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Essays

The Four Noble Truths

The Buddha's most important teaching, with plenty of background information.

Visual Aid - Sensory Process Chart

A visual aid to accompany "The Four Noble Truths," roughly demonstrating the sensory process which is central to the Buddha's teachings.

Rebirth & Kamma

An essay about rebirth and kamma (or "karma" in Sanskrit).

Cosmology

A series of essays exploring the Buddhist cosmos, as well as the various beings who live, die, and get reborn in it. [WORK IN PROGRESS!]

Heaven is For Real

A presentation of counter-arguments to claims made by Piya Tan, in which he suggests that the Buddha only spoke about heaven, hell, and gods as metaphors or cultural conventions. I argue that the early Buddhist texts clearly assume the literal reality of such things.

The Buddhist Political Ideal

An exploration of the Buddhist suttas, as well as a brief look at Indian history, in order to find an ideal political theory.

Notes on the Mahāpurisa, the 32 Marks, and the Cakkavatti

A deep-dive into three overlapping ideas found in the Buddhist texts: the prophecy of the Great Man, the marks found on his body, and the Holy King.