Category: Buddhadharma
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.
To Enter the Vajrayana Start at the Beginning
It is the kindness of the buddhas to provide us with a complete path, and the preliminary practices are part of that path.
Shamatha–Vipashyana: Our Original Nature
Gaylon Ferguson explains that through both shamatha and vipashyana meditation we bring our mind back to its original state.
How Jhana Quells the Five Hindrances
If you think you’re seeing things as they really are, think again. Unless you’ve had the deep experience of letting go, there is only a myriad of illusions.
How to Read Buddhist Teachings
No matter where you begin, says Judy Lief, or whether you are an independent practitioner or affiliated with a particular tradition, all you have to do is to dive in.
Everyday Life Is the Practice
Geshe Tenzin Wangyal tells us how to turn our daily challenges into meditation practice. Illustrations of the six Tibetan Realms of Rebirth by Steve Heynen.
The Heart Sutra Will Change You Forever
Penetrate the true meaning of the Heart Sutra, says Karl Brunnhölzl, and nothing will be the same again. The secret is making it personal.
What Is Dream Yoga and How Do You Do It?
If you indulge your fantasies, lucid dreaming becomes super-samsara. If you go deeper, lucid dreaming can develop into dream yoga—spiritual practice.
Is My Sangha Inclusive?
When reverend Kiyonobu Joshin Kuwahara asked himself "is my Sangha inclusive?," he wasn’t sure of the answer. So he decided to find out.
How Will You See the Guru?
Are you able to see your teacher as the Buddha? It’s not easy, says Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, but this is where the real path begins.
The Four Seals of Dharma are Buddhism in a Nutshell
People often ask me: “What is Buddhism in a nutshell?” Or they ask, “What is the particular view or philosophy of Buddhism?” Unfortunately, in the West Buddhism seems to have landed in the religious department, even in the self-help or self-improvement department, and clearly it’s in the trendy meditation department. I would like to challenge…