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 [...]
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The story is a familiar one: a new religion is founded — or, as the sociologist Rodney Stark would say, a new sect is born from an older tradition — and over time it becomes successful. By success, I mean that it grows, becomes popular, and shows few signs of slowing down.
At some point during [...]
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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
