After recently watching “The Cove” and a Mad Men episode titled “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” — a clever allusion to Ruth Benedict’s justly famous cultural study of Japan, I decided it was time to bone up on Japanese religions. Japan is a multi-faceted nation and getting your head around its history, culture and people [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Buddhisms'
Dolphins, Chimps & Japanese Religions
September 3rd, 2010 · No Comments · Classifications, Cultural Evolution, Definitions, History, Magic
Tags:Buddhisms·cetaceans·chimp abuse·chimp colonies·chimp experimentation·chimp research·chimpanzees·Confucianism·dolphins·Japan·Japanese·Japanese religion·Mad Men·magic·National Institute of Health·primitive religion·Robert Bellah·Ruth Benedict·Shintoism·syncretism·Taoism·The Chrysanthemum and the Sword·The Cove·Tokugawa Religion
An Unenthused Rinpoche
August 16th, 2010 · No Comments · Axial Age, Daily Devolutions, Globalization, Ritual
As my readers know, there is no such thing as “Buddhism” — there are multiple kinds of buddhisms, some of which eschew spirits and deities while emphasizing consciousness and compassion, whereas others are highly ritualized and enthusiastically enjoin the supernatural realm of gods and souls.
I was reminded of this the other day while reading Electa [...]
Tags:Boulder Shambhala Meditation Center·Buddhism·Buddhisms·credulous Boulderites·Dalai Lama·emanation·Holden Caulfield·holiness·incarnation succession·Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche·Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche·reincarnation·Rinpoche·Tibetan Buddhism
Scanning the Dalai Lama’s Brain
May 15th, 2010 · No Comments · Axial Age, Cognition, Emotions
Ryan Foley has written an intriguing article about the collaboration between the Dalai Lama and Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Like so many brain scientists these days, Richardson uses imaging techniques to investigate various aspects of mind, including those which may be peculiar to Buddhists who meditate:
Davidson’s research has used brain [...]
Tags:Buddhism·Buddhisms·Buddhist·Dalai Lama·Matthew Crawford·Richard Davidson
