The Scene
“When something needs to be done in the world to rectify the wrongs, if one is really concerned with benefiting others, one needs to be engaged, involved.” -–14th Dalai Lama
What is the state of our world today? And what’s Buddhism got to do with it? This section offers commentary on where and how Buddhism interfaces with other larger-picture, higher-level topics: like politics, economy, international relations, the environment, and virtual reality.
So what went wrong? As Lacan and Zizek point out, our dissatisfaction begins with a sense of lack. For Lacan this lack is basic to our psyche. Why did each of us get so confused and dissatisfied with such a simple project? We are conscious and aware. If we have enough to eat, a place [...]
For me, authentic creativity comes from nothingness, from the space we open to possibility. Other forms of creation are reactionary, responses to immediate stimuli propelled by past habituations. They are imitations of an object or how we imagine others might respond to this object and its so-called creator. Jason brings up an important point, namely [...]
In a recent article (which alternated between funny and cheekily serious, definitely worth a read), Scott Adams (the creator of the comic strip, Dilbert), asserts that boredom is good for us. The moments in our lives when we are not stimulated are ever dwindling–this has a huge detrimental effect on our creativity, and by extension, [...]
The Walk to Feed the Hungry charity event, organized by Buddhist Global Relief, will be held on September 10 and 11. BGR is an interdenominational organization comprising various Buddhist groups. With an overarching vision to alleviate and ultimately banish poverty, BGR is involved in projects that build capacity and provide food aid to countries like [...]
We visited Taiwan for several weeks and witnessed the marked ascendency of Asian economic dynamism grounded on a functional culture and rational economic policies. There is a good balance between free-market capitalism, functional social values and pragmatic public expenditures. The speed of economic growth and social optimism during the last 20 years is in marked [...]
Youth, without much self-reflection, certainly feels the fluidity and markless flow of emotions, thoughts and overwhelming stimuli, and has reacted with various defensive postures from back-to-the-land movements to in-your-face hedonism. Looking at the contemporary world with all its challenges and possibilities, I am reminded of Nietzsche and his admonishment of modern mankind’s quest for freedom [...]
On May 2, 2011, thousands of Americans poured into the streets of New York and Washington, DC dancing and cheering. What was their cause for celebration? They were rejoicing and celebrating at the news of the death of Osama bin Laden (McKellogg 2011). President Obama, in his address to the Nation that day, said, “…this [...]
Last Friday was a full moon, and a lunar observance day in all Buddhist traditions. Thanks to last week’s Monastic Immersion Program at DRBU, I was lucky enough to spend some time at Abhayagiri Monastery, a Thai Forest monastery just a short distance north of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB). The monastery is [...]