Unflinching honesty. Insightful observation. Outside-the-box thinking. Today’s great comedians may not know much about Buddhism but they practice some of its most important principles. Rod Meade Sperry takes a look at today’s comics of merit, including Louis C.K., Sarah Silverman, Mike DeStefano, Garry Shandling, Tig Notaro, and more. What is it about comedians and Buddhism? [...]
Two years ago in the Shambhala Sun we ran a piece called "3 Heroes, 5 Powers," which shared a sample of The Secret of the Five Powers, a comic book that shed light on the work of Thich Nhat Hanh, Alfred Hassler, and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. The Secret of the Five Powers, I learned, was in fact inspired by a previous comic published by Hassler and the FoR. That comic [...]
And now for something completely different, via BlazeTV.com: Here's a video (dated October 31, 2014) of St. Louis-based rapper Prince Ea in gentle conversation with none other than Glenn Beck -- who you might remember as a bit of a fire-and-brimstone type from his times as a prominent US conservative commentator on FOX. (Beck has also authored several books and now hosts [...]
Today CNet alerts us to the existence of a new Etsy store, run by digital artist Chris Milnes, that sells "Zen" versions of iconic pop-culture characters — Batman, Yoda, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Boba Fett, Groot, and so on -- whose heads have been supplanted onto the body of Hotei, often referred to as the "laughing Buddha." They're all 3D printed, and so are a good deal more [...]
We've got a question for you: Do you drink or use other intoxicants? Why or why not? If you've got an answer, we want to hear it. So, tell us by sending an email to TheMoment@ShambhalaSun.com. We might well include your answer on our new page, "Share Your Wisdom," which will debut in our March magazine, along with a host of other helpful, fun new departments. Be sure [...]
As a comic-book nut with a bit of a spiritual bent, I was intrigued when, last year, Marvel announced plans to release a film featuring Doctor Strange, the comics company's famed "master of the mystic arts." But who would play the very-strange-indeed "Doctor"? A follow-up announcement told us it would be none other than Benedict Cumberbatch, star of Sherlock -- and, seemingly, [...]
To make diversity real, says Zen teacher angel Kyodo williams, Buddhists must look deep into their own hearts. From the new, January 2015 Shambhala Sun magazine; part of our feature story about Brooklyn Zen Center, "Open Minds, Open Hearts." Brooklyn Zen Center executive director Greg Snyder has spoken of a mind-meld that’s gone on between you and he, and BZC guiding teacher [...]
The RZA—born Robert Diggs—needs no introduction to hardcore fans of hip-hop. After setting the rap world on its ear with 1993's groundbreaking Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the mastermind of the Wu-Tang Clan has since produced a slew of albums and has branched out to film scores (Kill Bill, Ghost Dog), filmmaking, and books. He first found inspiration in the teachings of The [...]
A conversation with Luke Holland, director of Brooklyn Zen Center’s 12-Step Sangha program, which meets weekly, “bringing together people in recovery from addictions of all kinds to focus on recovery in the context of Buddhadharma and the twelve steps.” See our feature on Brooklyn Zen Center inside the January 2015 Shambhala Sun magazine, on newsstands in early [...]
Sik Kok Kwong, head of the Buddhist Association of Hong Kong, died on Monday at the age of 95. As the South China Morning Post writes, Sik Kok Kwong "was lauded for promoting his religion and organising charitable services, but also faced criticism over controversial comments," noting that "while president of the city's leading Buddhist group, a position he held until his [...]
