Beliefs don’t just come with religion. We form beliefs in all aspects of our lives, some subtle, some more obvious. Most, if not all, create filters you may not want to be looking through.
I’ve considered myself mostly free of beliefs, until recently. Continue reading “Beliefs and Mindfulness of Math” »
Neil deGrasse Tyson has said a few times that he thought it would be interesting to do a study on the 7% of scientists who believe in god to find out what drives that belief. I agree, and I think the first question should be: were you indoctrinated in religion as a child? My guess is they were. Continue reading “Why Religious Children Become Atheists” »
I’m repeatedly told by confused religious people that without god or religion, one can not realize meaning in life, nor can one be moral. So, I want to address meaning first, and morality second.
Even if you are religious, no one can tell you what the meaning of your life is. Anything they say about this is going to be guesswork, or words that come from some old book. Needless to say, it’s not going to apply to you personally in any shape or form. You can go ahead and believe that what has been said is the meaning of your life, but how can you know this to be true? Continue reading “Morality and the Meaning of Life” »
Practicing Buddhism should help one out of the mire of religion, not get one into yet another religion called Buddhism. It’s a shame that the Buddhist myth has been taken so literally and then turned on its head and twisted into the various traditions that it has. Buddhist teachings ask us to take a critical look at ourselves and the world around us, and that includes this thing we call Buddhism. Continue reading “Making the Most of the Buddha Myth” »
It is your right to believe whatever you want. But what about when beliefs interfere with other people’s beliefs or lack thereof? What about when beliefs cause division and hatred between people? Some people’s beliefs can even cause them to violate the rights of others, sometimes going as far as harming them physically. Continue reading “The Right to Believe, and the Nature of Belief” »
One of the first things I was taught when I ventured into Buddhist practice was to be mindful of mind. This is no easy task. One quickly discovers that thoughts are enticing, alluring, and in no time at all drag you off into a whole scenario, when the intent was simply to let the thoughts drift by like clouds. Continue reading “Mindful Modes of Thinking” »
Accept life on its terms and it becomes a lot more interesting. Keep believing there is more, and you are on a chase for your own tail that takes you nowhere. Yet, many of us, possibly most of us, end up on spiritual journeys that take up years, sometimes decades of our lives. Continue reading “The Selfish Circle of the Spiritual Quest” »
I studied a lot about Buddhism, in various traditions, and one of the resounding and inarguable themes addresses the big A, attachment. There is resounding agreement that attachment is at the base of craving and causes suffering. The indisputable agreement on this topic stems from the fact that personal exploration proves that attachment causes craving and suffering, and the idea is repeated throughout most Buddhist’s text. Continue reading “Attached to Buddhism?” »
I’m reading Stephan Batchelor’s new book Confessions of an Atheist Buddhist, and I must say it resonates deeply with me, not because I’m an atheist, but because I went on a similar curvy path of confusion through Buddhism. Fortunately, I didn’t spend years and years on that twisty road like Batchelor did. I saw through the religious BS of Buddhist traditions over a 6 year span instead of decades. Continue reading “Bringing Buddha’s Ideas Back to Buddhism” »
As we head into 2010, I’ve contemplated my past, and consider my intentions for the New Year. Notice I say intentions, not resolutions. I don’t need to resolve with finality, but instead I have some firm intentions that I hope lead to discovery. After all, seeing is knowing, and I aim to avoid believing. Continue reading “Seeing is Knowing” »
