Category: Buddhist Wisdom
The Five Remembrances
To change your life now and prepare for the inevitable, says Pamela Ayo Yetunde, regularly contemplate these five home truths.
The Antidote to Greed, Hatred & Ignorance
Buddhism teaches that the three poisons — greed, hatred, and ignorance — are the root causes of all suffering, yet through practice we can learn to recognize these forces and respond with clarity and care. Rev. Marvin Harada, Karen Maezen Miller, Alisa Dennis, and Pamela Ayo Yetunde explore ways to cultivate inner peace, break free from harmful cycles, and create a more compassionate world.
Reclaiming Our So-Called “Cultural Baggage”
Asian American Buddhist communities have for years been dismissed by “convert” Buddhists for carrying “cultural baggage.” Nalika Gajaweera says the response should not be to let it go but to claim it as a mark of cultural responsibility.
She Who Removes All Fear
Lama Döndrup Drölma introduces the first seven of Tara’s twenty-one emanations, showing how each helps us meet whatever arises with courage and compassion. Illustrations by Lasha Mutual.
You Are Already a Buddha
In this, the first of a three-part series on tantra, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche presents the three stages of meditation. Meditation, he says, is the process of recognizing your buddhanature, then nurturing that recognition.
Your Deepest Questions
Koan practice isn’t limited to formal Zen inquiry. It can also be carried into the unresolved places of ordinary life—into grief, uncertainty, ethical crossroads, and love itself. Lisa Ernst explains.
How to Find Your Middle Way
Catherine Pawasarat unpacks Buddhism’s practical path of balance, opening the door to deeper insights that help us loosen fixed views and live with greater openness.
One Stitch at a Time
Michael Donnoe recounts the process of hand sewing his okesa, and the patience it taught him.
The Buddha’s Horse
The Buddha valued dispassion, yet he also knew the power of love. Reiko Ohnuma on the poignant relationship between Siddhartha and his horse.
Books in Brief: March 2026
Jessica Little reviews new books for the March issue of Lion's Roar.
About a Poem: Pico Iyer on a haiku by Kobayashi Issa
The world’s beauty lies in its fleeting nature, notes Pico Iyer. We rejoice in things precisely because we know they will not last.
Working with Holiday Loneliness
Many people feel lonely in the holiday season. Lisa Ernst shares how the dharma can help.
How to Be a Light in the Dark
Dharma practitioner Mark Van Buren shares a story to help you open your heart, slow down, and pay attention with extra warmth and care this season.
Why Do Buddhas Look So Different?
Ikumi Kaminishi looks at regional differences in sculptures of the Buddha.
How to Cultivate True, Lasting Happiness
Ven. Guan Cheng on how to make every day a good day.
Do Dishes, Rake Leaves: The Wisdom of the Ancient Homemakers
Karen Maezen Miller on how the domestic practice of ancient Zen masters can lead us to intimate encounters with our own lives. Join Maezen every Wednesday in November for a live meditation on Zoom. See details to join <a href="https://www.lionsroar.com/weekly-meditation/">here</a>.
Transforming Self-Comparison Through No-Self
Eda Ocak reflects on how meditation practice and the Buddha’s message of no-self transformed her habit of self-comparison.
Meet a Teacher: Rev. Doyeon Park
Rev. Park is a minister in the Won Buddhist community and the Buddhist chaplain at two New York universities.
How to Practice Mindful Eating
Jan Chozen Bays teaches us how to make every meal a celebration of gratitude, enjoyment, and true nourishment.
How Buddhism’s “Three Marks of Existence” Can Lead Us to Freedom and Change
Chan practitioner Mark Van Buren shares how the Buddhist concepts of impermanence, interdependence, and unsatisfactoriness (often rendered as "suffering") can point the way to our liberation.