Legal Stuff 😉
This blog is a record of practice, not a claim of authority. I am a student of Buddhism in the Kagyu lineage, learning through the experiences of meditation, study, reflection, and practice. Some things here may be incomplete or mistaken; corrections, references, and other points of view are welcome.
What’s in a Name?
Why call this site The Non-Buddhist Buddhist?
At this point in my life, I consider myself a Buddhist. I study and practice within the Buddhist tradition and plan to take refuge vows after 5 years of a daily practice.
But the name is also a warning to myself.
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche described the danger of spiritual materialism: the tendency of ego to appropriate spiritual practice for its own purposes [1]. Buddhism can become another identity, another collection of concepts, another source of pride, or another position to defend. Meditation, knowledge, vows, credentials, and even the idea of spiritual progress can become things we cling to, grasp: and therefore, can cause us suffering.
“The Non-Buddhist Buddhist” reminds me that Buddhist is a useful description, but not a fixed self. Like every concept, it is dependent, provisional, and empty of any permanent essence.
This does not mean treating Buddhism casually. It means taking the teachings and practice seriously without turning them into possessions. It means respecting tradition without becoming imprisoned by identity. It means trying to embody the Dharma rather than merely appearing knowledgeable or spiritual.
The name holds that tension: to practice wholeheartedly while remaining willing to let go—even of the identity of being a Buddhist.
A Buddhist in commitment and practice.
A non-Buddhist in having nothing to defend.
To becom a non-buddhist is the ultimate goal. [2]
References
- Trungpa, Chögyam. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. Shambhala Publications, 2002.
- Jesus Khandro Rinpoche. How Not to Miss the Point. Shambhala Publications, 2025. Page 8.
My Conventional Identity
James John Wilson
- Father.
- Husband.
- Songwriter.
- Raised in Texas.
- Born in New York.
- Son of British parents.
- Fidelity Investments associate.
- Technologist turned program/project manager.
- BS Env. Science from SUNY Purchase, summa cum laude. 1997
- Masters in Leadership GU McDonough School of Business. 2019
- Teacher in Training. Westchester Meditation Center. Irvingyon, NY. 2026