Buddhist Teachings

Trees can show us how to be bodhisattvas. Rafe Jnan Martin draws important lessons from an old tale.

The Buddha who lived 2,600 years ago was not a god. He was an ordinary person, named Siddhartha Gautama, whose teachings on enlightenment and the end of suffering became the basis of the world religion of Buddhism.

From the swan that Siddhartha nursed as a boy to the fantastical Garuda—Andrea Miller explores the intriguing role that birds play in Buddhist mythology.

Richard Gere reflects on how His Holiness the Dalai Lama has impacted him.

The superiority complex, the inferiority complex, and the equality complex are painful traps we fall into if we believe we have a separate self. Sister Boi Nghiem on transforming complexes into confidence and compassion.

Contrary to popular thought, awakening isn’t a distant goal. In fact, says Lisa Ernst, awakening is always available.

The essence of mind is empty, luminous awareness. Mingyur Rinpoche on the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Dzogchen.