Archive for June 2012
Episode 124 :: Ginger Campbell :: Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty
Dr. Ginger Campbell Dr. Ginger Campbell speaks with us about science of the brain, and about the unconscious origins of certainty. How often have we been absolutely certain of something? We remember it clearly, we know it in our gut, it’s a sure thing. Only it’s not a sure thing. We’re fallible creatures, us humans,…
Read MoreA Secular Understanding of Dependent Origination: #0 The Taints
There are three taints: the taint of sensual desire, the taint of being and the taint of ignorance. With the arising of ignorance there is the arising of the taints. With the cessation of ignorance there is the cessation of the taints. The way leading to the cessation of the taints is just this Noble…
Read MoreA Secular Understanding of Dependent Origination: #12 Aging and Death
The aging of beings in the various orders of beings, their old age, brokenness of teeth, grayness of hair, wrinkling of skin, decline of life, weakness of faculties — this is called aging. The passing of beings out of the various orders of beings, their passing away, dissolution, disappearance, dying, completion of time, dissolution of…
Read MoreEpisode 123 :: Ramsey Margolis :: Secular Buddhism Community Building in New Zealand
Ramsey Margolis Ramsey Margolis speaks with us today about building Secular Buddhism community in New Zealand. We’ve seen a surge recently in the creation and development of secular Buddhism sites across the world, serving our diverse public of contemporary practitioners with a wonderful variety of online resources. There are many approaches to a secular practice,…
Read MoreA Secular Understanding of Dependent Origination: #11 Birth
The birth of beings into the various orders of beings, their coming to birth, precipitation [in a womb], generation, manifestation of the aggregates, obtaining the bases for contact — this is called birth. With the arising of being there is the arising of birth. — MN 9 translated by Bhikkhus Nanamoli and Bodhi On one level,…
Read MoreA Secular Understanding of Dependent Origination: #10 Becoming
There are these three kinds of being: sense-sphere being, fine-material being and immaterial being. . — MN 9 translated by Bhikkhus Nanamoli and Bodhi This link is second only to sankhara in giving translators and students of Buddhism trouble. The examples of the field are not much help to us because they are embedded in their…
Read MoreEpisode 122 :: Lee Carlson :: Passage to Nirvana
Lee Carlson Zen teacher Lee Carlson speaks with us about being a traumatic brain injury survivor, the healing companionship of dogs, and his new book, Passage to Nirvana. We are surprisingly resilient, and yet oddly fragile beings. We break. We get injured, and we heal. Sometimes those injuries are not visible wounds, but the effects…
Read MoreA Secular Understanding of Dependent Origination: #9 Clinging
There are these four kinds of clinging: clinging to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, clinging to rituals and observances, and clinging to a doctrine of self. — MN 9 translated by Bhikkhus Nanamoli and Bodhi The word translated as “clinging” is “upadana” and it actually makes reference to fuel — another form of nutriment, or food…
Read MoreA Secular Understanding of Dependent Origination: #8 Craving
There are these six classes of craving: craving for forms, craving for sounds, craving for odors, craving for flavors, craving for tangibles, craving for mind-objects. — MN 9 translated by Bhikkhus Nanamoli and Bodhi What is being defined by “craving for sense-objects” is actually far more complex than the simple words of the sutta indicate. This…
Read MoreEpisode 121 :: Charles Prebish :: An American Buddhist Life
Charles Prebish Charles Prebish, scholar of American Buddhism, speaks with us about his book An American Buddhist Life: Memoirs of a Modern Dharma Pioneer. As Buddhism has moved into new cultures and societies, it has done two things: it has created outposts of its historical traditions in those new locations and times, and it has…
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