"It is natural that doubt should arise in your minds.

I tell you not to believe merely because it has been handed down by tradition, or because it had been said by some great personage in the past, or because it is commonly believed, or because others have told it to you, or even because I myself have said it...

The Buddha


... But whatever you are asked to believe, ask yourself whether it is true in the light of your experience, whether it is in conformity with reason and good principles and whether it is conducive to the highest good and welfare of all beings, and only if it passes this test, should you accept it and act in accordance with it."

- The Buddha
  Kalama Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya.


Buddhism in the West


Biology Evolution Accepting our evolutionary history does mean rejecting our spirituality
Dukkha and evolution
Evolution and Buddhism

Culture Art Buddhist Art News
Himalayan (mostly Buddhist) Art 
Kadampa Buddhist Art and Symbolism
Himalayan Art Resources
Symbolism
Tashi Mannox - contemporary and traditional iconography
Temple Treasures of a Sacred Mountain
Thai Contemporary Buddhist Art
Tibetan Calligraphy and Iconography
Why Beauty Matters - Roger Scruton

History Buddhism in pre-Christian Britain
Buddhism and Greek (Hellenistic) Culture

General The Berzin Archives
Glossary of Buddhist terms
Studies in Buddhadharma - site map
Subjects A - Z

Interfaith Buddhism Dharma Jewel:  Multiple facets - Multiple schools
Four Seals - the definitive characteristics of Buddhism that differentiate it from other religions.

Christianity Buddhism and Christianity
Buddhist origins of Christianity
Culturally Christian
Genesis versus science

Druidism Buddhists and Druids in pre-Christian Britain
Flame from a distant altar

Judaism Jubus

Rationalism Reason versus dogma

The Religion of Peace™ Jihad against Buddhism

Wicca Wicca and Buddhism

Mathematics Empty Set - how numbers arise out of emptiness
Godel's Incompleteness Theorem
The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in Science and Engineering

Meditation Meditation - Introduction
Meditation - Videos
OM AH HUM Meditation

Philosophy Aesthetics Why Beauty Matters - Roger Scruton

Computationalism Algorithms - any system which cannot in principle  be simulated by an algorithm must have a non-physical component
Artificial Intelligence - the failure of computationalism as an explanation of the mind.
Emergent phenomena - why the mind is not an emergent property of the brain.
Minds, machines and meaning

Epistemology Nagarjuna and the Limits of Thought

Materialism Arguments against materialism
Qualia
Reductionism
Reverse Engineering the Dharma

Ontology Emptiness - Sunyata        

Emptiness - Yogic and Philosophical approaches

Essentialism
Existence, impermanence and emptiness
Indra's net
Inherent existence
Permanence and Permanent Phenomena
Process Philosophy and Buddhism

Physics Essentialism, Physics and the Chemical Elements
Quantum Phenomena
Partless Particles
The Participatory Universe
Time and Impermanence in Buddhism and Modern Physics  

Practice Anger Management
Lucid Dreaming
Mantras
Sacred Springs
Samsaric Gods
Tantra

Psychology Buddhist mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) beats depression
Emptiness of the Mind
Emptiness of the Ego and Tantra
Generic images 
Parietal Lobe
Psychedelic Buddhism and the use of Entheogens
The Four Noble Truths
The Mind And Life Institute
The Three Poisons of the Mind

Sociology Engaged Buddhism
Marxism
Memes
Patriarchy versus Thealogy

Technology Buddhism in a Global Age of Technology

 

Buddhist Christmas

 


Buddhist Blogs and News


 

Reverse Engineering Buddhism

"Anyone who accepts these four seals, even independently of Buddha’s teachings, even never having heard the name Shakyamuni Buddha, can be considered to be on the same path as he."
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

So, how much of the philosophical system of Buddhism can we  reconstruct independently of Buddhist sources?    And why 'reverse engineer' Buddhism?     What's the purpose of attempting to derive a skeletal framework of  Buddhist doctrine from reason and observation alone?    More here