Archive for January 2016
Lovingkindness Now and in the Past
In contrast to the dominant role that mettā (lovingkindness) and the other Brahmavihāras (compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity) play in contemporary Buddhist practice, they seem to have played a relatively minor role in the earliest tradition. One looks in vain for much elaboration on mettā’s dhammic role; largely it seems to have been seen as…
Read MoreEpisode 239 :: Rick Heller :: Secular Meditation: 32 Practices for Cultivating Inner Peace, Compassion, and Joy
Rick Heller Rick Heller returns to tell us about Secular Meditation: 32 Practices for Cultivating Inner Peace, Compassion, and Joy — A Guide from the Humanist Community at Harvard. 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.…
Read MoreSecular Meditation: A Review
When I reviewed Sam Harris’ book, Waking Up, in these pages, I lamented that the book failed to live up to its subtitle, “A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion.” Indeed, there are a growing number of volumes, from writers like Harris, Stephen Batchelor and others, that discuss the philosophical underpinnings of living a spiritual life…
Read MoreEpisode 238 :: Ken McLeod :: A Trackless Path
Ken McLeod Ken McLeod joins us to speak about A Trackless Path, a translation of one of a key poem of the 18th century Tibetan mystic Jigme Lingpa. As we read, reflect, practice, and eventually embody the words and practices of our forebears in the tradition, it’s interesting how much of what they taught sounds…
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