Many of us who began to practice Buddhism as adults came with certain expectations of what Buddhism was about and what it could do for us. And likewise, once we faced the reality of how Buddhism is actually practiced in the West, many of us have been severely disappointed and disillusioned. First of all, if… Read More In My Tribe: Confessions of a Post-Buddhist Dissident
This is a continuation of my contemplation of the traditional Buddhist doctrine on pratityasamutpada, the chain of dependent origination, karma and rebirth. Part 1, Pratityasamutpada: The Evolution of Evolution is here. Please excuse my fumbling words, but it feels like a breakthrough for me, breaking out of the trap of literalist, doctrinaire teaching (an “enlightened”… Read More Freed from [re]Birth: The Evolution of Consciousness
I finally hit on what it is that I’ve been seeking in my Buddhist practice that is so missing in the usual sanghas of Buddhism-as-religion: avant-garde Buddhism. I have called it by many names: post-buddhism, x-post-non Buddhism. But “avant-garde’ finally hit the nail on the head. My greatest inspirations in the dharma have been avant-garde artists… Read More Avant-Garde Buddhism
Buddhism is a dead religion. That is, if you practice it as a religion. If you don’t practice it as a religion, but as a journey to explore the infinite complexity of self and the universe, then it’s vibrantly alive. The dharma is nothing more, and nothing less, than a set of instructions that empowers one to unveil… Read More Beyond Buddhism
Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson are not only two of my favourite musical artists, but my favourite Buddhist power couple. They were both students of Mingyur Rinpoche. Lou was an avid Tai Chi practitioner who practiced the 24-move Ynag form with his last dying breath, Laurie faithfully at his side. Laurie and Lou were married for… Read More Lou Reed & Laurie Anderson: Buddhist Power Couple
All the study and reflection I have done in early Buddhism and the recent study I’ve done in the Mahayana broke through to a new level of understanding. What was the Buddha pointing to? Where do we find awakening? Nikaya dharma, the early Pali canon, is all about the “human experience”. The Nikaya is about the specific,… Read More Post-Buddhism: Nikaya and Mahayana Contrasts in Dharma
Editor: The following post is an attempt to sketch out a post-modern use of the dharma that is not religious, or even “spiritual.”( It’s a rough sketch, so expect lots of edits over the next few weeks.) Personally, I use the dharma as both a heuristic device and as a humanist spirituality. But the purpose of my post… Read More Post-Buddhism: Dharma as a Heuristic Device
