Hi, I'm Andrew (한국어) 

How did you get to know Prof. Lee Joongpyo and Buddhanara?
My wife, Ashley, found Prof. Lee on YouTube early in the Summer of 2021. Her mind was blown by how dramatically different his presentation of Buddha’s teachings was, but how much sense his teachings made. Soon she was starting to actively attend regular teachings with Prof. Lee. Over the course of the next year, she became more involved with Buddhanara.

Throughout this time she would share particular insights she’d learned with me. Sometime in early 2022, she invited me to join the Samyutta Nikaya study group and offered to translate for me. Within the first class or two, I was hooked. I felt like I’d found a teacher who understood the main philosophical and psychological points of Buddhism and who could express them in a way that was harmonious with modern society.

What does Buddhanara mean to you?
Buddhanara is a sincere community of students seeking to understand how the meaning of Buddha’s earliest teachings are in harmony with the Mahayana teachings and with the best of modern philosophy and science. It’s a group that reconciles study, meditation, and the modern way of life. Together we’re helping show people a new, wiser, healthier way of seeing the world.

What has changed most in you since you started studying with Buddhanara?
I’ve developed a deep love of the Pali Canon, and come to appreciate the profundity of Buddha’s basic teachings on the five aggregates, four noble truths, and twelve dependent related links. I’ve come to see how Mahayana and Vajrayana teachings must be understood in the light of Buddha’s earliest teachings. And I now have great hope that we can provide a modern, secular presentation of Buddhism that will be acceptable to general society.

Why do you study and practice Buddhism?
I study and practice Buddhism to help establish a new, wiser way of life in Western society. My hope is that we can undo our cruel and self-destructive cultural tendencies, and replace them with compassionate and wise thoughts and actions.

What are your hobbies and interests?
My background is in software development, and I enjoy solving problems through technology. I spent many years training in martial arts, and enjoy practicing T’ai Chi and Yoga. I try to read and learn actively on the topics of organizational development, cybernetics, system thinking, DevOps, psychology, and anthropology.