Category: Bodhi Leaves
Why Emptiness Matters with Thupten Jinpa
Thupten Jinpa unpacks Nagarjuna’s influential teachings on emptiness, the cornerstone of Madhyamaka philosophy.
Silent Illumination: The Method of No-Method
The practice is to be fully here, with this body and mind, in this space. Rebecca Li on silent illumination.
The Long View
A Chan teacher who lived through upheaval insisted that every day could be a good day. David Chang on why that isn't as naïve as it may sound.
The Work Became My Practice
In conversation with Andrea Miller, Kim Behan shares how faith in the dharma has inspired a life of compassionate action.
Is Your Life Too Busy for Loving-kindness?
One small word in the Metta Sutta raises a question that modern practitioners may prefer not to ask: What if meditation cannot compensate for the lives we have constructed?
New Lion’s Roar fellowship seeks to amplify Asian American voices
Lion’s Roar, a leading voice for Buddhism in the English-speaking world, invites applications to its Bodhi Leaves Fellowship.
Arthur Sze on Language as a Raft
Arthur Sze, Poet Laureate of the United States, speaks with Jhani Randhawa about the spiritual endeavor of poetry and translation.
Some Days, I Have No Patience for Mindfulness
Kyle Neo spilled milk, lost patience for being a patient, and remembered that mindfulness is a practice, not a personality trait.
Sikh & Buddhist
Jhani Randhawa traces the philosophical convergences between their two spiritual traditions, exploring how both illuminate fearlessness, interdependence, and the possibility of collective liberation.
The Path of the Dharma
The <i>Dhammapada</i>, one of Buddhism’s most treasured texts, distills the Buddha’s teachings into vivid, practical verses. In this excerpt from his new book <i>At Peace, Filled with Joy</i>, Cuong Lu delves into these teachings, illuminating the path from suffering to wisdom.
The View from the Ambulance Window
Serving as an EMT in New York City, Danyoung Kim let go of ambition and opened the door to an unexpected peace.
Children Carry Vesak Forward
Mihiri Tillakaratne reflects on her temple’s unusual Vesak celebrations, and how giving youth the space to share their understanding of the dhamma can create a new generation of Buddhists
Coming Home to My Mother’s Love
We don’t always recognize love in the forms it takes. In this intimate reflection, Sister Tue Nghiem comes to see the quiet care her mother offered as the deep tenderness it truly was.
Greed: When Enough Never Feels Like Enough
Marvin Harada reflects on how the desire for “just a little more” manifests as everything from car envy to addiction—and how the act of giving calms the wanting mind.
Truth in Fiction
Pico Iyer loves reading spiritual books, but he’s found just as much good dharma in the books of three favorite novelists.
Reclaiming Our So-Called “Cultural Baggage”
Asian American Buddhist communities have for years been dismissed by “convert” Buddhists for carrying “cultural baggage.” Nalika Gajaweera says the response should not be to let it go but to claim it as a mark of cultural responsibility.
What to Do When Panic Attacks
Qalvy Grainzvolt on simple practices that can help you navigate panic with steadiness and self-compassion.
When Caring Becomes Practice
As her mother’s illness deepens, Chokey Tsering turns to Buddhist teachings—seeking to ease her mother’s suffering while confronting her own.
To the Other Shore
Chenxing Han explores the concept of chaplaincy, and how her personal experience of apprenticing with Buddhist chaplains impacted her own relationship with death.