Posts by Ted Meissner
Episode 154 :: Jenny Phillips :: The Dhamma Brothers
Jenny Phillips Jenny Phillips speaks with us today about her film, The Dhamma Brothers, about teaching vipassana to inmates in a maximum security prison in Alabama. There are all kinds of reasons we find not to meditate. It can be hard work, for one thing, and sometimes we wriggle away mentally from the effort. And…
Read MoreEpisode 153 :: Heinz Hilbrecht :: Meditation and the Brain: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science
Heinz Hilbrecht Heinz Hilbrecht joins us to speak about his book in German Meditation und Gehirn, or in English Meditation and the Brain. There seems to be an attitude prevalent in our contemporary society, that ancient ways of trying to understand the world are in conflict with scientific findings. And in many cases, this is…
Read MoreEpisode 152 :: Gary D. Conrad :: The Lhasa Trilogy
Gary D. Conrad Author Gary D. Conrad speaks with us about his Buddhist themed fiction book, The Lhasa Trilogy. We’re going to turn our attention over to lighter fare this week, in seeing how Buddhist ideas continue to arise in contemporary fiction. We’ve seen more novels that touch upon these themes, but only a few…
Read MoreEpisode 151 :: Ben Fleury-Steiner :: Dying Inside
Ben Fleury-Steiner Ben Fleury-Steiner joins us to talk about mindfulness practice in Delaware at Open Heart Zen, and to continue our theme of compassion for others as he discusses his book Dying Inside: The HIV/AIDS Ward at Limestone Prison. Hi, everyone. When we do metta practice, starting with ourselves, then our loved ones, families, friends,…
Read MoreEpisode 150 :: Bob Isaacson :: Dharma Voices for Animals
Bob Isaacson Social activist and dharma teacher Bob Isaacson speaks with us today about his efforts with the organization, Dharma Voices for Animals. Hi everyone. Welcome to the new year 2013, and episode one-hundred and fifty of The Secular Buddhist. I’d like to thank everyone for listening, joining us on FaceBook, following us on Twitter,…
Read MoreEpisode 149 :: Mark Knickelbine :: Practice Circle
Mark Knickelbine SBA Board Member Mark Knickelbine speaks with us about secular approaches to a contemplative practice, and the new Practice Circle. There are many ways to approach secular practice. You might, for example, come to Buddhism from a different religious tradition, and find that the teaching is helping you, but the supernatural assertions as…
Read MoreEpisode 148 :: Mike Nam :: U.S. Military Buddhists
Mike Nam Secular Buddhism seems like an oxymoron, especially when we simply take the words themselves at face value without any deeper understanding of what we mean. Military Buddhists might be another phrase that elicits a similar response. There are many service men and women in our armed forces that would describe themselves as Buddhist.…
Read MoreLoving Kindness Guided Meditation
Guided Loving Kindness Meditation Follow this Guided Loving Kindness Meditation by Mark Knicklebine (about 35 minutes):
Read MoreEpisode 147 :: Cheryl Giles and Willa Miller :: Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work
We all go through times in our lives when we have a hard time. Conditioned existence, the world in which we live, is like that. And we have different levels of ability to find comfort in those trying times. Some are naturally flexible, able to easily navigate the difficult waters of significant personal loss or…
Read MoreJan Ford :: Igniting the Human Imagination
Everyone, I would like to share our dear friend and Senior Advisor Jan Ford’s most pressing thoughts and interests for the Secular Buddhist Association, and our mission, prior to his passing. Thanks to Dana Nourie, we have permission to publish this personal message, crafted while Jan was heavily sedated and struggling with the health issues…
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