Category: Buddhist Wisdom
Dalai Lama suggests ending Tibetan reincarnation system
The Dalai Lama said that the Tibetan Buddhist system of recognizing reincarnate Buddhist teachers “may have had its day.”
Review: “The Magnanimous Heart”
We review "The Magnanimous Heart: Compassion & Love, Loss & Grief, Joy & Liberation" by Narayan Helen Liebenson.
Vajrayana Explained
The late Karma Kagyu master Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche presents a clear explanation of the view of Vajrayana and its main practices of generation and completion.
No Teacher of Zen
In Zen, wisdom comes from personal experience. Everyone is a student – even the teachers.
Heart of Glass: J.D. Salinger & the Bodhisattva Ideal
After the launch of the New York Public Library's J.D. Salinger exhibit, Rod Meade Sperry reflects on how the famed author and his characters reckoned with Buddhism and spirituality.
We’re In This Together
Our culture has a deeply-ingrained sense of individualism, says Judith Simmer-Brown. But what would happen if we began to trust each other?
Review: The Little Book of Being
In "The Little Book of Being," Diana Winston—using straightforward, secular language—explains how to cultivate natural awareness.
Bodhichitta: The Excellence of Awakened Heart
The mind of enlightenment, bodhichitta, is always available, in pain as well as in joy. Pema Chödrön lays out how to cultivate this soft spot of bravery.
A Cat by Any Other Name
When Sarah Chauncey drops the label “cat,” she sees her pet clearly for the very first time.
What Are the Three Devadutas?
Devaduta is pali for "divine messengers." It is said that the Buddha embarked on his quest for enlightenment after encountering three devadutas: a sick person, an old man, and a corpse.
Review: The Most Important Point
We review "The Most Important Point: Zen Teachings of Edward Espe Brown" edited by Danny S. Parker.
Becoming a Buddha: Lessons from Little Girls
Buddhist scholar Stephanie Balkwill examines the historical arguments around the question: "Can women attain buddhahood in a female form?"
Zen Buddhist poet and novelist Ocean Vuong awarded MacArthur “Genius Grant”
The Vietnamese-American Zen Buddhist poet and novelist Ocean Vuong has been named one of the 2019 fellows of the MacArthur Foundation.
Buddhism’s Next 40 Years: Deepening Our Practice and Study
In the third issue in our 40th anniversary series, Melvin McLeod looks at how Western Buddhists can deepen their practice and study of Buddhism.
What is the Gohonzon?
In Nichiren Shu Buddhism, the gohonzon is a calligraphic scroll that can guide Buddhist practitioners toward enlightenment.
Review: Matters of Vital Interest
We review "Matters of Vital Interest: A Forty-Year Friendship with Leonard Cohen" by Eric Lerner.
Beyond the Upper Middle Way
Convert Buddhism has a class problem: it appeals mostly to a narrow demographic of well-off college graduates. Buddhist scholar Ann Gleig offers some class consciousness to help Buddhism drop the barriers and benefit many more people.
Buddhism’s Next 40 Years: The Importance of Diversity
In the second issue in our 40th anniversary series, Melvin McLeod looks at the importance of diversity in the development of modern Buddhism.
Review: In Love with the World
Lion's Roar reviews "In Love with the World: A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying."