Deep Dive
Monasticism Matters
Whether monk or nun or lay Buddhist, we all have so much to gain by better understanding monasticism and the people who take up monastic life. Includes a special focus on the timely subject of women’s ordination.
“If you become a monk or a nun you put the desire to wake up at the center of your world. Everything else, whatever it might be, stands in relation to that and becomes a vehicle for waking up further. Thus, monastic life is actually an opportunity to go deeper.”
— Pema Chödrön
Ordained At Last
Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, formerly known as Dr. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, became the first Thai woman to receive full ordination as a Theravadin nun.
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.
To Walk Proudly as Buddhist Women: An Interview with Dhammananda Bhikkhuni
Cindy Rasicot interviews Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, Thailand’s first fully ordained Theravada nun, on women’s ordination, feminism, the role of monastics in society, and more.
The Fourfold Sangha Still Matters
The monastic path has failed to take hold in the West, says Tibetan Buddhist nun Ayya Yeshe. She argues that it’s time to renew the fourfold sangha.
Living Buddhist Ethics
Looking primarily at the three sila aspects of the Buddha’s eightfold path—right action, right speech, and right livelihood—leading dharma figures explain how, as Buddhists in today’s world, we can live ethically, and in accord with what the dharma teaches.
Ethics, Meditation, and Wisdom
Norman Fischer on how sila, samadhi, and prajna work together to give us stability on the Buddhist path to liberation.
Understanding the Vinaya
Amy Paris Langenberg on the history, evolution, and modern manifestations of the training rules followed by Buddhist monastics.
Dukkha as a Doorway to Liberation
Scott Tusa on how Buddhist ethics transcend mere morality and help us to realize awakening.
The Six Dharmas of Naropa
Considered a fast track to buddhahood, the Six Dharmas are advanced tantric practices including tummo (inner heat), yoga of the dream state, resting in luminosity, and more. Featuring an overview by Pema Khandro Rinpoche, plus in-depth teachings by specialists in each of the Six Dharmas.
The Swift Path to Buddhahood
Pema Khandro on the fascinating history, practice, and purpose of the Six Dharmas of Naropa.
The Practice of Fierce Inner Heat
Judith Simmer-Brown on tummo, one of the most famous esoteric practices of Tibetan Vajrayana and the Six Dharmas. What is it, what are its benefits, and what role does it play in our journey to enlightenment?
A Wake-Up Call
Andrew Holecek on bardo, one of the Six Dharmas of Naropa’s two practices for helping us find our way, when the time comes, through the death experience. It can help us in life, too.
Buddhist Teachings of the Dalai Lama
Buddhadharma has been privileged to publish the world’s greatest dharma teachers — among them, of course, is His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Read a collection of some of his best pieces for committed Buddhist practitioners:
Discover Your Innermost Awareness
In his teaching on the essence of Dzogchen, the Dalai Lama describes the shock that naturally accompanies innermost awareness, the basis of all reality.
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.
Ethical Conduct Is the Essence of Dharma Practice
The Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron outline three levels of Buddhist ethical codes and how we can follow them.