Philosophy

The Power of Equanimity

Sharon Salzberg on how to stay calm in the midst of chaos.

Sharon Salzberg

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Book Reviews
From Buddhadharma

Paranormal States: Psychic Abilities in Buddhist Convert Communities

Read a brief of Paranormal States: Psychic Abilities in Buddhist Convert Communities by D.E. Osto, and an exclusive excerpt courtesy of its publisher, Columbia University Press.

Constance Kassor & D.E. Osto

Storehouse of Treasures: Recovering the Riches of Chan and Zen

Read a brief of Storehouse of Treasures: Recovering the Riches of Chan and Zen by Nelson Foster, and an exclusive excerpt courtesy of its publisher, Shambhala Publications.

Constance Kassor & Nelson Foster

More on PHILOSOPHY

Understanding Abhidharma, a.k.a. Buddhist Psychology

In this Q&A, Edwin Kelley answers key questions about Abhidharma, a.k.a. Buddhist Psychology.

How Benefiting Others is Also Self-Benefit

The Buddhist concept of "no-self" and the pressure to be selfless can become a daunting task, as it felt for Buddhist practitioner Ching Pan. In this piece, she explores how we can care for others selflessly while also caring for ourselves

To Rescue a World

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi on the shift that transformed his loving-kindness practice, allowing him to truly extend it toward all beings — even those he might have once considered neutral or even hostile.

A close-up of a traditional Tibetan-style painting, richly detailed with vibrant colors and intricate patterns, often found in the traditional Tibetan palm leaf texts known as "pechas."

How Buddhist Abhidharma Practice Mitigates Aversion, Craving, and Suffering

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche shares Abhidharma practices that can guide you toward inner freedom, compassion, and wisdom in his new manual, Stainless Prajna: Stages of Meditation on the Treasury of Abhidharma. Also included is a short breathing/meditation practice.

How Equanimity Powers Love

True equanimity, says Kaira Jewel Lingo, is not in any way detached or uncaring—it's inclusive, and loving, and the foundation for spiritual courage.

Moving Beyond Subjectivity to Awakening

According to Shin Buddhist priest Rev. José M. Tirado, we must transcend our regular subjective-objective perspective in order to awaken and see things as they truly are.

Feeling Our Way to Awakening

The emotions we wish we didn’t have, that we’d like to just get over? Those feelings, say Jody Hojin Kimmel, are not obstacles on the path — they are the path.

Buddhist monk and teacher Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo is seen in meditation

How Right Action and Right Livelihood Work Together

Forest Tradition teacher Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo (1907–1961) defines right action—how it manifests, within and without us, and informs our aspiration to engage in right livelihood. Introduced and translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

A human figure is depicted wit its facial features obscured by high-exposure light

What Is Harmful? What Is Helpful?

Chan teacher Guo Gu on how, through practice, we awaken to the best in others and ourselves.

A Buddhist monastic holds up their saffron-colored robe

Understanding the Vinaya

Amy Paris Langenberg on the history, evolution, and modern manifestations of the training rules followed by Buddhist monastics.

A meditator sits in practice at Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp in Poland

How the Three Tenets Help Us Live Wisely

Roshi Joan Halifax reflects on the guiding principles of the Zen Peacemaker Order, and why we all might benefit from putting them to the test.

Multicolored light is seen illuminating the palm of an opening hand

Opening to the Joy of Work

Making a living while living our values can be easier said than done, but Maia Duerr has discerned six keys for cultivating the qualities and conditions for doing abundant, cheerful, sustainable work.

A man is depicted leaning his head into a large sculpture of an ear and ear-horn

Discernment Guided by Compassion

Ryuei Michael McCormick on right speech: When should we use forceful words, or gentle ones? Or none at all?

A triptych of photos depict a man sitting in a meditation posture as water rises around him

Is Our Practice Enough?

Clair Brown on how Buddhists’ vow to end suffering must go beyond the individual to a global understanding of how our suffering—and happiness—is connected to all living beings on our planet.

Luminosity: The Heart of The Six Dharmas of Naropa

Across the major Buddhist traditions, the mind’s basic condition is described as luminous, naturally free from afflictions or karmic imprints, which are merely adventitious, like clouds covering the sky. The Buddha refers to this naturally luminous mind in the Nikayas, the Perfection of Wisdom sutras, and the tantras. Dzogchen and Mahamudra teachings also emphasize natural…

Koi fish

Glimpses of Buddhanature

Buddhist teacher-practitioners from across traditions share personal moments that gave them insight into the true nature of mind.

Stepping Stones of Emptiness

The teachings on emptiness were studied, debated, and refined at Nalanda. They come to life now, says Gaylon Ferguson, in the progressive deepening of our meditation practice.

The Boundless Energy of No-Self

Zoketsu Norman Fischer on his deep love for Shantideva and how the great teacher’s insights lead us unavoidably to a path of vigorous service to the world.

How Do We Make Sense of Rebirth?

Questions around rebirth—from how it works to whether it’s even real—have energized and divided Buddhists for millennia. In this excerpt from his book "Rebirth," Roger R. Jackson unpacks the complexity of it all and offers four basic approaches to incorporating it (or not) into our own practice.

Generosity Comes First

In any presentation of the paramitas, dana, or generosity, always comes first — Nikki Mirghafori explains why.  

The Four Immeasurables Leave Nothing Untouched

If you don’t want your happiness to impede that of someone else, says Vanessa Zuisei Goddard, practice the four immeasurables.

Through the Lens of Madhyamaka

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche unpacks the Madhyamaka view of the two truths.

Destroyed Not Destroyed

Norman Fischer looks at the koan “Dasui’s Aeonic Fire" and takes on the end of the world. It’s happening right now, he says, but probably not in the way that you think. 

The Four Layers of Consciousness

Abhidharma, Buddhism’s map of the mind, is sometimes treated as a topic of merely intellectual interest. In fact, says Thich Nhat Hanh, identifying the different elements of consciousness, and understanding how they interact, is essential to our practice of meditation.

Buddhadharma - Winter '08 Dzogchen Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche Mahayana Maitreya Prajnaparamita Uttaratantra Shastra

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.