Who is Akshobhya?

Who is Akshobhya?

Author: Nicholas Bright Haight March 15, 2024 Duration: 23:11
Bright on Buddhism Episode 84 - Who is Akshobhya? What are some stories about him? How is he depicted in iconography? Resources: Nattier, Jan (2000). "The Realm of Aksobhya: A Missing Piece in the History of Pure Land Buddhism". Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 23 (1), 71–102.; Sato, Naomi (2004). Some Aspects of the Cult of Aksobhya in Mahayana, Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies 52 (2), 18-23; Strauch, Ingo (2008). "The Bajaur collection: A new collection of Kharoṣṭhī manuscripts. A preliminary catalogue and survey (in progress)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-03.; Vessantara, Meeting the Buddhas, Windhorse Publications 2003, chapter 9; Brunnhölzl, Karl (2018). A Lullaby to Awaken the Heart: The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra and Its Commentaries. Simon and Schuster.; Grönbold, Günter (1995). Weitere Adibuddha-Texte, Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde Südasiens / Vienna Journal of South Asian Studies 39, 45-60; Norbu, Namkhai; Clemente, Adriano (1999). The Supreme Source: The Kunjed Gyalpo, the Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde. Snow Lion Publications.; Wayman, Alex (2013). The Buddhist Tantras: Light on Indo-Tibetan Esotericism. Routledge. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-135-02922-7.; Valby, Jim (2016). Ornament of the State of Samantabhadra - Commentary on the All-Creating King - Pure Perfect Presence - Great Perfection of All Phenomena. Volume One, 2nd Edition, p. 3.; Abe, Ryuchi (2015). "Revisiting the Dragon Princess: Her Role in Medieval Engi Stories and Their Implications in Reading the Lotus Sutra". Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 42 (1): 27–70. doi:10.18874/jjrs.42.1.2015.27-70. Archived from the original on 2015-09-07.; Bielefeldt, Carl (2009), "Expedient Devices, the One Vehicle, and the Life Span of the Buddha", in Teiser, Stephen F.; Stone, Jacqueline I. (eds.), Readings of the Lotus Sutra, New York: Columbia University Press, ISBN 9780231142885; Boucher, Daniel (1998). "Gāndhāri and the Early Chinese Buddhist Translations Reconsidered: The Case of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka sūtra" (PDF). Journal of the American Oriental Society. 118 (4): 471–506. doi:10.2307/604783. JSTOR 604783. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-27.; Chen, Shuman (2011), "Chinese Tiantai Doctrine on Insentient Things' Buddha-Nature" (PDF), Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal, 24: 71–104, archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-24; Groner, Paul; Stone, Jacqueline I. (2014), "Editors' Introduction: The "Lotus Sutra" in Japan", Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 41 (1): 1–23; Karashima, Seishi (2015), "Vehicle (yāna) and Wisdom (jñāna) in the Lotus Sutra – the Origin of the Notion of yāna in Mahayāna Buddhism" (PDF), Annual Report of the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University, 18: 163–196, archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-10 Do you have a question about Buddhism that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by finding us on email or social media! https://linktr.ee/brightonbuddhism Credits: Nick Bright: Script, Cover Art, Music, Voice of Hearer, Co-Host Proven Paradox: Editing, mixing and mastering, social media, Voice of Hermit, Co-Host

Nicholas Bright Haight brings his academic background and personal curiosity to each episode of Bright On Buddhism. As a scholar of East Asian Buddhism currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Religion, with a specialization in pre-modern Japanese Buddhist architecture, Nick approaches these conversations with both depth and accessibility. The discussions unfold in a relaxed, question-and-answer style, making often complex philosophical and historical ideas feel approachable and immediately relevant. You’ll hear explorations that draw from his specific research areas, like Japanese Buddhist historical responses to cultural shifts, while also addressing the broader, timeless questions at the heart of the tradition. This isn’t a formal lecture series, but rather a thoughtful dialogue meant for anyone with an interest in how these ancient teachings intersect with modern life. The Bright On Buddhism podcast creates a space where scholarly insight meets casual conversation, demystifying topics without losing their profound essence. Whether you're well-versed in Buddhist thought or just beginning to explore spirituality and religion, these episodes offer a grounded and informative perspective.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 252

Bright On Buddhism
Podcast Episodes
What is Buddha-nature? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:48
Bright on Buddhism Episode 45 - What is Buddha-nature? What are the doctrinal roots of this idea? How meanings of this word change over time? Resources: Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton…
Who is Sariputra? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:09
Bright on Buddhism Episode 44 - Who is Sariputra? What role does he play in the texts? How does this role change over time? Resources: Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Anthology of Worl…
What were the 4 major persecutions of Buddhism in Chinese history? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:31
Bright on Buddhism Episode 43 - What were the 4 major persecutions of Buddhism in Chinese history? Why did they happen? What were their historical effects? Resources: Spence, Jonathan D. 2013. The Search for Modern China…
What are the 8 jhanas in Buddhism? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:05
Bright on Buddhism Episode 42 - What are the 4 rupajhanas? What are the 4 arupajhanas? How do they function in the context of meditation? Resources: Kevin Trainor: Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide; Donald Lopez: Norton Ant…
Kōan Series - Show me your original face [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:38
Bright on Buddhism - Kōan Series Episode 3 - Huìnéng asked Hui Ming, "Without thinking of good or evil, show me your original face before your mother and father were born." Hello and welcome to a new type of episode of B…
What is dependent origination? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:31
Bright on Buddhism Episode 41 - What is dependent origination? What are the doctrinal implications of it? How does understanding it lead to enlightenment? Resources: Boisvert, Mathieu (1995), The Five Aggregates: Underst…
What is Buddhist psychology? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:54
Bright on Buddhism Episode 40 - What is Buddhist psychology? What are its doctrinal foundations? What is its influence in the West? Resources: Caroline Brazier: A Buddhist Perspective On Mental Health. Paper for Nurturin…
Mahaparinibbana Sutta Part 2 - Chapters 3 and 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:24
The Mahaparinibbana Sutta - Join us as we read and discuss the Mahaparinibbana Sutta Resources: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html; https://suttacentral.net/dn16/?view=normal; Blum, Mark. “De…
What is upaya? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:09
Bright on Buddhism Episode 39 - What is upaya? What are the different meanings of this word? How do its meanings change over time? Resources: Federman, Asaf (2009), "Literal means and hidden meanings: a new analysis of s…
Buddhish Episode 8 - 1 Year Anniversary of Bright on Buddhism! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:58
Bright On Buddhism - Buddhish Episode 8 - Hello and welcome to a different kind of episode of Bright on Buddhism called "Buddhish"! These episodes are unscripted, untimed, and unedited. Note that we're speaking less form…