Archives: BD Articles
Four Steps to Magical Powers
Before you fully embark on the path of the bodhisattvas and buddhas, says Sheng Yen, you must first practice the four steps to magical powers.
The Insight Revolution
Determined to save Buddhism in Burma during colonial rule, Ledi Sayadaw popularized the teachings of the Abhidharma and introduced thousands of laypeople to the practice of insight meditation. As Erik Braun tells us, he set in motion a revolution in Buddhist practice still being felt around the globe.
Advice for Going on a Long Meditation Retreat
Andrew Holecek offers some practical advice for anyone considering a long-term retreat.
Is Mine Bigger than Yours?
Charles Johnson explores our endless capacity to compare ourselves to others, and the Buddha’s antidote to trying to measure up.
Awakening the Bodhisattva
Venerable Pannavati, Anne Klein, and Ejo McMullen on the possibilities and challenges of the bodhisattva path. Introduction by Taigen Dan Leighton.
Gautama vs the Buddha
Buddhist scholar Glenn Wallis argues that we should look to the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama―an ordinary person like us.
Breaking the Silence on Sexual Misconduct
Willa Blythe Baker offers both her painful firsthand account of sexual misconduct by a guru and insight for fellow survivors and communities.
About the art in the Summer 2018 issue of Buddhadharma
We take a closer look at the art featured in the Summer 2018 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly.
Lineage Is About More Than Preservation
In this commentary from the Summer 2018 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly, Justin von Bujdoss reflects on changing the way we think about lineage.
Inside the Summer 2018 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly
The Summer 2018 issue of Buddhadharma is available now. Preview the magazine contents and sample articles below.
What About the Cost of Retreats?
Many practitioners can’t afford to go on retreats. Pamela Ayo Yetunde says it’s time we start thinking about how to make the practice less exclusive.
Integrating Yogacara in Your Practice
Guo Gu offers a practical four-step process for integrating the Yogacara teachings in your practice to transform thought and emotion.
Just When You Think You’re Enlightened
Temporary spiritual experiences can be helpful signs of progress, says Andrew Holecek, but they can also be traps.
Forum: What Is Enlightenment?
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Ayya Tathaaloka, Setsuan Gaelyn Godwin, and David Matsumoto explore their traditions' different perspectives on awakening.
Touching the Ocean of Boundless Compassion
Mark Unno reflects on compassion as immersion into the sufferings of samsara, like a raindrop falling into the ocean.
How Jhana Quells the Five Hindrances
If you think you’re seeing things as they really are, think again. Unless you’ve had the deep experience of letting go, there is only a myriad of illusions.
Forum: Is Karma Fate or Freedom?
Rita Gross, Andrew Olendzki, and Larry Ward explain what karma is, how it works, and why it’s not all bad news. Introduction by David Loy.
Investigating the Rainbow Body
Michael Sheehy reviews "Rainbow Body and Resurrection" by Francis V. Tiso.
Does nonviolence always mean taking a passive approach?
The teachers are asked whether nonviolence necessarily means a passive or non-reactive approach.