NPR

Many Look To Buddhism For Sanctuary From An Over-Connected World

Some users are turning to Buddhism and other religions to have a more mindful experience online. By being tethered to your devices, one monk says, "you will waste your whole precious time."
One recent <a href="https://www.emarketer.com/Article/eMarketer-Updates-US-Time-Spent-with-Media-Figures/1016587">study</a> estimated that Americans are spending nearly six hours a day on their connected devices. Add television to that and the total rises to nearly 10 hours.

On the floor of a Zen Buddhist worship space in an apartment building in Washington, D.C., about 15 people recently sat on meditation cushions. They chant sutras and meditate, in complete silence, for a full 30 minutes.

And then one of the lay leaders of the All Beings Zen Sangha, or congregation, conducted a "little exercise."

"It's very simple," said Mark Stone. "If you could take out your screens, stay on

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR1 min read
New Music Friday: The best albums out June 14
This week, NPR Music's Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Ann Powers steer the New Music Friday podcast straight into the oncoming Father's Day weekend, following the lead of country superstar Luke Combs, whose new album Fathers & Sons is a heartfelt meditati
NPR1 min read
Bringing A Tariff To A Graphite Fight
Graphite is sort of the one-hit wonder of minerals. And that hit? Pencils. Everyone loves to talk about pencils when it comes to graphite. If graphite were to perform a concert, they'd close out the show with "pencils," and everyone would clap and ch
NPR1 min read
The Sunday Story: Roy Wood Jr. on the Road to Rickwood
What does a comedian know about baseball? And what can America's oldest baseball field tell us about the civil rights movement?Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama is America's oldest ballpark. It's older than Wrigley Field and Fenway park. But its

Related Books & Audiobooks