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Love, Life, Meaning, Zen, and Science, by Norm Bearrentine

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Freedom and Solitude; Why I Left My Wife

March 5, 2008 by Norm Bearrentine Leave a Comment

Originally posted on 06-03-07: I was at the farmer's market with my backpack yesterday, stocking up for the week, when I had an interesting conversation with the blueberry vendor. I had been buying them at another booth that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2008 Tagged With: Buddhist, companionship, freedom, independence, relationship, separation, solitude, therapy

The Same but Different: Continuity and Change

March 4, 2008 by Norm Bearrentine Leave a Comment

Originally posted on 05-17-07: Yesterday I briefly mentioned the importance of daily routines, and here it is another day. When I woke up this morning, I found myself in the same bed I went to sleep in, still of masculine … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2008 Tagged With: brain, Buddhist, computer, continuity, true nature of mind

Love, Love, Love: The Need and Evolution

March 4, 2008 by Norm Bearrentine Leave a Comment

Originally posted on 05-16-07: At some point I'll talk about the importance of daily routines, but for now I'll just note that I read something every morning to remind me of the nature of reality as I understand it. These … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2008 Tagged With: Amma, brain, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, David Harp, decisions, Hindu, hormone, meditation, neurotransmitter, science, suffering, thoughts, Tricycle

Who’s in charge? Facing Reality

March 4, 2008 by Norm Bearrentine Leave a Comment

Originally posted on 05-15-07: A few days ago I talked about Clark Strand's article in the Fall, 2006, issue of Tricycle. He's writing about his take on a variety of Buddhism called "Pure Land," whose adherents recognize … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2008 Tagged With: AA, awe, brain, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, decisions, intention, motivation, Naturalism, powerless, Pure Land, responsibility, self, surrender, thoughts, Tricycle, Zen

Living Longer Without Fearing Death

March 4, 2008 by Norm Bearrentine Leave a Comment

Originally posted on 05-14-07: I discovered this video on the NYT today. There's a link beside the video to an article that goes into more detail. One of the subjects mentioned is the effect of caloric restriction on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2008 Tagged With: Alzheimer's, Buddhist, caloric restriction, death, disease, Dr. Roy Walford, health, longevity, memory

The Beauty of Things as They Are; Reality vs. Fantasy

March 4, 2008 by Norm Bearrentine Leave a Comment

Originally posted on 05-12-07: I'm just getting around to the Fall, 2006 issue of Tricycle, and I find two articles with apparently similar but actually opposing views. One is called "Letting Go," by Judy Lief—a worthwhile … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2008 Tagged With: acceptance, anxiety, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, fantasy, happiness, imagination, insecurity, pot, reality, Tricycle

What This Site Is About

When I realized that the idea of god was a joke, I thought that was the end of the story. Later I found that Christianity had shaped my values, and while some were worth keeping, many had lost their foundation—the meaning of life, for example. Something similar happened when I realized that the idea of free will was a joke, and I’ve spent the decades since both those realizations discovering and editing what Julia Galef calls the “orphan beliefs” they left behind. It’s a tricky business, and this blog has been a chronicle of my efforts to puzzle it all out, including reviews of related books. I hope you find it helpful.

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