Will the Real Buddha Please Stand Up?

Summary: John Peacock is a scholar and Associate Director of The Oxford Mindfulness Centre. His studies of the earliest Buddhist writings have revealed to him a very human Buddha and a very different Buddhism than we know today. In a conversation with Hokai Sobol, Peacock describes the historical Buddha as a very practical teacher and a radical social reformer. He cites passages of the earliest writings that describe a very human and emotional Buddha that enjoyed satire. He calls the Buddha the “First Psychologist” and relates to him as a teacher who was more interested in practical psychology than philosophy. This is Part 1 of a 2 part series. Episode Links: Oxford Mindfulness Center ( http://oxfordmindfulness.org ) Hokai Sobol | 21st Century Dharma ( http://www.hokai.info ) Sutta Nipata ( http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/index.html ) Ariyapariyesana Sutta ( http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.026.than.html )