Category: Buddhadharma
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…
Two Truths—Indivisible
When we enter the path, we are working at the level of relative truth, and with practice we may gain insight into the absolute. But we don’t enter the final stage of practice, says Tsoknyi Rinpoche, until we realize these truths were never separate.
Open View, Solid Ground
Jamgon Kongtrul championed the view of rimay, recognizing the inherent value of all Buddhist teachings. But as Alex Gardner explains, he remained firmly loyal to his own tradition.
Buddhist Visualization Practice Is Pure, Clear, and Vibrant
Visualization practice sometimes involves traditional symbolism that Westerners have trouble relating to, says Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. He shows us how we can make the most of this powerful method for transforming perception.
Is it a problem that I don’t identify with any one Buddhist tradition?
The teachers tackle the issue of unaffiliated buddhists and whether having a set tradition and teacher is necessary to practice buddhism genuinely.
Happy Together
When we stop focusing on ourselves, says Gaylon Ferguson, we begin to see that our happiness is dependent on the happiness of all beings.
Just Wholeheartedly Sit
A translation of Dogen’s Bendowa fascicle, from Kazuaki Tanahashi’s Treasury of the True Dharma Eye.
Make the Most of Your Pilgrimage
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche explains how to get the most out of your spiritual journey to India, from generating proper motivation to the most effective practices for accumulating merit and wisdom while visiting Buddhism’s holy sites.
Shining in Freedom
"When you experience the three realms as self-arisen and self-liberated," asserted Milarepa, "you realize their true nature is shining in freedom." A teaching by the late Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso Rinpoche.
Spotless from the Start
In order to overcome the five main obstacles facing a bodhisattva, says Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, we must realize that all beings are primordially pure. He presents the essential teachings on buddhanature from Maitreya’s Uttaratantra Shastra.
Being in Real Time
The late Dainin Katagiri Roshi explores Dogen’s concept of Being-Time and how to work with it our daily lives.
Rest in the Sky of Natural Mind
The tantric path of Buddhism is complex and arduous, but its surprising culmination is the practice of spaciousness, ease, and simplicity.
The Path of Foolish Beings
Who are the foolish beings? According to the Shin tradition of Pure Land Buddhism, we all are. Mark Unno explains that only by becoming aware of our limited self and acknowledging our fundamental foolishness can we realize the oneness of all beings and the limitless flow of compassion.
The Three Lineages
Inspiration, innovation, institution—Reginald A. Ray looks at the different manifestations of lineage and how they maintain their awakened quality.
How Ethical Conduct Leads Buddhists to Wisdom
How might our minds find peace, and even liberation? It starts, said the Buddha, with what we do (or don’t do). Bradley Donaldson explains.
Embracing Conflict in Sangha
More and more American sanghas are turning to new and creative approaches to address interpersonal conflicts in their communities.
Trikaya: The Mahayana Buddhist Trinity
The “three bodies of the Buddha” may seem like a remote construct, says Reginald Ray, but the trikaya is present in every moment of our experience.
Discovering the True Nature of Mind
Geshe Tenzin Wangyal teaches us a Dzogchen meditation that goes from contemplating our worst enemy to the discovery that mind is empty, clear and blissful.