Archives: BD Articles
Happy Together
When we stop focusing on ourselves, says Gaylon Ferguson, we begin to see that our happiness is dependent on the happiness of all beings.
From Teishos to Trident Missile Protests
Susan Moon remembers Robert Aitken Roshi’s lifelong commitment to the unified path of Zen and social justice.
Another Step Forward
Last August four women became fully ordained nuns in the Theravada tradition at a ceremony in California. Amy J. Boyer reports on this North American first.
A Successful Subculture
James Wilson discusses how Zen Buddhism in America has shifted from a counterculture religion to a institutionalized normality.
Am I practicing guilt or generosity?
The teachers tackle the question of guilt versus generosity as motivation for helping others.
Hard and Valuable Lessons
Review of "The Triratna Story: Behind the Scenes of a New Buddhist Movement" by Vajragupta.
Profile: Won Institute
Andrea Miller profiles the Won Institute, an academic institution that teaches Won Buddhist studies, applied meditation and acupuncture.
The Art of Being Present
I’ve always thought that making art is like jumping from the edge of a cliff, writes Meredith Monk.
Moment by Moment Nirvana
In his new translation of Dogen’s Shobogenzo, Kazuaki Tanahashi explores why even a moment of meditation is a moment of enlightenment.
Just Wholeheartedly Sit
A translation of Dogen’s Bendowa fascicle, from Kazuaki Tanahashi’s Treasury of the True Dharma Eye.
Rigorous, Pious, and Poetic: Comparing the different English translations of Shobogenzo
Norman Fischer compared the different English translations of Shobogenzo.
Profile: New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care
Andrea Miller profiles New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, a hospice service center with Buddhist chaplaincy.
Does “no-self” contradict rebirth?
The teachers look at the possible contradiction between the concept of "no-self" and the idea of rebirth.
Visualizing Love
A meditation practice from Sangye Khadro on visualizing Maitreya in order to cultivate loving-kindness.
The Time Has Come
The “eight heavy rules” institutionalize women’s second-class status in Buddhist monasteries, and in most lineages women are denied full ordination.
That Was Then, This Is Now
The eight heavy rules are the result of historical and social circumstances, explains Buddhist scholar Janet Gyatso—and times have changed.
I Will Do It
Llundup Damcho reports on the Seventeeth Karmapa’s vow to reinstate full ordination for women in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Forum: Sex, Lies, and Buddhism
Exploring the spirit, subtleties, and relevance of Buddhist ethics: a discussion with Norman Fischer, Lama Palden Drolma, and Andrew Olendzki.
No Donation Required
“How can I ever repay you for your teaching?” Thanissaro Bhikkhu answers this common question: “By being intent on practicing.”
When is it appropriate to do a long-term meditation retreat?
The teachers are asked: At what point is it appropriate to consider doing a three-year retreat or very long-term, isolated meditation?