Hearing the Dharma
Module 1 of An Introduction to BuddhismBuddhism always begins with an encounter.
Photo by Bhante Yuttadhammo
For our first lecture of this course, I’d like to invite you to meet Bhante Yuttadhammo. Bhante is a Canadian monk ordained in Thailand who teaches Burmese meditation.
Please listen to the above (short!) guided meditation for busy people on the internet (that’s you!) and when you’re ready, find the main talk below:
Lecture
In this lesson, Bhante Yuttadhammo introduces us to “The Triple Gem” or, as he calls it, “The Three Most Important Things in Buddhism.” Traditionally given as “the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha”, Bhante has a refreshing take on what those mean.
To listen to the talk, click one of the links above or use the inline player below.
This talk was originally followed by an evening of formal meditation practice, and while you may not have time for that, I do encourage you to sit quietly for a few minutes after the talk to let it sink in.
More from Bhante Yuttadhammo
After every lecture, we’ll highlight some optional further reading related to what we just learned. This module, I’d like to point out Bhante Yuttadhammo’s short, but excellent, meditation guidebook: How to Meditate: A Beginner’s Guide to Peace. It covers more details of his meditation technique, including how to do walking meditation and those “mindful prostrations” he mentioned at the end of his talk.
You can also find more of his work on his author page in our library.
Homework
After each lecture, we’ll also have some review and reflection questions to get you thinking about the lesson. Click here to get your first worksheet(don’t worry, it won’t take too long!) and when you’ve finished, click below to