Archives: BD Articles
Commentary: We’ve Come a Long Way
Charles Prebish reflects on the changes in American Buddhism that have occurred in the thirty years since the publication of his seminal work.
Lives Lived: Remembering Lisa Hilliard
Eve Rosenthal remembers the late Lisa Hilliard, a practitioner from the Shambhala sangha of Halifax.
Charting the Future of Buddhist Translation
The world’s leading Tibetan–English translators, Buddhist scholars, and lamas meet to plan for translating the Tibetan Buddhist canon.
Start With Your Body
A panel discussion with Phillip Moffitt, Cyndi Lee, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Reggie Ray. Introduction by Anne Carolyn Klein.
Blowing Smoke
Logan Beaudry befriends a strange newcomer and fellow smoker during a weeklong Rinzai retreat and learns how not to respond to the question, Where are you from?
Profile: Kwan Um School of Zen
Andrea profiles the Kwan Um School of Zen, founded by Master Seung Sahn in 1974.
What is Pramana?
Pramana as defined by Andy Karr, a Buddhist teacher in the Vajrayana tradition.
Beyond No-Self
While insight into the truth of no-self, is an important step, says the Dalai Lama, it doesn’t go far enough.
Why We Need a Plan B
Norman Fischer says that when it comes to teaching the dharma in the West, it’s important to be open and flexible.
Nothing to Cling To
Narayan Liebenson Grady went to Taiwan just before Master Sheng Yen died, hoping to see him one last time. She reports on his final days.
Commentary: Why We Need to Know Our Buddhist History
Rita Gross explains why it is important for our practice to understand the history of Buddhist movements.
Medicate or Meditate?
Four physicians and long-term meditators explain why both antidepressants can have an important role to play in treating depression.
No Turning Back
Christine Skarda’s investigations into the nature of perception drew her out of the research laboratory and onto the meditation cushion.
The Magical Illusion of Self
For the meditator who sees things as they really are, explains the late Mahasi Sayadaw, there is no “I” or “being”—only mental and physical phenomena coming together in the present moment.
What is Sabba?
Sabba as defined by Glenn Wallis, a scholar in Buddhist studies from Harvard University.
Can Buddhism Save the Planet?
<p><strong>Buddhism may be our planet’s only real hope, say David Loy and John Stanley. They’re calling for an international gathering of Buddhist leaders to address the ecological crisis before it’s too late.</strong></p> <blockquote>If we continue abusing the earth this way, there is no doubt that our civilization will be destroyed. This turnaround takes enlightenment, awakening. The Buddha attained individual awakening. Now we need a collective enlightenment to stop this course of destruction. Civilization is going to end if we continue to drown in the competition for power, fame, sex, and profit.<br /> <br />— Thich Nhat Hanh, <em>The Art of Power</em></blockquote>
Spotless from the Start
In order to overcome the five main obstacles facing a bodhisattva, says Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, we must realize that all beings are primordially pure. He presents the essential teachings on buddhanature from Maitreya’s Uttaratantra Shastra.
Zen Has No Gates
Nyogen Senzaki, one of the great Zen masters of the twentieth century, quietly dedicated his life to bringing the authentic practice of Zen to America. Now, on the 50th anniversary of his death, a new collection of his teachings, Eloquent Silence, presents his commentary on the classic koan collection, The Gateless Gate. Introduction by Roko Sherry Chayat.