In the temple, I realized that this particular kind of life required an odd bravery--the kind of whole-life commitment I'd previously associated only with social activism. Before, like many Westerners, I thought that Buddhism encouraged us to ignore worldly problems. I imagined the goal of meditation was to avoid our emotions, perhaps depositing ( Read more... )

Buddhism and the Blues
Buddhist psychology's core techniques of meditation and awareness may have much to offer ordinary Westerners.

By:Hara Estroff Marano

To most people Buddhism is an ancient Eastern religion, although a very special one. It has no god, it has no central creed or dogma and its primary goal is the expansion of consciousness, ( Read more... )

In keeping with the theme of Jeff's lastest post, Never Disparaging, I came across a documentary about using Vipassana meditation in prisons.  Excerpt follows:

During the following winter of 1994-95, the Israeli filmmakers traveled to both Tihar and to the Baroda Jail in the India state of Gujarat, at which Vipassana courses had also been ( Read more... )

We just played a show with Pali (and yes--that is after the Buddhist Language of my particular tradition) last month at Carenza's monthly Hafla.  This was her Poi piece:



She told me that I was the first person to guess what her name was from. I didn't think that was such a feat, but then again, most people in the States are only familiar ( Read more... )

"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity."
- Albert Einstein