A collection of single talks on various fundamental topics in Buddhism that Dr. Lye has given in the past at various locations often with a general audience having some interest in Buddhist practice and spirituality more generally. Some of the talks in this section were also given at Urban Dharma North Carolina temple during its Saturday afternoon service.

The Buddha’s teaching on karma (literally, “action”) is his compassionate explanation of the way things are: our thoughts and actions determine our experience-now and in the future. And therefore we ourselves are largely responsible for the way our lives unfold. Yet this supremely useful teaching is often ignored due to misconceptions about it that abound in popular culture. Even many contemporary Buddhist teachers-especially in the West-seem to shy away from teaching about karma or even dismiss it as something the Buddha “took for granted, given his context.”

In this series, Dr. Lye will show how the Buddha’s teachings on karma can help us live good and happy lives for ourselves and for others. Dr. Lye’s often humorous and highly-relatable presentation will help us see how a clear understanding of the Buddha’s teachings on karma can lead to a transformative way of life despite an overwhelming feeling of living in difficult, challenging and threatening times.

The Heart Sutra is one of the most known of all Buddhist scriptures and is recognized for its profundity, brevity and sometimes seemingly enigmatic words. It is “a sweeping attack on everything we hold most dear: our troubles, the world as we know it, even the teachings of the Buddha himself.” Philosophically, its contents reveal the very “heart” or “essence” of reality, and the content of Buddha wisdom. Pragmatically speaking, this sutra is chanted daily at monasteries, hermitages, and homes as a potent form of protection against physical harm, inner turmoil and misfortune. As usual, Dr. Lye will be drawing from across Buddhist traditions to illuminate this sutra as well as translating its timeless message for contemporary times.

In this timeless instruction, its author, Shantideva offers us the Buddha’s “universal vehicle” (mahāyāna) teachings on wisdom & compassion distilled into the singular concept of “awakened heart” (bodhicitta).

Dr. Lye guides us through this celebrated text with his signature style that unifies a deeply heartfelt as well as intellectually honest approach to engaging and embodying Buddhist classics.