What Does It Mean To Be Enlightened?

Aug 4, 2008 | Articles

In a conversation with an aged brahmin, the Buddha once explained concisely what is meant by a Buddha, an enlightened one: “What has to be known, that I have known; What has to be abandoned, that I have abandoned; What has to be developed, that I have developed;...

Crossing the Realm of Death

Aug 4, 2008 | Articles

In South Asia, during the rainy season, the monsoons rains come pouring down mightily and heavily. When the rains pour down, the rivers swell up and widen, and their current becomes fierce and tumultuous. Seemingly out of nowhere, many streams previously non-existent...

Our Mind Is Our Best Friend

Aug 4, 2008 | Articles

Excerpt from a talk by Bhikkhu Bodhi (August 2, 2002) In our lives we often distinguish people as enemies and friends. We consider as enemies those people who are benton harming us, on doing some damage to us or to our loved ones. And we consider as friends those...

The Challenge to the Sangha in the 21st Century

Aug 4, 2008 | Articles

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Speech Lanka Daily News, July 19, 2006 The Sangha — the order of fully ordained monks and nuns — is the visible representation of the Buddha in the world; for twenty-five centuries, it has sustained the continuity of the Dharma among humankind; by...

The Problem of Conflict

Aug 4, 2008 | Articles

It is one of the bitterest ironies of human life that although virtually all human beings cherish a desire to live in peace, we continually find ourselves embroiled in conflict, pitted against others in relationships marred by tension, distrust or open hostility. This...