Archives: BD Articles
If You Could See the Heart Sutra
Paula Arai introduces us to the world of Tsuneo Iwasaki, who discovered a world of practice in giving (actual) shape to the "Heart Sutra."
How the Sacred Treasure of Literacy Came to Tibet
When written language arrived in Tibet, says Patrick Dowd, it brought the dharma with it.
Waking Up in Dark Times
In order to shed light on the realities of climate change, says Ajahn Sucitto, first we should get more comfortable with the darkness.
Turning to the Present Moment of Racism
How do we hold the realities of racism in our hearts, asks Doshin Mako Voelkel. And how do we hold the parts of ourselves that might want to look away?
Full-Stop Mind
The late Burmese teacher Mahasi Sayadaw helped to revitalize the Vipassana tradition with his precise teachings on meditation. His student Bhante Bodhidhamma presents Mahasi’s simple and direct method for slowing down and ultimately halting conceptual thinking.
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness: A Direct Path to Liberation
Insight Meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein examines a key teaching from the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha’s discourse on the four foundations of mindfulness, which he called the direct path to liberation.
After the Honeymoon
Falling in love is easy, but staying in love takes work. Thich Nhat Hanh offers advice for cultivating a relationship that’s loving and strong.
Theravada Practice Off the Cushion
A roundtable discussion with Gil Fronsdal, Michael Liebenson Grady and Marcia Rose. Introduction by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
In Defense of Ritual
Richard Payne takes a serious look at the role of ritual in Buddhist practice and the reasons why Westerners might feel resistant to it.
Take Charge of Your Practice
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche's advice for time management: organize your schedule, let go of distractions, and make a clear aspiration to practice.
Feeling Our Way to Awakening
The emotions we wish we didn’t have, that we’d like to just get over? Those feelings, say Jody Hojin Kimmel, are not obstacles on the path — they are the path.
Notes on Dogen’s “Being–Time”
The title of Uji, translated as “Being–Time,” essentially contains the totality of the text. Unpacking the meaning of this hyphenated word opens a vast interconnecting vista of practice. The two characters u-ji are usually translated as arutoki or “for the time being.” Dogen separates the two characters (u meaning being, and ji meaning time) and…
Zazen Is Not Limited to the Mind
In the practice of shikantaza, or “just sitting,” says Josh Bartok, there’s a lot more going on than one might think.
Blooming in the Bardo
Buddhadharma editor Tynette Deveaux asks "Is it possible that collectively we might emerge from this bardo with a sense of blooming?"
Inside the Summer 2020 Buddhadharma magazine
The Summer 2020 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly features in-depth teachings for cultivating your Buddhist practice and manifesting those teachings meaningfully in everyday life. Inside, you’ll find thoughtful commentaries, reviews of the latest Buddhist books, Ask the Teachers, and more. Features In Times of Crisis, Draw on the Strength of Peace When we are called…
Buddhadharma Book Briefs for Summer 2020
Book reviews by Joie Szu-Chiao Chen from the Summer 2020 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly.
When Do I Know Enough?
Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Jyoshin Clay, and Kwan Haeng Sunim discuss the Zen concept of "don’t know mind."
An Ambivalent Revival: Buddhism in China Today
As China is changing, so is Chinese Buddhism, morphing to meet cultural forces and adapting to find a place in the economy. Justin Ritzinger provides an inside look.
Forum: How Millennials Are Reframing the Buddhist Path
In this Buddhadharma Forum, five millenial Buddhists take a look at where Buddhism is, and where it’s headed.
All Beings Liberating, Together, At Once
Judy Roitman unpacks the Mahayana vision. "The essence of this vision," she says, "is a universe in which time and space are flexible, and in which beings are neither separate nor dissolved in each other."