Seth Evans is a scholar and educator who specializes in the Abhidhamma Pitaka (abhidhammapiṭaka) and the

Visuddhimagga The ''Visuddhimagga'' (Pali; English: ''The Path of Purification''), is the 'great treatise' on Buddhist practice and Theravāda Abhidhamma written by Buddhaghosa approximately in the 5th century in Sri Lanka. It is a manual condensing and sys ...

. He is known for his work in the phenomenological aspects of Buddhist psychology. Evans also plays bass for the punk-rock band The Out of Sorts.

Biography

Evans was born in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

. He started his career as the bass player for the Denver-based punk rock band

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and toured America and Europe. After ordaining as a monk, he completed his graduation in Buddhist theory as a

Theravada ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...

monk at

Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU) ( th, มหาวิทยาลัยมหาจุฬาลงกรณราชวิทยาลัย, ) is one of two public Buddhist universities in Thailand, as well as being the oldest Budd ...

. As a monk, he taught meditation at Wat Prayong where he completed five

vassa The ''Vassa'' ( pi, vassa-, script=Latn, sa, varṣa-, script=Latn, both "rain") is the three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada practitioners. Taking place during the wet season, Vassa lasts for three lunar months, usually from Jul ...

. His academic focus was primarily on Buddhist ontology, Buddhist metaphysics, and Buddhist epistemology. He completed his PhD in Philosophy from Assumption University of Thailand. Evans teaches Buddhist philosophy at

. He is also chief editor of Journal of International Association of Buddhist Universities. As a Buddhist scholar, Evans cautions against understanding the teachings of the traditional Buddha of the

Pāli Canon The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from the Tamrashatiya school. During ...

with modern scientific concepts such as material cause and effect in terms of

karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively ...

, neurology in regards to

citta ''Citta'' ( Pali and Sanskrit: चित्त; pronounced ''chitta''; IAST: ''citta)'' is one of three overlapping terms used in the '' nikaya'' to refer to the mind, the others being ''manas'' and '' viññāṇa''. Each is sometimes used i ...

, and the scientific method as understood in the 21st century in general. Instead, he urges a hermeneutic interpretation of the Pāli Canon within the context of the North-Indian culture of 2,500 years ago. In 2018, he joined the Bangkok punk rock band The Out of Sorts as their bass player.

Articles

Conditions and Appearance: Exploring the Translations of Rūpa in the Mahānidāna Sutta

The Buddha's Temperance: A Comparison of Epicureanism and the Dhamma

Individualism and the Kālāmas: Critiques of American Buddhism

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Seth Living people American Buddhists Expatriate academics in Thailand American expatriates in Thailand 1977 births