A month of blog posts

[Gonna go outside for a bit away from the computer.]

OK, that's at least one blog post for every day in November. Not sure what is was worth other than a fun challenge, but if you got anything at all out of it I'm glad.

Be well.

How Buddhism is perceived (in the West)

[Serenity now.]

After some recent reading, I was pondering what Buddhism looks like to me from the view offered by popular presentations in Western societies, particularly in the English speaking world. This includes any materials published originally in English or translated into English which are intended to be accessible to lay people.

I wondered what Buddhism is all about from such a perspective, and I wrote down some of the initial thoughts I had on the matter. If you are interested, you can view them here:

Underinformed Speculation and Elaboration on Buddhist Teachings

Be well.

Snowfall

[A touch of snow fell on the area.]

I sometimes update a primarily photograph based blog. It currently gives an idea of what's happening with the weather here. If you want to take a look, follow the link below.

Snowfall as Thanksgiving nears

Be well.

How important are systems of naming and classifying things to creating our sense of what is real?

[Advertising my academic blog again.]

Last week I wrapped up a section on the mind for my blog about human nature and its connection to evolutionary and social narratives. The new section is going to tie that together with what I wrote about culture. Here is a summary about what's been covered so far, in case you might be interested:

A quick review: We've looked at how how evolution reveals patterns of organization leading to the replication of information in organisms and how these same patterns reveal the capacity for creativity at different levels of organic complexity. In other words, two essential elements for narratives that exist from single celled organisms to sophisticated multicellular forms. We've looked how perception has a sensory input from the biochemical and anatomical side as well as cultural input from the mental and social side, and how the patterns for replicating information and a capacity for creativity at the social level gives rise to narratives about the path and purpose to life. We were most recently looking at some of the building blocks of the mental and social aspects of perception and cognition.

To see where things go from there or how it began, you can start with the latest entry:

 Weaving the World Through Names and Stories

That's it for now.

Be well.

Musings on similarities and distinctions among different religions

[Beautiful shading]

In addition to my more recent blog about the academic approach to examining human nature, I've also got a much older one where I consider different issues related to religion and spirituality.

At the latter, I've recently reflected on the debate about whether religions are really just the same or whether there are important differences that shouldn't be overlooked.

If that kind of thing interests you, take a look.

An autumn leaf

[A featured picture on Pixabay. Lovely.]

There, you see? Back again already.

I'm sure you are familiar with reflection exercises like "Imagine you only had a limited time to live." They are very popular in post-modern societies and especially on blogs and in self-help books and videos.

Not that I claim to be very knowledge about self-help genre. I've looked into it and it tends to be the same thing recycled over and over by a few very successful people and hundreds of folks who want to have that same success. Which is why you see the successful and not so successful self-help advisors pop up in places like the Huffington Post.

Well, anyway, there's that one, and the one about what you would do if time, money, and other resources were no object. And I've noticed a couple of things.

One, I don't seem to do well with these little exercises. I just don't know what I would want to do or I can't decide from the options. Anything I pick would just be to complete the exercise, not because it was the thing.

Two, it's very hard to actually imagine yourself to really be in such a life-and-death or inconceivable abundance scenario. Sure, it's possible in a kind of superficial, light and breezy "Oh I'd go to [insert exotic location]" kind of way. But not really.

I mean, would you really see a shift in your priorities? Would it really crystallize what you think and believe? Reveal how you really feel?

So then today, little less than two weeks before my birthday, I go into to get a basic test done as a follow-up to my annual physical. Something was a little off in the physical, so it was just being  a matter of cautious.

That is, until my doctor calls me from her house the same day to tell me I have a serious condition that is one hundred percent fatal if left untreated. Hence I will require major surgery in the near future, which itself is kind of risky.

I ought, therefore, to have some of that clarity coming my way since I am facing an immanent mortal threat. Nothing so far, though. Not about life, spirituality, where I would go or what I would do if it was now or never. Still, maybe it will come to me as events unfold and my situation becomes more real to me.

I'll keep you updated if any insights reveal themselves.

Be well.

Gathering too much dust

[Not my actual keyboard]

Hmmm.

This place has gotten a bit dusty. And sparse. Definitely sparse. Sparse and dusty.

I had particular plans for it when I created this space. Then I let it go.

I decided to re-purpose it. But then that didn't happen either.

Well, OK, then.

Time to actually start using this as it was kind-of sort-of intended, the second or third time around. Which is as a lightly-themed catch-all type of blog.

I've tended to better with more focused blogs given definite themes, but there are often things that "just don't fit" those established  topical patterns and boundaries.

Got to go for now, but I'll be stopping by more often. Suggestions for things you'd like me to discuss and reflect on are welcome. If they seem interesting to me I'll do my best to respond.

Be well.