08/30/13

Knowing And Believing

In this post I argue that the popular science ‘priesthood’ of celebrities, journalists et al are serving a similar function to the spiritual leaders within organised religions who have traditionally interpreted scripture for the masses.  However, there’s a big difference between believing the truth and knowing it. Just as reading about science is no substitute for actually conducting experiments and applying the data to solving practical problems, so too one’s reading of suttas and commentaries is no substitute for actually practicing the Buddha’s advice…

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08/19/13

Is Anything Truly ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’?

As a Buddhist practitioner I reckon I need to be very clear on what is ‘good’ or ‘bad’.   In this post I explain how Buddhist morality is more to do with the effects of one’s own wilful actions (kamma) upon one’s own state of mind and less about the consequences for others. Nothing in this world is inherently good or inherently bad, but the Buddha’s doctrine of anicca, dukkha, anatta should not be understood as some kind of nihilism where ‘anything goes’…

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