Buddhism in the modern age

[Burning Dog of Irony (Ken McLeod)]

Opening up another discussion forum, on a theme that I find important in our age, namely the interaction between traditional, modern, and post-modern perspectives, in our lives, in religion, and in Buddhism.

As a start, I've posted this video I found on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX2f6QHkU-I

[Turning Falcon of Passionate Intensity (Ann)]

Leslie, what you have described is also what I endeavour do in my work ---meeting whoever I am working with in the best way I can on that particular day -- listening, bringing skills and experience into the picture, but without ramming ahead when there are different views or resistance. I'm a researcher and currently focus on helping organisations involved in development issues in other parts of the world to reflect on their own work and to be able to show donors what they are accomplishing. It's a challenging area -- one director of a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) that I've worked with in Fiji described the NGO sector as "crabs in a basket" -- all scrabbling to be on top -- to look good, to get resources from donors.

[Pat Stacy]

These lectures point out the interaction of technology and Buddhism. Ponlop Rinpoche, called “The only Rinpoche with a Blackberry,” spikes his lectures with examples from modern technology. A three-part lecture on the “Buddhist Geeks Podcast” (BG 74, BG75, BG76) (Seriously Buddhist, Seriously Geeky)

“The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, one of the foremost teachers in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism, joins us to discuss his efforts in creating a genuinely Western form of the traditional shedra tract of Buddhist learning. This traditional scholastic training system is being translated and slightly altered for Westerners so that they can learn the full system of monastic training. In this episode we spoke with Rinpoche about the ways that these systems are being altered for Westerners…”

Available at the BG website listed below or as 3 podcasts on iTunes.
http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/236-buddhist-geeks

Cool Budgie of Pedagogy (Pat)

[Chou Dog of Dis-illusioned Allegory]

On the same page as Cool Budgie mentions, there are two discussions about 'Dive-Bar Dharma' (episodes 68, 'Making it fresh or sensationalizing it?' and 69, 'Every generation creates the Dharma anew'). Then there's the 'Neon Lama'... another way of approaching Dharma teaching within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Some interesting stuff is happening, and I find it challenging at times to keep my mind open to all the many different ways of approaching/teaching/experiencing the Dharma in the contemporary very multicultural world.