How do we know if pari-nibbana exists? Like the speaker in this traditional dhamma talk video says, we have to have some faith or confidence that the effort of practicing the Buddha’s advice will be worth it in the long run. Do Buddhist doctrines have a beneficial impact when I internalise the message and strive to live up to it? That’s the real issue as far as I’m concerned.
Quoting the Buddha is a popular internet pastime. However, quotes out of context aren’t much help to anyone, so here’s a brief commentary on the Buddha’s supposed charter for non-dogmatic free enquiry, the ‘Kalama Sutta’ (AN 3.65)…
Faith is an important aspect of the Buddhist Path to liberation. I am not talking about blind faith in personalities or fickle attachment to dogmas, I am talking about a discerning yet unwavering trust or confidence that one deliberately cultivates in order to dispel doubt and all other obstacles to spiritual progress…
Religious fundamentalists have been grabbing news broadcasters’ attention rather a lot since 9/11. However, religious fundamentalism is not a new phenomenon and Buddhism itself is not immune from it, or so it seems. In this post I outline what sociologists have to say about the apparent rise of religious-inspired hatred…
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After what I said last time about ‘faith’ it was perhaps inevitable that someone would ask me what my conclusions are regarding ‘reality’. The short answer is of course, I’ve no fixed conclusions – I’m still investigating through meditation and study. Nevertheless, in this post I briefly outline three main philosophical perspectives and where I currently stand with regard to knowing reality…
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According to Wikipedia, “Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, deity, or in the doctrines or teachings of a religion. It may also be belief that is not based on proof… The word faith is often used as a substitute for hope, trust or belief.” In this post I contemplate the meaning of ‘faith’ and identify five types that appear to be operating in modern day society…
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The compatibility of Buddhism and science was being argued during the Victorian period. More recently this idea has been popularised by writers like Fritjoff Capra (who wrote a book – The Tao of Physics – on how Western science and Eastern religions were apparently converging), and former monk Stephen Batchelor (who argued the case for a socially engaged, secular western Buddhism free from its cultural and religious accretions in Buddhism Without Beliefs.) In this post I explain why I no longer regard Buddhism and western science as compatible…
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Buddhism is a religion of self-help. The teachings traditionally ascribed to Siddhattha Gotama, the “historical Buddha”, are concerned primarily with ending existential angst and attaining liberation from the endless and painful cycle of death and rebirth. The Buddha claimed to have attained liberation by his own efforts and was able therefore to point the way for others to do the same…
