Scientists catching up with Buddhism on issue of no-self

Natasha Mitchell of ABC Radio National and Radio Australia had another interesting guest on All in the mind show – German philosopher of mind Thomas Metzinge spoke about his research of the self as well as the first hand accounts of out of body experiences and lucid dreaming. Metzinge published his conclusions in the book [...]

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Living with the question

During the last Webinar we were looking into the following passage from Genjokoan:

Firewood becomes ash. Ash cannot turn back into firewood again. However, we should not view ash as after and firewood as before. We should know that firewood dwells in the dharma position of firewood and it has its own before and after. Although [...]

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The door makes no promise

Have started listening to the  program “Meditations that can change your life” by Rick Hanson and Rick Mendius that they recorded for Sounds True. Both are interested in neurology and Buddism. It appears our brain is biologically biased towards negativity to ensure our survival and we tend to remember and overestimate the importance the negative [...]

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Dealing with creative ideas during meditation

In my short life as a meditator I’ve noticed that when the mind finally settles down it gets into a creative mode and generates insights. The temptation is then strong to allow myself to stay with those ideas for fear of forgetting or because they appear to be more exciting that just sitting. Wouldn’ that [...]

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If I didn’t tell my body to fight, who did? (2)

So what was happening in my brain that night?
The picture gets clearer as I read about how information my brain receives through eyes and ears travels inside the brain. It is first transmitted to the auditory and visual thalamus and from there it takes two different paths. The first one goes to the cortex, where [...]

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If I didn’t tell my body to fight, who did? (1)

Anyways, what all this brain science talk is good for on the day to dy level? How can learning about my brain mechanics help me better understand myself or why I act the way I do?
In “Mind wide open: Why you are what you think” Steven Jonson embarks on a fascinating trip inside his own [...]

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Copying by way of crafts

I got another one of those knitting fits that strike me now and then. In the last few years I noticed that I experienced the knitting itch not only when I had pleanty of free time but surprisingly also when I felt I had no free time at all. For example this last one came [...]

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Same me but different (2): body think

As in the above mentioned story my own experience, too, unfolded on a road and in a somewhat chaotic and exotic for an outsider environment. The unusual situation made it easier for me to no longer be clinging to the old image of me and what I possibly could or could not do.
Master [...]

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City reatreat, Vipassana style, cont.

We had a schedule where the 45 min long sitting meditation sessions were followed by the walking meditation in the yard behind the building, in the green area nearby or in a room in the basement. This, of course, somewhat eased the pressure on the body. The walking meditation in the park also made a [...]

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City reatreat, Vipassana style

I have been asked how my very first retreat – the city retreat of Vipassana meditation – went two weeks ago but so far didn’t really have a chance to share my impressions with those interested. Saying “It went well” is saying nothing. I bet each of the about 40 people that shared those two [...]

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