Tag: dhamma difficulties

In Defense of Thinking (But Not Too Much): The Significance of Theory in Dhamma Practice

Post author By Shannon M Whitaker
Post date 4Aug2025
1 Comment on In Defense of Thinking (But Not Too Much): The Significance of Theory in Dhamma Practice

Greetings, Friendlies.:) “It’s just a theory. It doesn’t have anything to do with my practice.” Some of us have been taught that theory—anything intellectual really—is disruptive to dhammic path-ing. Theory, we have been told, actively hinders liberation. But that take, “theory is not good for practice” is itself a theory and it shapes our practice. […]

Tags atomic essay, Buddhism, dhamma difficulties, Learning in Public, theory vs practice

cognitive science Discourse

Meaning and Misunderstanding: Prototype Theory and Clouds of Meaning

Post author By Shannon M Whitaker
Post date 14Jul2025
2 Comments on Meaning and Misunderstanding: Prototype Theory and Clouds of Meaning

Greetings, friendlies. :) Ever been on retreat, maybe the teacher is talking about dependent origination, and the frustration is clear in the tone of the Q&A: “Wait. Is Saṅkhāra a kind of Saññā?” “Is Citta Viññāṇa??” “How is Vedanā different from Nāmarūpa???” It seems to me that a lot of dukkha in dhamma teachings stems […]

Tags Clouds of Meaning, dhamma difficulties, Learning in Public, Prototype Theory