Spiritual Friendship Is the Path
Each one of us, says David Viafora, can be a kalyana mitra, or “spiritual friend.” Here’s how.
Deep Dive
Interdependence
This month’s Deep Dive features Buddhist teachers on the key concept of dependent origination, also known as interdependence. Buddhism prizes the notion that all is interconnected and in change, even if imperceptibly. Reckoning with this idea amounts to much more than an intellectual exercise; it’s essential to our collective and individual liberation. Featuring Ajahn Buddhadhasa, Francesca Fremantle, Thich Nhat Hanh, Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Roshi Pat O’Hara, the 17th Karmapa, and Tenshin Reb Anderson.
Karma: The Choice Is Yours
There are two ways to understand dependent origination, teaches Ajahn Buddhadasa. But only one leads to liberation.
Why the Wheel Turns Three Times
A buddha is someone who sees the way things really are. When we see the way things really are, we see that we are all interdependent.
Living Buddhist Ethics
Looking primarily at the three sila aspects of the Buddha’s eightfold path—right action, right speech, and right livelihood—leading dharma figures explain how, as Buddhists in today’s world, we can live ethically, and in accord with what the dharma teaches.
Ethics, Meditation, and Wisdom
Norman Fischer on how sila, samadhi, and prajna work together to give us stability on the Buddhist path to liberation.
Understanding the Vinaya
Amy Paris Langenberg on the history, evolution, and modern manifestations of the training rules followed by Buddhist monastics.
Dukkha as a Doorway to Liberation
Scott Tusa on how Buddhist ethics transcend mere morality and help us to realize awakening.
The Six Dharmas of Naropa
Considered a fast track to buddhahood, the Six Dharmas are advanced tantric practices including tummo (inner heat), yoga of the dream state, resting in luminosity, and more. Featuring an overview by Pema Khandro Rinpoche, plus in-depth teachings by specialists in each of the Six Dharmas.
The Swift Path to Buddhahood
Pema Khandro on the fascinating history, practice, and purpose of the Six Dharmas of Naropa.
The Practice of Fierce Inner Heat
Judith Simmer-Brown on tummo, one of the most famous esoteric practices of Tibetan Vajrayana and the Six Dharmas. What is it, what are its benefits, and what role does it play in our journey to enlightenment?
A Wake-Up Call
Andrew Holecek on bardo, one of the Six Dharmas of Naropa’s two practices for helping us find our way, when the time comes, through the death experience. It can help us in life, too.
Embodying the Sacred: Charya Nritya, the Sacred Dance of Nepal’s Newar Vajrayana Buddhist Tradition
While in Nepal, Buddhadharma deputy editor Mariana Restrepo met with Punya Sagara, a devoted practitioner of Charya Nritya, to explore how this meditative practice endures as both a spiritual path and a living cultural heritage.
Dropping Body and Mind
In her new book, Meeting the Myriad Things, American Zen teacher Shinshu Roberts unpacks Dogen’s famed text Genjokoan (“Actualization of Reality”). Here she dives into Dogen’s most quoted teaching.
What If Buddhists Engaged AI as Part of Practice?
Deborah McGlauflin offers a dharma-grounded reflection on how our everyday interactions with AI can shape its moral and emotional tone. Drawing on her experience with a custom chatbot named Skywalker, she invites us to treat digital dialogue as a form of mindful speech and karmic imprint
Pure Perception – How Poison Becomes Medicine
This article, part of Mingyur Rinpoche’s new year-long teaching series, Blueprints of Awakening, explores how pure perception and the wisdom of buddhanature can transform even our deepest suffering into a path of liberation.
Dharma Books: Excerpts
Buddhism A–Z
Learn all about key Buddhist terms, concepts, and traditions in our in-depth glossary — perfect for beginners and committed dharma practitioners alike.
