Archives: BD Articles
To Be or Not To Be? Be a Buddha!
Looking at the words of classical texts, Karl Brunnhölzl explores the notions of buddhanature and emptiness—how they may be understood as one and the same, and how they are not identical.
Glimpses of Buddhanature
Buddhist teacher-practitioners from across traditions share personal moments that gave them insight into the true nature of mind.
Elemental Dakinis As a Path to Awakening
In this excerpt from “Dakini Journey in the Contemporary World; The Heart of Cho Vol.II,” Choying Khandro explores how Dakini energy, expressed as the Five Dakinis, becomes the embodiment and expression of the Five Elements in an awakened form.
Pure Dharma, Barefoot Dharma
To practice the dharma purely, we have to walk barefoot before we can run–learning and practicing fundamentals before we go on to more advanced techniques.
Your Liberation Is on the Line
No one who has ever touched liberation could possibly want anything other than liberation for everyone, says Rev. angel Kyodo williams. She shares why we must each fully commit to our own path liberation, for the benefit of all.
Are the Dharma’s Healing Powers Just Placebo?
There are healing practices and rituals found across Buddhist traditions that reinforce the notion of the healing power of dharma. Dr. C. Pierce Salguero asks, what's behind the Buddhist approach to healing and medicine? Is the healing power of dharma simply placebo or something more?
Fun & Games: Psychic Powers in the Wilderness
Buddhist monk and scholar Thanissaro Bhikkhu reflects on encounters with his dharma teacher, who “could obviously read my mind and anticipate future events.”
Looking to the “Three Powers” for Patient Acceptance
Though deep in personal grief, Rev. Ryuei Michael McCormick knows that, through continued dedicated practice, he can nurture seeds of positivity within himself.
The Power of Buddhist Tantra
Gaylon Ferguson on how tantric view and practice help us turn confusion into clarity and wisdom.
The Dharma of the Second Bell
Rev. Joan Amaral recalls “Operation Bring John Home” — an effort to break through the bureaucracy that kept a married couple apart — while living one’s values and remaining unbowed.
Cultivating the 5 Powers
Author, medical doctor, and Plum Village monastic Sister Dang Nghiem (a.k.a. "Sister D.") talks about how her teacher Thich Nhat Hanh taught the "five strengths" — faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight — and how we can harness them to drive and deepen our dharma practice.
Understanding Self Power & Other Power
Mark Unno explains how giving ourselves over to other power, an idea central to Asian Buddhist thought, can lead us to awakening.
The Union of Energy and Wisdom
Jill Shepherd explores the relationship between the perfection of energy and wisdom, and how applying our energy and effort wisely leads to less harm to ourselves and others.
Is Buddhism a “Teaching of Images”?
Lama Hun Lye explores the power of images and how we can take inspiration from the different ways the awakened state has been represented across Buddhist traditions.
The Logic of Not-self
Thanissaro Bhikkhu, featured author in the Summer 2023 "Power & The Practitioner" issue of Buddhadharma, explores the Buddha’s teachings on how a sense of self is formed, how we use the five aggregates to define the self, and how to deconstruct the process.
Power & You (Summer 2023 Editor’s Note)
Buddhadharma editor Rod Meade Sperry introduces the Summer 2023 issue.
Am I Supposed to Stop Thinking?
Three Buddhist teachers answer the question "Are we supposed to stop or transcend thinking altogether, or to find another, more enlightened way to think?"
Nalanda: Powerful Then, Powerful Now
Jan Westerhoff explores what we know about the days when Nalanda flourished and what the essential teachings that emerged from it mean for us now.
Stepping Stones of Emptiness
The teachings on emptiness were studied, debated, and refined at Nalanda. They come to life now, says Gaylon Ferguson, in the progressive deepening of our meditation practice.
Vague? No. Ungraspable? Yes.
According to Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, the "Heart Sutra," the best-known text of the Mahayana wisdom tradition, unfolds as a most unusual conversation that leads us to what lies beyond our concepts.