{"id":2429,"date":"2011-03-08T21:35:58","date_gmt":"2011-03-09T04:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=2429"},"modified":"2011-03-08T21:37:50","modified_gmt":"2011-03-09T04:37:50","slug":"visiting-buddhist-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=2429","title":{"rendered":"Visiting Buddhist Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Melinda Rothouse, Austin, Texas-based writer on religion and performance, visits a Buddhist retreat\u00a0 in the west of Ireland<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In its former life, before being purchased by [the Buddhist organization], the building served as the courthouse where many of the IRA<\/a> trials of the 1970’s and 80’s took place. He spoke of cells where IRA members were once held, under maximum security, while awaiting their trials.\u00a0 These same cells are now dormitories and meditation rooms\u2014talk about poetic justice.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She briefly surveys the Irish religious scene. In case you were wondering,<\/p>\n

And what of the ancient Celtic\/Pagan tradition that\u2019s so identified with Ireland in cultural imaginings?\u00a0 Sure, you catch glimpses and hear whispers, especially in the odd women\u2019s retreat advert promising a reawakening of feminine power and sexuality, but it\u2019s not really a living, viable practice as far as I was able to observe. . . . Well, as in America, people are looking for an alternative way to connect with the spiritual without all the cultural and historical baggage of Christianity.\u00a0 Yoga studios and Buddhist meditation centers are popping up all over Ireland, as a brief Google search will reveal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Given the fact that the Irish economy is down the tubes right now, “an emphasis on simplicity, quietude (certainly not always observed), communal living, recycling and composting, meditation and study” might just fit well with economic realities. And since the Celtic Tiger lived only twenty years or so (some say less<\/a>), the older folks remember how to do without.<\/p>\n

And as Rothouse rightly observes, “religious traditions are crossing borders as quickly as any commodity.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Melinda Rothouse, Austin, Texas-based writer on religion and performance, visits a Buddhist retreat\u00a0 in the west of Ireland. In its former life, before being purchased by [the Buddhist organization], the building served as the courthouse where many of the IRA trials of the 1970’s and 80’s took place. He spoke of cells where IRA members […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[104,50],"class_list":["post-2429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-buddhism","tag-ireland"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6xQTg-Db","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":781,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=781","url_meta":{"origin":2429,"position":0},"title":"‘Religion of peace’ attacks dogs, education, liquor, etc.","author":"Chas S. Clifton","date":"December 14, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"We worry about people \"hoarding\" too many dogs. Not in Muslim areas, where having any dog apparently makes you worth killing.From Thailand, for instance:Buddhist monks have been beheaded, Buddhist teachers slain, and leaflets distributed around Buddhist villages warning that raising dogs and drinking alcohol are offensive to Muslims.That makes me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Islam\"","block_context":{"text":"Islam","link":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?tag=islam"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10584,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=10584","url_meta":{"origin":2429,"position":1},"title":"“In Ireland, fairies and demons are almost interchangeable”","author":"Chas S. Clifton","date":"May 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This video is worth ten minutes of your time. 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In 1976 the couple moved to Ireland, accompanied\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Britain\"","block_context":{"text":"Britain","link":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?tag=britain"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":785,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=785","url_meta":{"origin":2429,"position":4},"title":"Top stories of 2006","author":"Chas S. Clifton","date":"December 31, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Visit The Wildhunt Blog for top Pagan news stories of 2006.Meanwhile, The Georgia Straight, a Vancouver, B.C., weekly, has a huge list of tidbits from 2006 from Canada and the rest of the globe. Some samples:Simpletons of the seaThe large brains of dolphins, whales, and porpoises are the result of\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1288,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=1288","url_meta":{"origin":2429,"position":5},"title":"You Cannot Think Those Thoughts!","author":"Chas S. 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