For the past eight days, my wife Cathy and I have been rushing – or better, have been gently rushed – around the peninsula of South Korea as part of a project aimed at promoting a more fruitful dialogue between Buddhists and Christians. The seed of this venture was planted, and then nurtured, by my [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Buddhism’
What is the “Something” that does not die?
Every day, the Tibetan school of Buddhism that I practice sends a “Glimpse of the Day” – a word from Buddha, you might say. The Glimpse for Oct. 14 deals with death – with the big question of what happens when I die: The fear that impermanence awakens in us, that nothing is real and [...]
Where the Heck Am I?
In a deep sense, that may be considered the key religious question: not so much, “Who am I?” but “Where am I?” The first question asks about the very nature of the self. The second seeks to understand the positioning of the self, suspecting that if we know where we fit in, or what we [...]
Niebuhr and Buddha – and Obama
With this blog, I’m jumping into water over my head. I may need someone to rescue me, or set me straight. I want to say something about Reinhold Niebuhr and Walter Rauschenbusch (about whom I am in no way specialized, whereas two of my colleagues here at Union, Jim Cone and Gary Dorrien, are) and [...]
Where Buddhism Helps: Action with Equanimity
When I ask myself the question: “How has Buddhism helped me in the practice of my Christian ideals?” I realize immediately that there is no one answer. But amid all the ways in which the teachings and the practice of the Dharma have enabled me to clarify, confirm, correct and enliven my efforts to live [...]
Obama and the Middle Way
In the March 8 issue of The Nation, Katha Pollitt concludes an excellent article with: “What is the point of Obama being conciliatory and careful if his opponents are reckless and don’t want to conciliate.” (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100308/pollitt). I’m sure many of us resonate with what Pollitt is urging: Get tough, Mr. Obama! All your reconciliation stuff [...]
Should Obama Get Nasty?
In the Feb. 21 issue of THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, Walter Rogers wrote: President Obama’s political predicament is perhaps more serious than he understands or appreciates. He appears to see opponents as rivals to be charmed. What he should see are enemies determined to destroy his presidency. To save the agenda for which he was [...]
