The Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, lived in India
in the fifth century BCE. After achieving enlightenment at
age 36, he spent 45 years teaching meditation and developing
a deep insight into the causes of—and solution to—human
suffering. His teachings were memorized and passed down
through the generations, forming the foundation of the
Buddhist traditions that have moved across Asia and around
the world over the last 2,500 years. These original
teachings are still often chanted, but in the rapid stylized
monotone of monastic communities more interested in
preserving them and passing them along than of using them as
scripts for guided meditation. In the Buddha's time these
same phrases would have been pronounced slowly, with spacing
for silent practice, by people who perfectly understood the
ancient language and were learning and refining their
meditation skills. BuddhaWord offers direct translations of
these early teachings, updated for modern listeners and
recorded in a form that is accessible to the tech user who
has come to discover the inestimable value of practicing
meditation.
BuddhaWord provides freely offered brief tracks, with deeper
explorations available through affordable subscriptions.
Tracks are organized from basic to advanced and come in
short, medium, and long durations to suit your needs. Start
with shorter sessions for focus and gradually extend your
practice. Meditation is about observing your mind, directly
and immediately, without judgment or other conceptual
overlay. This practice may seem unusual and even awkward at
first, as the value of 'simply being' rather than 'doing
something' is generally under-recognized in our culture. But
with time it becomes easier to remain focused on inner
experience, interest in what is discovered becomes
increasingly compelling, and a person gradually develops
insight and gains wisdom. The guidance provided by these
texts help navigate this contemplative journey effectively.
Our translations from the Pali Canon are updated for modern
ears while maintaining fidelity to the original texts.
Several modifications are made, such as gender-neutral
verbs, the removal of vocative interjections, and in some
cases the reordering of the syntax. Transcripts are provided
for each of the audio tracks, with both the English and the
Pali side by side, so the user can easily compare with other
standard translations. The creator of BuddhaWord is a
professor of early Buddhist language and thought as well as
a seasoned meditator and has spent a long career working at
integrating academic study with practical experience.
