Archive for December 2014
Episode 216 :: J.A. Kempf :: Unplugged
J.A. Kempf James Kempf joins us in our second Unplugged episode to talk about the problems he encountered in the practice, and wrote about in his book, Silicon Valley Monk: From Metaphysics to Reality on the Buddhist Path. How many of you have been on a retreat, and noticed that someone had significant emotional or…
Read MorePractice Circle: Resolution and Intention
The Western calendar is preparing to turn over to another year, and as a glance at any advertising medium will confirm, it’s time for New Years Resolutions. Time to promise one’s self to lose weight, quit smoking, perhaps even start a meditation practice. And we know the punch line, too; the health club that’s full…
Read MoreSam Harris Talks Spirituality
Sam Harris’s new book Waking Up has a lot to recommend it. Harris is a gifted writer, always clear and engaging, who never seems to talk down to the reader. This is not an easy task when dealing with abstruse topics. Harris picks out salient examples and tells interesting stories that continually bring his points to…
Read MoreSati and Sociopolitics: Throwing the Buddha Out with the Bathwater?
With Anderson Cooper’s enthusiastic endorsement on 60 Minutes last night, mindfulness practice is well into the mainstream. Cooper’s segment included interviews with mindfulness gurus Jon Kabat-Zinn and Chade-Meng Tan, Google employee with the job title “Jolly Good Fellow”. As the movement has grown, there has been pushback. Some has focused on the scientific claims, but…
Read MoreEpisode 215 :: Keith Nielsen :: Houston Secular Buddhists
Keith Nielsen Keith Nielsen joins us to speak about secular Buddhism in Houston, Texas. Secular Buddhism continues to grow and flourish, distinguishing itself from traditional forms with its focus on this world, while honoring the core values and practices of Buddhist thought. New groups continue to sprout as the notion of secular, while being Buddhist,…
Read MorePractice Circle: Transforming Suffering with Compassion
As I sit down to write this, the late afternoon shadows have deepened nearly to evening, reminding me that the longest nights of the year will soon be upon us. The news is full of the angry protests over police violence and the systematic atrocities committed by the United States government in its program of…
Read MoreThe Snake: Translating Ancient Verses
Note: This post is shorter than it looks. Skip the large section of Notes if you wish. The challenge posed by an ancient verse like “The Snake” is that, even for its original audience, a great deal is left unsaid. Even if you lived in a time when you and everyone around you knew that…
Read MoreEpisode 214 :: Yeshe Rabgye :: Life's Meandering Path: A Secular Approach to Gautama Buddha's Guide to Living
Yeshe Rabgye Yeshe Rabgye returns to speak with us about his new book, Life’s Meandering Path: A Secular Approach to Gautama Buddha’s Guide to Living. It’s interesting, as we look at the ancient Buddhist texts, how much of them have clear and present meaning to us in contemporary society. It’s what many of us like…
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