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Afghanistan: Beyond the Headlines [Video]
Afghanistan. If you’re like me, most of what you may have learned about this remote region has come from media headlines that have largely shown a country in turmoil. Images of barren desert landscapes seem to dominate. Of course, any reasonable person would deduce that there probably is a lot more to Afghanistan than what news…
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Once You Become Parents We Still Want To Hang Out With You
Recently, I read yet another ‘open letter’ from a parent explaining to their childless friends why they don’t have time for them in their lives anymore. Sigh. Seriously, parents – these letters are getting old, particularly to some of us childless friends you are directing them too. Last week, a post on Huffington entitled, Once…
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The Five Aggregates: Buddhism and the Human Personality
The Five Aggregates (khandhas) According to Buddhist thought, in particular the Theravāda tradition, the human personality is composed of five aggregates (khandhas). These constituents are often referred to as, ‘The five aggregates of clinging’. The five aggregates, in addition to the chain of dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda), are believed to play an integral role in the…
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The 32 Marks of the Buddha
Have you ever noticed the many variations of Buddhas depicted in different pieces of artwork? Some of these differences can be attributed to tradition or cultural influences, while others are simply artistic liberty. Many artistic renditions incorporate primary ‘Buddha’ traits described in the Pali Canon. Some Buddhist streams of thought believe another 80 secondary characteristics…
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#TBT: Untitled #7 (1991)
For the past few weeks I’ve been sharing short stories I wrote in my youth for Throwback Thursday (#TBT). Crafting fictional tales was just one of many styles of writing I explored. Indeed, my teenage years were all about the poetry – and some of it was pretty terrible. You see, I didn’t write poems…
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Why Does Jesus Appear in Cheese? [VIDEO]
Cheesus. You may have heard of him. It’s the ‘cheesy’ name given for savior sightings à la fromage. It’s not just cheese that Jesus is appearing in either. He’s making the rounds in baked goods, crumpled clothing, rocks, trees, and even ultrasounds. The video compilation below shows just how much he gets around. Sure, some of…
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Pro Sports and Religion
I admit to being rather ignorant when it comes to the world of professional sports. Unlike the millions of die-hard fans out there, any kind of engagement in professional sports for me is little more than a novelty. So, it’s little wonder that I have minimal knowledge about the ways in which professional sports franchises…
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The National Church of Bey (That’s Beyonce, For the Unindoctrinated)
Whether serious or satire, this is certainly a curious piece of news circulating the religion feeds. It also highlights the complexities of defining religion (and perhaps, how not-for-profit religious organizations are granted such status). Sometime last year, a group of about a dozen Beyonce Knowles fans in Atlanta (GA) formed a church dedicated to Her…
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Illusion in the Freudian Theory of Religion: Part Two
ILLUSION IN THE FREUDIAN THEORY OF RELIGION con’t… Read Part One here. Freud put forth some intriguing ideas about the origin, motivation and tenacity of religion. He has, however, been harshly criticized for his lack of validity, and some have suggested that he, himself, engaged in mythologizing and counter-narration of already established myths. A brief…