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Is Belief in Rebirth or Reincarnation Essential to Buddhist Practice?
You don’t need to believe in magnetism to use a compass. Reincarnation is Useful Bullshit Do I actually believe, as ontological Body reality, that I have actually existed through endless lifetimes? No. I don’t. But I don’t need to. I don’t need to believe in magnetism to use a compass. Karma still works when I act…
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Political Partisanship: The Inherent Unhappiness of Identifying with a Political Party
No matter which side you choose, if you identify as a political partisan, you will always be unhappy, anxious, and dissatisfied. The American People are deeply divided, more so than at any time since the Civil War. There are many reasons for these divisions, none of which matter to political partisanship’s emotional effect on everyone…
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Reasons or Rationalizations: Wisdom Versus Delusion for Interpersonal Relationships
Are your behaviors and attitudes toward others based on wisdom or poor self-serving rationalizations? Conflicts are inevitable whenever people interact with others. How people approach and resolve these conflicts determines the quality and durability of their relationships. A completely selfish person will demand what they want and manipulate others to obtain it. They don’t feel…
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Forgiveness: Choosing to Overcome Anger and Resentment
Feeling angry or resentful is a decision one makes, and individuals can use particular techniques to aid in their forgiveness. Hatred never ceases through hatred, but through love alone is healed. This is an eternal law. The Buddha When we interact with other people, we judge our experiences with them as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.…
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Buddhist Meditations on Virtue: The Key to Transforming the Heart
Buddhist meditation practices that encourage feelings that promote peace of mind and happiness. When I was a teenager, I completely rejected the Roman Catholic Church and all its teachings. With no lingering doubts, I believed I was a hardcore atheist. This break from my past allowed me to freely explore other religious and spiritual traditions…
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Tibetan Buddhist Lamrim: Developing Equanimity
Learning to devalue yourself and value others equally. The three types of emotional reactions Whenever we encounter any phenomenon, we judge it as either positive, negative, or neutral. Buddhist psychology recognizes three types of reactions to our judgments. If we encounter something we judge to be pleasant or positive, we tend to want more of…
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The Practice of Giving: Understanding Generosity as a Core Buddhist Virtue
Generosity is a key practice on the path to spiritual enlightenment in Buddhism. Giving and Wisdom Before I began engaging in a regular spiritual practice, I was not particularly generous. I nearly always placed my own selfish desires above any other concerns. I’m not unique in that particular spiritual failing. As I became more focused…
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Floating Through the Mind: My Journey of Self-Discovery in a Float Tank
How I came to spend several hundred hours in a float tank practicing Tibetan Buddhist Lamrim. A personal journey From the time I was very young, I observed the activity of my mind. When I was three or four years old, I remember several occasions when I lay in bed and noticed this odd feeling…
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Earning Heaven: Parallels Between Pure Land Buddhism and Evangelical Christianity
Salvation in the afterlife is the shared quest in Pure Land Buddhism and Evangelical Christianity. Salesmanship of Organized Religion Religions must compete in the marketplace of ideas. If the sales pitch isn’t compelling, people won’t follow it. Without adherents, the religion dies. Religions all use a carrot-and-stick approach. Some emphasize the carrot, like the Christian…