ON THE IMPERMANENCE OF THE SAṄKHĀRAS Friends, I would like to propose a brief reflection on the meaning of the term saṅkhāra in the well-known verse traditionally attributed to the Buddha shortly before his parinibbāna:Aniccā vata saṅkhārā,uppādavayadhammino.Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti,tesaṃ vūpasamo sukho.The verse is commonly translated along the lines of:“Impermanent, indeed, are conditioned phenomena; subject by nature... Continua a leggere →

The Buddha’s Middle Way: A Pragmatic Epistemology One of the most common misconceptions is to present the Buddha as the author of a particular metaphysical theory of reality. The Lokāyatikasutta (Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.48), however, reveals something quite different. A cosmologist poses the following questions to the Buddha: “Does everything exist?” “Does nothing exist?” “Is everything... Continua a leggere →

Madhupiṇḍika SuttaMajjhima Nikāya XVIII Durante un soggiorno a Kapilavatthu, sua città natale, il Buddha incontra Daṇḍapāṇi, un membro del clan degli Śākya, suo zio materno. Il risentimento di quest’ultimo nei confronti di Gotama può essere ricondotto alla sua scelta di abbandonare la famiglia e i suoi doveri per intraprendere la via dell’ascetismo, una decisione che... Continua a leggere →

CONDITIONALITY AND THE METAPHYSICS OF TIMEA critical note on the interpretation of Dependent Origination A traditional interpretation of Dependent Origination, according to which this process unfolds in its entirety over the course of three lives — past, present, and future — is, in fact, kālikā, that is, bound to a metaphysical conception of time. The... Continua a leggere →

Perception, Categorization and ProliferationExcerpt from the weekly Dhamma meeting,Tuesday, October 5, 2026 The Madhupiṇḍika Sutta (MN 18) describes a process through which sensory experience can turn into conceptual proliferation: “Friend, from the interaction between the eye and forms arises visual consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact conditions feeling. What is felt is... Continua a leggere →

L'origine dipendente in un singolo istante di coscienza Sammohavinodanī Tradotto dal Pali da Ñāṇamoli Bhikkhu,Traduzione italiana a cura di Dhammadana-Gruppo Buddhista B. DIVISIONE ABHIDHAMMA (a) Programma (mätikä) 932. Il Maestro, che ha una conoscenza senza ostacoli riguardo a tutti gli stati, ha quindi mostrato nella Divisione Suttanta, attraverso la pluralità di coscienza, la struttura delle... Continua a leggere →

THE ORIGINS OF SOCIAL CONFLICT IN BUDDHADHARMA The Buddha’s Realism Contrary to what is often said, The Buddhadharma offers a remarkably realistic analysis of the origins of conflict, crime, and war, tracing them not to an inevitable fate or to a metaphysical evil, but to specific mental and social dynamics rooted in greed (lobha), hatred... Continua a leggere →

The Role of Saddhā (Trust) on the Path to Liberation The Pāli term saddhā derives from the verbal root sad, which indicates that which is “true” and therefore “good,” and from the suffix dha, “to hold.” Saddhā can be translated as “trust,” although in fact it means “to embrace that which is true and good.”... Continua a leggere →

KARMA, NATURAL DISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE: A BUDDHIST PERSPECTIVE In recent days, there has been considerable discussion about the role of karma in relation to the tragic events that have occurred in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region, particularly in connection with the devastating flooding caused by the overflow of the Bhotekoshi River in Nepal.... Continua a leggere →