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Why Buddhism is True


freshstart

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I'm currently reading (in very small bits) a book called "Why Buddhism is True" by Robert Wright.  I'm posting about this here because I am wondering if anyone would be interested in reading along and having a sort of book-club discussion about it. In case anyone is wondering, the author does not advocate for the more "religious" aspects of Buddhism, but rather discusses the more philosophical aspects as they relate to neuroscience and evolutionary psychology.  (I've only read the first 40 pages).

In the spirit of full disclosure here, I'm seeing a therapist who is trying to get me to do more to get my mind off of work.  (Without saying too much, I am an RN who works in an administrative position in a nursing home as well as per diem in a hospital -  my life feels like all-covid, all the time and its very hard for me to set boundaries, to let go of work). 

A few years ago, I stumbled upon some of Alan Watts' lectures from the 60s on Youtube and I have been fascinated by eastern philosophy ever since.  I am trying (with only fair success) to practice meditation and to do some things to create more balance in my life.  I struggle with sleep as well (work always weighing on my mind).

Anyway, I figured if a few others are bored being confined to home during the pandemic, and would be interested in reading along - I would love to hear other perspective on this book, particularly from ex-christians, with an added (albeit selfish) bonus of forcing me to do more to get my mind off of work. 

If there is no interest, of course that's okay too. 

: - )

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I’d be interested in that!  I’m one of the less spiritual people around here, and very much non-theistic, but I’ve been curious about secular versions of Buddhism and also meditation, so this seems like a good opportunity for me to dig deeper.  I think @Joshpanteramight be interested in this too if he has time, given his long-standing interest in eastern philosophy (I know he’s a fan of Alan Watts). But yeah, count me in.  I already checked out the audio-book from my library.

 

 

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25 minutes ago, TABA said:

I’d be interested in that!  I’m one of the less spiritual people around here, and very much non-theistic, but I’ve been curious about secular versions of Buddhism and also meditation, so this seems like a good opportunity for me to dig deeper. 

Buddhist practice can certainly be as non-theist/agnostic as you would like for it to be.  Mindfulness, Zen, the 4 noble truths, the 8-fold path, the 5 basic precepts: none of them require a deity.  Even meditation and prayer can (and sometimes should) be directed inward.  I practice Buddhism as a simple and practical guide to being a better person; but I obviously don't believe in the religious aspects of it.  Hungry ghosts and such...

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37 minutes ago, TheRedneckProfessor said:

I practice Buddhism as a simple and practical guide to being a better person


Well then I would encourage you to step up your practice ... significantly 😂😂😂

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29 minutes ago, TABA said:


Well then I would encourage you to step up your practice ... significantly 😂😂😂

It's called "practice" for a reason.  😉

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I do like the eastern mysticism, in theory. But I tweak everything about it. I try and look at the concepts through a modern perspective where the pantheism is concerned. Modern minded, and non-theistic pantheistic philosophy. 

 

 

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Years ago when studying the history of religions I read some about Buddahism.   I remember thinking it was more of a philosophy, and remember being impressed.  I also attended a Unitarian Universalist church for a while, and was impressed by some who came there and led some meditation sessions.  Go for it!

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5 minutes ago, Weezer said:

 

And THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR JOB!  You've got a really stressful job at this time, and not being helped by those not taking the virus seriously. 

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5 hours ago, Weezer said:

And THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR JOB!  You've got a really stressful job at this time, and not being helped by those not taking the virus seriously. 

I have a feeling you wanted to post this in a different thread.

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Thanks for all of the responses.😁

I will try reading a little at a time, posting thoughts about it here and see where the discussion goes.  I hope others do the same!

 

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I will say that what first attracted my attention to Buddhism was its parallel to the scientific method in the four noble truths.

1. There is suffering (observation)

2. Suffering comes from attachment and desire (testable hypothesis)

3. There is an end of suffering (predicted outcome)

4. The end of suffering is the 8-fold path (experimentation) 

It's not an exact match, of course; but, as the basis of a religion/philosophy, it sure beats "accept jesus or burn in hell" or "fly a plane into this building and spend eternity f☆({ing 72 virgins."

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16 hours ago, TheRedneckProfessor said:

I have a feeling you wanted to post this in a different thread.

No, I did not.  Are you telling me I should have?

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9 hours ago, Weezer said:

No, I did not.  Are you telling me I should have?

Perhaps I'm wrong.  

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18 hours ago, TheRedneckProfessor said:

Perhaps I'm wrong.  

I use a tablet and accidentally touched my own "quote" button, if that is what you were referring to.  Sometimes I hate these touch screens.  I was wanting to encourage freshstart in her nursing career during this very trying time.

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Well @freshstart, I got a copy of the e-book from the library and I just started Chapter 4 and I’m very much looking forward to whatever is to come.  Just starting to learn the difference between the Concentration and Mindfulness types of meditation.  I’ve dabbled in meditation and am keen to get into it more.  I will say I’m reassured by the lack of “religious” stuff so far.  The book title might lead one to think it was an endorsement of Buddhism as a religion, so I’m glad you drew my attention to it: I probably wouldn’t have picket it up based on the title alone.  By contrast, a while back I did download a Kindle Sample of “Confession of a Buddhist Atheist”, which seemed like it might suit me.  Haven’t read it yet though, but I probably will after I’m done with this one.

 

So what are your impressions of the first three chapters?  

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13 hours ago, TABA said:

Well @freshstart, I got a copy of the e-book from the library and I just started Chapter 4 and I’m very much looking forward to whatever is to come.  Just starting to learn the difference between the Concentration and Mindfulness types of meditation.  I’ve dabbled in meditation and am keen to get into it more.  I will say I’m reassured by the lack of “religious” stuff so far.  The book title might lead one to think it was an endorsement of Buddhism as a religion, so I’m glad you drew my attention to it: I probably wouldn’t have picket it up based on the title alone.  By contrast, a while back I did download a Kindle Sample of “Confession of a Buddhist Atheist”, which seemed like it might suit me.  Haven’t read it yet though, but I probably will after I’m done with this one.

 

So what are your impressions of the first three chapters?  

Sorry for the long delay in responding.  I check in here often a couple times a day, but its been a rough couple of weeks and difficult to commit. 

Anyhow, I have never really studied Buddhism, but rather picked up bits and pieces about it over the past few years (a very poor way to go about it), therefore I have to trust the author when he differentiates meditation as "concentration" vs "mindfulness."  I'm sure, like all things there are different schools of thought, and perhaps "fundamentalist Buddhists" who would disagree.  The idea that anyone could have a powerful and transformative experience (as the author did) as a result of meditation is fascinating to me.  As soon as the pandemic is under control, I think one of the first things I'm going to try is a meditation retreat.  I mean why not?  I don't know why, but I definitely feel pulled to explore this more.

In any case,  the first chapter made complete sense to me which discussed how we are set up in our genetic programming to enjoy pleasure  and contentment only as a fleeting experience.  As Wright puts it, "After all if pleasure didn't subside, we'd never seek it again; our first meal would be our last because hunger would never return. So too with sex: a single act of intercourse, and then a lifetime of lying there basking in the afterglow.  That's no way to get lots of genes into the next generation!"  The anticipation of pleasure is greater than than the delivery and - as he puts it - "kind of cruel in a way, but what do you expect from natural selection?"  I believe its a popular Buddha saying that "desire is the root of all suffering."  But I'm not so sure about that.  I think an argument could be made that love is the root of all suffering.  Love happens to be the root of all joy as well, but if we didn't love people, animals, things, ourselves, whatever, then perhaps desire would disappear.  But then again love is feeling and a feeling can be an illusion, right?  (But that's chapter 3).  Looks like I haven't gone much beyond talking about chapter one, so better stop here!  Sorry I'm such a slow poke!

Overall, I find so far that there is a lot of talk about science, evolution, biology and only one sentence that alludes to something a little more "woo," the claim that mediation can evolve from a mindfulness approach to a deeply spiritual experience.  I'm looking forward to reading more - if I can muster up the time and energy.

So same question to you (or others):  what are your impressions so far?

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Thanks for starting this thread.  I have read The Evolution of God by Robert Wright and find him brilliant.  I have been interested in Buddhism since reading The Dhammapada as a teenager, as well as some superb Buddhist texts such as What The Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula, and Buddhist novels by Hermann Hesse.  I practice daily meditation for twenty minutes using a Muse brain sensing headband linked to my iPhone.  A key theme in Buddhism in my impression is that enlightenment involves the recognition that all supernatural ideas are purely symbolic, and do not make any true empirical claims.  Enlightenment requires detachment from beliefs that lack evidence and logic.

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28 minutes ago, Robert_Tulip said:

  I practice daily meditation for twenty minutes using a Muse brain sensing headband linked to my iPhone.

Wow. How does a brain sensing headband work? I use an app called Headspace. The sleep stories have helped me to get to sleep and detach from the day, and I practice mindulness listening to the app while commuting to work, but I have yet to discipline myself to actually meditate regularly. It seems there is never enough time in the day . . . a poor excuse. I just need to make it a priority.

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46 minutes ago, freshstart said:

Wow. How does a brain sensing headband work?

 

Doc.jpg

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'...you're looking for a donation for the coast guard, youth, auxiliary.'

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8 hours ago, freshstart said:

Wow. How does a brain sensing headband work?

https://choosemuse.com/

The Muse headband has five sensors that go on your forehead and behind your ears.  It connects to the iPhone by bluetooth, causing the phone app to make different noises depending on whether your brain is active, neutral or calm.  I listen to a rainforest track which has heavy rain when the brain is active and is quiet when the brain is calm, with bird calls when calmness is steady.  Through daily practice, the proportion of time spent in the calm state steadily increases through a biofeedback process, as you learn how to stay calm and train the brain to remain present without thinking any words.  I find this enables a deeper and more consistent meditation practice than other methods that I previously used including mantra and chakra meditation.  

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Well, now I have to get one of those headbands on my Christmas wish list . . . either one would be fine: either the back-to-the future band or the EEG!   😆  Seriously, I gotta try the whole biofeedback thing.  I have horrible insomnia, so I'm debating whether to get the one that includes sleep monitoring, although not sure how that would cure my issue with sleep.

I'm afraid my required reading for the immediate future includes some catching up on CDC modules as well as training on the covid vaccine which it looks like is set to arrive in a few weeks.  So my leisure reading will have to be put away until the weekend.  But at least I can read with glass of wine in hand!  (Gotta look at the upside!)

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12 hours ago, TABA said:

 

Doc.jpg

It's a Mood Ring for a new generation.

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I bought a copy of Why Buddhism is True today, and have read the preface and first chapter, on choosing the red pill.  Wright explains that The Matrix is viewed by western Buddhists as a dharma movie, meaning that it enables the choice to see reality and escape from delusion.  He makes the important note in the preface that his approach is entirely based on scientific psychology

 

A key theme in this chapter is how Buddhism relates to evolution by natural selection.  The problem in human psychology is that our genes are wired to seek pleasure through dopamine hits in the brain, even where this practice is contrary to our wellbeing, for example by eating junk food. Wright emphasises that natural selection is a mechanical process that rewards actions that reproduce genes while allowing actions that are not helpful for reproduction to go extinct. But in the modern world that means our wellbeing requires an ability to control our genetic determinism.  Buddhist meditation serves this higher state of wellbeing by aiming to rewire the brain so that pleasure comes from rational enlightenment rather than from satisfaction of the physical and social desires supported by instinct.

 

My view on these themes applies also to Christianity (which I view as derived from Buddhism, as argued by Michael Lockwood in Buddhism’s relation to Christianity).  These religions emerged at a time when human society was steadily urbanising, so the adaptive traits that had worked for stone age clan life were now becoming maladaptive.  In particular, the tendency to a tribal mentality in which we love our friends and hate our enemies was no longer suitable for a world requiring constant intercultural interaction. The messages of both Jesus and Buddha preached the replacement of selfish morality by universal love, although for both their underlying rational intent was corrupted by ignorant institutional religion. 

 

One thing I find particularly interesting in this material is that the primary selective advantage of homo sapien in evolutionary terms is our brain, which has enabled us to conquer the entire planet, yet our incapacity to live in a fully rational way generates a self-destructive and even extinctive trajectory. The underlying message of universal love is that we can use our reason to overcome our instinct, so society can evolve into a new higher consciousness in which destructive traits are understood and minimised while constructive and creative traits are cultivated.

 

The practice of meditation is a way to enable a more lucid and calm rationality.  As such, promoting contemplative practice seeks an intentional evolution of human life, not as a genetic evolution but rather in recognition that with the dawn of the Anthropocene we are in a new situation where memetic cultural evolution is decisive for our planetary future.

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@Robert_Tulip
 Very well summarized.  As a friend of mine likes to say about so many things in life, "it's simple, but not easy."

I'm all about trying new things, particularly If there is no risk of harm in doing so (hell, even when there IS some risk). Its a shame more people don't give it a shot, although I would say mediation is becoming more popular, even among some atheists like Sam Harris. On the rare occassions when I get to meditate with others, I get the sense there is a sort of synergistic effect. Not sure exactly what that means, its just a hunch.

My mother, a devout fundamental literalist Christian believes that meditation is satanic. Not sure she's the only Christian who believes that. I'm assuming this is because any "spiritual" practice that is not part of typical Christian worship is seen as threatening, though I cannot imagine why.

Maybe as more secular people acknowledge the science of meditation, we'll see this become a more common practice. I would love, for example, to do a group meditation at work and just see if it makes a difference in how we approach the day. 

I feel like I'm rambling now. . . .

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