Archive for April 2012
Episode 114 :: Cheri Maples :: The Center for Mindfulness and Justice
Cheri Maples Meditation teacher and police officer Cheri Maples speaks with us today about The Center for Mindfulness and Justice. Ever been pulled over by a cop? Even off duty police officers who get pulled over have said they experience the same tension as everyone else when that happens. We’re nervous, even if we’ve done…
Read MoreWhat Is Secular Buddhist Practice?
We often get asked by traditional Buddhist, and people of all kinds, what is secular Buddhist practice? This is a great question, and I’ll do my best to answer, but I hope other secular Buddhist practitioners will also comment on this article to share any practices not mentioned here. Also, I want to remind everyone that we have a discussion forum that is dedicated to secular Buddhist practice, where people can ask questions and share their practice.
What is secular Buddhist practice? For the most part, secular Buddhist practice is identical to traditional Buddhist practice. In every Buddhist tradition to my knowledge, the following are vital practices:
Read MoreMindfulness for Beginners and Secularists (Book Review & Video)
Recently I’ve been contacted by atheists/secularists who have heard that mindfulness is a great practice, backed up by scientific study. These people want to learn mindfulness and meditation, but aren’t interested in Buddhism. I went through my own library, but found most of my books on mindfulness and meditation focused a great deal on Buddhist…
Read More"This World or the Other": The Contradiction at the Heart of Buddhist Tradition
In my review of Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s book on rebirth, I observed that there is a contradiction at the heart of traditional Theravadin orthodoxy regarding the goal of practice. In some of the Pali suttas, we encounter a Gotama who avoids and discourages metaphysical speculation, is ambiguous about the afterlife, and who emphasizes practice to gain…
Read MoreGood Faith, Bad Faith
While watching the Dalai Lama on YouTube the other day I was struck by a strange sensation. I was bored. Now don’t get me wrong. I like this ‘simple monk’ as Tenzin Gyatso likes to call himself. I had a long private audience with him years ago in Dharamsala that left me flying high for…
Read MoreEpisode 113 :: Lawrence Levy :: Growing Juniper
Lawrence Levy Our friend Lawrence Levy from Episode 12 joins us again to speak about new offerings at Juniper, and another perspective about the potential value of lineage. Lately we’ve had a great deal of discussion on the concept of lineage. Some of us welcome the rich tradition and consistency that lineage may bring, while…
Read MoreDirecting Wholesome Intentions (Right Intention)
In Part 1 of the Eightfold path, I wrote about Seeing into Experience: Right View. In this article, Part 2, we’ll explore the next factor of the path, Directing Wholesome Intentions: Right Intention. Like Right View, Right Intentions isn’t something to explore and learn in isolation, but it touches on all other aspects of the path and everyday life.
Read MoreBeing a Mindful, Politically Engaged Buddhist
Minds are turning towards politics, especially in the US where we have a big election coming up. Arguments and opinions are flying back and forth, along with facts and misinformation. As Buddhist practitioners, we are handed challenges in many forms.
Read MoreFear and Love
If you’re like me, you work with fear a lot. Fear comes at us in all kinds of ways, from nagging anxiety over the petty annoyances of life, to worry about difficult relationships and troubling outcomes, to terror in the face of physical danger, serious illness and death. Fear is a survival mechanism — it keeps…
Read MoreEpisode 112 :: Eric Weiner :: Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine
Eric Weiner Author Eric Weiner speaks about his book, Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine. In some way or other, we’ve all been seekers. Even if we’ve found that which satisfies us and fulfills us, getting there may have taken some experimentation. I suspect it’s fairly uncommon for someone to alway be satisfied…
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