MJD’s Comments (group member since Aug 18, 2018)

MJD’s comments from the Secular Sangha: A Secular Buddhist Group group.

Use this thread to discuss The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Use this thread to discuss Wisdom Of The East Buddhist Psalms Translated From The Japanese Of Shinran Shonin.

Use this thread to discuss 122 Zen Koans.

Use this thread to discuss schools of Buddhism that are of particular interest to you. Please use this Wikipedia article as a reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schools...

Use this thread to discuss non-Buddhist philosophy that you have an interest in.

Use this thread to discuss Buddhist concepts that are of interest to you.

Use this thread to discuss what you think "Buddhism" is.

Use this thread to discuss The Zen Experience by Thomas Hoover.

Here is the 10% Happier website: http://www.10percenthappier.com/

I recommend reading the following interview between Dan Harris and Sam Harris: https://samharris.org/taming-the-mind/

Here is a podcast where the authors talk about their book. I highly recommend it: https://samharris.org/podcasts/111-sc...

This is by far my favorite book that is written by a Buddhist monk. I especially like how he states that while he does believe in a supernatural component to his practice such as literal reincarnation, he nonetheless prioritizes naturalistic components such as cultivating equanimity in the here and now.

One of my favorite quotes is the following from the "Sutra of the Forty-Two Sections":

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"Buddha said: There are twenty difficult things in the world, viz.: being poor to be charitable; being rich and noble, to learn supreme wisdom; to risk one's life and yet escape death; to gain sight of the Buddhist scriptures; to be born in the age of a Buddha (or, in the world of a Buddha); to repress lust and banish desire; to see an agreeable object and not covet it; having power, not to be supercilious; not to be angry when insulted; to be passive amidst all worldly influences; to understand completely the end of learning; not to despise the ignorant; to eradicate selfishness; to unite virtuous conduct with learning; to observe one's nature, and at the same time pursue the study of supreme reason; having attained one's end, not to be moved (by exultation); to explain satisfactorily the nature of final deliverance; to pass through various forms of being to deliver men; to have a heart enlightened and unmoved in action; to avoid positive and disputatious assertions."

This is one of my favorite books. I hope others find it to be an enjoyable and educational read.

While it may not be a direct translation of ancient text and it may suffer from the author's stated belief that the Buddha was similar to the Christ (i.e. this could have created a bias in the author to write about him in a way that highlighted this perception of his in a way that may have harmed staying true to the spirit of the source material), it does seem to contain most of the stories that I constantly see referenced in other books on Buddhism (such as the "parable of the mustard seed").

In this way I see it as a good book for looking up stories about what "the Buddha" supposedly did and said. Not too bad for a free download.

Use this thread to discuss Buddhist Sutras: The ULTIMATE Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras.

Use this thread to discuss Great Thinkers: Simple Tools from 60 Great Thinkers to Improve Your Life Today by The School of Life.

Use this thread to discuss The Gospel of Buddha by Paul Carus.

Use this thread to discuss 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris.

Use this thread to discuss Mindfulness in Plain English by Henepola Gunaratana.