Archive for July, 2008
Thursday, July 31st, 2008
Sam Harris and Andrew Sullivan Discuss Faith
While I happened upon this discussion late, I liked it very much. Both men are intelligent, passionate and polite.
In their exchange Harris, author of The End of Faith, establishes a definition:
I think that faith is, in principle, in conflict with reason (and, therefore, that religion is necessarily in conflict with science), while you do not.
Sullivan, [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 1 - Unconsciousness, Chapter 2 - Grasping, Fundamentalism, Writing by Michael
Thursday, July 31st, 2008
Deepak Chopra - Imagining God in Color
On beliefnet.com today Deepak Chopra blogs:
In any system of organized religion, belief trumps first-hand experience. Such an experience, when it is truly spiritual, brings a sense of universality, far beyond our concepts of race and creed.
Interesting echo of the section from p. 72 in AiTL, titled Anger and Dogma.
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 2 - Grasping, Fundamentalism, Interfaith, Writing by Michael
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Patriotism and Enlightenment
Over at the Huffington Post, Steve Posner wrote a great piece last week on the convergence, and divergence, of politics and faith:
Churches are among my favorite places to meditate. Even in the middle of a bustling city, whether it be morning or evening, in the American midwest or northern Italy or southern Spain, I can [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Politics, Writing by Michael
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Tricycle » Meditating Monks Ignore Earthquake
This proves it… meditation would be good for Judge Judy.
An earthquake rocked L.A. yesterday, fortunately causing little damage. It managed to scare the usually unflappable Judge Judy, but a group of monks meditating at a Thai temple were unfazed.
No Comments » - Posted in Theory & Practice by Michael
Sunday, July 27th, 2008
Gone Beyond, Gone Way Beyond…
Aloha from Kauai.
I’m sitting here doing a little reading on the net while my wife and daughter sleep away an eventful day of helicopter riding and playing at the beach. We also walked into a shop that specialized in Buddhist paraphernalia. Everything you might need to get your practice off on a traditional footing. I [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Theory & Practice, Writing by Michael
Thursday, July 24th, 2008
Infinite Smile Podcast - Perpetual Rest in the Fire of Life
7/24/2008
Click HERE in order to listen to Michael’s talk.
Get the new iTunes software and subscribe to this podcast from the Buddhist and/or Philosophy sections of the Religion & Spirituality list.
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In tonight’s talk, Michael discusses the incomplete nature of what he calls small self being. When our orientation is kept down by the fire of our addictions to egoic thinking and movement, we [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Podcast by Michael
Monday, July 21st, 2008
A Zen Retreat, A Buddhist Farm Offers A Place Away From Money, Stress And BlackBerrys - CBS News
This was a nice surprise.
On CBS Sunday Morning, Green Gulch Farm was featured as a way to escape. Of course, if you’re really doing the practice, it’s not about escape, but about facing everything and avoiding nothing. (p.201)
Read the article here.
No Comments » - Posted in Video, Writing by Michael
Saturday, July 19th, 2008
Interpretations of Awakening
In his blog post, Tom Stine notes:
The only “criteria” I have for awakening is seeing, truly seeing, beyond the self, the “I”, the “me” that everyone thinks they are. When that is seen through, completely through, it is as if one has awakened from a dream, a dream of self. One then knows oneself as [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Michael
Friday, July 18th, 2008
Non-defense
So often it’s suggested that fundamentalists are at the root of the majority of the problems facing both this country and the world. I couldn’t agree more. Except that those making this suggestion can obviously be guilty of the same unconsciousness they see in others.
An author I know makes this case in his new book:
Fundamentalism [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Fundamentalism, Uncategorized by Michael
Friday, July 18th, 2008
Reaching Across the Church Aisle
Here’s an excerpt from an interesting article that Digital Dharma got from Utne Online:
To some people, the word “Christians” brings to mind conservative, anti-everything culture warriors. Others think of peace-and-justice activism or the Civil Rights movement. In fact, the U.S. church has long been divided along theological, cultural, and political lines—and the different groups have [...]