Buddhism Religion Portal: Beliefs, History, Rituals

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Awakening from Violence

By Gary Gach

Teachings of Vietnamese Buddhist pacifist Thich Nhat Hanh can awaken us to the nature of violence, and from its nightmare presence in our world.

Fundamentalist Buddhists, Fundamentalist People

By Scott Mitchell

Recognizing our own internal fundamentalist points of view may help us to recognize our shared, essential humanity.

The Rite Stuff

By Gary Gach

Variations on the Theme of Ritual
What role does ritual play in contemporary Western Buddhism? Might such understanding inform awareness of ritual in other paths?

Coming of Age as Training for Life

By Gary Gach

Mindfulness can furnish a trustworthy perspective on growing up, and a good tool for lifelong training in true maturity.

Is Buddhism a Religion?

By Gary Gach

The BuddhaDharma is as simple as opening your hand . . . or heart.

Supernatural in Buddhism

By Ryan Dinkgrave

"Unorthodox" rituals and practices in Theravada Buddhism appeal to a spirit or icon for protection or goodwill, such as good fortune, health, and luck, for themselves or others.

Is Buddhism a Religion?

One Dharma, Many Paths

What is Buddhism?

How Do Buddhists Worship?

What Do Buddhists Believe?

Compare Buddhism with Another Faith

The Wolf of Hate

By Rick Hanson

09/02/10

I heard a story once about a Native American elder who was asked how she had become so wise, so happy, and so respected. She answered: “In my heart, there are two wolves: a wolf of love and a wolf of hate. It all depends on which one I feed each day.”More »

The Evolution of Love

By Rick Hanson

08/19/10

How did we evolve the most loving brain on the planet? Humans are the most sociable species on earth – for better and for worse.More »

Taking in the Good

By Rick Hanson

08/05/10

Scientists believe that your brain has a built-in “negativity bias.” In other words, as we evolved over millions of years, dodging sticks and chasing carrots, it was a lot more important to notice, react to, and remember sticks than it was for carrots.More »

5000 Synapses in the Width of a Hair

By Rick Hanson

07/22/10

How much change in the brain makes a difference? Small changes in daily activities - meditating instead of sleeping in, driving a cab instead of working in an office - can make changes in the brain that seem small but actually create big changes in the mind. And that fact opens the door to amazing opportunities. ****************

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. A summa cum laude graduate of UCLA, he teaches at universities and meditation centers in Europe, Australia, and North America. His work has been featured on the BBC and in Consumer Reports Health, U.S. News and World Report, and other major magazines.

Rick’s most recent book is Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom (with Rick Mendius, M.D.; Foreword by Dan Siegel, M.D. and Preface by Jack Kornfield, Ph.D.), which has been praised by numerous scholars, therapists, and teachers, including Tara Brach, Ph.D., Roger Walsh, Ph.D., Sharon Salzberg, and Fred Luskin, Ph.D., and is being published in nine additional languages. An authority on self-directed neuroplasticity, he edits the Wise Brain Bulletin, and his articles have appeared in Tricycle Magazine, Insight Journal, and Inquiring Mind; his Your Wise Brain blog is on Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and other major websites. He has a chapter – 7 Facts about the Brain That Incline the Mind to Joy – in Measuring the Immeasurable, as well as several audio programs with Sounds True. His first book was Mother Nurture: A Mother's Guide to Health in Body, Mind, and Intimate Relationships (Penguin, 2002)

Rick is currently a trustee of Saybrook University. He also served on the board of Spirit Rock Meditation Center for nine years, and was President of the Board of FamilyWorks, a community agency. He began meditating in 1974, trained in several traditions, and leads a weekly meditation gathering in San Rafael, CA. He enjoys rock-climbing and taking a break from emails. He and his wife have two children. For more information, please see his full profile at www.RickHanson.net. You can find him on the social web at http://www.facebook.com/BuddhasBrain and http://www.YouTube.com/BuddhasBrain

The Brain in a Bucket

By Rick Hanson

07/08/10

Have you ever seen a real brain? That blobby organ – just three pounds of tofu-like tissue – is considered by scientists to be the most complex object currently known in the universe.More »

karma and the middle passage

By Scott

06/21/10

I was out of town for most of this past weekend for some personal, family related issues. (That's all you get, Internet! I don't hang out all my laundry, dirty or clean!) So I've been out of touch with my usual online sources — blogs, Twitters, etc., etc. But one thing did catch my eye, and it's been rattling around my head for a couple of days now. Claudia, of the wonderful blog The Bottom of Heaven, twittered (tweeted?) the following:

Can't quite wrap my head around the idea of Karma on a meta-level; was the Middle Passage "bad Karma"? Is this a question Buddhists ask?

Buddhist Books … A Patheos Poll

By Gary Gach

06/17/10

Buddhist books … topic for conversation … as the wheel of Dharma turns … Please weigh in, via the Reply section, below… as to Buddhist books in your own life …. Have you found books helpful ? ¿ or no ? … (express your experience). What are your favorite Buddhist books? (This is the place to talk [...]More »

why shin buddhism

By Scott

06/16/10

I have been asked on more than one occasion why I’ve chosen to follow the Shin Buddhist path. Many times, I get the strong impression that the asker is thinking to him/herself, “Isn’t Shin Buddhism a Japanese Buddhist path? You’re not Japanese. You didn’t marry a Japanese Buddhist. What’s the deal?” I think, despite the [...]More »

Buddhist Portal Archives

By Gary Gach

06/14/10

j Patheos’ As the Dharma Turns offers a month-to-month archives, as is a standard amenity with blogs. Within the blogspace, to the right, you’ll see both “Recently Posted” and “Archives.” Articles posted in the Public Square feature are also archived; other articles, however, aren’t. So this page — to be updated over time — commemorates articles no [...]More »

oil + water …

By Gary Gach

06/07/10

British Petroleum’s catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the largest in American history, and as of this writing the crisis continues. To date, every two to three days the ruptured BP oil well spews out the same amount of oil as the entire Alaskan Exxon Valdez oil spill. By way [...]More »

IN OUR PUBLIC SQUARE

RECENT ARTICLES		FURTHER READING
Supernatural in Buddhism		Buddhist Origins
God in 100 Words		Founding Figures
Money For Nothing		History
Nonduality of Ecology and Economy		Beliefs
In the Zone		Sacred Texts
Why Interfaith Dialogue is Urgent		Mythology
In Exile Together		Ritual
Conversion in Shambhala		Ethics
		Sexuality
		Social Aims

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Buddhism Religion Portal: Beliefs, History, Rituals

Awakening from Violence

Fundamentalist Buddhists, Fundamentalist People

The Rite Stuff

Coming of Age as Training for Life

Is Buddhism a Religion?

Supernatural in Buddhism

The Future of Humanism

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