Category: Buddhadharma
How the Gandharan Manuscripts Change Buddhist History
The Gandharan Buddhist manuscripts are leading scholars to rethink the origins of Mahayana Buddhism. Richard Salomon looks at what we can learn from the recently-unearthed texts.
The Real Practice of Mindfulness
As mindfulness becomes an increasingly popular concept, it is often mistaken for just “being in the moment.” Andrew Olendzki examines the Abhidharma teachings to uncover what mindfulness practice really is and how it works.
It Comes Down to Character
We often look at Buddhist practice as a way of cultivating particular qualities; Thanissaro Bhikkhu reminds us, however, that the Buddha also spoke of qualities we must have to take up the practice in the first place.
Amida Buddha Welcomes All Refugees
Jeff Wilson explains how the Jodo Shinshu school of Pure Land Buddhism emerged from the refugee experiences of its two Japanese founders.
Through the Lens of Madhyamaka
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche unpacks the Madhyamaka view of the two truths.
Commentary: Let’s Envision a Buddhist Political Philosophy
Randee says it's time to define Buddhist political philosophy. He proposes four core components for a political philosophy informed by the dharma.
The Path of Gratitude
The goal of Shin Buddhism’s central practice, nembutsu, is not to attain buddhahood for ourselves, says Jeff Wilson, but to express gratitude for all we have received.
Vajrayana Explained
The late Karma Kagyu master Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche presents a clear explanation of the view of Vajrayana and its main practices of generation and completion.
No Teacher of Zen
In Zen, wisdom comes from personal experience. Everyone is a student – even the teachers.
What is the Gohonzon?
In Nichiren Shu Buddhism, the gohonzon is a calligraphic scroll that can guide Buddhist practitioners toward enlightenment.
Free from the Burden of Holding On
What do you cling to? Let it go, says Ajahn Jayasaro, and you’ll discover something profound.
How Buddhists Can Benefit from Western Philosophy
Take a second look at Western philosophy, advises William Edelglass — it might be more compatible with Buddhism than you think.
Everything’s Made of Mind
All that we are and experience is mind, explains Zen teacher Norman Fischer. That mind is original enlightenment itself.
Key Terms of Shin Buddhism
From the archives of Buddhadharma, the late scholar and translator Taitetsu Unno defines several key terms of Shin Buddhism.
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.
Nichiren Shonin: A Teacher of Equality
Based on letters Nichiren Shonin wrote to his female followers, Myokei Caine-Barrett explains why the thirteenth-century champion of the Lotus Sutra was a practical feminist.
Shin Buddhism Is American Buddhism
It’s a late summer afternoon, and strings of lanterns run from the Buddhist Church of Oakland’s substantial facade to the trees in Madison Park. Inside, the minister is giving tours of the hondo, where services are held. He explains the meaning and symbolism of the altarpieces—the statue of Amida Buddha, or Buddha of Infinite Light…
Radical Thinkers of Pure Land Buddhism
Mark Unno looks at the historical figures behind Pure Land Buddhism — the tradition based on the enlightened realm of Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light.
Forum: Do You Believe in Miracles?
Debating the supernatural in Buddhism with Judy Lief, Ari Goldfield, and Glenn Wallis.