Buddhism, at least in its traditional forms, is functionally theistic, even if it doesn’t invoke a supreme deity. The doctrines of karma and reincarnation imply the existence of some sort of cosmic moral judge who, like Santa Claus, tallies up our naughtiness and niceness before rewarding us with nirvana or rebirth as a cockroach.

I did not know that. Huh. Huzzah, Science!

Horgan writes lots of other things, too. I wonder what you’ll think of them.

The “Pepper Spraying Cop” continues his beat across the internet. You’ll find some of his many tragicomic manifestations at his new, dedicated Tumblr, which includes a few more run-ins with religion, Eastern and Western.

“Basically,” Konchog told me, “it cited some guy saying that Jobs’ ‘Buddhist beliefs’ led him to dabble in kooky alternative treatments for his illness, thus hastening his demise.”

He was right to be dubious of the story. The story’s source was no “Harvard Report” but instead “Dr. Ramzi Amri, a researcher at Harvard Medical School.” The story itself is brought to you by the Christian Post, and titled “Steve Jobs Died Early as His Buddhist Beliefs Shunned Conventional Cancer Treatment. An excerpt:

According to a 2008 CNN Money article, Jobs decided to employ alternative methods to treat his pancreatic cancer, hoping to avoid the operation through a special diet.

These alternate methods were said to be an influence of Jobs’ Buddhist beliefs.

(The article goes on to say that Amri identifed this to be his personal opinion.)

For more (and, more legitimate) coverage of Jobs and his Buddhist connections, see our previous coverage, and especially Steve Silberman’s piece, “What Kind of Buddhist was Steve Jobs, Really?”

And so just now a co-worker brings me the October 24, 2011 issue of Sports Illustrated and points out this paragraph:

The logo, created in 1969 and modeled on a photo of Jerry, was apt in a way that the NBA couldn’t have dreamed: a white, ghostlike figure, frozen forever on the run. But a Buddhist artist would have sketched that phantom a different way. The Hungry Ghosts of Buddhism have pinhole mouths, long necks so thin that they can’t swallow and absurdly bloated bellies — forever starving but unable to ear, forever seeking gratification from old needs never met. The fate of most of the gods.

That’s an accurate-enough written rendering of the mythical Hungry Ghosts — but what on earth it’s doing in a story about Jerry West is beyond me. The article does paint West as one of “the gods” of the court, but I don’t get the “if a Buddhist artist sketched the logo” part here. That’s totally out of thin air, isn’t it?

Somebody, enlighten me!

(Perhaps The Lakers Forward Formerly Known as Ron Artest has the answer?)

“Walter Isaacson, author of the new biography Steve Jobs, was interviewed on The Daily Show. He talks about Steve Job’s ‘Zen stare,’ in which he would not blink when staring down an opponent — or something like that. Buddhism is also mentioned a few times in the interview, and it is just all-around fun. (It is The Daily Show after all).”

See what Sam is talking about, watch here. (In Canada? Then go here, and watch the third segment of October 25th’s show.) Thanks as always, Sam!

You may have seen this photo (or others like it) going around, posted on Facebook, etc, with a note that it’s of Burmese monks praying for world peace. That’s not quite accurate.

The actual story is that this is from a photoset of what some call a cult, based out of Thailand, whose “mass ceremonies are inspired by the head abbot’s fascination with the Muslim hajj gatherings and Nazi parades…” That description and the photoset itself — called “Close Encounters of the Buddhist Kind” — come from Foreign Policy. These photos really do beg to be seen. Only, in context.

Photo via Mister 536 (on flickr.com)

Back in June, we’d told you this was possibly going to happen — though one had to wonder if it was a prank.

But, nope, it’s official: on Friday the 16th LA Lakers forward Ron Artest has his name legally changed to Metta World Peace. As his publicist says about the name, “Metta is his official first name; which in the Buddhist tradition means loving-kindness and friendliness toward others and his last name is World Peace.” (Though Artest might want to see this SunSpace post by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, which contends that an more appropriate translation of metta might be “goodwill.”)

More on the name-change here, via this CNN article – which reminds us that we’ll soon be hearing the name Metta World Peace on Dancing With The Stars.

And it’s apparently a problem that needs to be addressed.

At any rate, this wins for Photo of the Day. Hands down.