Buddhist Summer School w/ Bhikkhu Bodhi (1)

The great translator: scholar-monk Ven. Bodhi

Nina and I were talking about the Dharma, her vipassana practice (or what she thought was insight), having convinced herself that no one is enlightened, no one would ever talk about it if they were, and what is enlightenment (bodhi) anyway? So much sincerity with so much uncertainty, doubt, and confusion about BASIC Buddhist Teachings was frustrating. How is anyone to learn the essentials without confounding later teachings, innovations, and confabulations (mixing the historical Buddha's Dharma with yoga, Taoism, Zen, Hinduism, Sufism, and the fake Buddha quotes that abound on the internet). The Dharma is not just whatever we want it to be, our interpolations, our Western logic, our New Age movement... So let's get back to basics. It's summer, and we're returning to American Theravada scholar-monk, the most prolific and faithful translator of Buddhist sutras and other texts, Bhikkhu Bodhi.

As It Is: Buddhism Series

Bhikkhu Bodhi: Introduction to Buddhism Series: 01. The Buddha | Lectures. (AudioBuddha) Aug. 17, 2021. Bhikkhu Bodhi: Introduction to Buddhism | Lecture Series Lecturer: Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi. Place: Washington Buddhist Vihara. Date: 1981. Source: Dharma Seed.

Reference book for first lecture

• Fundamentals of Buddhism by Peter Santina

In the fall of 1979, while living at the Washington Buddhist Vihara, American monk Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi gave a series of lectures on the fundamental teachings of Early Buddhism. Bhante G (Ven. Gunaratana, now abbot of Bhavana Society in West Virginia), at the time the president of the Buddhist Vihara Society, suggested he record the lectures so that the vihara (monastery, hermitage) could distribute them as a set of cassette tapes.

In the summer of 1981, Bhikkhu Bodhi recorded his ten lectures in the basement of the Washington Buddhist Vihara, using an ordinary, nonprofessional recorder. An enthusiastic lay supporter had the master copies reproduced in large quantities for expanded distribution. [Wisdom Quarterly asked Bhikkhu Bodhi in Sri Lanka bout the possibility of distributing those original tapes widely and received his blessings to do so freely.]

They have continued to be distributed on tape and as CDs for over 25 years and are now considered “public domain” for any entity to copy and distribute freely. [Wisdom Quarterly came into excellent cleaned up versions put on CD by Chaung Yen Monastery (BAUS.org) was living and teaching, having returned from Sri Lanka, where he served as editor of the Buddhist Public Society (BPS.lk).]

INTRODUCTION TO LECTURER

Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi (born Jeffrey Block on December 10, 1944), from New York, who received his Ph.D. at Claremont College in California, is an American Theravada Buddhist monk, ordained in Sri Lanka, and currently teaching in the Upstate New York and New Jersey areas.

He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publication Society and has edited and authored several publications grounded in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Bhikkhu Bodhi is founder of the charitable organization Buddhist Global Relief, which funds projects to fight hunger and to empower women across the world.

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