"To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to purify one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas."
— Dhammapada 183
Buddhist Library is a free online library of Buddhist teachings. We preserve and share the Dharma: canonical scriptures, clear studies, and practice guides drawn from the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions — for anyone learning and living the Buddha’s path.
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Applied Buddhism, practice, and the canonical texts
What Is Adhimokkha? Understanding Resolve in Buddhist Practice
Adhimokkha is the mental quality of resolve, decision, and conviction in Buddhism—the mind's ability to settle firmly on an object or understanding.
Buddhist Approach to Jealousy and Envy: Understanding and Transforming Issā
Learn how Buddhism addresses jealousy and envy (issā) through mindfulness, compassion, and the practice of muditā. Practical steps to transform these painful emotions.
The Vitakkasanthāna Sutta: Five Methods for Removing Distracting Thoughts
The Buddha's practical teaching on eliminating unwholesome thoughts during meditation through five sequential strategies — from substitution to forceful suppression.
What Is Bhāvanā? Understanding Mental Development in Buddhism
Bhāvanā means mental cultivation—the systematic training of the mind through meditation and ethical practice to develop wisdom and liberation.
What Is Nibbidā? Understanding Disenchantment in Buddhism
Nibbidā is disenchantment with conditioned existence—a crucial insight stage where you see through the allure of phenomena and move toward liberation.
Hiri and Ottappa: The Two Guardians of the World in Buddhist Ethics
Understanding the Buddhist qualities of moral shame and moral dread that protect both individuals and society from ethical collapse.