What Is Dharmaecology?

Dharmaecology is an interweaving of dharma themes from the Buddhist Naturalist tradition and ecology, which I define as natural systems theory. Dharmaecology indicates a strong focus on ecology and climate justice, dharma naturalism, and a systems ecology approach to dharma theory and practice. It’s about connectedness, networks and integration, social, biological and cosmic. What I seek …

Buddha Mods

Buddha Mods: I'm using COBRA Modification/Situationist Détournement to modernize stock images of the Buddha, of which there are untold millions that all look the same. I mean no disrespect; I am a devout Buddhist. It's more about updating and post-modernizing the Buddha image so that it becomes more relatable to me, and maybe some others.

Early Buddhist Civilization

I'm pulling together some research I've done on the early history of Buddhism, not [just] as a religion, but as an ancient civilization, and its implications for our present global technological civilization. Perhaps we can bridge the gulf between proponents of a 'secular' Buddhism and a 'religious' Buddhism if we understand Buddhism as a civilization …

Desolation Peak

I found my Desolation Peak.  I’ve been studying the chronicles of Jack Kerouac, his life, his writings and his peculiar form of Buddhism. After writing On the Road and Dharma Bums, and being immersed in the study of Buddhism for several years, Jack made a trip to upper Washington State, to a forest reserve only …

The Evolution of Evolution

Several years ago I wrote an article in Engage! (long before I started this blog) on 'awakening' as part of an evolutionary process. I discussed the 'evolution of evolution', that evolution, as a process itself, has evolved over time, increasing its capacity to produce ever more complex and intelligent lifeforms. I was intrigued to find …

The Consciousness of Consciousness

Everything that we perceive in our minds and experience is 'dharma' with a small 'd', and is the object of consciousness. What we see, perceive and experience is only its constructed nature, constructed that is, by consciousness (and other non-conscious brain processes.) However... Consciousness is also the object of consciousness, and that's why it's so …

Buddhism as Non-Linear Philosophy

I've begun to treat Buddhist dharma, including all Buddhist scriptures and practices, as non-linear philosophy. Buddhist dharma is not based solely on linear logic, although it contains logic. It doesn't proceed like [linear] systematic philosophy, or [linear] systematic theology [Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica], from premises to thesis to antithesis to synthesis. It is non-linear philosophy …

Art is Political

Art World Shits on Int'l Women's Day and Political Art. This piece was supposed to be my reflection on Int'l Women's Day. [The original is below.] I got some pretty cold feedback from my abstract art teacher that my piece was "Too narrative and political. Paint over it," she said. Because art is not supposed …

Laurie Anderson: Re-Imagining the End

Story-teller Laurie Anderson talks about the way we tell stories about the End of things, about extinction, about an unknown future, from the perspective of Buddhism and karma. https://youtu.be/skYJsHqTbAA

Kalle Lasn: Biopolitics

[Editor's note: this is the most lucid and forward-thinking article I've read by Kalle Lasn, founder and editor of Adbusters Magazine and former Zen priest.] Every Country is a Living Organism There are 200 countries in the world today, and if you think of each of them as a living, breathing organism, the questions become …

Kingsnorth: On Being Human in the Technosphere

To continue the exploration of how climate change changes us, I suggest that you listen to Paul Kingsnorth discuss the transformation of human nature in a global technological society. Kingsnorth talks in depth about the way Capitalism reduces everything to material factors and the market. Might our transition out of a system that is destroying …