Jerry Kolber is an award-winning film and TV producer and writer and is on the board of directors of The Interdependence Project. Past projects include Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, The Eden Myth, and Inked. Upcoming projects include Bank of Mom and Dad (Fall 2010), and The Tunnel, a National Geogrpahic documentary about the search for a train, the truth, and John Wilkes Booth diary. Jerry is also a regular contributor to the renegade food revolution at www.ThreeDollarDinner.com.You can follow Jerry on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JerryKolber.
Before continuing, a moment of shameless self-promotion. Tonight (Wednesday, September 10th) at 10PM Eastern a project I am very proud of premieres on SoapNet, a channel many of you may receive on your cable or satellite subscription. The show is called Bank of Mom and Dad and takes a look at over-consumption, financial advice, and getting real about life situations through the window of young women in debt. I co-adapted the format from the UK and produced tonight's episode along with a great team of fellow storytellers. It's quite compelling and transformational.
Now....before getting back to our conversation about why
Buddhism is not a
religion, let me reiterate that I am not proposing that the practice of what the Buddha taught is superior to any other religion, nor that there is anything inherently "wrong" with religion. I am advocating the non-religiousness of Buddhism because I have seen the benefit of the practices of
meditation, the study of interdependence and the Buddha's teachings, and participation in a community of like-minded individuals, without anything that resembles what we commonly refer to as religion.
The potential ramifications of this are profound and game changing, because Buddhist practice as an adjunct to a religious life, or on its own, is astonishingly effective at making you aware of how your behavior both fits in to the "big picture" and how you can become a more awake and responsible human. And while Buddhism CAN be practiced as a religion, there are a tremendous number of people who are practicing Christians, Jews, or otherwise who have also found the Buddha's teachings have a place in their life. Thank you to all of you who took the time to share your stories of how the teachings of Buddha co-exist with your religious practice, and please continue to do so.
by Kirsten FirmingerI am finally collecting data for my dissertation. It is focused on people living in New York City who have
voluntarily chosen to buy less. I launched the survey last Thursday and I am already amazed at the responses I have gotten. Being able to hear about the variety of goals, motivations, and experiences that different people have had is such a privilege and so very fascinating. I can't wait to hear from more people (obligatory promo: if you live in NYC and have voluntarily chosen to buy less, you can link here to the
Buying Less in NYC Survey).
Since I have finally reached this critical stage in my dissertation research, it has led me to look back at how it started for me. I entered my
social psychology program thinking that I was going to focus on issues related to
gender roles and norms. For my second year project (equivalent of a master's thesis), I looked at how
masculinity was portrayed in teenage girls magazines. What came across in the magazines as strongly as gender norms, was how much these norms where tied into selling products. The underlying need to sell advertising space and integrate sponsors into the content of the magazine articles was overwhelming. It turns out that a girl can't have her first kiss without the right brand of lip gloss on hand. That is when I turned a page and began studying consumption, branding, and marketing.
Filed Under: Bags for the people,
behavior change,
Brooklyn Green Team,
buy less,
Church of Life after shopping,
consumer behavior,
consumerism,
dissertation,
environment,
Evolver,
Fixers' Collective,
Freegan,
Green Edge NYC,
interdependence,
New American Dream,
new york city,
no impact man,
positive psychology,
research,
Reverend Billy,
Rob Walker,
unconsumption,
writing
by Greg ZwahlenThe
US News and World Report God and Country blog reported last week that a recent Trinity College survey found that in the next twenty years, the percentage of Americans who report "no religion" may increase from 15% to 25%. The survey reports that the "nones" are more "religiously indifferent" than atheist.
I doubt it. Christianity in every variant has been around a long time--the "nones" would have found what they were looking for already, if that's what they wanted.
Nonviolent followers of Vietnamese Zen teacher and world-renowned author
Thich Nhat Hahn were violently ejected from the Bat Nha
monastery in Lam Dong province in Vietnam on Sunday. The
monks' ejection followed months of tension.
(photo AFP)
by Stillman BrownI wasn't able to make it to last night's Heartcore Dharma class on "Aspiring and Entering Bodhicitta," so I thought I'd blog about something more personal. Several weeks ago, the partner of a good friend of mine was diagnosed...
by Ethan NichternAs your typical half-jew, half-protestant, God-loving agnostic and Buddhist practitioner, I wanted to wish everyone a very fruitful Yom Kippur 2009. Someone mentioned to me that they think atonement and fasting, seem un-Buddhist, because of the possibility of...
A good Buddhist quote on how annoying people can turn into bitter enemies, and how Buddhism uses the "tea boy" analogy to keep your enemies as close as you can."The story goes that Atisha was told that the people of...
by Evelyn CashA few weeks ago, Jerry Kolber wrote an article on this blog about the Branding of Buddhism. His piece presented an intriguing argument for branding and popularizing Buddhism in order to make the Buddha's valuable teachings available...
by Lodro Rinzler Angulimal, photo courtesy of shunya.netBefore Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment at age 35 he was a confused twenty and thirty-something looking to learn how to live a spiritual life. He had an overbearing dad, expectations for what he...
Filed Under: abortion,
angulimal,
being of benefit,
buddha,
buddhism,
buddhism and abortion,
children,
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche,
forgiveness,
killing,
parenting,
Pema Chodron,
what would sid do
A few weeks ago I blogged about Tyler Doherty, a fine contemporary Buddhist poet, and Gary Gach of Tricycle Magazine posted a comment. I looked Gary up and found out that he hosts a lively Haiku Corner blog at Tricycle's...
an actual dzong. photo by miles_laneby Davee EvansSome things poignantly remind me that I've just moved back to San Francisco — a city that I so dearly love — like cold, foggy evenings; bells ringing from street cars; or discovering my housemate...
by Ethan NichternThis November 6 & 7, the Buddhist-inspired Interdependence Project will be hosting our largest fundraiser and event to date in the form of a 24- hour Meditation Marathon in the window displays of ABC Carpet & Home, a...
by Jerry KolberI am going to continue exploring where I left off last week with my question: is Buddhism a religion or a way to approach living? The ONLY reason I think this question matters is that the ideas that...
by Ethan NichternAccording to the Associated Press, the interim Mayor of Memphis, Myron Lowery concocted a new way to greet His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Fist Bump! Yes, that's right. He also said "Hello, Dalai." Apparently his Holiness was a...
European leaders are saying that Americans do not have the will to take action on Climate Change. They are highly concerned that we will (again) ruin the efforts being made to set "legally binding and internationally enforceable targets for reductions...
Jay-Z 's got '99 problems' but a stanky yoga mat ain't one. Jay's been opening for the UK based band Coldplay the past month and has noticed the flexible on stage presence of Lead Singer Chris Martin:'Chris hasn't tried to...
Happy Autumn! Enjoy this quote about fall from Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, founder of Shambhala:"The Four Seasons have a natural hierarchy of restriction, openness, celebration, practicality--and then restriction again. We could talk about the functioning of governments or any organization,...
by Greg ZwahlenOver the last few days our friend Waylon Lewis, editor at elephant journal, blogged about allegations he had recently discovered about Chogyam Trungpa. Waylon was convinced they were false, and suggested that a reference to it on Wikipedia, be deleted pronto,...
Today is The International Day of Peace! The Karmapa recently shared one of his methods for avoiding aggression ... by playing video games!"All of us have emotions, happy emotions, sad emotions, displeased emotions and we need to figure out...
B-B-B-Buddha of the week!A lovely wheatpaste piece up onBogart Street, inBushwick, part ofBrooklyn, it'sBuddha! Thanks to IDP member Patrick Groneman for this photo.Would be great if the wheatpaste artist came forth too -- spread it around!...
Since the last quote provoked a surprising discussion, here's another from Economist Jared Bernstein, Chief Economic Adviser to Vice President Joseph Biden, and apparently, a fan of Buddhism. His book was given to me by Senator Eric Schneiderman, recently honored...
Music has a lot of power. It can make you laugh, it can make you cry, it can bring back memories long forgotten and it can help you create new ones. I love music and my tastes are about as...
What would Sid do?Before Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment at age 35 he was a confused twenty and thirty-something looking to learn how to live a spiritual life. He had an overbearing dad, expectations for what he was supposed to do...
I am sitting here thumbing through Robert Creeley's Selected Poems, 1945-2005. There is much song and delight in these lines. And love. Creeley's an old crooner. Because of my dharma poetry series, I am also, of course, searching--rather narrowly, I...
"There is another issue that has important implications for how Buddhism will adapt to a more global role in the future. Karma has been used to rationalize racism, caste, economic oppression, birth handicaps and everything else. Taken literally, karma...
In today's post I'm going to continue explaining why Buddhism, despite there being religious organizations called Buddhism, is not inherently a religion and is a technique and way of living that is applicable to anyone, EVEN IF they choose to...
One City Bloggers Ethan Nichtern and Julia May Jonas recently teamed up with Buddhist Geeks Vince Horn and Ryan Oelke to discuss the state of the Dharma in the 21st Century. Some of you may remember Vince's guest post on...
If you have not yet read the article on America's Toxic Waters published by the New York Times this week, may I suggest you check it out. While I have been reading about concerns with our water supply more and...
Time magazine, along with a number of other news outlets, ran a profile recently about a program called "Warrior Mind Training" being used by the U.S. Army to "train its 1.1 million soldiers in the art of mental toughness."The Defense Department...
Buddha of the week, courtesy of Dharma Dave S, Maloneki, and boingboing.netPears grown in the shape of a buddha. Whoa!...
"We can practice as Bodhisattvas in one moment and practice as devils in the next moment...We can have characteristics of the Bodhisattva at any time." -Roshi Pat Enkyo O'HaraLast night saw the launch of a new Heartcore Dharma Ongoing Studies Series...
A few months ago Triumurti community founder Purna Steinitz delivered a rare public talk at the IDP on the topic of practice in relationships. Since then "Crushed by Love" has been one of the most downloaded episodes of the IDP...
Question of the Day: I came across this interesting piece about the 2009 MTV VMA's last night: Kanye West took the mic out of the hands of Taylor Swift as she was accepting an award, and went on a massive...
"There is something suspect about our inability to enjoy anything."-Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, founder of the Shambhala Buddhist tradition.Pioneer of contemporary Buddhism and meditation master, Trungpa Rinpoche was my parents' teacher and my teacher's parent (figure out that lineage tree). He...
My husband and I have a motto that we try to keep in mind when ever we go on a trip: "Don't let the plans get in the way of the journey." It's a line from an episode of the...
photo shot by the author in williamsburg, nycWhat would Sid do?Before Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment at age 35 he was a confused twenty and thirty-something looking to learn how to live a spiritual life. He had an overbearing dad, expectations...
If you're in New York City tonight and would like to commemorate 9-11 in a Buddhist fashion, Rev. T. Kenjitsu Nakagaki will be releasing paper lanterns off of Pier 40.The Reuters FaithWorld blog has the story. I've always found the paper...
Remembering September 11th today. A 9/11 Quote for us to meditate upon:"Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance, we are determined not to be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist...
"You Lie," Obama. Would any congressman dare to disrespect President Bush this way, even though he actually lied in front of congress many times? Hey guys, remember WMD? I can't imagine so. Joe Wilson of South Carolina called the president...
I especially loved the end of President Obama's speech last night. I am not sure if Obama saw Bill Moyers on Real Time with Bill Maher, or watched Bill Moyers Journal on PBS, but he did speak verbatim of Health...
Autumn, siren of red and gold, harbinger of tweed and velvet jackets, of renewed promises and vigor, clear sun-ed autumn you come to us once again. You have come Autumn, shoving the margarita out of our hand and replacing...
One thing that the Buddhist community doesn't seem to think about very much is branding. Gasp! Branding and Buddhism? I'm sure some Buddhists would find this hideously inappropriate, and they may be right. But, following up on my post two...
I am currently on my honeymoon in Australia (yay!). As I have previously mentioned in my blog about greening amusement parks, my husband is a roller coaster enthusiast. This (of course) means that we have been riding some roller coasters...
A recent Boston Globe article points to a trend of young adults turning to Meditation as a means of dealing with the speed up of life that comes from becoming an adult in the age of the internet:"At a time...
Via Daily Kos, a parent in Ohio sent this note to school with their daughter regarding Obama's school speech. I wish my mom would've written permission slips like this for me:"Despite the warnings of right-wing radio hosts, and fully cognizant...
Folks who've been to Karme Choling, Shambhala's retreat center in the Green Mountains, agree that it's a pretty special place. After all the striving and frustration and noise of daily life, it's extraordinary to find yourself in a spacious, verdant...
Take it easy today, ladies and gentlemen, before the fall madness gets into full swing, before Obama's Speech Wednesday on Health Care Reform, before we all die sooner than we think. Relax. That's really the point (or one point) of...
Big nasty-looking blue-black hornet with obscene dangly stingerweaves in & out of rusted white Chevy's dented front grill-- pancake flat back tire tilts the rig cobwebs around the plough (10:50 am)That's a...
I just opened my Facebook page today and got bombarded with friend after friend who had posted the following to their facebook status: "Ethan Nichtern believes that no one should die because they cannot afford health care, and nobody should...
Silvery wading pools! Dance! People in the trees! . Queens, New York: center for dharma artsBuddhism and the arts: From Zen calligraphy to the compositions of John Cage and Meredith Monk, to the Beasties and Lou Reed, dharma and arts...
Last Saturday, I fell victim to one of the oldest scams in the book. A young man came to my door working on a "contest" and looking for my help. He said that in order for him to gain points...
In honor of the passage of Vermont's same-sex marriage law, Ben & Jerry's has announced that for 30 days (only in Vermont), "Chubby Hubby" ice cream will be sold as "Hubby Hubby." Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream could not be reached...
This week's entry began as a long angry article about the scarcity-and-fear-based argument against universal health care and making sure that all humans in the United States are able to be healthy. It ended as a western-form Haiku that would...
I think this is so cool. MIT is conducting a research project which involves inserting "smart" chips into objects that become trash, which are then tracked in order to learn where all our trash goes. As they state on their...
This September Quote is attributed to the great master Thich Nhat Hanh (who has been discharged from the hospital, awesome!)...
A question for meditators and yoga practitioners: As a meditator, I've wanted to get into yoga for a long time now. I finally went to my first real yoga class at OM Yoga, a center located near Union Square...
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