BAD NEWS: Buddhism is Not a Religion, Here’s Why
Last week a whole bunch of my Buddhist friends shared an article they were very excited about called It Needs Saying: Buddhism is Not a Philosophy, Science, Psychotherapy or Culture. It is a Religion by David Brazier. It turns out one of the major reasons David Brazier feels this needs saying is because he just […]
Instant Enlightenment and Instant Madness
I’ve written a few pieces on this blog about the problems with schemes that promise you a so-called “enlightenment experience” fast. Mostly I’ve tended to focus on Genpo Roshi’s bogus Big Mindâ„¢ nonsense. But there are plenty more where that came from. I Googled the words “enlightenment fast” and this is what came up: Here’s a webpage […]
What’s the Deal With Zen Ceremonies?
In his book An Introduction to Zen Buddhism, DT Suzuki said, “Zen … is not a religion in the sense that the term is popularly understood; for Zen has no God to worship, no ceremonial rites to observe, no future abode to which the dead are destined, and, last of all, Zen has no soul whose […]
Visions
Before we get started, tomorrow is our monthly half-day zazen in Culver City at the Veteran’s Memorial Complex located at 4117 Overland Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230. Come for any portion you like. We go from 9:30am till around 3:30pm. Show up early, show up late, leave in the middle, we don’t care. But it’s more fun […]
The More Drama You Have in Your Life the More Real You Feel
So I was talking to somebody about some drama she’s been having in her life. A person from her past had re-emerged and together they were digging out memories of things that had transpired between them, many of them quite unpleasant. Before I go on, dear readers, I should note that if you’re inclined to assume […]
