Archives: BD Articles
Motherhood Is More Than a Metaphor
Sarah Jacoby examines how even though mothering has been held up in Buddhist teachings as a model of compassion, actual mothering has never gotten much respect.
The Outer Limits of Attention
Ken Kessel on how we, as Buddhist practitioners, should pay attention — even to the things we’re not paying attention to.
Behind “the Global Goenka”
Lauren Leve reviews "S. N. Goenka: Emissary of Insight" by Daniel M. Stuart.
Acknowledging Buddhism’s South Asian Roots
Vishnu Sridharan points out a blind spot in Western Buddhism — South Asia is exorcized, while Buddhism’s origins in South Asian culture are ignored.
Sangha Is More than a Community
Thich Nhat Hanh explains that sangha is more than a community, it’s a deep spiritual practice.
You’re Ready Enough
Wherever you find yourself, says Pema Khandro, that’s the starting point of the bodhisattva path—all you need to do is take that first step.
The Benefits of Walking Meditation
Walking meditation, says Sayadaw U Silananda, reflects the Buddha’s injunction to practice mindfulness while in all the four postures, and in all the activities of our lives.
59 Ways to Turn Your Mind Around
The way to bodhicitta, the mind of compassion, is marked by the fifty-nine lojong slogans. Gaylon Ferguson points us in the right direction.
The Buddhist Science of Mind
Michael Sheehy reviews "Science and Philosophy in Indian and Buddhist Classics, Vol. 2: The Mind."
How Do We Create Our Reality?
According to Yogacara, or “mind-only” teachings, everything we experience is a construct of consciousness. Guo Gu explains how it all works.
Consciousness Is Perfectly Clear
An excerpt from "Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Volume 2: The Mind" on Buddhist understandings of consciousness.
The Mind That Knows Itself
Until we begin to make the distinction between observing thoughts and observing the knowing mind, writes Ayya Dhammapida, "we have not yet begun to study or to experience the mind directly."
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.
Wherever We Find Ourselves on the Path
The opening commentary from the Spring 2021 issue of Buddhadharma.
Pointing Beyond Words
Newly translated works by the renowned Korean poet Ko Un offer powerful glimpses into the human condition and the paradoxes of the Buddhist path.
What’s Daoism Got to Do with It?
Livia Kohn reviews "China Root: Daoism, Chan, and Original Zen by David Hinton."
Welcome to the Charnel Ground
Chöying Khandro takes us on a tour of Chöd, where we visit the places we don’t want to go and offer ourselves up to the things that frighten us the most.
The Promise and Peril of Spiritual Authority
Gina Sharpe, Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, and Pilar Jennings examine spiritual power, the roots of its abuse, and how we might learn to hold it differently going forward.
How can I frame my dharma practice in more positive terms?
Satya Robyn, Harry Um, and Valerie Brown discuss the "positive" and "negative" focuses of Buddhist practice.
Our Traditions Can — and Must — Change
Even as we uphold tradition, says Justin von Bujdoss, we also have to leave room for it to grow.