Buddhist Wisdom

Life and practice don't need to be separate, writes Emily Horn. She shares how we can integrate moments of meditation into the routine experiences of our every day lives.

To be without a reference point is the ultimate loneliness. It is also called enlightenment.

The superiority complex, the inferiority complex, and the equality complex are painful traps we fall into if we believe we have a separate self. Sister Boi Nghiem on transforming complexes into confidence and compassion.

Paul Daisuke Goodman on what leukemia has taught him about ego, impermanence, and the incredible power of community.

Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax describes five “edge states” where courage meets fear and freedom meets suffering.

We can’t control our thoughts, says Reverend Marvin Harada. But we can reflect on them—and doing that changes everything.

Contrary to popular thought, awakening isn’t a distant goal. In fact, says Lisa Ernst, awakening is always available.

When we visit the very places where the Buddha lived and taught, we discover deeper meaning in his teachings. Shantum Seth takes us on a sacred pilgrimage.

The essence of mind is empty, luminous awareness. Mingyur Rinpoche on the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Dzogchen.

Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity—these four loving qualities are powerful ways to heal our trauma.

Zen teacher Pat Enkyo O’Hara teaches us the practice of Shikantaza.

Jessica Little reviews “The Story of the Buddha” by John Tarrant, “The Empty Path” by Billy Wynne, “Happy Relationships” by Kimberly Brown, and more.

Thich Nhat Hanh says that mindfulness shows us the suffering of life and connects us with compassion.

Even young children can learn to tune into themselves and the world with curiosity and wonder. Vanessa Zuisei Goddard offers step-by-step instructions for teaching them.

This week marks the third anniversary of the passing of Thich Nhat Hanh, the influential Vietnamese Buddhist teacher and founder of the Engaged Buddhism movement. Here, a selection of Buddhist teachers and thought leaders share their tributes and memories.

In this conversation, bell hooks and Thich Nhat Hanh reflect on the enduring legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and discuss how we can build a community of love.

Those who are dying and their families need compassionate support. Drawing from Pure Land Buddhism, Rev. Michael Tran explains how to provide that support.

When his community’s beloved retreat center burned to the ground in 2016, Anam Thubten took it as a teaching on impermanence.

The dharma can help people wake up to the truth of their substance abuse and find a way to get—and stay—sober. We present four true stories of recovery.

Michael Hebb, founder of Death Over Dinner, offers some important questions to guide your contemplation of mortality.

Many people are feeling lonely this pandemic holiday season. Lisa Ernst shares how the dharma can help.

In this video interview, Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard joins Lion’s Roar editor-in-chief Melvin McLeod to discuss compassion as a transformative force for addressing the challenges of our time. Drawing on his decades of humanitarian work with Karuna-Shechen, he shares how altruism can help build a more compassionate and hopeful society.

The holidays are supposed to be a time of togetherness, but what if it’s the time of year you feel most alone? Therapist Harry Um offers advice. 

Mushim Patricia Ikeda’s parents gave her baby sister to an aunt living an ocean away. This act of generosity changed the way she thinks about giving.

Gather around the table, says Allyson Pimentel. A holiday meal can fill your belly and heart — and even give you a taste of enlightenment.

Realizing emptiness, realizing no-self — it’s as freeing as flight, says Hokuto Daniel Diffin Osho.

Tremendous healing can occur during the dying process, both for the dying person and for their family and friends. Barbara Rhodes on how to awaken to life, even as we die.

Stephen Batchelor talks to <em>Buddhadharma</em> deputy editor Koun Franz about the importance of study in Buddhist practice and the relevance of the Buddha's teachings to modern life.

Kaira Jewel Lingo encourages us to confront our own fears and assumptions with mindful presence and compassion, inspiring a path toward healing a fractured country.

Pema Chödrön describes three ways to use our problems as the path to awakening and joy.

Rest in your true nature without effort or distraction — Mingyur Rinpoche teaches the renowned practice of Dzogchen.

Rev. Park is a minister in the Won Buddhist community and the Buddhist chaplain at two New York universities.

When you study your thought process, says Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, you not only see how it rules your life. In the breaks and gaps between thoughts, you can experience awakened mind on the spot.

Buddhism says that there are all kinds of beings out there—buddhas, bodhisattvas, deities—but I can't perceive them. How do I work with this discrepancy?

In Vajrayana Buddhism, dakinis are seen as unbridled and enlightened feminine energy. Lama Tsultrim Allione on how she discovered her own dakini power.

Change isn’t just a fact of life we have to accept and work with, says Norman Fischer.

Grounded in our formal practice of meditation, we can relax into the vast, open awareness that is our ultimate nature. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche tells the story of his own introduction to the Great Perfection.

If you contemplate these traditional contemplations, the "four great reflections," you will strengthen your intention to practice.

Joan Stamm on how the Japanese art of flower arranging taught her to appreciate her mother—and the seeds she planted in Stamm’s heart.

Awareness will not solve the world’s problems, says Ronna Bloom, but it’s an important first step.

A life-changing journey begins with a single breath. With the simple act of paying mindful attention to one breath, says Melvin McLeod, we step onto a complete path that goes deeper and farther than we can imagine.

Guided by Buddhist teachings on the brahmaviharas, Elizabeth Hernandez-Stomp helps us learn when to say yes and how to say no.

For Valerie Brown, her garden is a teacher of the dharma. In every bloom she sees impermanence, nonself, and nirvana.

The gold of your true nature can get buried beneath fear and confusion, but it can never be tarnished. Tara Brach on how to trust your basic goodness.

According to Frank Ostaseski, offering care to someone who’s dying is like meditation: there’s no one right way, but practice helps, and so do basic guidelines.

Novels, fables, and plays — they’re stories that are made up, yet they often express deep truths. Five writers and thinkers explore the spiritual teachings they’ve found in fiction.

Out of the primordial desire to exist, everything comes into being. This sacred force, says Anam Thubten, is different from clinging, which is the source of our suffering.

Meditation comes alive through a growing capacity to release our habitual conflicts and worries that make up our sense of self, and to rest in awareness.

Taryn Stickrath-Hutt shares her journey as a queer woman and Jodo Shinshu Buddhist, drawing inspiration from the infinite light of Amida Buddha.

As you age, says Judy Lief, you can discover your true nature — timeless and luminous.

Avoid pat expressions, says Valerie Brown. What a grieving person needs is loving presence.

Five Buddhist teachers share practices to clear away the poisons that cause suffering and obscure your natural enlightenment.

An excerpt from Jeff Wilson's new book, "Living Nembutsu: Applying Shinran’s Radically Engaged Buddhism in Life and Society" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

Buddhist teacher Judy Lief explains the Buddha’s deep analysis of the roots of anxiety and shows how mindfulness can help us ease the suffering of an anxious mind.

Melvin McLeod on how Buddhism uses mindfulness to develop the wisdom that frees us from suffering.

Everything and everyone are always teaching us the dharma, says Christian McEwen. We just have to know how to listen.

The Buddha who lived 2,600 years ago was not a god. He was an ordinary person, named Siddhartha Gautama, whose teachings on enlightenment and the end of suffering became the basis of the world religion of Buddhism.

Vesak marks the birth, enlightenment, and death of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. This year it falls on Monday, May 12, 2025.

Nichiren practitioner Johnny Edward Dean Jr. reflects on how his daily practice and chanting the Odaimoku helped him navigate mental health challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Norman Fischer on why mindfulness is not always “right.”

Travel wakes us up to the world. Three personal stories of transformational travel in Thailand, Ethiopia, and Yemen.

Linda Galijan on working with emptiness and your emotions.

Mindfulness Studies student Naomi Matlow shares her top 10 mindfulness books for those undergoing a similar path.

On Tina Turner and bell hooks, love and liberation—eight inspiring new books are reviewed by Arleta Little.

The Buddha’s four noble truths include the truth that the eightfold path is a way out of suffering. It’s not just the path to happiness, says Sister True Dedication. It’s happiness itself.

Melvin McLeod breaks down the Buddha’s four noble truths and argues it’s not only the ultimate self-help formula, but the best guide to helping others and benefiting the world.

Jan Chozen Bays teaches us how to make every meal a celebration of gratitude, enjoyment, and true nourishment.

From the swan that Siddhartha nursed as a boy to the fantastical Garuda—Andrea Miller explores the intriguing role that birds play in Buddhist mythology.

Noel Alumit reflects on the daunting commitment of the bodhisattva vows, and how his ordination bolstered his relationship with his mother and culture.

The four foundations of mindfulness is the Buddha’s fundamental teaching on meditation common to all Buddhist traditions.

It may seem like an unattainable ideal, but you can start right now as a bodhisattva-in-training. All you need is the aspiration to put others first.

How does the Buddha nourish your life and practice? Five Buddhists contemplate this question.

The journey of awakening, says Buddhist teacher Gaylon Ferguson, begins by examining our usual beliefs about who we are. Because maybe we’ve got it wrong.

More people than ever before are changing jobs, or at least thinking about it. To help you decide, says Dan Zigmond, contemplate the nature of change.

Sometimes sitting with her sadness becomes too difficult. But Vanessa Zuisei Goddard has learned she can run with it—and through it.

We base our lives on seeking happiness and avoiding suffering, but the best thing we can do for ourselves is to turn this whole way of thinking upside down.

Mindfulness is more than just a meditation practice. Mindfulness is life, and life is love. That’s why it’s the whole path of the bodhisattva, says Zen teacher Norman Fischer.

Meditation, writes David Guy, is the practice of trusting life. When we practice this trust, we can more easily accept the inevitability of death. 

To change your life now and prepare for the inevitable, says Pamela Ayo Yetunde, regularly contemplate these five home truths.

Good luck with that. What you can do, says Jules Shuzen Harris, is change your relationship with your thoughts.

Introduced by Kaira Jewel Lingo, ten Black dharma teachers dive deep into the paramis, the ten qualities of enlightened beings.

It’s the concept of “other” that drives the evils the world suffers from, says Roshi Joan Halifax. The contemplation we need now is that in reality there is no separation.

You don’t have to be perfect to create positive change. Jessica Little reviews eight inspiring new books.

Wendy Garling tells the story of Khujjuttara, one of the Buddha's foremost female lay disciples. Hear more stories of Buddhist women from Wendy Garling in Lion’s Roar’s “<a href="https://promo.lionsroar.com/the-women-of-wisdom-summit-free-registration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Women of Wisdom Summit,</a>” March 21-25.

When a loved one dies, grown-ups don’t always know what to say to kids. Gail Silver has helpful tips based on Buddhist teachings.

Enlightenment is possible in this lifetime but time is running out. We have to make the most of this rare and fleeting opportunity to wake up.

If there’s a mother of Buddhism, it’s Mahaprajapati, says Andrea Miller. In women dharma teachers throughout the ages, we see a continuation of her strength and practicality, her wisdom and compassion.

René Rivera on how to have empathy for the person you’ve hurt—and yourself.

Roberval Oliveira shares his experience with cold water therapy, highlighting the important role mindfulness has played in unlocking its numerous benefits.

Kaira Jewel Lingo and Fr. Adam Bucko share how their union as a Buddhist-Christian couple has revealed that love is not only a feeling, but an intentional practice

Buddhism’s four immeasurables aren’t just states of mind we can achieve, says Venerable Hui Cheng. They’re gifts we can give to others.

Falling into bits and pieces, the robe — like everything else — becomes the universe. A teaching by Tenshin Reb Anderson.

The Heart Sutra is a pithy, powerful text. If you understand it, says Ven. Guan Cheng, you understand the Buddha's teachings.

Carolyn Campbell shares how studying the famous Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France sparked an awareness of death that helped her wake up to life.

Zen teacher Vanessa Zuisei Goddard shares her simple three-step practice to stop, soothe, and shift in the face of suffering.

Meditation can help with navigating challenges, cultivating calm, and connecting with others. Four Buddhists with autism on how the practice has changed their lives.

Corresponding with prisoners, Katherine Jamieson has come to appreciate her own freedom.

Are martial arts incompatible or in harmony with Zen? That depends, says Som Pourfarzaneh.

After an infuriating trim, Renshin Bunce realizes meditation isn’t helping her overcome anger—or is it?

How do we transform suffering into happiness? Bonnie Nadzam surveys new books that are helping to show the way.

In this exclusive interview, Mingyur Rinpoche tells Lion’s Roar’s Andrea Miller how he learned to befriend his anxiety. We all have an innate well-being, he says. And we can all experience it.

René Rivera shares the direct experience of nonself he discovered along his gender journey as a trans man.

Buddhism values attention and self-mastery; targeted advertising generates craving. Jonathan C. Gold explores the conflict between the two, calling us to regain control of our mindful attention.

What’s it like to provide spiritual care in hospitals, hospices, prisons, and beyond? Seven Buddhist chaplains share their moving stories.

Rev. Dr. Kenji Akahoshi shares the history and practice of Shin Buddhism, offering a pathway to awakening through the compassion of Amida Buddha.

A century after its publication, Randy Rosenthal explores how Hermann Hesse's classic novel "Siddhartha" came to be amidst the author's personal struggles and search for life's deeper meaning.

Pema Khandro Rinpoche gets personal with the Lion’s Roar readership.

For writer Pico Iyer, travel is a spiritual experience that shakes up our usual certainties and connects us to a richer, vaster world. Iyer talks with editor-in-chief Melvin McLeod about his book, "The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise," and his eclectic contemplative practice.

From simple healing instructions for daily meditation to a scientific theory of complexity and a thoroughgoing investigation into suicidal ideation, Bonnie Nadzam reviews this season’s latest titles.

Zen teacher Benjamin Mui Pumphrey on appreciating not just the rare birds, but also the sparrows and crows.

Tara Bennett Goleman looks at the parallels between of Buddhist psychology and modern cognitive science, revealing their shared insights that illuminate a hidden path towards inner freedom.

These four women Buddhist teachers are shaping Buddhism in America. Meet Doshin Mako Voelkel, Bonnie Duran, Lama Tsomo, and Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin.

An excerpt from Chapter 4 of The Making of American Buddhism by Scott A. Mitchell.

Librarian Eileen Ybarra explores how her practice and librarianship work together to serve her community through deep listening, mindfulness, and compassion.

When we see ourselves as separate, we’re limited, says Rebecca Bradshaw. In experiencing the truth of nonself, we free our hearts and minds.

Sati-AI is an art project created to support meditators on their journey towards cultivating mindfulness and fostering personal growth. Ross Nervig speaks with its creator, Marlon Barrios Solano.

The Buddha discovered a path to liberation, and more than two thousand years later people are still following in his footsteps. Heather Sanche unpacks his life, legacy, and essential teachings.

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.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews eight new books for the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt of chapter 7 of Aaron P. Proffitt’s new book, "Esoteric Pure Land Buddhism" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt of chapter 16 of Andy Karr's book, "Into the Mirror" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt from Anne Carolyn Klein's new book, "Being Human and a Buddha Too" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt from chapter 14 of Laura Burges' new book, "The Zen Way of Recovery" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt from "Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Vol. 4: Philosophical Topics" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt from "Dancing With the Dead: The Essential Red Pine Translations" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

Lion's Roar Editor Andrea Miller tells the story of the ceramic Buddha cup from her childhood and how it inspires her on the Buddhist path.

When you stir dirty potatoes in a pot, they clean each other. Jane McLaughlin-Dobisz on the bumps and benefits of being with others.

Bonnie Nadzam surveys new books on crisis care, climate change, and deep dharma.

Karen Maezen Miller on cultivating the three minds—joyful mind, kind mind, and great mind.

Koun Franz on seeing what’s in front of you, even the things you’d rather not see.

When the Buddha tended to a dying monk, he demonstrated how to live, how to die, how to care for others. Vanessa Sasson offers her retelling of that poignant story.

Beginning with the Buddha himself,  five extraordinary teachers instruct us in the practice of calming the mind, cultivating awareness, and — ultimately — finding freedom.

In this teaching from the late Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, he explores how looking deeply at a sunflower can help us discover the reality of interbeing.

Actions can be helpful in one situation yet harmful in another. Rebecca Li says awareness is needed to identify right action.

Following yesterday's footsteps while hiking through the snowy woods, Peter Moretzsohn contemplates how our actions and thoughts shape the present and future.

The fruit of Chan practice is discovering the freshness of each moment. Guo Gu on silent illumination, gong’an, and engaging with the world.

Bonnie Nadzam reviews new books that can help us navigate the ups and downs of life—from personal grief to collective rage to the joy of creativity.

Pilar Jennings on how to overcome two common roadblocks to compassion. The key is facing the truth of suffering—your own and others.

Sean Feit Oakes explores the dharmic lessons of emptiness and compassion in the Oscar-winning film "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Trees can show us how to be bodhisattvas. Rafe Jnan Martin draws important lessons from an old tale.

Associate Editor Mihiri Tillakaratne introduces the May 2023 Issue of Lion's Roar. 

Realizing the middle way between asceticism and indulgence, Siddhartha accepted milk-rice from the farmer Sujata. Hun Lye celebrates the delicious, healthy rice dishes, which can remind us of that pivotal meal.

Do you have something you want to say? Nikki Mirghafori on the questions to ask yourself.

Work can be a path to changing the world, personal growth, and even spiritual discovery. Tami Simon explains.

It’s not about striving for success, says Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön. Right effort is a graceful fine-tuning.

When you’re in harmony with all the factors on the eightfold path, that is right concentration. A teaching by Bradley Donaldson.

Zenzele Isoke calls on Western Buddhists to confront gun culture and the profound suffering it creates.

Jiryu Mark Rutschman-Byler shares the story of “Roshibot,” an AI bot he created and trained with the teachings of the late Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki Roshi.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews "The Two Truths in Indian Buddhism," "Buddhist Ecological Protection of Space," "Forgiveness: An Alternative Account," and more. 

Arinna Weisman gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

C. Pierce Salguero contemplates the karmic framework in Buddhism, and how it informs life's ethical dilemmas. 

Dominique Butet and Olivier Adam profile Tibetan nun Tenzin Palmo, who is changing the role of women in Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

In this, the final part of his series on tantra, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche presents practices for recognizing the true nature of mind—empty and open, luminous and aware.

Dexter Cohen Bohn shares how NYPD Detective Jeff Thompson incorporates his Buddhist practice into role as a police officer.

What does your body tell you when you're anxious? C. Pierce Salguero explains how Buddhist practice can help us tune in when strong emotions arise. 

Thubten Chodron on how to develop bodhichitta, the aspiration to attain buddhahood in order to benefit others.

Rod Meade Sperry talks to Lama Justin von Bujdoss about the practice of "darkness retreat," which made headlines this week after NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed he will soon undertake the practice to determine the future of his football career.

Does enlightenment make you a good person? Seth Zuihō Segall ponders the balancing act of enlightenment and admirability in Zen Buddhism. 

From Harriet Tubman to narcissism to Appalachian Zen — Bonnie Nadzam reviews new books that are sparking conversation.

“Buddha” means “the awakened one.” Karen Maezen Miller on what it is the Buddha woke up from—and how you can wake up, too.

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi unpacks the Buddha’s original mindfulness manual.

Sensei Alex Kakuyo on finding refuge in the present moment.

The Buddha valued dispassion, yet he also knew the power of love. Reiko Ohnuma on the poignant relationship between Siddhartha and his horse.

In this, the first of a three-part series on tantra, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche presents the three stages of meditation. Meditation, he says, is the process of recognizing your buddhanature, then nurturing that recognition.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s work is not finished, says Shinge Roko Sherry Chayat Roshi. We must continue it with gratitude on the endless path toward liberation for all.

In the first of a two-part article on change, Dr. g examines how by embracing the "bardo" state, we can find meaning in impermanence.

Brian Lesage reflects on how we can honor past and future generations of Buddhist practitioners by bringing the spirit of offering into our everyday practice.

Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu’s grandmother taught him that it’s the human condition to be lonely. Being mindful of our loneliness connects us to all others who are feeling the same way.

Roshi Joan Halifax shares two short prayers to set the intention for the new year.

Ahead of holiday party season, we look at the surprising diversity of Buddhist views on intoxicants.

Photographer Chris Rainier has spent decades seeking out spiritual landscapes and religious sites on all seven continents. He’s come to understand what sacred really means.

Joy, giving, family, and peace—people of all faiths can celebrate these values of the holiday season. Eight Buddhists offer their take on yuletide dharma.

Judy Yushin Nakatomi reflects on the evolutionary ride of caring and learning, and protecting that is mothering.

If you're spending the holidays with family this year, Jeremy Mohler has some advice for staying present when old wounds pop up.

Qalvy Grainzvolt gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

Mindfulness, courage, and compassion are key. Bonnie Nadzam presents a selection of new books on living well.

Zen teacher Norman Fischer takes you through the principles and practices of the major schools of Zen. Includes specially selected articles for further reading.

Rehena Harilall shares her vision of building and repairing community with an open, kind, and compassionate heart.

Rod Meade Sperry talks to Lama Tsomo about her new book "Deepening Wisdom, Deepening Connection."

When we learn that we are all interconnected, says Keturah Kendrick, we develop a deeper compassion for those around us and ourselves.

Bernie Glassman broke open our idea of what Buddhism could be. He fed the hungry, cared for the sick, and bore witness to the world’s pain.

Eric G. Wilson explains how we can see the strangeness in reality, and how examining the "weird" can help us understand the essence of life. 

Bonnie Nadzam relives the childhood ritual of playing dead.

Koun Franz contemplates how caring for ourselves is caring for all.

Monica Jordan reflects on her experience moving from Argentina to the United States and how it changed her perceptions of life's transitions.

As racist and xenophobic violence and discrimination rose amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Tanny Jiraprapasuke learned to transform her rage into compassion for herself, her community, and beyond.

Candice Tsuei explores what her journey to Buddhism has taught her about attachment, enlightenment, and life.

Sherri Posey is a Buddhist hospital chaplain and professional watchmaker. She reflects on how time’s fleeting nature connects everyone.

Lion's Roar's Beth Wallace reflects on how Pema Chödrön impacted her life, from the November 2022 Issue of Lion's Roar.

Buddhist teacher Justin von Budjoss was a chaplain to staff at America’s most notorious jail—Rikers Island in New York. There he learned two important lessons: Buddhism really helps people, and prisons should be abolished.

An AI robot answers your spiritual questions. Bonnie Nadzam reviews this innovative new book and other titles coming out this fall.

As blow after blow strike the Black community of Minneapolis, Zen practitioner and physician Dr. Didi Koka finds strength in the example of Harriet Tubman and support from a mantra of mutual caring.

Bhante Buddharakkhita gets personal with the Lion’s Roar readership.

When we recite the names of historical teachers and remember their stories, we find role models for our lives and practice. Bhikshuni Heng Yi on five inspiring Chan ancestors.

Chan is a vibrant practice tradition in America. Lina Verchery recommends four communities.

Like leaves in the autumn or wood in the fire, all things pass. But, there is a moment in which we can see things as they are.

When the suffering of the world knocks at our door, says Singhashri Gazmuri, we must be courageous enough to open it.

Melissa Myozen Blacker teaches the Koan practice of asking again and again, "Who am I?" Every time an answer arises, set it aside. Eventually, answers stop coming, replaced by a feeling of profound wonder.

Indigo Ocean explores the concept of worship and how it can enrich the Buddhist practice of awareness. 

Although enlightenment can seem like an unreachable goal, says Judy Lief, we're actually having glimpses of awakening all the time.

Emptiness is not something to be afraid of, says Thich Nhat Hanh. The Heart Sutra teaches us that form may be empty of self but it’s full of everything else.

Leading Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg talks to Lion's Roar's Andrea Miller about how to care for ourselves, for others — and for the future. Because we’re in it for the long haul.

Jenny Phillips reviews "That Bird Has My Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row" by Jarvis Jay Masters, the powerful memoir first published in 2009 and now in the news in 2022 thanks to Oprah Winfrey's picking of it for her famed book club. 

Author Natalie Goldberg discusses Zen and the writer's practice.

If you're looking for good books to begin or deepen your relationship to Buddhist meditation, you can't go wrong with these essential picks.

Buddhist teacher Judy Lief explains why our awareness of death is the secret of life.

Lion's Roar's Rod Meade Sperry talks to Leigh Brasington about a new posthumous release from Ayya Khema, "The Path to Peace: A Buddhist Guide to Cultivating Loving-kindness."

What was it like to gather around the Buddha and hear him teach? To find out, says Pascale F. Engelmajer, just read the suttas.

Buddhism was an oral tradition for hundreds of years, and many of the earliest writings were lost centuries ago. If we can’t have 100 percent certainty about what the Buddha actually taught—and it seems that we can’t—how do we determine what is the true dharma?

Monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu, a trained translator of the Buddha's words, reveals seven fake Buddha quotes he's found. See if you're not surprised.

Are we all alone in this world or at one with everything? Nick Walser shines a spotlight on the paradoxical nature of loneliness.

Sandra Cisneros writes to honor her ancestors, because when that’s her motivation, ego gets out of the way. Angélica Paljor profiles the celebrated author of The House on Mango Street.

As our world consistently changes, Rebecca Li explains how we can feel true freedom when we learn to live every moment as a new experience.

The Vinaya is more than just the monastic rule book, says Amy Paris Langenberg. It’s a treasure trove of stories shedding light on ethical dilemmas, community tensions, and human foibles.

From Silicon Valley and Afrofuturism to healing trauma and gender transition, here is a selection of new books offering a Buddhist take on today’s issues.

Learn more about Buddhist teacher, Rev. Marvin Harada.

The Pure Land is right here, right now, says Sensei Alex Kakuyo. Chanting the nembutsu can help you see that.

Eda Ocak reflects on how meditation practice and the Buddha’s message of no-self transformed her habit of self-comparison.

Lion's Roar associate editor Mariana Restrepo talks to award-winning novelist, poet, and essayist Erika L. Sánchez about her new memoir, "Crying in the Bathroom."

It's not enough to simply to believe compassion is important. We must transform our thoughts and behaviour on a daily basis to cultivate compassion.

The Dalai Lama explains how the Buddhist teachings of mindfulness and compassion lead inevitably to feelings of self-confidence and kindness.

Ozeki wins the Women’s Prize for Fiction for her fourth book, The Book of Form and Emptiness.

Grandmothers care about others and shed tears for their suffering. That’s why Dogen said having Grandmother Mind is the most important thing of all. Zen teacher Susan Moon contemplates her own journey as a grandmother and her responsibility as an ancestor-to-be.

Patrice Clark Koelsch reimagines the five precepts to apply when engaging in morally-charged activist settings.

Things to see, do, and enjoy in three American Buddhist hotspots.

In the opening editorial from our July 2022 issue, Deputy Editor Andrea Miller reflects on her time in Morocco, and the feeling of connection we experience through travelling. 

Koans, Shakespeare, working with suffering — Bonnie Nadzam looks at new books offering different insights into Buddhist practice today.

An interview with Jan Chozen Bays from our “Meet a Teacher” series in the July 2022 issue of Lion’s Roar magazine.

John Tarrant demystifies Zen koan practice. Yes, it’s paradoxical, poetic, and totally personal. And so is life.

Susan Yao explores how Buddhist principles could help us reimagine the American school system.

Dhondup T. Rekjong tells the story of Ngakpa Kalzang, an exile of Tibet and experienced tantric Buddhist practitioner working as a landscaper on Canada's Vancouver Island.

In Buddhism, compassion is embodied in the bodhisattva Kuan Yin, who is said to manifest wherever beings need help.

Avery Grace reflects on what to do when we harm others, how we can move forward, and the compassion we need for ourselves to do better. 

“The next Buddha may be a sangha,” Thich Nhat Hanh famously said, and the practice of community was always central to his life and teachings. Dharma teacher Mitchell Ratner experienced the wonders, lessons, and challenges of living the mindful life at Plum Village.

Pico Iyer thought he would find what is truly real by going off to a monastery, but he was really fleeing it. Dropping his spiritual romaticism, he found it in ordinary life.

From the healing power of storytelling to the dharma of literature—Bonnie Nadzam recommends new books to help us make sense of our lives.

An interview with Gregory Pai from our “Meet a Teacher” series in the May 2022 issue of Lion’s Roar magazine.

The foundation of the Pure Land path, explains Takashi Miyaji, is Amitabha Buddha’s vow to liberate anyone who calls on him.

I’m confused about all the different terms for meditation, like shamatha, vipassana, zazen, mindfulness, calm abiding, insight, just sitting. What's what?

On the Transgender Day of Visibility, Ray Buckner shares his journey to find home on both the Buddhist path and the path of transition.

No self, no form, no goal: Thich Nhat Hanh on the truth we’re distracting ourselves from.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews Seeing with the Eye of Dhamma by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Roaming Free Like a Deer: Buddhism and the Natural World by Daniel Capper, Rethinking 'Classical Yoga' and Buddhism by Karen O'Brien-Kop, and more.

Constance Kassor reviews "Other Lives: Mind and World in Indian Buddhism," by Sonam Kachru.

As we witness the great suffering of the Russian-Ukraine war, says Dan Zigmond, we have a moral obligation to pay attention.

Your true nature is like the sky, says Mingyur Rinpoche, its love and wisdom unaffected by the clouds of life. You can access it with this awareness meditation.

It's a three-week "practice period" at the Zen Center. Sure, it sounds tough — but in the end, it's all love.

Mariana Restrepo shares her journey towards embodying all facets of her intersectional identities.

As we bear witness to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we cannot fall into our tendency to turn away from suffering, says Roshi Joan Halifax.

Through the Pure Land practice of nembutsu, explains Mark Unno, we “foolish beings” entrust ourselves to the full awakening of Amida, the primordial Buddha of Infinite Light.

Six women from the Order of Interbeing reflect on the impact of their beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, following his death.

We would like to express our deep love and gratitude as we make the vow to carry your teachings, compassion, and insight far into the future, the eulogy reads.

Looking for ways to teach her toddler about Buddhism, Mariana Restrepo finds valuable lessons about compassion and the causes of suffering in Disney’s Encanto.

Larry Ward shares a poem about Thich Nhat Hanh, whose teachings have guided many towards a life of mindfulness, joy, and peace.

In the introduction to the first conversation, I wondered whether Sister Clear Grace would find sustaining generosity for this mission from Buddhists and non-Buddhists. I wondered what might be gained by the non-Buddhist strangers who would be in conversation, perhaps for the first time, with a Black Buddhist monastic defying gender norms talking about racial,…

Pema Khandro on the primordial knowing that, according to the Dzogchen teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, is the source and true nature of ourselves and all reality.

At the core of Mahayana Buddhism, explains Kaira Jewel Lingo, is bodhichitta, the bodhisattvas’ enlightened aspiration to save all sentient beings.

In the Chan and Zen traditions, says Guo Gu, enlightenment is not something we create or achieve. It’s who we already are.

Bhante Sujato on nibanna, the state of enlightenment beyond all conditioned existence.

I grew up in the ethnically diverse neighborhoods of Koreatown and Hollywood in Los Angeles. My father was a Marine Corps veteran and my mother was from Jerez, Mexico. My parents had an affinity for Asian cultures, and my first school was a private Christian Korean school. In my teenage years, I attended Hollywood High…

From ecology to nirvana to a monk in high heels — Bonnie Nadzam recommends new books for your spiritual journey.

A smell could take Marianna Pogosyan back in time, or she could stay present to this precious, fleeting moment.

Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk and founder of the Engaged Buddhism movement, died January 22 in his home country of Vietnam. He was 95. 

Meet eight of Thich Nhat Hanh’s students who are now teachers themselves. In their own unique ways, they’re helping to carry his dharma into the future.

So-called objective reality, Pico Iyer finds, is as fickle as the weather. Maybe that’s because it’s as much mind as matter.

We can’t just blindly meditate, says Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Our practice must be illuminated by deep, critical study of the Buddhist teachings.

Buddhist teacher and scholar Jan Willis on the Buddha’s central teaching — his diagnosis and cure for suffering.

Rashid Hughes explores the importance of listening to loneliness and leaning into social intimacy when engaging in contemplative practice.

The cause of our global suffering is forgetting that we belong to one another and to the earth. Tara Brach recommends four practices to nourish a sense of collective belonging.

The African philosophy of ubuntu teaches that we are human only through the humanity of others. Buddhists of African descent explore the synergy between ubuntu and the Buddhist teachings on interdependence.

Read David Swick's classic Lion's Roar profile of Joan Didion, who died December 23 at age 87.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews "We Were Made for These Times" by Kaira Jewel Lingo, "The Wakeful Bod" by Willa Baker Blythe, "The Buddha’s Tooth" by John S. Strong, and more.

When we read fantastical stories in Buddhist texts, we might simply dismiss them as myth. Ralph H. Craig III invites us to look at them a little more deeply.

Renowned author, feminist theorist, and cultural critic bell hooks passed away on Dec. 15 at the age of 69. Read about her remarkable life and and work, alongside a selection of pieces by and conversations with hooks published in the pages of Lion's Roar.

Ikumi Kaminishi looks at regional differences in sculptures of the Buddha.

Buddhadharma Editor Koun Franz on meeting his teacher for the first time. 

Ross Nervig on some teachers past and present whose lives and teachings have a lot of offer us.

From the Dalai Lama to queer dharma to the beloved community — Bonnie Nadzam looks at new books that bring us together in the wisdom of the present.

As ex-Marine Alex Kakuyo laments a war he can no longer believe in, he turns for help to the bodhisattva Kannon and the buddha Amida.

In Japan, wabi sabi is an aesthetic principle that sees beauty in imperfection and age. Can Kem McIntosh Lee see the wabi sabi of her own aging body?

Chris Pacheco, Lion’s Roar’s Associate AV Editor, unpacks the real meaning of ninth-century Chinese Buddhist monk Linji Yixuan's famous quote.

If we don’t embrace the often-paradoxical complexity of societal ills, the actions we take to solve them will be merely “Band-Aids.” Kritee on getting to the root of a problem.

Día de los Muertos is a reminder, says Linda González, that we are all one in life and death.

From just sitting to cooking as practice, Dogen defined how most of us understand Zen today. Steven Heine on the life and global impact of Dogen Zenji.

The human heart is basically very compassionate, but without wisdom, compassion will not work. Wisdom is the openness that lets us see what is essential and most effective.

10 Buddhist books everyone should have, as selected by the editors of Lion's Roar.

Non-diet dietician Jenna Hollenstein's book "Eat to Love" paves a Buddhist path toward transforming our often troubled relationship with food and body.

There are plenty of Buddhist books with helpful advice about how to help dying people—and how to die yourself.

From being to the nature of time, Dogen explored the big questions. Four experts unpack some of his most influential concepts.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews What I Don’t Know about Death by C. W. Huntington, The Guru Principle by Shenpen Hookham, Questioning the Buddha by Peter Skilling, and more.

Sonam Kachru reviews C. V. Jones’ "The Buddhist Self."

It’s the Buddha’s basic teaching. It’s life’s universal truth. It’s what we most want to deny. Sallie Jiko Tisdale on how this hard but liberating truth can transform your life.

An excerpt from Ruth Ozeki’s new novel, "The Book of Form and Emptiness."

Zen teaches that we should maintain “a joyful mind, an elder’s mind, and a great mind.” According to Jisho Sara Siebert, they’re never far away.

Editor-in-Chief Melvin McLeod reflects on the importance of death in Buddhist philosophy in the opening editorial of the November 2021 issue of Lion's Roar.

Learn more about Buddhist teacher, Ven. Dr. Jue Ji. 

Buddhist funeral traditions around the world help both the dead and their loved ones let go and move on.

When we practice mindfulness of breath, says Judy Lief, we connect to the reality that birth and death are happening in every moment.

“When the body has dissolved into the four elements, where will you go?” asks the koan called Doushuai’s Third Barrier. Vastness into vastness, concludes Zen teacher John Tarrant.

Most of the time death won’t follow our script, says Roshi Joan Halifax. But amid its messiness and pain, our experience can be respected, and we can learn.

A report on findings from Gen Z Buddhists surveyed in Springtide Research Institute's "The State of Religion and Young People."

Like motherhood, the path to awakening demands compassion, love, and sacrifice. Jenna Hollenstein explains the parallels between mothers and bodhisattvas. 

It’s less than we think. It’s far more than we know. It’s who we are but it’s not. Contemplate the deeper reality of the body.

A talk by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi on enlightenment.

Willa Blythe Baker explores the idea of “entanglement,” coming to the conclusion that the opposite of attachment isn’t detachment — it’s intimacy.

Why you might take up the Buddhist practice of maranasati, or mindfulness of death — even if you really, really don’t want to.

Farmers, grocery store clerks, garbage collectors, teachers—we’re not just interdependent with essential workers such as these; we’re dependent. Norman Fischer on fair wages for all.

Our editor-in-chief, Melvin McLeod, shares why Buddhism is the ultimate self-help, despite one of its central principles — nonself.

Jaimal Yogis’s dad explained his final wishes: “I’ve gotten so much from Buddhism for good living, I’m not going to pass up their tips for good dying.”

These days, if an aversive reaction starts to form in my mind, I think to myself, “Wait! Don’t disturb the peace!”

It goes a lot deeper than how many times a day you check your phone. According to Buddhist teacher Judy Lief, distraction is the very foundation of ego.

Andrea Miller reflects on the truth that interbeing is as close to us as the white on rice.

When we truly face death, we live more fully. Tracy Franz presents a selection of new books (and one movie) on bereavement, self-discovery in nature, and more.

Avikrita Vajra Rinpoche gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

A poem by Thich Nhat Hanh.

“How many times have I felt that I couldn’t bear the heartbreak,” says Barbara Gates. “But here I am still hiking strong.”

Karen Maezen Miller on how meditation helps her bring "doing nothing" into everything she does.

Towering stacks of newspapers, a mountain of clippings — James Kullander feels they might contain some fact that would transform his life.

Francesca Fremantle, from her book Luminous Emptiness, discusses the wheel of life and how the Buddha decontructed it.

To understand how to practice mindfulness in daily life, says Gaylon Ferguson, we have to look at all eight steps of the Buddha's noble eightfold path.

Why feel bad about yourself when you are naturally aware, loving, and wise? Mingyur Rinpoche explains how to see past the temporary stuff and discover your own buddhanature.

It’s a paradox, says Hokuto Daniel Diffin. No one can teach you Zen, but you need a teacher to understand that.

On a birthday like no other, Canyon Sam reflects on celebrating beauty and practicing joy and compassion in the face of an increase in anti-Asian violence.

Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that by looking deeply we develop insight into impermanence and no self. These are the keys to the door of reality.

The Buddha is compared to a doctor because he treated the suffering that ails all of us. His diagnosis and cure, says Zen teacher Norman Fischer, is called the four noble truths.

Place your mind on the needle dipping in and out of the fabric, says Cyndi Lee. If you space out, the stitches will go crooked, and that will wake you up.

Photographer A. Jesse Jiryu Davis documented three Vesak celebrations in New York this year.

The true Buddha isn’t limited to the body or mind of a particular person who lived long ago. He is present today, says Jack Kornfield, in teachers pointing the way to a timeless freedom.

There is such a wealth of Buddhist books and teachings to consume. Where do you start? Here are some tips on how to tackle your reading list.

Sometimes we’re committed to our meditation practice and sometimes we drift away. No matter what, Matthew Kohut believes we can always find our way home to the cushion.

In Sanskrit, the word buddha can mean “awakened,” “expanded,” and “understood.” It was the title bestowed on an itinerant teacher about whom little is known, apart from the teachings that have been attributed to him. The Buddha first appears in the rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka, who ruled India from 268 to 232 BCE. For…

Zen teacher Karen Maezen Miller explains Bodhidharma's famous practice of wall-gazing.

In "China Root," David Hinton invites the reader to reexamine Zen through its roots in Taoist teachings. Here, he takes a Taoist lens to the idea of “Buddha” itself.

Andrew Olendzki shares all that made the Buddha one of the most radical people who ever lived.

Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu shows us how we can truly connect with others with the Zulu practice of Sawubona.

According to Pema Chödrön, love and compassion are like the weak spots in the walls of ego.

Their sangha gathered virtually, but it was still real. Rachel Paige King on the loss of an online dharma brother.

It’s not easy, but getting your family to meditate could be the best thing you do as a parent. Gail Silver on how to interest your kids in breathing, seeing, and being.

The teachings on lojong, are an invaluable aid to practitioners. They show us how the wisdom and skillful means of the Mahayana can actually be put to use.

An interview with Mary Stancavage from our "Meet a Teacher" series in the July 2021 issue of Lion's Roar magazine.

Anne Lamott, Joko Beck, the mindful family, Black liberation—Tracy Franz looks at new books offering the spiritual wisdom we need today.

You don’t have a surface public self and a private inner self, nor do you have one true, unchanging self. What you have, says Barry Magid, is multiple shifting self-states—and they can get along just fine.

What is shikantaza? Suzuki Roshi, the great Zen teacher, says that it is the experience of receiving a "letter from emptiness"

Pico Iyer loves reading spiritual books, but he’s found just as much good dharma in the books of three favorite novelists.

For the fiftieth anniversary of Francis Story's death, Randy Rosenthal looks back at the life and work of the lesser-known Buddhist thinker

Jean-Paul Contreras deGuzman on the hidden history of Pure Land Buddhists in America.

It’s one of Buddhism’s most famous texts and, to be honest, it can be confounding: the Heart Sutra seeks to cut our usual dualistic thinking at the root.

In this exclusive excerpt from his book, The Heart of the Universe, Mu Soeng sheds light on the Buddhist view of the self.

Koun Franz ponders the famous koan and the Zen master’s enigmatic answer (it’s not woof).

Pema Chödrön offers a bodhicitta practice for generating love and compassion for all human beings.

Enjoy this introduction to the teachings and meditations of Tsoknyi Rinpoche.

Sara Davidson remembers the American spiritual icon Ram Dass.

James Ishmael Ford gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

Tracy Franz reviews "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Zen," "A Quiet Mind," "River of Offerings," and more.

Perfectly clear, compassionate, and concise, the "Five Remembrances" are Buddhism at its very best. Koun Franz explains.

They were typical kids — then they were recognized as the reincarnations of Tibetan Buddhist masters. Three Western tulkus talk to Andrea Miller.

The Abhidhamma, says Bhikkhu Bodhi, breaks open how the mind works, what cognition is, and how there can be thoughts without a thinker.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews "Be the Refuge" by Chenxing Han, "Esoteric Theravada" by Kate Crosby, "Superiority Conceit" by Bhikkhu Analayo, and more.

We call people who harm us enemies, but is that who they really are? When we see the person behind the label, say Buddhist teachers Sharon Salzberg and Robert Thurman, everyone benefits.

In his new book, "Superiority Conceit in Buddhist Traditions," Bhikkhu Analayo investigates some of the ways we as Buddhists have deluded ourselves about the "other."

In Vajrayana, the fast track to awakening is to look directly at your own mind and discover its true nature. Tsoknyi Rinpoche shows us how.

Leading Christian writer Anne Lamott is married to Vipassana practitioner Neal Allen. Andrea Miller on how this couple has found the sweet spot where their beliefs meet.

In this complex and interconnected world, living ethically has never been more challenging—or more important. Jan Willis, Rebecca Li, Trudy Goodman, Thanissaro Bhikku, and Sister True Dedication share the five Buddhist precepts for modern times.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche talks about how the most important thing in spiritual practice is motivation and the wish to free all beings from suffering.

Zenju Earthlyn Manuel’s deepest vow is to be a person who doesn’t cause suffering and walks in peace. It’s what we all really want.

Dzogchen master Tsoknyi Rinpoche shares a meditation to encourage clarity of mind.

When you recognize the true nature of mind, says Dzogchen master Tsoknyi Rinpoche, all habitual patterns are naturally liberated in the space of wisdom. That includes the ultimate habit known as samsara.

The name “Buddha,” means “one who is awake.” Sam Littlefair shares three Buddhist teachings on sleeping, dreaming and – finally – awakening.

LionsRoar.com's digital editor Lilly Greenblatt looks at the hope in hopelessness.

Rev. Keiryū Liên Shutt gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

Tracy Franz reviews "Be the Refuge" by Chenxing Han, "Peaceful Heart" by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, "Being Ram Dass" by Ram Dass, and more.

When a student confronts his famed teacher, Steve Silberman learns the meaning of “intimate practice.” In that moment, he becomes a Buddhist.

The Buddha’s analysis of how to free ourselves from suffering is profound, universal, and eternal, says Melvin McLeod.

Only three steps of the Buddha’s noble eightfold path are explicitly about ethics. But look more deeply, says Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, and you’ll discover that ethics are at the heart of all of them.

In the dharma of knitting, there is no past or present or future, says Jennifer Urban-Brown. Without holding on to the promise of the finished object, loop yarn, pull through, breathe in, breathe out.

Zen teacher Joan Sutherland on life's dreamlike nature and why it should be embraced.

Charlotte Z. Rotterdam shares three verses by Machig Labdrön, the founder of Chöd, that we can carry with us in our daily lives.

Sitting still in the dark zendo and breathing with others is exactly what Natalie Goldberg needs. On this last night of the year, she wonders what this human life is all about.

Brain-science writer Daniel Goleman describes how we are hard-wired from kindness—and why that impulse is sometimes short-circuited.

Synchronicity, says Rachel Naomi Remen in this holiday teaching, can startle us awake and restore us to ourselves.

Lion's Roar deputy editor Andrea Miller tells the story of Siddhartha Gautama.

Menakem discusses the practices and insights shared in his NYT bestseller, "My Grandmother's Hands."

After launching their first Teens of Color in-person retreat in 2019, Inward Bound Mindfulness Education pivots to online programming.

Rachel Neumann on what it was like to simultaneously navigate the pandemic and the wildfires that ravaged the West Coast.

In this excerpt from her new book co-edited with Cheryl A. Giles, "Black and Buddhist," Pamela Ayo Yetunde offers advice for POC considering entering a dharma community, and shares the importance of utilizing Right Intention when doing so.

Randy Rosenthal interviews the award-winning translator, whose new book, "China Root," goes deep into the Taoist origins of Chan (Zen).

Melvin Escobar on dealing with the loss of a virtual friend.

The sun doesn’t stop shining just because there are clouds in the sky. Our buddhanature is always present and available, even in difficulty.

Through Mahamudra meditation, says Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, we relax into the emptiness, clarity, and awareness of ever-present buddha wisdom.

For December, we're celebrating compassion on Lion's Roar and in Shambhala Sun. Here, Norman Fischer says giving is the Buddha way.

Tracy Franz on a diverse and inspiring selection of new Buddhist books.

We all have an attitude, says Zen teacher Norman Fischer, our own way of approaching life. You can start to take a bodhisattva’s attitude toward life by practicing generosity and appreciation.

Karen Maezen Miller on how the domestic practice of ancient Zen masters can lead us to intimate encounters with our own lives.

Shinzen Young gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

Sean Feit Oakes offers a post-election reminder to us all.

Awaiting the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Chenxing Han turns to the prose of Japanese poet and Buddhist monk Kamo-no-Chomei, and ponders his same questions, 800 years later.

Each Friday, we share three topical longreads in our Weekend Reader newsletter. This week, Lion's Roar magazine's Hal Atwood looks at the gifts of impermanence.

Scholar Sarah Shaw explains why mindfulness must work together with ethics, compassion, and wisdom — in Buddhism and in life.

To whom does the dharma belong? asks Vaishali Mamgain, Ph.D, as she explores the ways colonization and white supremacy have appropriated the dharma and other wisdom traditions.

Karen Connelly on giving unseen beings their due.

I remember having an intimate conversation with His Holiness many years ago. At one point he touched the tip of his tongue and quietly said, “This tongue has never lied.” What a simple and astonishing statement. It cut right through me. It would be quite unthinkable to believe such a clear and dignified declaration from…

As a prelude his five-part series, Zen teacher Lewis Richmond asks us to consider fear itself: what is fear? What are we so afraid of?

When the spirit moves into writing, shaping its direction, that is a moment of pure mystery.

When I have attended His Holiness the Dalai Lama giving Buddhist teachings to large assemblies, I have had an odd sensation lately…

Scholar Andrew Olendzki on how the Buddha discovered a path to liberation that we can take too.

Karma Lekshe Tsomo on the Buddha as social reformer — for his time and ours.

Tracy Franz on some timely themes in new books and media.

Psychologist and mindfulness meditator Maria Konnikova talks about what she learned about life, luck, and paying attention on her journey from complete novice to poker professional.

This, says Jan Chozen Bays, is the healing power of practice: we release our fear, transform our unskillfulness, and discover our kindest selves.

It's an essential truth about life itself: suffering of one kind or another is a natural part of existence. Knowing this truth gives our lives wholeness and peace, as it frees us from the exhausting postures of pretense and denial.

Water and wave, being and nonbeing, beginning and ending—liberation from all duality, teaches Thich Nhat Hanh, is the key to enlightenment.

Lion's Roar Special Projects editorial assistant Sandra Hannebohm looks at wabi-sabi and the perfection of imperfection.

In the direct, insightful style for which he is known, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana teaches the meditation technique known as Vipassana and explains why only meditation addresses the human condition.

Hal Atwood looks at three organizations who focus on humanitarian work as an essential expression of their Buddhist values.

A koan can be anything that disrupts our usual way of being. Have you noticed that happens a lot in life? 
Eve Myonen Marko and Wendy Egyoku Nakao explain how we can use our personal koans to experience reality in a new way.

In the Baseball Sutra, recently discovered by scholar Donald Lopez, the Buddha explains why he created a game where suffering and failure are the norm.

Our basic problem, says Trudy Goodman, is ignoring the reality of impermanence. Being mindful in the moment, appreciating this flowing, interconnected life, we miraculously free ourselves from habitual patterns.

How do we make offerings to Buddha? First we find Buddha everywhere, says Kokyo Henkel — and then we offer everything.

Book reviews by Joie Szu-Chiao Chen from the Fall 2020 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly.

Buddhism in the West is having a difficult time. With allegations of misconduct made against teachers in several of our communities, there is now widespread disillusionment and organizational chaos. Of course, similar problems exist in other faith traditions, and the #MeToo movement has been revealing these issues throughout all levels of society. Many of us…

Bill Aiken offers five Buddhist insights to be a more effective agent of change

Using Buddhist principles, economist Clair Brown identifies the big policy changes we need to have a caring society and a sustainable future.

The practice of community, says Mushim Patricia Ikeda, is more than including beyond all people, even all beings. It mean including all thoughts, all emotions, all realities—the bad as well as the good.

We review "Mop Rides the Waves of Life" by Jaimal Yogis and Matthew Allen.

To the Buddhism’s traditional four causes of suffering we must now add a fifth: the suffering caused by racism, sexism, poverty, and all the other forms of human injustice. Only when seeing that clearly, says Ann Gleig, will our compassion will be complete.

Laura Munson finds an unlikely friend named Edgars.

When we are with others in times of suffering, says contemplative care expert Koshin Paley Ellison, we can take the four noble truths as our guide.

Only when we awaken to our own light can we be fully present to another person’s inner light and life, says Shinge Roko Sherry Chayat. "Only then can we respond fully, with nothing in the way."

A talk by Dainin Katagiri Roshi about the Buddhist idea of emptiness — and, an unusual sport.

The Golden Chain is a traditional recitation within American Shin Buddhist communities. For Camille Hamilton Pating, it comes as naturally—and joyfully—as saying the Name of Amida Buddha.

We cling to our own worldviews, says Dorotea Mendoza. Imagine if we listened to each other instead.

The combination of wisdom and compassion—the very essence of Buddhism—leads to that all-American value, freedom. It is, says Duncan Ryuken Williams, freedom in the most profound sense.

As we learn to limit our consumption, a peace appears, says Sean Feit Oakes. Without this peace, the fire that burns our hearts and communities can never be put out.

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse tells us that if it feels too good, it’s probably not Buddhism. If you want real, honest painful, transformation, then read on.

Reginald A. Ray examines the doctrine of karma, one of the most important yet most misunderstood of all Buddhist teachings.

We review "Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger" by Lama Rod Owens.

We review "You Belong: A Call for Connection" by Sebene Selassie.

We review "Without Ever Reaching the Summit: A Journey" by Paolo Cognetti.

We review "Dreams of Light: The Profound Daytime Practice of Lucid Dreaming" by Andrew Holecek.

We review "An Artful Path to Mindfulness: MBSR-Based Activities for Using Creativity to Reduce Stress and Embrace the Present Moment" by Janet Slom.

We review "The Barefoot King: A Story about Feeling Frustrated" by Andrew Jordan Nance; Illustrated by Olivia Holden.

The great Dzogchen teacher Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche on the primordial union of emptiness and awareness, the space-like nature of mind.

Gesshin Greenwood on what happens when chocolate, peanut butter, and Buddhism collide.

Teachings on Dzogchen by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Sylvia Boorstein looks at the paradoxes and subtleties in the central Buddhist concept of no-self.

After his stroke, Thich Nhat Hanh began enjoying a quiet, 
contemplative life in the temple where he lived as a young novice. Sister Annabel Laity shares the moving experience of visiting her teacher there.

Michael Sheehy reviews "­­­Why I Am Not a Buddhist," by Evan Thompson.

Ayesha Ali asks white people to examine their life and privilege—without shame but with deep curiosity about why you don’t really know or understand her.

Review: "Dharma Matters: Women, Race, and Tantra" by Jan Willis.

At first glance, the Abhidharma, with all its lists and analysis, may not seem so inviting. But give it another look, says Steven D. Goodman — it explains the entire world.

If love were enough to truly help others, there would only be one kind of bodhisattva. Melvin McLeod on the trinity of bodhisattva archetypes.

Ministering to the sick, the dying, and their loved ones is hard enough at the best of times. Four chaplains in the Bay Area share what it was like as the pandemic raged.

Buddhist teacher Mushim Patricia Ikeda gets personal with the Lion’s Roar readership.

Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield on what we can do in this confusing, tough time.

Daniel Goleman on how we can follow the Dalai Lama's lead in truly making our world better.

Randy Rosenthal breaks down the Buddha's discourse on establishing awareness in the "Mahasatipatthana Sutta."

In his review of Geoffrey Barstow’s "The Faults of Meat," Rory Lindsay examines the little-known teachings around vegetarianism in Tibetan Buddhism.

We may be practicing social distancing, says Andrea Miller, but we’re still connected. Let’s be a light for each other.

Pema Chödrön shows us how we can let go of self-centered worries and become a bodhisattva-warrior. It's the greatest happiness of all.

Making bread requires the acceptance of both the imperfect and the impermanent, says Elissa Altman. She shares her thoughts on the meditative process of bread making and a recipe for a bloomer loaf.

In his graphic novel, They Called Us Enemy, actor/activist George Takei tells his own story of growing up in a World War Two internment camp, shining a light on how it must feel to be in an immigration detention center today. Read an excerpt below.

Nine teachers explain what suffering is, how we feel it, and why it isn't a condemnation — it's a joyous opportunity.

Jack Kornfield shares a new talk and guided meditation to help us navigate the global anxiety of the coronavirus pandemic with courage.

In the face of challenges like the coronavirus crisis, says Rodney Smith, we must remain vulnerable and tender toward our grief and surrender to love.

Roshi Joan Halifax leads us through a short and simple practice to help us navigate the illness and fear brought on by the coronavirus crisis.

Vanessa Zuisei Goddard shares how taking refuge in the three treasures of buddha, dharma, and sangha allows us to practice not in spite of trying circumstances, but with them.

Now more than ever, says Buddhist teacher Pamela Weiss, we need to do away with patriarchal values and reweave women’s voices into the torn fabric of our world. As the Buddha did in the face of Mara, we need to reach down and touch the earth.

In the opening editorial of the May 2020 issue of Lion's Roar, Melvin McLeod looks at Buddhism’s central insight and the key to Buddhist meditation.

Meditations and practices to help us loving-awareness and contribute to the healing of our world in the coronavirus era.

Meditation teacher Kimberly Brown offers a short practice for cultivating a loving connection to ourselves and the world amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In the face of COVID-19, Gary Gach shares how we can soothe our feelings of denial, anger, and fear with a helpful dose of equanimity.

The simple act of washing your hands helps you to take care of yourself and the world around you. Trudy Goodman shares her instructions.

As the COVID-19 outbreak shakes the world, Willa Blythe Baker offers a personal reflection on what it means to exist in this strange moment together.

COVID-19 is more than a global health risk. It’s shaken the world’s economy and has many of us worrying about our financial future.

The great Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh talks about non-self, interdependence, and the love that expands until it has no limit.

We assemble the thing we call "self" ourselves, according to Buddhist psychology. Gaylon Ferguson breaks down the five-step process of ego development.

Due to the current outbreak of coronavirus affecting over 100 countries, many Buddhist centers are taking precautions to protect against the virus and its spread.

For International Women's Day, here's a collection of our best teachings from, profiles on, and conversations with women in Buddhism.

Step-by-step instructions on how to practice Vipassana Meditation ­— the foundation of all Buddhist meditations — from the famed master Sayadaw U Pandita.

A conversation with scholar Evan Thompson about his new book "Why I Am Not A Buddhist" and why Western Buddhism could use more non-Buddhist friends.

Freda Bedi was an early champion of women’s rights, a Gandhian revolutionary, and a major force in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West.

She gave birth to twins, but only one survived. Kate Inglis on how, when a body dies, love is the final truth it leaves behind.

Musician East Forest's collaborative album with the late Ram Dass encompasses his lifetime of wisdom in 14 tracks, bringing his teachings to life.

Remembering her beloved childhood pet, Andrea Miller ponders one of Zen’s most famous questions.

Here's a short primer on the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism and some of their key practices.

Sunntaram Forest Monastery, Santi Forest Monastery, and Vejjasala Retreat Center are all currently evacuated. No injuries or major destruction have been reported.

Modern psychology encourages us to have a healthy sense of self, but Buddhism teaches that the self doesn’t even exist. Barry Magid says there’s no conflict.

In the sixth and final issue in our 40th anniversary series, five young Buddhists look to the future of Buddhism.

I see inclusivity, change, kindness, and community, says Tara U. I see "Namo amida butsu."

Buddhist teacher Sylvia Boorstein on 5 styles of habitual reaction—and how to find freedom from yours.

In the opening editorial of the January 2020 issue of Lion's Roar magazine, Melvin McLeod looks at the positive changes Buddhism is going through right now.

Daigengna Duoer reviews "The Life of Jamgom Kongtrul the Great" by Alexander Gardner, "The Circle of the Way" by Barbara O'Brien, and more for the Winter 2019 issue of Buddhadharma.

In Buddhism, a vow is like a compass, but there are many different kinds of vows that Buddhists can take.

Spring and Autumn Annals is the vibrant story of a decade-long friendship, interspersed with the author's memories of her childhood in Brooklyn.

Chinese legend has it that if a carp swims up a waterfall, it transforms into a dragon. Be like that carp, says Koshin Paley Ellison. Throw your whole self into waking up.

Lama Surya Das recalls the honest, kind, and thoughtful Phoebe.

Randee says it's time to define Buddhist political philosophy. He proposes four core components for a political philosophy informed by the dharma.

The vast majority of American Buddhists are of Asian heritage, yet they are too often ignored, mispresented, and even looked down upon. Chenxing Han offers four ways we can start to heal the great divide in American Buddhism.

The Dalai Lama said that the Tibetan Buddhist system of recognizing reincarnate Buddhist teachers “may have had its day.”

We review "The Magnanimous Heart: Compassion & Love, Loss & Grief, Joy & Liberation" by Narayan Helen Liebenson.

After the launch of the New York Public Library's J.D. Salinger exhibit, Rod Meade Sperry reflects on how the famed author and his characters reckoned with Buddhism and spirituality.

In "The Little Book of Being," Diana Winston—using straightforward, secular language—explains how to cultivate natural awareness.

The mind of enlightenment, bodhichitta, is always available, in pain as well as in joy. Pema Chödrön lays out how to cultivate this soft spot of bravery.

When Sarah Chauncey drops the label “cat,” she sees her pet clearly for the very first time.

Buddhist teacher Trudy Goodman looks at the history and harm of sexual misconduct by Buddhist teachers, and what we can do to stop it.

We review "The Most Important Point: Zen Teachings of Edward Espe Brown" edited by Danny S. Parker.

The Vietnamese-American Zen Buddhist poet and novelist Ocean Vuong has been named one of the 2019 fellows of the MacArthur Foundation.

In the third issue in our 40th anniversary series, Melvin McLeod looks at how Western Buddhists can deepen their practice and study of Buddhism.

In Nichiren Shu Buddhism, the gohonzon is a calligraphic scroll that can guide Buddhist practitioners toward enlightenment.

We review "Matters of Vital Interest: A Forty-Year Friendship with Leonard Cohen" by Eric Lerner.

Convert Buddhism has a class problem: it appeals mostly to a narrow demographic of well-off college graduates. Buddhist scholar Ann Gleig offers some class consciousness to help Buddhism drop the barriers and benefit many more people.

In the second issue in our 40th anniversary series, Melvin McLeod looks at the importance of diversity in the development of modern Buddhism.

Lion's Roar reviews "In Love with the World: A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying."

Rima Vesely-Flad reports on Deep Time Liberation, a retreat that takes African American meditators into the heart of slavery’s past so they can free themselves from its legacy of trauma.

To truly wake up, writes Kimberlyn David, we must expand our understanding of freedom like the Buddha did.

Artificial intelligence doesn’t need a mind of its own to threaten our freedom. All it needs are flawed human minds behind it. That’s why ethical standards are so important, says AI scientist and Buddhist teacher Nikki Mirghafori.

Matthew Gindin reviews "If You Meet the Buddha On the Road: Buddhism, Politics and Violence" by Michael Jerryson.

One-fifth of survey respondents incorrectly said that Buddhists believe in an “immortal soul,” and most said they don't personally know a Buddhist.

The research will explore how to cultivate empathy and compassion in medical professionals.

We review "Where's Buddha?" by Marisa Aragón Ware.

Justin Whitaker reviews "American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity" by Ann Gleig.

Andrea Miller visits the ancient artistic wonder in India known as the Ajanta Caves.

Andrea Miller visits the ruins of Nalanda, the great university where much of what we know today as Buddhism was developed.

Krista Tippett shares what she feels is the most helpful message Buddhism can offer in the coming decades.

Jack Kornfield shares what he feels is the most helpful message Buddhism can offer in the coming decades.

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche shares what he feels is the most helpful message Buddhism can offer in the coming decades.

An introduction to the life and teachings of the Dalai Lama, teacher, educator, science enthusiast, and political leader.

Lion's Roar reviews the film "Becoming Nobody," directed by Jamie Catto, which tells the life story of spiritual teacher Ram Dass.

Sylvia Boorstein shows us how, with practice, we can glimpse new ways of relating to loved ones, even when we’re stuck.

Famed Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh was awarded the prize for “Outstanding Inner Peace.”

Do Buddhists believe in sin? We answer your questions about Buddhism and meditation.

In Call It Grace, Serene Jones offers a deeply personal reflection on her spiritual journey and what it means to connect with the divine.

In the July 2019 issue of Lion's Roar, five people share their meaningful moments with the Dalai Lama. Here, Danielle LaPorte recalls her meeting with His Holiness.

A young monk in Nepal practiced so many prostrations that he left his handprint pressed into a mat. Vanessa Sasson can’t forget him.

The practice of koan study isn't so different from teaching math, says high school teacher Pat Higgiston.

Andrea Miller reviews "Just Enough: Vegan Recipes and Stories from Japan’s Buddhist Temples" by Gesshin Claire Greenwood.

Tenku Ruff on what to do when you discover a teacher is all too human.

57-year-old Sutham Nateetong plans to complete his 3,000 mile journey by the end of June.

In the Summer 2019 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly, Daigengna Duoer reviews "Deep Hope" by Diane Eshin Rizzetto, "A Bird in Flight Leaves No Trace" by Master Subul Sunim, "Satipatthana Meditation" by Bhikkhu Analayo, and more.

Sister Chan Khong remembers the suffering of the years of war in Vietnam and what they taught her about human nature.

Unless we can recognize and sustain the continuity of original wakefulness, deluded experience will not end, says Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. "It is the most important point of all."

In his new novel, "The Perfume Burned His Eyes," actor and writer Michael Imperioli imagines a teenage boy's friendship with Lou Reed.

Buddhist scholar Peter Harvey explores the facts, myths, and deeper truths of the Buddha’s life story.

We believe that growth can be endless, that consumption need have no limits, that meaning is found in things, that aggression brings peace. Margaret Wheatley asks: What happened to our ideals?

In this archive article from the Fall 2007 issue of Buddhadharma, ten Buddhist teachers, scholars, and writers recommend great Buddhist books.

In a recent study, meditating on emptiness led to a 24 percent decrease in negative emotions.

In our March 2019 issue, Lindsay Kyte explored the dharma of dating as she followed her friend Alicia navigating the wacky world of online dating. Now, in part two, we continue to follow the journey as Alicia navigates meeting her matches face-to-face.

Meditation master Mahasi Sayadaw presents his step-by-step instructions for the practice of insight meditation.

Meditation master Mahasi Sayadaw presents his step-by-step instructions for the practice of insight meditation.

All that we are and experience is mind, explains Zen teacher Norman Fischer. That mind is original enlightenment itself.

Buddhist teacher Susan Piver shares her advice for entering the online dating world.

When you see that much of your life is spent in dreamlike states, says Pema Khandro Rinpoche, you are freed from the suffering they cause.

Marie Kondo's philosophy of tidying is sweeping the globe. If you take the fad seriously, writes Cristina Moon, it can offer a glimpse of the profound.

At the first-ever gathering of Buddhist teachers of black African descent held at New York’s Union Theological Seminary, two panels of leading Buddhist teachers took questions about what it means to be a black Buddhist in America today.

In Tibetan Buddhism, it is said that certain meditation practices can alter the appearance of the body, transforming it into five radiant lights. The name given to this physical fluorescence is “rainbow body.”

Along with Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu, Nichiren Shu is one of the largest sects of the Nichiren school of Buddhism. A Nichiren Shu priest explains the tradition’s roots, practices, and basic teachings.

Dr. Kamilah Majied reflects her experiences at The Gathering of Buddhist Teachers of Black African Descent.

The legendary founder of Zen in China famously taught a dictum long-regarded as the taproot of Zen, “Point directly at the human mind, see its nature, and become Buddha.”

The future of Buddhism will be decided by how we act right now, says Johnny Edward Dean Jr. He’s putting his faith into action on the South Side of Chicago.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama takes us step by step through the famed logic of Madhyamika, the Middle Way that defeats all extreme views of reality.

The most profound meditation, says Joan Halifax, is contemplating the certainty of your own death.

Leading Buddhist teachers Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman join actor Sandra Oh for a wide-ranging and intimate conversation about their lives, the future of Buddhism in America, and their happy relationship as beloveds.

Is Buddhism a religion, psychology, or way of life? Our three experts, Charles Prebish, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and Joan Sutherland, join the debate.

If you ignore power, you ignore powerful Buddhist teachings. Pema Khandro Rinpoche says that Buddhism teaches us how to be powerful and compassionate at the same time.

Randy Rosenthal talks to scholar Glenn Wallis about his thought-provoking new book" A Critique of Western Buddhism: Ruins of the Buddhist Real."

No matter what the conflict appears to be about, says Zen teacher Norman Fischer, it always come down to defending our shaky sense of self.

In the tenth and eleventh centuries, Niguma was one of the most important Buddhist teachers and yoginis in India.

Rory Lindsay reviews "Spontaneous Creativity," by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, "In the Cool Shade of Compassion" by Kamala Tiyanavich, and more.

Original sin vs. original goodness: Mahayana Buddhism offers a more hopeful view of human nature. Zen teacher Melissa Myozen Blacker reveals how nondual practice frees us from our temporary obscurations and reveals our true, awakened nature.

More and more Buddhist groups are offering programs in Spanish and doing outreach in Latinx communities. That means stronger community for everyone, reports Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil.

James Ishmael Ford on the toughest call a pet lover will have to make.

At the memorial service for Bernie Glassman, longtime student Michael O'Keefe reflects on his teacher's life and legacy.

Rinchen Khando Choegyal fights the second-class status of female monastics in Tibetan Buddhism.

If you can know yourself as the unity of past, present, and future, says Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, then you see you’re right where you ought to be.

The Buddha knew that illness is a natural part of human life. Toni Bernhard shares how the first noble truth has helped her gracefully accept being chronically ill.

Pema Chödrön offers a talk on bravery, fearlessness, warriorship, and smiling.

It’s the ultimate reality we all share. Why not get together and talk about it over a cup of coffee? John DeMont on death cafés.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold tells the story of Prajnatara, the 27th "patriarch" of Indian Buddhism — who is believed to have been a woman.

People often think that Buddhism's view of death is that it doesn’t matter and we should just accept it, but that is a crucial misunderstanding.

As long as you think vulnerability is weakness, you’re going to be afraid. Mirabai Bush and Ram Dass on the kind of vulnerability that’s actually strength.

Norbu was a Tibetan master of Dzogchen and taught extensively around the world.

According to Zen priest Gesshin Greenwood, NBC's The Good Place shows us people are good because of their bond to each other — even in the afterlife.

The enlightenment stories of the ancient masters are confounding to conventional mind. Their truth, says Melissa Myozen Blacker, is revealed only when our whole being becomes the koan.

The five buddha families, traditionally displayed as a mandala, are an ancient Buddhist system of understanding enlightened mind and its various aspects.

Studying Buddhist teachings is different from learning other subjects. Judy Lief shows you how to read the dharma so that it really changes you.

In Asian traditions, bowing is a gesture of humbleness and respect, but it can seem strange in the modern West.

Zachary Bremmer explains why we should approach the five precepts as training wheels to guide our practice.

When Diana Reynolds Roome brought home a thangka of Manjushri from Nepal she wondered, “How could I bring this great bodhisattva into my humdrum existence?”

The Zen Hospice Project guesthouse opened in 1990, during the height of the AIDS epidemic.

The eight awakenings are pithy descriptions of what bodhisattvas and other enlightened beings realize, which are chanted mainly in the Mahayana tradition.

The message of Buddha's Four Noble Truths is that paying attention and seeing clearly lead to behaving impeccably in every moment on behalf of all beings.

“Do you see the glass half full or half empty?” a therapist asks Nadia Colburn. That's not the question, she says. In truth, the glass is already broken.

Jan Chozen Bays on shikantaza and koan study, Zen’s two primary practices.

Native American Buddhist teacher Bonnie Duran works to decolonize healthcare for Indigenous communities.

From global ethics to Buddhist practice — Lion's Roar's recommendations from the Dalai Lama’s vast and varied body of writings.

Today Buddhist teacher Lama Rod Owens announced to his Facebook followers that he would serve as the officiant at the funeral of rapper XXXTentacion.

It is the kindness of the buddhas to provide us with a complete path, and the preliminary practices are part of that path.

Lion's Roar deputy editor speaks with Zen teacher Tenku Ruff about a collective statement that she helped author — signed by 200 Buddhist teachers — calling for an end to the US government's practice of separating migrant children from their parents.

On the 55th anniversary of Thich Quang Duc's self-immolation, Edward Tick shares what he has learned from his pilgrimages to the site of the famous protest.

Gaylon Ferguson explains that through both shamatha and vipashyana meditation we bring our mind back to its original state.

Buddhism isn't about depriving yourself of worldly pleasures. Andrea Miller explains how a healthy meal helped Siddhartha understand the importance of nourishment — and offers a healthful recipe for cashew pulao.

Even if you don't think much about them, they're always present. Andrea Miller reexamines something we all might have missed in the meaning of the quiet, watchful deer.

Zenkei Blanche Hartman reflects on “The Great Matter” that has driven and sustained her.

We review "The Day The Buddha Woke Up," by Andrea Miller. From the July 2018 issue of Lion's Roar magazine.

Guy Armstrong reviews "Rebirth in Early Buddhism and Current Research," by Bhikkhu Analayo. From the Summer 2018 issue of Buddhadharma.

Moment to moment, lifetime to lifetime — death and rebirth are happening all the time. Nine leading Buddhist teachers explain the concept of rebirth.

In the current issue of Lion's Roar magazine, we look at academic research on reincarnation at the University of Virginia. How does that research compare to the Buddhist views? We break it down.

In the March 1995 Lion's Roar magazine, Professor Robert Thurman explained the Tibetan Buddhist view of death and rebirth.

What happens after you die? That used to be just a religious question, but science is starting to weigh in. Sam Littlefair looks at the evidence that you’ve lived before.

What do a 16th-century Zen master and a contemporary cartoon dog have in common? Both of them maintained equanimity as their worlds burned, says Cristina Moon. And this is why we train as Buddhists.

There is a misconception, says Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg, that developing a more loving heart will make us weak.

Pot use is having its moment, finding new acceptance across America. So why, after a long love affair with weed, has this Buddhist kicked it to the curb?

Heaven is nowhere else but right here on this earth, when we live with friendliness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

Zen teacher John Tarrant offers seven guidelines for taking advantage of life's crises and surprises