Noah Levine

[negative.pixel]

I was wondering if anyone here was first exposed to Buddhism by Noah ro his books; or if anyone knows much about him.

[bodom]

I was wondering if anyone here was first exposed to Buddhism by Noah ro his books; or if anyone knows much about him.

Dharma Punx was one of the first books on Buddhism I had read. It was like reading my own autobiography. He is an excellent teacher for the younger generation of Buddhists.

http://www.dharmapunx.com/

[jcsuperstar]

i was in the punk scene in the 90s touring with bands, writing for zines, publishing zines etc, his idea of punk to me and to many of the bands associated with it( i know this cause we've had a good laugh at his description of the scene) is not punk, its just thuggery, violence and substance abuse. he does the whole scene a disservice really.

his actions in teaching dharma and meditation prior to being qualified also make him somewhat suspect in my book

i see him as a spoiled kid of somewhat famous new-age parents who went "off track" then used his parents connections to break into the spirituality scene

[bodom]

He is trained to teach by Jack Kornfield of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA. Im interested what your source is for the statement concerning his teaching before being qualified. I couldn't find any info regarding this.

[jcsuperstar]

look at the timeline of his activities, he had his little cult of personality going prior to training with kornfield

[bodom]

look at the timeline of his activities, he had his little cult of personality going prior to training with kornfield

Im sensing a little hostility here lol. Im not sure about the whole time line thing, but honestly this is the fist ive heard anything suspect about him. He leads retreats all over im sure something would have came to light by now.

[Clayton]

I remember in one of his talks he talked about how he started a study group when he was 7 years into practice instead of waiting 10 years like was expected. (I think I am remembering this correctly.) I enjoy his teachings I find his talks kind of run together... but he has a good message. I think he has brought buddhism to people who would otherwise never have heard of it.

With metta,

Clayton

[pilgrim]

:soap:
i was in the punk scene in the 90s touring with bands, writing for zines, publishing zines etc, his idea of punk to me and to many of the bands associated with it( i know this cause we've had a good laugh at his description of the scene) is not punk, its just thuggery, violence and substance abuse. he does the whole scene a disservice really.

his actions in teaching dharma and meditation prior to being qualified also make him somewhat suspect in my book

i see him as a spoiled kid of somewhat famous new-age parents who went "off track" then used his parents connections to break into the spirituality scene

How does one "qualify to teach?". This concept is alien to Theravada. Theravadins just share whatever they know or when asked to do so. This is unlike Vajrayana where one can't teach unless authorised by one's teacher (I think).

[Cittasanto]

:soap:
i was in the punk scene in the 90s touring with bands, writing for zines, publishing zines etc, his idea of punk to me and to many of the bands associated with it( i know this cause we've had a good laugh at his description of the scene) is not punk, its just thuggery, violence and substance abuse. he does the whole scene a disservice really.

his actions in teaching dharma and meditation prior to being qualified also make him somewhat suspect in my book

i see him as a spoiled kid of somewhat famous new-age parents who went "off track" then used his parents connections to break into the spirituality scene

How does one "qualify to teach?". This concept is alien to Theravada. Theravadins just share whatever they know or when asked to do so. This is unlike Vajrayana where one can't teach unless authorised by one's teacher (I think).

its not really alien!
Ajahn Chah didn't allow sumedho to teach until his 5th Vassa, if someone is still in training they don't teach.
Sharing an experiance or a possible insight isn't the same as teaching, and there is the 'in training' period for monastics, and the same would be true for laity.

[withoutcolour]

I read Dharma Punx (which although having a good message and being a good story, was a little bit of a whine-fest).
I also listen to Levine's dharma talks, which I enjoy. His relaxed way of explaining things (while remaining true to the dharma) is informative and can be amusing. I like how he refers to the Buddha as "Sid" and his followers as "his homies", haha. He definitely has respect for the Buddha and the dharma, but doesn't take himself too seriously.
But he is not my one source for the dharma, I use his talks to supplement my other teachings. His talks are just a nice relief from some of the more serious brain-bending talks.

[AnonOfIbid]

:soap:
i was in the punk scene in the 90s touring with bands, writing for zines, publishing zines etc, his idea of punk to me and to many of the bands associated with it( i know this cause we've had a good laugh at his description of the scene) is not punk, its just thuggery, violence and substance abuse. he does the whole scene a disservice really.

his actions in teaching dharma and meditation prior to being qualified also make him somewhat suspect in my book

i see him as a spoiled kid of somewhat famous new-age parents who went "off track" then used his parents connections to break into the spirituality scene

I ABSOLUTELY AGREE

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

In light of the recently tightened guidelines around the Discovering Theravada forum, there is nothing further to be obtained through this discussion.

Discussing Noah Levine is not discovering Theravada.

Metta,
Retro.