Peace is both what preceded judgment and what follows judgment. When enough harmony is introduced into the “tub” of collective consciousness, it balances the judgment in there. Belligerence ceases to exist. This is natural law.

When we make peace, adjusting aspects of peace such as harmony, we are concentrating a very powerful substance. The energy of harmony is so much more powerful than the energy of judgment that far less of it is needed. Its opposite is overwhelmed and we reach a healed state, a balance, a stasis.

One minute of experienced harmony offsets between 1,000-1,000,000 minutes of experienced judgment or fear within our collective consciousness.

So every minute of experienced harmony we contribute to the collective consciousness is a concentrated, powerful, and incredibly efficient agent of change.

Loving-kindness to harmony...

As we begin to generate the energy of harmony, we find that over time we are able to generate more and more of it. Why? This is because, as we develop harmony, we harmonize ourselves. The more harmonious we are, the more harmony we transfer into the collective.

Let this process be intuitive. If we want to wield harmony, simply welcome it in, honor the effort, and forgive yourself for any time spent out of harmony.

Harmony-building is holy work. We must honor ourselves first and we will bless the world with a holy example.

Peace Class Wednesdays

Zoom link to join Peace Class: us02web.zoom.us/j/82150472713. Sign up to receive these messages at mandykahn.com.

What time my time?

To convert the 6:00 pm Pacific meeting time to any time zone around the world: dateful.com/time-zone-converter. Learn more about Peace Class and sign up for future classes at eventbrite.com (1717358949849).

In peace, Mandy

See you live for poetry on May 26th and on Facebook and Instagram!

 

PRS.org, Los Feliz Blvd., Hollywood

P.O. Box 4444 Peace City, CA 44444, Peaceania

Maybe porn will make me rich? Met Gala 2026

The 2026 Met Gala was messy... (Tea Spill)

The hottest man in porn...is not this guy, accused sex criminal Ron Jeremy

HOW PORN BECAME THE AMERICAN DREAM (Moon)  April 29, 2026: Dark Documentaries. Quit porn today with QUITTR and use code MOON (quittrapp.onelink.me)

Fashion: the end of Kylie Jenner

She's becoming the worst Kardashian with no ideas

Legal prostitution in Las Vegas? Scam

(JacobslifeinVegas) What Las Vegas prostitutes REALLY do to you

• Prostitution in Nevada (does not include Las Vegas or non-rural counties)

Will Chris or other boys be going there?

Viva Las Vegas. Nevada is the only U.S. state where prostitution is legally permitted in some form. Prostitution is legal in 10 of Nevada's 17 counties, although only six allow it in every municipality.

I'm the bouncer! I work here! - Unhand me!

Six counties have at least one active brothel, which mainly operate in rural, isolated areas [1].

The state's most populated counties, Clark (where Las Vegas is) and Washoe (which contains Reno), are among those that do NOT permit prostitution. But they do permit "escorts" that may trick tourists into believing they are accessing legal prostitution.

It is also illegal in Nevada's capital, Carson City, an independent city. The vast majority of prostitution in Nevada takes place illegally in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Reno.

About 66 times more money is spent by customers on illegal prostitution in Nevada than in the regulated brothels [2]. More

Disenchanted with mundane world: Beth Upton

Disenchantment with the Mundane World: Conversation with former Theravada Buddhist nun

Disenchantment: Untold Tales

(The Theory of Samsara) Jan. 8, 2026: In this in-depth conversation on Ultimate Meaning: The Theory of Samsara, I speak with British Buddhist meditation teacher Beth Upton, a former fully ordained Theravāda Buddhist nun (Sayalay Anuttara) in Burma who spent nearly ten years training under Pa Auk Sayadaw (Ven. Bhaddanta Āciṇṇa) in the Burmese forest meditation tradition.

 

She shares her journey from ordination at age 25, through years of rigorous monastic training in calm-and-insight (samatha-vipassanā), to her decision to disrobe and teach as a lay practitioner in the West.

Together, we explore some of the most misunderstood questions in contemporary Buddhism, including:

• 

  Let go until success then go teach the world.

  What truly leads someone to renounce samsaric life
• Disenchantment vs. curiosity on the path to liberation
• Whether Buddhist enlightenment is possible for lay Buddhist practitioners
• The lived meaning of renunciation beyond philosophy
• Tranquility versus insight (samatha vs. vipassanā) — and why “vipassanā” is often a misused term
• Ultimate reality, momentariness (moment-to-moment presence), and non-self
• Why deep meditation can feel fragile outside the context of monastic life
• The role of community, wise friends, and authentic teachers
• Commercialization of Dharma vs. teaching by donation
• Sectarianism between Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism
• Why liberation is not just for “other cultures” or monastics

Canadian interviewer Lama Choga

This dialogue is not about spiritual abstract beliefs or spiritual ideals, but about what actually works when confronting disappointment (dukkha, suffering), impermanence, and the [impersonal] realities of samsara in modern life.

Chapters/Timestamps

• 00:00 – Intro: Beth Upton and Path [to End] Samsara
• 02:18 – Why she chose ordination as a British Buddhist nun at age 25
• 05:10 – Meeting authentic Buddhist teachers and the power of sangha [community]
• 08:32 – Experimenting with life and early renunciation
• 12:45 – Discovering liberation as a real possibility
• 16:40 – Is enlightenment possible for lay practitioners?
• 19:55 – Stream entry, arahantship, and Theravāda views
• 24:10 – Did Beth Upton meet enlightened beings?
• 27:05 – Why she disrobed after 10 years as a forest nun
• 33:40 – Fragility of meditation outside monastic life
• 37:55 – Teaching the Dharma authentically in the West
• 41:50 – Disenchantment with samsara: knowing it in the bones
• 47:30 – Cycles of renunciation and returning to the world
• 52:15 – Creating long-term retreat communities in Europe
• 56:40 – Teaching by donation rather than selling the Dharma
• 1:01:30 – Can deep meditation be practiced while working?
• 1:06:55 – Permanent retreatants and Western monastic models
• 1:10:40 – Environmental ethics in Buddhist practice
• 1:15:25 – Sectarianism: Southeast Asian Theravāda vs. Tibetan [Vajrayana] Buddhism
• 1:21:10 – Personal liberation vs. compassion for all beings
• 1:26:30 – Shamatha vs. vipassanā: clearing the confusion
• 1:33:10 – Ultimate reality and momentariness explained
• 1:39:45 – Causality, impermanence, and non-self
• 1:45:20 – Reflexive awareness and observing mind moments
• 1:52:10 – How to find wise friends and authentic teachers
• 1:57:30 – Final advice for Western practitioners
• 2:00:10 – Closing reflections and future conversations

Lama Choga and a Canadian Buddhist Sangha

If serious about meditation, renunciation, and understanding liberation beyond romantic [New Age] spirituality, this conversation offers rare clarity and lived insight.

🙏 Keep wise friends. Beth Upton's YouTube channel: @beth.upton.meditation

• Beth Upton's website: bethupton.com
• Previous videos about Beth Upton's backstory: About Me
• Episode 138: Trained as a Nun - Beth Upton
• Canadian Lama Choga: ultimatemeaning.org
• Meditációs elvonulások (Gánti Bence)
• Disenchantment: Untold Tales, Vol. 1 (book by Matt Groening)

How this was made: Auto-dubbed. Audio tracks for some languages were automatically generated. #DharmaTalk #Samsara #Buddhism #Theravada #Vipassana #MeditationPractice #Renunciation #Liberation #Enlightenment #BuddhistNun #PaAuk #NonSelf #FourNobleTruths #EightfoldPath #SpiritualPractice #Mindfulness #Jhanna #EasternPhilosophy #ultimatemeaning

• Host Lama Choga (The Theory of Samsara, Jan. 2026), guest Beth Upton; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly