Archive for March 2019
Fake It Till You Make It?
I did an earlier video where I discussed some of the pitfalls of searching for authenticity in our daily lives. One alternative to a direction of authenticity is to pursue a practice of “faking it until you make it”. But is this a good idea? We’ll look at some directions from the early Buddhist texts…
Read MoreEarly Buddhism on the Internet
It can be difficult to find reliable information about early or secular Buddhism on the Internet. I’ll discuss some places we can look, and find both good translations of early texts and reasoned articles or discussions relating to them. Sites mentioned (besides this one): https://accesstoinsight.org http://suttacentral.net http://www.patheos.com/blogs/americanbuddhist/ https://integrateddharmainstitute.org https://tricycle.org http://lionsroar.com/ https://www.bodhipaksa.com/ http://www.leighb.com/ https://bodhimonastery.org/a-systematic-study-of-the-majjhima-nikaya.html https://www.baus.org/en/teaching/dharma-stream/a-course-in-the-majjhima-nikaya-with-ven-bhikkhu/ There…
Read MoreThe Paradox of Greed
We often feel that the more we have, the happier we will be. Is that really so? We will take a look at the paradox of greed using a story from the Buddha’s teaching. Sutta mentioned: Ud. 8.8
Read MoreAuthenticity: Good and Bad
Many of us feel that being authentic is a life goal. We will look at that claim, and with the help of a recent article, compare the goal of authenticity with another more plainly ethical goal. We will ask if there may be a potential downside to authenticity, and try to find when authenticity might…
Read MoreEpisode 307 :: Eve Ekman :: Cultivating Emotional Balance
Eve Ekman Eve Ekman joins us to speak about the program Cultivating Emotional Balance. In quite a few conversations lately, I’ve noticed a trend to encourage the perspective of emotions as transitory. Which has merit, of course thoughts, sensations, and emotions arise and fade. But I’ve seen this attitude sometimes cross over into dismissing both…
Read MoreMetta Meditation from Loving-Kindness to Fellow-Feeling
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. – Whitman, “Song of Myself” Four Cardinal Virtues of Buddhism are Metta ‘Loving-Kindness’, Karuna ‘Compassion’, Mudita ‘Empathetic Joy’, and Upekkha ‘Equanimity’. As with all Buddhist virtues, these are to be applied to oneself as well as to others. But one, Metta, seems to…
Read MoreEpisode 306 :: Cameron Conaway :: Unplugged — Emotional Trauma, Anger, and Transformation
Cameron Conaway Cameron Conaway joins us to speak about how Buddhist practice has helped the healing process of childhood trauma. If you have a history of childhood trauma of some kind, know that in today’s episode we explore this topic from the inside. Our guest openly discusses the pain he’s endured, how it influenced his…
Read MorePractice Circle 3/24: Relax
I think every contemplative technique I’m aware of involves at least some degree of relaxation. The practices I was taught in MBSR all begin with bringing awareness to areas of tightness and holding in the body and inviting them to relax; the Body Scan, which is the first technique one learns in MBSR, consists of…
Read MoreEpisode 305 :: Ann Gleig :: American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity
Ann Gleig Ann Gleig joins us to speak about her new book, American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity. It was just a few years ago that secular Buddhism was an unknown term, and in many contemporary Buddhist circles, unwelcome. Though there are still those who have difficulty with it, the fact is secular Buddhism has attained…
Read MoreOur Website Needs Your Help
You have probably noticed something funny going on with the SBA website recently – like the fact that there’s been no new content in months, articles and other content disappeared, and recent comments and forum posts are missing. You probably have been unable to log on to your account. Worst of all, Ted’s podcast, Doug’s…
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