Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If I could sit down with my younger self — the one who'd just picked up his first book on Buddhism — here are five things I'd say. From meditation misconceptions to choosing a school, these are some lessons I've learned.
🧡 If you find this material useful, check out my Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: patreon.com/dougsseculardharma
🧡 You can also make donations through: paypal.me/dougsdharma
📙 Check out my book, A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a Foreword by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi: books2read.com/buddhisthandbook
📖 Index of all my videos: dougs-dharma.github.io/dougs-dharma-index
🎙Check out my podcast with Jon Aaron, Diggin' the Dharma: digginthedharma.com
✅ Videos mentioned:
Playlist on the Foundations of Mindfulness -- youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0akoU_OszRjItCXmF-MMPdKwTdtGSxl-
The Gradual Training: An Early Buddhist Map of the Path -- youtu.be/Pq0lloB-470
The Parable of the Raft in Early Buddhism -- youtu.be/4hDmFFXT_sg
Beginning Buddhist Practice -- youtu.be/-gWULW_aALc
Buddhism for Beginners -- youtu.be/pbngKOUgCDY
Spiritual Bypassing -- youtu.be/9vD0tOuE2lk
✅ Suttas mentioned:
suttacentral.net/mn22/en/sujato -- Raft simile: teachings as tools, not dogma
suttacentral.net/an3.65/en/sujato -- Don't accept on faith alone; test it
suttacentral.net/sn56.11/en/sujato -- First sermon, Middle Way, Four Noble Truths
suttacentral.net/mn10/en/sujato -- Mindfulness of body, feelings, mind, dhammas
suttacentral.net/sn45.8/en/sujato -- Analysis of the Eightfold Path
suttacentral.net/dn2/en/sujato -- Gradual training, fruits of the contemplative life
suttacentral.net/sn22.59/en/sujato -- Non-self characteristic
suttacentral.net/sn36.6/en/sujato -- Two arrows
Webpage: dougsdharma.com
Facebook: facebook.com/onlinedharmainstitute
Mastodon: https://mindly.social/@dougsdharma
Instagram: instagram.com/dougsdharma
Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dougsdharma.bsky.social
Research and outlining assistance from Claude and Gemini models.
❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons:
Anonymous (4)
Omar
John Oborne
Debbie Mattison
Ron Peat
Michael S. Kearns
Anne
Matthew Smith
Shantha Wengappuli
Karma_CAC
Jorge Seguel
Christopher Apostolof
GailJM
David Bell
T Pham
VCR
Upayadhi
Andi and Erik
Michael Scherrer
khobe schofield
Alex Perdomo
Benji Forsyth
Sonny Flink
Steve Marlor
Joy L Lee
Andrew Tom
Anthony Tucker
Karlee R
Ethan M
Billy in Singapore
Olivia Otter
Carl Lennartson
xiao mao
Jeff Harvey
Andrew Ingrouille
Kenneth Grandchamp
Rene Gariepy
Russell Needham
Smoggyrob
Mac Roja
Clémence Ortega Douville
Kwan Alex
Scott Johnston
Richard J Beninger
Nathanael O. Arnquist
SaturnianMandala
Trin P
Letesa Isler
Dorien Izel
Robert Paterson
Jake Tobiason
Steve S.
Richard Rappuhn
Sarah Kress
John Aaron
Paul Niklewski
Kong Ing Kai
rhys reed
Osanda Wijeratne
Scarlett Farrow
BJ - RetreaTours™
Roland Harris
Rob
John
Jenn A.
Hieu Chi Tran
Kenneth Sorensen
Will Mosse
Sharon E.
Marc Belanger
Kyaw Thurein
noted bones haver maia cash
Rebecca Duncan
Satibacon
Brooks Fleet
James Ravencroft
Gil
Martin Dinov
Karl H
Bob Fyke
DrMiles
Bossman Beasy
NaturalLaw
Note: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links are affiliate links where I will earn a very small commission on purchases you make, at no additional cost to you. This goes a tiny way towards defraying the costs of making these videos. Thank you!
If I could sit down with my younger self — the one who'd just picked up his first book on Buddhism — here are five things I'd say. From meditation misconceptions to choosing a school, these are some lessons I've learned.
🧡 If you find this material useful, check out my Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: patreon.com/dougsseculardharma
🧡 You can also make donations through: paypal.me/dougsdharma
📙 Check out my book, A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a Foreword by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi: books2read.com/buddhisthandbook
📖 Index of all my videos: dougs-dharma.github.io/dougs-dharma-index
🎙Check out my podcast with Jon Aaron, Diggin' the Dharma: digginthedharma.com
✅ Videos mentioned:
Playlist on the Foundations of Mindfulness -- youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0akoU_OszRjItCXmF-MMPdKwTdtGSxl-
The Gradual Training: An Early Buddhist Map of the Path -- youtu.be/Pq0lloB-470
The Parable of the Raft in Early Buddhism -- youtu.be/4hDmFFXT_sg
Beginning Buddhist Practice -- youtu.be/-gWULW_aALc
Buddhism for Beginners -- youtu.be/pbngKOUgCDY
Spiritual Bypassing -- youtu.be/9vD0tOuE2lk
✅ Suttas mentioned:
suttacentral.net/mn22/en/sujato -- Raft simile: teachings as tools, not dogma
suttacentral.net/an3.65/en/sujato -- Don't accept on faith alone; test it
suttacentral.net/sn56.11/en/sujato -- First sermon, Middle Way, Four Noble Truths
suttacentral.net/mn10/en/sujato -- Mindfulness of body, feelings, mind, dhammas
suttacentral.net/sn45.8/en/sujato -- Analysis of the Eightfold Path
suttacentral.net/dn2/en/sujato -- Gradual training, fruits of the contemplative life
suttacentral.net/sn22.59/en/sujato -- Non-self characteristic
suttacentral.net/sn36.6/en/sujato -- Two arrows
Webpage: dougsdharma.com
Facebook: facebook.com/onlinedharmainstitute
Mastodon: https://mindly.social/@dougsdharma
Instagram: instagram.com/dougsdharma
Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dougsdharma.bsky.social
Research and outlining assistance from Claude and Gemini models.
❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons:
Anonymous (4)
Omar
John Oborne
Debbie Mattison
Ron Peat
Michael S. Kearns
Anne
Matthew Smith
Shantha Wengappuli
Karma_CAC
Jorge Seguel
Christopher Apostolof
GailJM
David Bell
T Pham
VCR
Upayadhi
Andi and Erik
Michael Scherrer
khobe schofield
Alex Perdomo
Benji Forsyth
Sonny Flink
Steve Marlor
Joy L Lee
Andrew Tom
Anthony Tucker
Karlee R
Ethan M
Billy in Singapore
Olivia Otter
Carl Lennartson
xiao mao
Jeff Harvey
Andrew Ingrouille
Kenneth Grandchamp
Rene Gariepy
Russell Needham
Smoggyrob
Mac Roja
Clémence Ortega Douville
Kwan Alex
Scott Johnston
Richard J Beninger
Nathanael O. Arnquist
SaturnianMandala
Trin P
Letesa Isler
Dorien Izel
Robert Paterson
Jake Tobiason
Steve S.
Richard Rappuhn
Sarah Kress
John Aaron
Paul Niklewski
Kong Ing Kai
rhys reed
Osanda Wijeratne
Scarlett Farrow
BJ - RetreaTours™
Roland Harris
Rob
John
Jenn A.
Hieu Chi Tran
Kenneth Sorensen
Will Mosse
Sharon E.
Marc Belanger
Kyaw Thurein
noted bones haver maia cash
Rebecca Duncan
Satibacon
Brooks Fleet
James Ravencroft
Gil
Martin Dinov
Karl H
Bob Fyke
DrMiles
Bossman Beasy
NaturalLaw
Note: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links are affiliate links where I will earn a very small commission on purchases you make, at no additional cost to you. This goes a tiny way towards defraying the costs of making these videos. Thank you!
