Neurotheology: This Is Your Brain On Religion

For thousands of years, religion has posed some unanswerable questions: Who are we? What's the meaning of life? What does it mean to be religious?

In an effort to address those questions, Dr. Andrew Newberg has scanned the brains of praying nuns, chanting Sikhs and meditating Buddhists. He studies the relationship between the brain and religious experience, a field called neurotheology. And he's written a book, Principles of Neurotheology, that tries to lay the groundwork for a new kind of scientific and theological dialogue.

Listen to the 30 minute NPR story here.

Buy the book "Principles of Neurotheology" from Amazon

Korea (Jogye Order) to host 2012 WFB Conference

The 2012 World Fellowship of Buddhist Conference will be held in Korea hosted by the Jogye Order. The decision came during the 25th WFB Conference on November 13 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The 26th WFB Conference will be organized by the Jogye Order and the Jogye Order’s Central Council of the Laity. The plan is to have the conference coincide with the 2012 World Expo in Yeosu City and the very popular Lotus Lantern Festival.

Director of Social Affairs Ven. Hyegyeong said, “The reason for coinciding the conference with the expo and the Lotus Lantern Festival is that it would be a good way to show the world the beauty and richness of Korean Buddhist tradition and to promote Korean Buddhism. We will have a tentative six-day visit plan with half the time spent in Yeosu City and the conference, and the other days to see the Lotus Lantern Festival.”

Read the rest of the press release here

Drawn Toward Enlightenment

Since Zen is known for conundrums, it seems only fitting to suggest that a good way to appreciate the paintings of 18th-century Japanese Buddhist master Hakuin Ekaku is by looking at work by 21st-century New Zealander Max Gimblett.

Both are on view at the Japan Society Gallery, and while "The Sound of One Hand: Paintings and Calligraphy by Zen Master Hakuin" is by far the bigger draw, Mr. Gimblett's series of 10 "oxherding" paintings provides a useful entry point.

Mr. Gimblett's paintings of a herder searching for an ox are ink on paper, accompanied by writer Lewis Hyde's reinterpretation of the classic parable about the journey toward enlightenment. Mr. Gimblett is a lay Zen monk, and his work fits right in with what we expect when we hear the word "Zen." His brushstrokes variously splash, explode and restrain the ink in forms that embody his meditative response—the wall text tells us he executed them "in one breath."

Read the rest from The Wall Street Journal

Buddhist statue expert finds ‘missing link’

The annual fellowship award program of the National Museum of Korea has successfully wrapped up its project this year with research presentations by a Buddhist sculpture scholar from The State Hermitage Museum, Russia.

Under the program, the National museum of Korea has offered overseas scholars opportunities to better understand Korean art and archeology, and also participate in various academic activities.

At the end of the program, invited scholars are required to submit their research papers as the final outcome of their five-month stay in the capacity of a National Museum of Korea’s 2010 Senior Fellow.

Julia Elikhina, one of the three scholars invited by the museum so far, got her fellowship award for her insights into Oriental Buddhist art, along with her devoted study of Buddhist sculptures for over 20 years as the Oriental art curator with the Russian Hermitage Museum.

Her research titled “Cult of the main Bodhisattvas in the Korean Buddhism, iconographic and stylistic features of the Korean sculptures and paintings” signaled the culmination of her research in Korea.

It contains her discoveries and detailed analyses she made on her visits to early Buddhist sites in Korea, including South Jeolla Province temples and the ancient city of Gyeongju, well known for abundant Buddhist sculptures of the Silla Dynasty.

Read the rest from The Korea Herald

More on Temple Stay Budget Cut

After their recent heated brawls in the National Assembly, Korean lawmakers may need to find some inner peace and calm.

One way to do that in South Korea is to take part in the “Temple Stay” program, which lets locals and tourists stay over at Buddhist temples and join in such practices as meditation and tea ceremonies.

It’s open to everyone. Or at least it was before the nation’s biggest Buddhist group on Thursday banned ruling Grand National Party lawmakers from visiting their temples around the country.

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism issued the order after the GNP cut the state budget for the Temple Stay program.

The budget, which was originally around 11 billion won but was then raised to 18.5 billion won due to strong complaints from the Buddhist group, was subsequently cut to 12.2 billion won.

Read the rest at the Wall Street Journal

In Thailand, Buddhists love Christmas too

Most Thais practice Buddhism (94.6%), but Christmas is still a huge hit and holiday cheer is everywhere.

All around Bangkok, giant neon snowflakes, chubby snowmen, and full-size reindeer sleighs are everywhere. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Jingle Bells” pipe nonstop from loudspeakers. Weeks before the holiday, a Christmasy atmosphere is in full swing in this predominantly Buddhist country.

Locals know little about the holiday’s religious significance. “I saw a movie about Santa once,” a college student says, and giggles.

Read the full story from The Christian Science Monitor

The Grip of Greed

Money flies out of our hands this time of year and returns in the form of gifts to others to be opened in a holiday celebration. It is often said that money, however, is the root of all evil (a misquotation of the Bible, which states that the love of money is the root of all evil). The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, when considering the nature of the truly happy and fulfilling life for human beings, ruled out money. He did this because he saw that money is only an instrumental good. That is, it is only good for the sake of something else, namely, what we can get with it.

Read the full post on Psychology Today

Zen Meditation Can Help Bring Pain Under Control

People who engage in Zen meditation do feel pain, new research reveals, but they don't think about it as much.

The observation could have a bearing on the treatment of chronic pain among patients struggling with the impact of conditions such as arthritis and back pain.

Pierre Rainville, a researcher at the University of Montreal, and his colleagues report their findings in the journal Pain.

"Our previous research found that Zen meditators have lower pain sensitivity," said senior author Rainville in a news release from the journal. "The aim of the current study was to determine how they are achieving this."

Read the rest of the story from Business Week

Buddhists close temples to Korean President allies, GNP reps

After funding for a temple stay program was slashed in the national budget passed Wednesday, the Buddhist community has lashed back at the Lee Myung-bak administration, and Grand National Chairman Ahn Sang-soo vowed yesterday to find out who cut the funds and punish them.

The Jogye Order, the country’s largest Buddhist sect, issued a statement Thursday banning all Grand National Party lawmakers and Lee Myung-bak administration officials from entering its temples. “The ruling party and the administration rammed through next year’s budget on Wednesday, and the amount earmarked for the temple stay project was cut based on religious bias,” the statement said. “We cannot accept this situation and we ban all public servants and GNP lawmakers from entering temples nationwide.”

Read the full story from The Buddhist Channel.

DVD Spotlight - Pay It Forward

In appreciation of the giving season (well, which ideally is year-round) this week's DVD pick is Pay It Forward.

Eugene Simonet, an emotionally and physically scarred social studies teacher, challenges his young students to devise some type of philanthropic plan and put it into effect. A young boy, whose own life is far from rosy, takes the assignment to heart and invents the "pay-it-forward" philosophy, which encourages paying back favors in advance. The whole town embraces the boy's concept, and random acts of kindness become a community pastime. Though celebrated by acquaintances and the media, the boy struggles at home with his alcoholic mother, and the only one who recognizes his lonely fight is Eugene Simonet.