Archive for June 2017
Three Marks of Existence, or Three Factors of Human Experience?
Along with the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, one of the core beliefs of Buddhists is the notion that there are three basic characteristics or “marks” of existence – dukkha (suffering), anicca (impermanence), and anatta (not-self). In the Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta and other discourses the Buddha avoided entering into a debate over many…
Read MoreThoughts on the Three Refuges
Traditional Buddhists often take the “three refuges”. What are they and can they be understood in secular terms?
Read MorePractice Circle: Make Practice Your Whole Life
Those of you who have joined us at Practice Circle lately know that we have been working with the Tibetan Lojong text, fifty-nine slogans that present seven points of training the mind. There have been countless commentaries on the Lojong text; the one we’ve been working with is Norman Fischer’s wonderful Training in Compassion: Zen…
Read MoreWhat Did the Buddha Teach About Views?
The Buddha’s early teachings on non-clinging to views and opinions are some of his deepest and most profound, as well as being a little tricky to understand. For those interested in a very detailed look at the Buddha on views, do check out Paul Fuller’s book “The Notion of Diṭṭhi in Theravāda Buddhism”. Although it…
Read MoreEpisode 275 :: Innen Ray Parchelo :: Walk Like A Mountain: The Handbook of Buddhist Walking Practices
Innen Ray Parchelo Innen Ray Parchelo speaks with us about the interbeing of contemplative walking. Chances are if you are on a silent meditation retreat, the primary focus is sitting practice. Not just on retreats, either; sitting has a dominant focus in contemplative practice, interspersed with periods of short walking which seem geared to loosen…
Read MoreVideo Extra: Vlog Experiment
Oy, OK this is another experiment. Mixing things up a bit, this is a bit of a “behind the scenes” vlog, talking about some history I’ve had finding my way with Buddhism and creative writing. OK don’t hate on me too much if vlogging isn’t your thing, I’m not big on talking about myself either!…
Read MoreSome of Secular Buddhism's Roots are in South Asia
Secular Buddhism has roots that go well back into 19th c. South Asia. We will look at some of that history here. For more on this general topic see: Secular Buddhism’s Roots in South Asia. Erik Braun’s book “The Birth of Insight” is a wonderful resource for the history of Insight or Vipassana Buddhism.
Read MoreThought and Practice
How important is thought, reasoning, and cognition to our practice? Or is it just a kind of impediment? We’ll look at some material from early Buddhism for answers to this question.
Read MoreEpisode 274 :: Tami Simon :: Sound True, and The Dharma of Dogs: Our Best Friends as Spiritual Teachers
Tami Simon Tami Simon joins us to speak about Sounds True, and the new book The Dharma of Dogs: Our Best Friends as Spiritual Teachers. If listening to the dharma is something you like doing, you may have encountered Sounds True as one of the most comprehensive resources for contemplative practice. Today we’re joined by…
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