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.
