Intellectual Archive

An enlightened view of enlightenment

December 13, 2010 · Category: Adyashanti, Buddhism, Eckhart Tolle, Intellectual, Mindfulness

I haven't written much on Mudita Journal about the concept of enlightenment, but it's been in the background for me for several years, ever since I discovered the teachings of Adyashanti (and Eckhart Tolle, before him). Perhaps I should write a post about it, sometime, for the benefit of those who are unfamiliar, who see it as a "mystical" concept, or who are skeptical that it has any value. Meantime, I know a few of my readers are acquainted with Adyashanti — or "Adya," as students often call him — and his teachings. In any case, a friend said the ...

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The Singing Revolution: How the tiny country of Estonia overthrew their Soviet occupiers, without killing a single person

February 16, 2010 · Category: Individualism, Intellectual, Politics

I just ordered a copy of The Singing Revolution, a documentary about how the Estonian people organized themselves in the 1980s and cleverly used the cultural power of songs to overthrow their Soviet occupiers. An entire nation was freed from Soviet occupation, without a single person being killed. (Think about that for a moment... Why haven't you heard about this before?) See the trailer here. And more information about the movie (including reviews) is available from Amazon. I originally learned about the movie from my friend Stephen Browne, when he wrote about it on his blog. Commentary on the movie (via Amazon.com) from filmmakers ...

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Transcript of my Reason.tv interview about Ayn Rand’s legacy

February 16, 2010 · Category: Buddhism, Individualism, Intellectual, Objectivism

My thanks to a user on braincrave.com for transcribing the parts of my August 2008 interview with Reason.tv that pertain to Ayn Rand's legacy. I'm pasting his transcription below (with a few light edits and corrections) for Mudita Journal readers interested to revisit some of the themes I explored in that interview. I definitely think her novels provide the best introduction to her ideas. They're easier, so they're more accessible to many people. They're best sellers over the last 40 to 50 years, so obviously they've appealed to many people. But also, they set her ideas in the context of the ...

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“None of the cool kids like Ayn Rand anyway” and other sneers

February 9, 2010 · Category: Intellectual, Objectivism

Jeff Perren sent me a link to two recent articles about Ayn Rand -- "Ayn Rand: engineer of souls" by Anthony Daniels and "One or two thoughts about Ayn Rand" by Roger Kimball -- and asked for my thoughts. My reply: I found Daniels making some fair enough points, pro and con, but was stopped in my tracks when I got to this: "She entirely lacks the literary ability to convey anything admirable, or even minimally attractive, about her heroes, who are the kind of people one would not cross the road to meet, though one might well cross it to ...

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Do corporations deserve the same legal protections as people?

January 23, 2010 · Category: Current Events, Intellectual, Politics

This is a conversation from Facebook. My philosopher friend Stephan Pernar joined the group called "Corporations are not people." In response I asked: What essential difference does it make whether corporations "are" people, when they are composed of people? Seeking insight into the basis of your position. I'm probably neutral on the subject itself but wary of people "sticking it" to corporations as though that were not "sticking it" to people who own the corporation. He replied: "My main critique is that corporations are pursuing essentially non-human goals (monetary gain) with super human ability. This leads to a dynamic that skews interactions ...

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Suffering as a form of spiritual guidance

January 5, 2010 · Category: Buddhism, Eckhart Tolle, Intellectual, Mindfulness, Witness Consciousness

In response to my post on the significance of suffering, Andrew ends his insightful comments with: So in that sense I think the issue of suffering is important: I think denials of it lie at the root of many problems. I do wonder, though, if this gets at what you are talking about. I sense you may be referring to something more. Good points. And yes, I am groping for something more, here. In a nutshell, it's this: I have come to the view that suffering, if you respond to it correctly, will open you to a sense of deep and profound connection with ...

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On the significance of suffering

January 3, 2010 · Category: Buddhism, Intellectual, Objectivism

Peter's reply to The Invitation reminded me of a conversation he and I had several years ago, which had prompted me to write my post on Buddhism and Suffering. In that post, I concluded: So to me, the case for the significance of suffering, once we look at it closely, seems overwhelming. Does this mean we resign ourselves to suffering, or become taciturn? No, but it does suggest that there are whole areas of life that we may be blind to, and controlled by just the same, if we don’t consciously acknowledge their significance and respond to them appropriately. I find Buddhism helpful ...

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The Invitation

December 26, 2009 · Category: Individualism, Intellectual, Mindfulness, Personal, Witness Consciousness

by Oriah It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon... I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals, or have become shrivelled and closed from fear ...

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Reason TV interviews Atlasphere founder Joshua Zader

November 9, 2009 · Category: Atlasphere, Buddhism, Individualism, Intellectual, Objectivism, Personal

The interview, titled "Dating in the Atlasphere," was actually conducted in August 2008, but they've waited a while to publish it as part of a long series of interviews about Ayn Rand's legacy. From Reason TV's summary: Joshua Zader's intellectual relationship with Ayn Rand began as it does for so many, during his college years. He then blazed a trail uniquely his own among Rand admirers by creating The Atlasphere—an online networking and dating site for the fans of Rand's novels with particular emphasis on The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Zader found inspiration in Rand's portrayals of independence and integrity, ...

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Nathaniel Branden is highly recommending the Lifebook program by Jon Butcher

October 23, 2009 · Category: Health, Intellectual, Objectivism

Nathaniel Branden sent the following message to members of his announcement list: It is my great pleasure to introduce to you a man and a program of stunning originality and practical results. The man is Jon Butcher and his program is Lifebook. Lifebook launches you into its world by inviting you to deeply examine 12 separate aspects of your life that, in reality, are not separate at all. In each category you are stimulated and inspired to clarify your beliefs, identify your goals and define what needs to be done to actualize them. You capture and document your thoughts and feelings along the ...

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