Archives: BD Articles
Community joins together after Buddhist Church of Sacramento vandalization
"One never fully realizes the strength of community until a time of need," writes the BCS in response to the care of its sangha and neighbors.
Creating Buddhism-informed Spiritual Care on College Campuses
The Maitreya Association’s co-founder and president explains the creation of the first-ever professional network of Buddhist college chaplains and its impact on American Buddhist higher education ministry.
Venerable Dr. Pannavati, Heartwood Mandala spiritual leader and humanitarian force, has died
An April 11 celebration of life memorial service will be held in Heartwood Mandala's town of Henderson, NC, and will be livestreamed online as well.
The Dark Side of Buddhism
If you think Buddhism is free of the religious nationalism and violent extremism that plague other religions, think again. Editor-at-large Melvin McLeod talks to journalist Sonia Faleiro about her new book, The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism Is Shaping Modern Asia (Columbia Global Reports).
David Chadwick, chronicler of San Francisco Zen Center Community, has died
He was the author of the classic biography, Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teaching of Shunyru Suzuki, as well as Thank You and OK: An American Zen Failure in Japan, and, most recently, Tassajara Stories.
Making Sense of Buddhism’s “Six Realms”
“Here,” writes Timothy Addison in this piece adapted from Turning the Mind, the second book in his new series, Like Honey Amidst Bees, “is what helped me understand the six realms in a way that felt both intellectually honest and transformative.”
Shinchi Linda Galijan to be installed as first female abbot of Berkeley Zen Center
The ceremony will be viewable by livestream via the BZC website.
The Inspirational Example of Venerable Jotika
Hein Htet Kyaw profiles Venerable U Jotika of Maha Myaing Forest monastery — monk and advocate for democracy, interfaith and multi-culturalism.
Three Buddhist Nunneries Dance a New Chapter of Empowerment and Opportunity
For over a thousand years, mostly monks performed the sacred cham dances of Vajrayana Buddhism. Then in 2014, the 17th Karmapa made a significant move by inviting nuns to learn and perform these dances before a crowd of over ten thousand. Karen Greenspan spent four years following these pioneering practitioners, revealing a story of tradition, transformation, and the ongoing movement toward gender equality in Tibetan Buddhism.
New Atlanta exhibit features Rima Fujita’s works on the Dalai Lama
The exhibit will run from February 13 through June 7, featuring imagery of the Dalai Lama, whom Rima Fujita considers her principal teacher.
Bringing Yidam Practice to Human/AI Encounters
Deborah McGlauflin wades into the “virtual buddhafield” — and asks us to consider joining her there.
We’ve Been Here All Along
Funie Hsu says it’s time we recognize Asian American Buddhists and address the racism that marginalizes their ongoing role in the dharma in the West.
Toward a More Skillful Mode of Buddhist Political Speech
"Knowing that so many are engaged in resisting the current violences and attacks on democracy in our nation," writes Gregory Snyder, "my hope is that our Buddhist communities will continue to work to develop a place that encourages our political voices."
What “Integrated Meditation” Is, and Why It Matters
Amma Thanasanti explains how her program functions to "restore the relational ground required for deeper healing — and for meditation itself — to function."
The Surprising Good News of Karma
No Buddhist teaching is as challenging to the modern mind as karma. Is it determinism, cosmic justice, or the simple truth that unwholesome states of mind create suffering and virtuous states of mind produce happiness? In this excerpt from her book A New Way of Seeing, Dominique Side draws on the Abhidharma teachings of Buddhist psychology to explain Buddhism’s nuanced and ultimately hopeful view of karma.
San Jose Buddhist temple suffers three-alarm fire
It was the second fire that Vietnamese Buddhist temple Chua Duyen Giac has endured since May 2024. No injuries have been reported.
Self-Care for Liberation
The new book Emergent Dharma (North Atlantic Books) is a ground-breaking collection of Asian American feminist Buddhist voices. In this excerpt, the book’s editor Sharon Suh says Asian American women need to prioritize self-care to liberate themselves from shame culture, stigmatization, and the Model Minority stereotype.
Se publica la traducción al español del libro The Heart of Tibetan Language – Volume 1: El corazón de la lengua tibetana – Volumen 1
«El objetivo principal de esta edición en español es ofrecer a todos los hispanohablantes, independientemente de si conocen el inglés o no, la oportunidad de aprender tibetano y apreciar sus matices sin tener que recurrir a materiales en otros idiomas», afirma la traductora Ana Carla Vergara Calvar.
Philanthropist and patron of contemporary Buddhism Robert H. N. Ho dies, age 93
Lion’s Roar joins our friends and colleagues across the world in reflecting with gratitude upon the life and work of Robert H. N. Ho.
Spanish translation of The Heart of Tibetan Language – Volume 1 released
“The main purpose of this Spanish edition is to offer all Spanish speakers — whether they know English or not — the opportunity to learn Tibetan and appreciate its nuances without relying on materials in other languages," says translator Ana Carla Vergara Calvar.