Until recently, I knew nothing about Dhammakaya Buddhism, which is considered to be part of the Theravada tradition. For over a decade, this Thai-based movement has been making waves for its alleged commercialization of Buddhism. Some observers attribute its considerable success to the dislocations brought on by Thai modernization. Whatever the attraction, Dhammakaya is fulfilling many [...]
Tags:Buddhism·Buddhist·Close Encounters of the Buddhist Kind·cult·David Koresh·Dhammakaya·Dhammakaya Foundation·ethics·evangelical·globalization·Jim Jones·Khun Yay Ubasika Chandra Khonnokyoong·Lebensraum·Leni Riefenstahl·Luke Duggleby·meditation·modernity·morality·Nazis·Nuremburg·Ron Gluckman·Thailand·Theravada·Wat Phra Dhammakaya
It is hardly a secret that one of America’s most religious — or to be more precise, Christian — institutions is the military. Despite the juridical and rhetorical lip service paid to the separation of church and state, the military is a place where such separation is seen as inimical to institutional interests ranging from [...]
Tags:America·Army·atheist·Barbara Hagerty·camouflage·chaplains·Christian soldiers·code·empire·euphemisms·irony·Islamic extremists·Justin Griffith·meditation·military·monks·separation of church and state·spiritual fitness·spirituality·United States
Over at HuffPo Religion, Kate Fridkis ponders the protean term “spirituality” and reasonably wonders what it means. It is pretty common these days to hear someone say they are not religious but instead are “spiritual.” When asked what they mean by this, the response often involves some combination of the following words: peace, harmony, bliss, [...]
Tags:absolute unitary being·Andrew Newberg·biology of belief·cognition·connection·cosmic consciousness·David Lewis-Williams·Dean Hamer·emotions·Eugene d'Aquili·feelings·Kate Fridkis·meditation·mystery·self dissolution·self transcendence·spiritual·spirituality·The God Gene·Why God Won't Go Away
