Dogen Zenji encourages us to remove the barrier between self and other. So, the beginning of The Way features a quote by Dogen, founder of the Soto school of Zen: To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things. To be enlightened by all things is to remove the barrier between self and other. The Spiritual Journey Thus,... Read more
Buddhism does not believe in a permanent, unchanging self. Of course, each of us has forms, feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and awareness. Also, these attributes interact with our influences— our chemistry, our conditioning, our culture, and our experience. They create what we think of as a “self.” But, Buddhists do NOT believe that this is a permanent, unchanging entity. In the Eastern worldview, Ultimate Reality is immanent, as well as transcendent. The true Self (or “no-self” in Buddhism) is one with... Read more
Buddhism embraces a different worldview than most Western religions. Buddhism developed in response to Hinduism, which could be rigid and ritualistic. Siddhartha Gautama (now called the Buddha) was a seeker who found enlightenment under a bodhi tree, where he attained liberation from samsara, the cycle of suffering. Buddhism is grounded in the Buddha, the dharma (teachings) and the sangha (community.) On his deathbed, the Buddha reportedly instructed his followers not to blindly follow any leader (even the Buddha) and to... Read more
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way that we live and work. Increasingly, AI presents challenging questions about the nature of humanity and about the nature of the Universe itself. Existential Exhaustion? Before The Way was published, I asked ChatGPT, an AI app, to write a “New York Times” book review of my book. The book was not available anywhere online, in bookstores, or in libraries. So, the review was based solely on my author website and my social... Read more
Are visions hallucinations or transcendent experiences? Biologist J.B.S. Haldane said, “The Universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.” A few years ago, I participated in a Native American sweat lodge ceremony. Eight of us squeezed into a small hut that usually seated four. The medicine man poured water over hot stones, placing more stones and pouring more water every few minutes, to maintain a constant temperature above 100 degrees. I was expecting a... Read more
Comedian Ricky Gervais once tweeted, “There have been nearly 3000 Gods so far, but only yours actually exists. The others are silly made-up nonsense. But not yours. Yours is real.” For many of us who were taught to believe exactly that, his statement is unsettling. Merriam-Webster defines “God” as “the supreme or Ultimate Reality.” Recently, I wrote about Ultimate Reality here and here and here and here. I do not assume that Ultimate Reality is personal or supernatural. Perhaps, it is.... Read more
There are more than 45,000 forms of Christianity worldwide, and they disagree on the fundamentals. What beliefs are fundamental to Christianity? I used to attend a Disciples of Christ church, founded by Barton Stone and Thomas Campbell almost 200 years ago. Stone questioned much Christian orthodoxy, including the Trinity and atonement. When one of the current members of our church wondered what beliefs are fundamental to Christianity, she insisted, “Surely, we all agree on the Trinity!?!” I reminded her that... Read more
Creation myths can illustrate the intersection of mythology, religion, and science. Do we interpret ancient religious texts as history or mythology? If we examine ancient religions, we might say, “Aha, the myth of the creation… aha, the myth of the fall… aha, the myth of the flood… aha, the myth of the virgin birth… aha, the myth of the divine sonship… aha, the myth of the resurrection,” etc. These are common myths in many ancient religions. These myths seem unique... Read more
The journey is the destination. Zen is more of a philosophy than a religion. It is more experiential than intellectual. Zen is not creedal or speculative or theistic. Ask a Zen teacher, “Is there a God? What is the meaning of life? Where do we go when you die?” He or she might respond, “Who knows? Do you realize your connection to everyone and everything? Are you here now?” Dogen Zenji, founder of the Soto school of Zen, stressed the... Read more
Ultimate Reality is not far removed from everyday reality. In fact, Ultimate Reality permeates everyday reality. For the last few weeks, I have been talking about Ultimate Reality, and some of it might have seemed abstract or heady or intellectual. When I write about Ultimate Reality, I am choosing my terms carefully. For some, the term “God” assumes a personal, supernatural being. For others, the term “Universe” assumes an impersonal, natural force. I would rather not assume anything about Ultimate... Read more
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