Author Archives: EricKVanHorn

Additions to the Site

Posted on February 15, 2015 by EricKVanHorn

Note that this and the following blog entry are new. Someone in a comment recently requested a list of publications that I can recommend. Rather than simply responding to the comment, I have added a new page called “Additional Resources.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhist meditation | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Additions to the Site

Pseudo-scholarship in Buddhism

Posted on February 15, 2015 by EricKVanHorn

Sometimes I feel a little self-conscious about the fact that I spend so much time debunking what I hear other Buddhist teachers saying. However, I feel a little bit better about this since I heard Thanissaro Bhikkhu point out that … Continue reading →

Posted in Teachings of the Buddha | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Pseudo-scholarship in Buddhism

Additions to Meditation

Posted on February 7, 2015 by EricKVanHorn

I have added two new articles to the section on Meditation. They are Establishing a Mental Posture and Breath Meditation. The article on Breath Meditation will have at least one more article to expand on this rich topic.

Posted in Buddhist meditation | Comments Off on Additions to Meditation

New Meditation Section

Posted on February 2, 2015 by EricKVanHorn

I have added a new tab to the web site called Meditation. It currently has two entries, an “Introduction” and a description on “Establishing a Sitting Posture.” The goal is over time to develop a comprehensive guide to meditation and indeed … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhist meditation, Teachings of the Buddha | Tagged , , | Comments Off on New Meditation Section

New Jhāna Update

Posted on January 5, 2015 by EricKVanHorn

One of my shorter posts in this blog simply references a study that I did on jhāna (meditative absorption) in the Majhima Nikāya. (That post has since been deleted.) The reason that the post is so short is that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhist meditation, Buddhist practice | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on New Jhāna Update

The Cascading Four Noble Truths

Posted on January 2, 2015 by EricKVanHorn

Many teachers emphasize the non-linear nature of the eightfold Noble Path. Each step in the path helps to reinforce all of the others. And of course that it’s true. However, there is also a method behind the order in which … Continue reading →

Posted in Teachings of the Buddha | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Being, Doing, And The Active Art of Meditating

Posted on November 2, 2014 by EricKVanHorn

Those of you who follow this blog know that I am at odds with many of the teachings of what is commonly called “Vipassana meditation.” I have been pleased in recent years to discover that I am not alone. Two … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhist meditation | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Making a Difference

Posted on October 19, 2014 by EricKVanHorn

I am sitting here at the Starbucks in Mt. Laurel, NJ. A very dear old friend of mine from Cherry Hill committed suicide on Monday and I am here for the funeral. I first met Bill the summer after my … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhist practice | Comments Off on Making a Difference

Same old, same old

Posted on July 19, 2014 by EricKVanHorn

Life is mainly about what happens in your heart and mind. In Pāḷi there is a single word for “heart and mind”; that word is citta. When Henry David Thoreau was on his deathbed, his aunt – who today would … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhist ethics | Tagged | Comments Off on Same old, same old

Keep Calm and Carry On

Posted on July 11, 2014 by EricKVanHorn

Since my last post I have moved to New Mexico and become a part of the Albuquerque Vipassana Sangha. What I see there is the same thing that I see in other local groups and at retreats and anywhere that … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhist meditation | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Keep Calm and Carry On