Archive for October 2015
Meditating Without Nirvana
Introduction A specter is haunting secular Buddhism;[1] it is the ghostly remnant of the non-naturalistic, supra-mundane dimension of traditional Buddhism. While we, as secular Buddhists, embrace the core insights of the Buddha about our human- existential condition, we need to usher this specter – the notion of nirvana – politely but firmly away from our…
Read MoreNationalism and Engaged Buddhism
Walpola Rahula’s What the Buddha Taught was one of my first, formative introductions to the dhamma, and it remains one of my favorites. So it was with some interest that I ran across a copy of an earlier volume by Rahula, The Heritage of the Bhikkhu, at a library sale last summer. In this book, Rahula…
Read MoreEpisode 233 :: Jundo Cohen :: Religious-Secular Buddhism: The Best of All Worlds
Jundo Cohen Jundo Cohen joins us to speak about concepts of secularity and religiosity in Buddhism. There is a misperception I sometimes encounter that may be familiar to you. It’s the idea that there is just “Buddhism”, as if it’s just one monolithic thing. Even breaking things down into the main branches of Theravada, Mahayana,…
Read MorePractice Circle: Three Minute Breathing Space
Several of us in the SBA are participating in the Mindfulness Summit, a free online program of interviews with leaders in contemplative practice. You can learn more about it in my interview with Melli O’Brien, the founder of the program, also known as Mrs. Mindfulness. The first of those interviews was with Professor Mark Williams…
Read MoreEpisode 232 :: Jay Michaelson :: The Gate of Tears: Sadness and the Spiritual Path
Jay Michaelson Jay Michaelson returns to speak with us about his new book The Gate of Tears: Sadness and the Spiritual Path. Hi, everyone. Before we get started with today’s episode, I want to remind the listeners that we’ve started a new podcast which may also interest you. It’s called Present Moment: Mindfulness Practice and…
Read MoreBook Review – A New Buddhist Path: Enlightenment, Evolution and Ethics in the Modern World by David R. Loy
In this age of widespread environmental deterioration, discussions about the global effects of unbridled consumerism often turn to religion for inspiration and solutions. David Loy’s new book “A New Buddhist Path: Enlightenment, Evolution and Ethics in the Modern World” (Wisdom Publications, 2015) examines how Buddhist philosophy provides a foundation upon which to develop an environmental…
Read MoreStephen Batchelor's "After Buddism": A Review
Stephen Batchelor, the controversial author and Buddhist teacher, has a new book just out this month from Yale University Press: After Buddhism, Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age. Mr. Batchelor, an advocate of a secular Buddhism, is probably best known for his books Buddhism Without Beliefs and most recently, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist.…
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