The Secular Buddhist Podcast
Episode 47 :: Ron Stillman :: Twelve Insights
Ron Stillman Today we speak about the Twelve Insights of the Four Noble Truths with our friend Ron Stillman. One of the most overlooked aspects of our tradition, sometimes overshadowed by the unique strength of the Four Noble Truths, is another numerical designation of the Twelve Insights. These insights bring with them an expansion of…
Read MoreEpisode 46 :: Paul Saintilan :: Buddhist Recovery Network
Paul Saintilan Paul Saintilan, a Director and former President of the Buddhist Recovery Network, speaks to us about how early Buddhist practice is helping people with the problems of substance abuse. Craving. In Buddhism, this is one of the key components of paticcasamuppada, or Dependent Origination. It leads us to clinging, and weaves its way…
Read MoreEpisode 45 :: Brad Warner :: Sex, Sin, and Zen
Brad Warner Brad Warner speaks with us about his new book, Sex, Sin, and Zen. Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami. I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct. This is the third training precept out of the five precepts one undertakes in Buddhist training. But, what does it mean? And how does our…
Read MoreEpisode 44 :: Chris Mitchell :: Asperger's Syndrome and Mindfulness
Chris Mitchell Chris Mitchell speaks with us about his book, Asperger’s Syndrome and Mindfulness. According to the Asperger’s Disorder website, “… affected individuals are characterized by social isolation and eccentric behavior in childhood. There are impairments in two-sided social interaction and non-verbal communication.” Think about that. When you’re growing up, you not only have the…
Read MoreEpisode 43 :: Stephen Schettini :: The Novice, and Mindful Reflection
Stephen Schettini Stephen Schettini speaks with us about his experiences as a Tibetan monk in his book, The Novice: Why I Became A Buddhist Monk, Why I Quit, And What I Learned. We’re very fortunate to live in a time where we can have experiences our ancestors could never have dreamed of. Our modern communication…
Read MoreEpisode 42 :: Stanford M. Forrester :: Buddhism and Haiku
Stanford M. Forrester Stanford Forrester talks with us today about Buddhism and Haiku. Buddhism has a long tradition of finding expression in the arts. Perhaps one of the most in alignment with our practice of present moment awareness is that of poetry, specifically haiku. There are few forms which, in so few words, provide the…
Read MoreEpisode 41 :: Faith Adiele :: Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun
Faith Adiele joins us to speak about her experiences as your average Nigerian Nordic farm girl Buddhist nun in Thailand.
Picture this: you’re a complete outsider. You don’t fit in because of your ethnicity, your background, your religion, your gender, everything. And you take that a giant step further by going to another country, where you’re even more alien and don’t even speak the same language.
Read MoreEpisode 40 :: Glenn Wallis :: The Problem With Beliefs
Glenn Wallis Dr. Glenn Wallis speaks with us about beliefs, and how conflating them with knowledge can lead us down unhelpful paths in our practice. What do you believe? Our children are above average. Our dog loves us. Our team is going to win the game. Most of the time, these beliefs don’t really cause…
Read MoreEpisode 39 :: Spring Washam :: East Bay Meditation Center and Diversity
Spring Washam Meditation teacher Spring Washam speaks with us about having diversity in our communities, and East Bay Meditation Center. We’ll also have a bonus segment, chatting with Roger Nygard about the DVD release of his movie, The Nature Of Existence. Show of hands — how many of us have ever walked into a room,…
Read MoreEpisode 38 :: Jayarava's Raves
Jayarava Jayarava joins us to speak about his blog, Jayarava’s Raves, and his thoughts and reflections on being a pragmatic Western Buddhist. Secular or religious. It’s like you’re choosing decaf, or rocket fuel. We remain critical of each other’s ways of approaching our traditions even within the traditions themselves, and simple questions can be taken…
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