In a time when we are trapped in dangerous narratives more than ever, David R. Loy’s book, “The World is Made of Stories,” is an important book for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

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It seems like yoga is often thought of as a religious practice with the various Hindu deities, chants, new age language about the divine powers of the “universe” and devotional hymns. The practice could be construed as a religion and the studio a temple with the rituals, greetings and protection of the space as sacred. How is yoga not a religion and just a form or spirituality and what is the difference between the two?

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Patanjali’s yoga inspires us to find inner peace. In Tantra, the goal of yoga is explicitly God-centered. Tantric Yoga is therefore a practice of both earthly balance and spiritual union. First a yogi attempts to harmonize body and mind, then to live in harmony with the world.

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Be compassionate. Be mindful. Be kind. If you can do these seemingly simple things, you’re already ahead of many “knowledgeable” Buddhists and yogis.

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Karma refers to the effects of volitional tendencies — the choices that we make — and that we can change, often for the better, by breaking free of bad habits and making good ethical decisions. It would behoove followers of the Law of Attraction to take a deep look at Karma in order to recognize that positive thinking is only good when it is grounded in ethical behavior and reason.

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Buddhism and yoga share goals of freedom. Buddhism has the goal of nirvana which is similar to Rāja Yoga’s goal of nirodha—both of which find expression in the concept of śūnyatā (emptiness). How we balance discipline in practice and application of theory through the perspective of emptiness is key to success.

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Although many Buddhists smell of sandalwood and patchouli, Bill Maher reeks of pot. I kid, I kid . . . many Buddhists reek of pot too.

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When describing spirituality, like Yoga and Buddhism, we sometimes have a concern about explaining our practice: We want a quick and solid summary of tenets, beliefs and practices. Such elevator speeches are insufficient for explaining Dharma.

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G.K. Sandoval, @drumsofdharma on Twitter, posed the following provocative question and exercise today within a couple of tweets: If Sakyamuni Buddha were present today, how many “modern” Buddhists would give up everything to hear him, to be in his assembly? Contemplate what you would have to do to relinquish your current lifestyle for a life as a member of the Buddha’s entourage.

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While many Buddhist and Yoga schools are “open,” we frequently get drawn into debates about “true Dharma.” While this has some validity (there are cases where Dharma is reinterpreted as nihilism, for example), I think that this where Dharma starts to go off the rails and we lean toward becoming sectarian and dogmatic.

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