Why I Ordained — And What It Was Like

Rev. Dr. Aaron Shōken Proffitt shares his experience of tokudo shurai — the ordination training for priests in the Jōdo Shinshū Hongwanji-ha — and learns that “everything is tokudo.”

Aaron Proffitt

Gampo Abbey and Dharmata Foundation announce collaboration

Pema Chödrön and Anam Thubten Rinpoche have each offered their blessings.

Buddhadharma

A Bigger Umbrella

Rev. José M. Tirado on working with the spiritual longing “for the complete thing, the practice that would hold all of me, the teacher who would see everything I was bringing and say: yes, this too belongs.”

Rev. José M. Tirado

A.I., Yogacara, and the Mind That Was Never Only Ours

AI, writes Rev. Mauricio Hondaku, is not a threat to the dharma, but “a new surface on which the dharma can write itself, provided we bring to its design the same care, depth, and intentionality that the tradition has always demanded of its vessels.”

Rev. Mauricio Hondaku

84000 opens new gateway to the Tibetan Buddhist canon

At the heart of the new site is an open-access library of thousands of canonical texts, organized according to traditional categories and searchable by topic.

Buddhadharma

Video: Getting to know Gaylon Ferguson, teacher of our new course “Awakening the Boundless Heart”

In this short Q&A, dharma teacher Gaylon Ferguson shares the story of his journey toward becoming a dharma teacher, professor, and author.

Rod Meade Sperry

Deep Dive

Power & The Practitioner

Buddhist practice, in the popular mind, is conceived of as gentle, even somewhat passive — yet it prizes and cultivates potent powers derived from both oneself and other sources. Join leading Buddhist teachers as they look closely at the powers that we cultivate in dharma practice, from the absolutely practical to the mysterious (and even the supernatural). 

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Cultivating the 5 Powers

Author, medical doctor, and Plum Village monastic Sister Dang Nghiem (a.k.a. “Sister D.”) talks about how her teacher Thich Nhat Hanh taught the “five strengths” — faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight — and how we can harness them to drive and deepen our dharma practice.

Sister Dang Nghiem

Understanding Self Power & Other Power

Mark Unno on how giving ourselves over to other power, an idea central to Asian Buddhist thought, can lead to awakening.

Mark Unno

The Dharma of the Second Bell

Rev. Joan Amaral recalls “Operation Bring John Home” — an effort to break through the bureaucracy that kept a married couple apart — while living one’s values and remaining unbowed.

Myozen Joan Amaral

Fun & Games: Psychic Powers in the Wilderness

Buddhist monk and scholar Thanissaro Bhikkhu reflects on encounters with his dharma teacher, who “could obviously read my mind and anticipate future events.”

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

The Tathagata’s Ten Wisdom Powers

The “Avatamsaka,” or “Flower Garland Sutra,” details the path and practices of the bodhisattva, including ten powers that arise from the awakened human mind. Rev. Heng Sure on how teacher and student alike might realize them.

Rev. Heng Sure

The Power of Buddhist Tantra

Gaylon Ferguson on how tantric view and practice help us turn confusion into clarity and wisdom.

Gaylon Ferguson

VIDEO

You’ll find these and much more on the Lion’s Roar YouTube channel.

Ask the Teachers
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Lion’s Roar among 2026 Awardees of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies

This year’s awardees include four Buddhism Public Scholars, nine dissertation Fellows, five Early Career Research Fellows, a new professorship grant of $300,000, and six Public Impact Grants to be announced this summer.

Rod Meade Sperry

Karmapa Center 16 to hold July consecration ceremony, teaching

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche will lead the ceremony and offer a free public teaching on Guru Rinpoche on Saturday, July 25. These events will take place both onsite at the Center and broadcast live online via Zoom.

Rod Meade Sperry

How to Train Change Agents

Darcie Price-Wallace on Ven. Dhammananda’s care, collaborative efforts, and inclusive practices for fully ordained Buddhist nuns, novice nuns, and laity.

Darcie Price-Wallace

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The Dark Side of Buddhism

If you think Buddhism is free of the religious nationalism and violent extremism that plague other religions, think again. Editor-at-large Melvin McLeod talks to journalist Sonia Faleiro about her new book, The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism Is Shaping Modern Asia.

Melvin McLeod

Khanti, or Patience, as Relational Practice

Khanti is one of the parami, and an antidote to anger. How can we bring it to bear in our relationships — meeting conflict, hurt, and intensity directly — without flinching, shutting down, or acting out?

nico hase

Creating Buddhism-informed Spiritual Care on College Campuses

The Maitreya Association’s co-founder and president explains the creation of the first-ever professional network of Buddhist college chaplains and its impact on American Buddhist higher education ministry.

Ji Hyang Padma

Buddhism A–Z

Learn all about key Buddhist terms, concepts, and traditions in our in-depth glossary — perfect for beginners and committed dharma practitioners alike.