Archives: BD Articles
Empty Splendor
The tantric path teaches us how to cut through our concepts, says the late Traleg Rinpoche, so we can experience reality in its full clarity.
The View from Mount Meru
Ajahn Punnadhammo explains how traditional Buddhist cosmology contains important insights for practicing the Buddhist teachings.
Journeys: The Real Rodeo
Kiley Jon Clark recounts an exhilarating moment of transition that turned "doing" into "being" – much like his Buddhist practice.
Review: “Icons and Iconoclasm in Japanese Buddhism: Kukai and Dogen on the Art of Enlightenment”
Icons and Iconoclasm in Japanese Buddhism: Kukai and Dogen on the Art of Enlightenment By Pamela D. Winfield Oxford University Press, 2013 When I was a novice at Shogoji monastery, every day I passed by some framed calligraphy by the main doors of the dharma hall, excerpts from the Ten Examples of Suchness (junyoze). For…
True Blessings
In this commentary on Guru Rinpoche visualization, Tulku Thondup Rinpoche reveals the deep nontheistic essence of Vajrayana practice.
A Straight Road with Many Curves
Gregory Shepherd looks back on his Zen training in Japan with the late Yamada Roshi and the difficult lessons he learned.
Unlimited Heart
After caring for his mother, Ajahn Viradhammo reflects on self-sacrifice and the importance of cultivating a strong and expansive heart.
Forum: Your Meditation Reality Check
Three teachers discuss how to identify obstacles in your practice, apply antidotes that work, and deepen your meditation in the process.
Awaken with Them? Really?
Zen priest Catherine Toldi examines the painful conflicts that can arise in sanghas and offers practical advice on how to deal with them.
Commentary: Walking the Talk
Andrew Olendski looks at why our wise teachers can, sometimes, behave in what appears like an unwise manner.
Guide to the Three-Yana Journey
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s comprehensive presentation of the three-yana journey, taught only to his senior students, is being made public for the first time in The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche takes us through this unique body of teachings.
Why does meditation make it harder to drop my “self”?
The teachers address the problem of finding that meditation makes it more difficult to drop the barriers between "self" and "other."
Let’s Talk: What Are You Waiting For?
Clinical therapist Tamara Kaiser asks why Buddhist communities have not adopted ethical standards long accepted by the rest of society.
Lost in Beantown
Boston newcomer Brian Arundel struggles to make sense of the locals’ reckless driving, knack for obscenities, and disregard for others.
Do Not Stand By
Jack Kornfield talks about the response of Western Buddhist leaders to the ethnic violence incited by Burmese monks and abbots.
Profile: Boundless Way Zen
Andrew Merz profiles Boundless Way, a hybrid Zen school led by four teachers trained in different lineages.
On Second Thought
Shayne Larango turns away from her corporate life to join a Vipassana retreat – only to find the transition more difficult than anticipated.
What’s In a Name?
Ajahn Amaro presents two helpful meditation practices you can do while listening to the inner sound.
The Sound of Silence
Ajahn Amaro explains how to practice nada yoga and why this simple act of listening to inner sound can help you realize emptiness.