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Hello, it's Star again,
greeting you from the Padmasambhava chorten
in Railrider, in Second Life.
In the introduction, we defined a few terms
like “dharma” which is the Buddha's teachings
or the altered view of reality you obtain
by understanding his insight
or perhaps both. And “sangha”
which is the supportive community of people
who apply these teachings in their lives.
I briefly answered the question,
“What is Skeptical Buddhism” by describing it
as a way of following the Buddha's original teachings
that has us question not only our views,
but the views held by the institution of Buddhism as a whole.
I promised we'd talk more about questioning,
but first I would like to do one more bit of introduction,
this time answering the question, “Why Be A Skeptical Buddhist?”
I will try very hard to make this be the first
AND last time I get up on a soap box and proselytize.
The first reason I'd offer to the rational thinkers out there,
is that Buddhism doesn't require you to take anything on faith.
It does require that you give it an honest effort, though,
so some would say it takes a tiny bit of faith to take those first steps.
Or maybe hope. But you could equally well say
that giving this practice a try takes the same attitude
as that which a scientist brings to an experiment
that could prove or disprove a theory.
We only gain new facts by trying something new.
But beyond that first step, there is no point
at which you need to rely on belief; only on
the direct evidence of your own experience.
The second reason understanding the heart of the dharma is worthwhile
is that it gives us a very different view of the world
of ourselves, of others, of our actions
one that is not just self-consistent but a view
that is consistent with modern scientific knowledge as well.
Following on that is my third point,
that having this NEW and IMPROVED view of the world
makes a significant improvement in our lives, as you'd expect
from having a more accurate understanding of the way things are
and how they work.
Fourth, the dharma isn't all heady ideals and philosophies,
it's not all pronouncements of what you SHOULD do
and what you SHOULDN'T do. There's not even a concept of sin.
Instead, it comes complete with a set of tools,
tools which will give you the skills to first,
see this improved view for yourself, and more,
to develop a variety of practices that will make it easier
to follow through on what you come to understand.
My final point is about Buddhism standing in
that place in our lives that religion usually fills.
If you're a bit of a loner, you can easily go your own way
read books, listen to audio talks, research, ponder, and work out
your own understanding. If you prefer a little more socialization,
but are wary of authorities in more traditional settings,
you can connect with a sangha that's more peer-to-peer.
You can find a large enough group in most cities
to give you the same level of interaction a church would.
And if you want to learn from a well-known Master
you can do that too. Buddhism can fill whatever space
you want to give it in your life.
To some degree, most of these points fit all of Buddhism,
with the exception of the first. Most traditions
work from the view that reincarnation is a fact, and karma
an effect across incarnations, but Skeptical Buddhists
have noticed that these are views, not facts.
This has the effect of making point two -- clarity --
a bit more focused. Which in turn can make the tools work better,
which in turn could make life get better faster.
You'll also find that the last point, flexibility of approach,
may also be improved by Skeptical Buddhism which is
developing some newer methods of passing the dharma on peer-to-peer.
We should talk about the balance between following a lineage --
a line of people passing the teaching on one to the next,
which, theoretically, can be traced all the way back to the Buddha
-- and going one's own way. Each has its value, each has its risks,
and we need to consider those in a future episode.
The same sort of balance applies to individuals making choices
about self-teaching, or finding a teacher.
In all honesty, you aren't going to find Skeptical Buddhists
by looking them up in the yellow pages. While there are
a few groups out there, those mostly exist in cyberspace
in a variety of forms -- email lists, discussion groups,
or this place, in Second Life. At this point in time,
and for several years now, there has been a slow movement
in this direction by Western Buddhists who are relative newcomers.
In Europe and North America, western skeptics were drawn
to the sheer sense of what the Buddha taught, but many
have been repelled by the coating of superstition,
foreign gods, and dogma -- and with good reason,
since those things are quite the opposite of what the Buddha taught.
But the numbers are steadily growing, and something new
is taking shape. I hope you'll consider coming and seeing
what it's about and where it's heading.
In upcoming episodes I plan to cover this View I keep mentioning,
as well as one tool in the old toolbox.
Until next time, then, namasté!
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