Joy, giving, family, and peace—people of all faiths can celebrate these values of the holiday season. Eight Buddhists offer their take on yuletide dharma. One Perfect Christmas Bonnie Nadzam on letting go of holiday expectations, and simply enjoying the mystery and tradition of the season. I was raised Catholic and once, as a girl, I had The Perfect Christmas. The snow was [...]
About Lodro Rinzler
Greatest Love of All
When you incorporate Buddhism’s four immeasurables into your life, your love won’t be attached to just one person, says Lodro Rinzler. It will flow freely, and you can offer it to everyone you encounter. In 1993, a dance single titled “What Is Love?” (by Haddaway) swept the nation. It was a simple song, but catchy. The refrain—“Baby, don’t hurt me no more”—also identified [...]
Being Authentic at Your Shitty Job
Lodro Rinzler answers an all-too-common worker's question: Q: How do I leave behind the feeling of being trapped in my job and the resentment it causes? I want to be authentic at work. A: You never leave feelings behind, in my experience. You can go through a horrible breakup, think you're over your ex, then months later hear about the ex dating another person and [...]
5 Buddhist Slogans for the Office
By practicing the famous mind training slogans, you can bring profound Buddhist wisdom into your day-to-day life. Lodro Rinzler highlights five slogans that are especially helpful at work. The Buddhist master Atisha (982–1054) is credited with popularizing and systematizing the lojong, or mind training, teachings of Buddhism. Prior to Atisha, these teachings were held closely [...]
Bombarded by Coconuts of Wakefulness
In the garden of gentle sanity May you be bombarded by coconuts of wakefulness - Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche A broken heart sucks. I won’t lie and say it doesn’t. However, it can also be a golden opportunity to wake up to your life and realize a new way of being. In the lines of the poem Timely Rain quoted above, we see one Buddhist teacher’s take on this concept. These [...]
Oops, I Said the Wrong Thing
Forgive yourself for your faux pas, counsels Lodro Rinzler. You can learn from mistakes. The fourth precept, the precept of mindful speech, is a ground for training. There will be times when you fail. During a presentation, you slip in an awkward comment that places blame on a coworker. Out to lunch with a friend, you let slip that you think Julie in accounting is having an [...]
Intentional Change – Embrace Change
Embrace Change: ten leading Buddhist teachers and writers offer personal stories, teachings, and meditations to touch our hearts, open our minds, and help us embrace the change in our lives. I recently read that only eight percent of the millions of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions actually stick with them. It’s certainly not easy to make positive changes in your [...]
Announcing “The Under 35 Project”
From our friend Lodro Rinzler, author of the new book, The Buddha Walks Into a Bar: A Guide to Life for a New Generation, comes a call for submissions for a new project, one we're pleased to have a part in. If you're under 35 or know someone who is, check it out and spread the word. I am pleased to announce this call for submissions for The Under 35 Project. I hope you'll join [...]
Can sex –- even a one-night stand — be a compassionate activity?
An excerpt from Lodro Rinzler's new book, The Buddha Walks Into A Bar: A Guide to Life for a New Generation, with frank and helpful advice on sex – which might very well be useful to you even if you've never even dreamed of having a one-night stand. Sex is experienced as different things by different people. It can be used to show true love or affection. It can be used simply [...]
Let’s Talk: A Necessary Gamble
There are many interesting and important voices that aren’t always heard in the mainstream dharma discourse. So in this issue we’re launching a new department—Let’s Talk—welcoming a broad spectrum of writers and readers to share their diverse experiences of American Buddhism. Lodro Rinzler kicks things off with his thoughts on why it’s essential to cultivate and support young [...]
