Straight Talk About Buddhism

Over the years I've come to see that many people are attracted to Buddhism because of the emphasis on the ideas of Wisdom and Compassion. Who wouldn’t be attracted to that? Most of us start out wanting to “do” Buddhism as a way of self improvement.  This is a good place to start because we could all use some self improvement. Having more Wisdom or Compassion sounds like a good idea. Without even really understanding the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, we can all see and feel that

The Importance of Direct Experience I want to put a little twist on the old saying, “You’ve got to see it to believe it!” Instead, I say, “You have to believe it to see it!” In Buddhism, the direct experience of Emptiness is crucial. Without this experience, you are left with only a conceptual or intellectual understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. While this understanding is important, it is just a stepping stone toward awakening. A solid grounding in the logic and reasonin

I recognize gold. I see it everyday as my gold wedding ring. I know that it doesn't have inherent "ringness" because it hasn't always been a ring and it will someday decay or be melted down in to some other non-ring shape. But, I somehow still see it as being inherently gold. But is gold really gold? But looking deeper now I’m not so sure. At our house we have a poster of the Periodic Table of the Elements. Turns out they might not be as elemental as I thought. One atom of go

The Essence of the Two Truths The Two Truths are fundamental to Buddhism. They serve as the foundation for Buddhas to train themselves and transform others. Understanding these truths is crucial for anyone seeking deeper insight into Buddhist teachings. Insights from Jizang Jizang emphasizes that the Two Truths are essential for grasping the essence of Buddhism. He states that Buddhas rely on these truths to guide their practice and help others. This reliance highlights the i

Not even the Buddha can tap you on the head and enlighten you. There’s a lot of Buddhist teachers out there with all sorts of titles and ranks given to them by other teachers. Despite these teachers laudable efforts to guide and advise, none of them can do it for you either. If they could the whole world would be enlightened by now. You have to do it yourself. Most other religions are much easier. Like Peter Pan, you just have to believe and have faith. If you believe you can

This profound statement comes from the Buddhist Madhyamaka tradition, particularly Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way), Chapter 24, Verse 18: "Whatever is dependently arisen, that is explained to be emptiness. That, being a dependent designation, is itself the middle way." It encapsulates the inseparability of two core Mahayana concepts: śūnyatā  (emptiness) and pratītyasamutpāda  (dependent arising or dependent origination). The phrasing "

Understanding the Concept of "I" Who am I? For thousands of years, people have wrestled with this profound question. Many religions and philosophers, both ancient and modern, have proposed their theories. But who is right? Has anyone truly figured it out? As Buddhists, this question may be the most important issue we explore. Interestingly, Buddhists approach this dilemma using logic and reasoning. The idea is simple: if we can identify what the “I” is not, we can better unde

What are the implications for a person like myself? Nagarjuna argues that nothing can exist permanently because all phenomena are...

This is a basic overview of Buddhist Ethics. Living a virtous life has it's own benefits but the point of these is clean up your life and...

Why are you the Unauthorized Monk? You've been properly ordained, right? Yes, I am properly ordained and registered with the Soto Zen...

The Concept of No Self in Buddhism In Buddhism, it is said that under ultimate reasoning analysis, there is no inherently existing self...

The Promise of Buddhism The great promise of the Buddha and Buddhism lies in the Buddha’s profound realization of why sentient beings...

The Buddhist Teaching Upon Which All Else Rests The Buddhist concept of Dependent Arising is a foundational principle. It explains how...

The Concept of Dependent Arising The Zen phrase “No Place to Stand” conveys the wisdom of Dependent Arising. This principle, when studied...

Where Shakespeare Writes the Noble Eightfold Path O gentle souls, attend this divine tale. It speaks of Buddha’s path, where wisdom’s...

What if Shakespeare wrote out the Buddha's Four Noble Truths in his own style? (Disclaimer: I did not write this, I asked Grok AI to do...

Part 2 of 2 in trying to figure out why most people in the West don't become Buddhist. While Buddhism’s core principles—like...

Part 1 of 2 in trying to figure out why most people in the West don't become Buddhist. Buddhism's principles often resonate due to their...

The Unauthorized Monk: Tell me about Bernardo Kastrup’s philosophy called Idealism. Grok AI: Bernardo Kastrup is a philosopher and...

No. This is a grave misunderstanding that came out of California Spirituality. Buddhism earns its mystical reputation through several...