Category: Sangha
Tibet’s Lelung Tulkus — Shaping Peace for 700 Years
In advance of the 700th anniversary of Tibet’s first Lelung Tulku, Tenzin Wangmo offers an appreciation of the lineage and its current-day incarnation, whose work is decidedly nonsectarian.
Remembering Venerable Shwe Nya War and his Work for Democracy
Political-activist monk Venerable Shwe Nya War Sayadaw, who died in July 2025 after years of imprisonment under Myanmar's military junta, embodied a form of Buddhist nationalism that championed democracy and solidarity with Muslims rather than scapegoating them. Hein Htet Kyaw remembers a monk whose legacy challenges comfortable assumptions about religion, resistance, and belonging.
Why I Ordained — And What It Was Like
Rev. Dr. Aaron Shōken Proffitt shares his experience of tokudo shurai — the ordination training for priests in the Jōdo Shinshū Hongwanji-ha — and learns that "everything is tokudo."
Gampo Abbey and Dharmata Foundation announce collaboration
Pema Chödrön and Anam Thubten Rinpoche have each offered their blessings.
Great Compassion Takes Form
Karen Greenspan takes us to Kathmandu to witness the immersive, nine-day Avalokiteshvara Drupchen ceremony. Featuring photos courtesy of the Drukpa Nuns and photos and video by the author.
Lion’s Roar among 2026 Awardees of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies
This year’s awardees include four Buddhism Public Scholars, nine dissertation Fellows, five Early Career Research Fellows, a new professorship grant of $300,000, and six Public Impact Grants to be announced this summer.
84000 opens new gateway to the Tibetan Buddhist canon
At the heart of the new site is an open-access library of thousands of canonical texts, organized according to traditional categories and searchable by topic.
Karmapa Center 16 to hold July consecration ceremony, teaching
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche will lead the ceremony and offer a free public teaching on Guru Rinpoche on Saturday, July 25. These events will take place both onsite at the Center and broadcast live online via Zoom.
How to Train Change Agents
Darcie Price-Wallace on Ven. Dhammananda’s care, collaborative efforts, and inclusive practices for fully ordained Buddhist nuns, novice nuns, and laity.
The Story of Buddhist Reformer Venerable Ādicca Vamsa
Hein Htet Kyaw offers a profile of a monk, author, and hero of Buddhism deserving of true appreciation.
Arson suspected in Tassajara zendo destruction; Suspect arrested
No one had been injured but the zendo was completely lost to the late-March fire, as well as some of the library.
Community joins together after Buddhist Church of Sacramento vandalization
"One never fully realizes the strength of community until a time of need," writes the BCS in response to the care of its sangha and neighbors.
Creating Buddhism-informed Spiritual Care on College Campuses
The Maitreya Association’s co-founder and president explains the creation of the first-ever professional network of Buddhist college chaplains and its impact on American Buddhist higher education ministry.
Celebration of Life for Venerable Dr. Pannavati is now online
"Everything that she did was for the Dharma and for saving sentient beings," writes her community.
The Dark Side of Buddhism
If you think Buddhism is free of the religious nationalism and violent extremism that plague other religions, think again. Editor-at-large Melvin McLeod talks to journalist Sonia Faleiro about her new book, The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism Is Shaping Modern Asia (Columbia Global Reports).
David Chadwick, chronicler of San Francisco Zen Center Community, has died
He was the author of the classic biography, Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teaching of Shunyru Suzuki, as well as Thank You and OK: An American Zen Failure in Japan, and, most recently, Tassajara Stories.
Shinchi Linda Galijan to be installed as first female abbot of Berkeley Zen Center
The ceremony will be viewable by livestream via the BZC website.
The Inspirational Example of Venerable Jotika
Hein Htet Kyaw profiles Venerable U Jotika of Maha Myaing Forest monastery — monk and advocate for democracy, interfaith and multi-culturalism.
Three Buddhist Nunneries Dance a New Chapter of Empowerment and Opportunity
For over a thousand years, mostly monks performed the sacred cham dances of Vajrayana Buddhism. Then in 2014, the 17th Karmapa made a significant move by inviting nuns to learn and perform these dances before a crowd of over ten thousand. Karen Greenspan spent four years following these pioneering practitioners, revealing a story of tradition, transformation, and the ongoing movement toward gender equality in Tibetan Buddhism.
Atlanta exhibit features Rima Fujita’s works on the Dalai Lama
The exhibit will run from February 13 through June 7, featuring imagery of the Dalai Lama, whom Rima Fujita considers her principal teacher.