Buddhanature Impermanence Norman Fischer Shambhala Sun - May '12 Zen

Impermanence is Buddha Nature

Change isn’t just a fact of life we have to accept and work with, says Norman Fischer.

How Equanimity Powers Love

True equanimity, says Kaira Jewel Lingo, is not in any way detached or uncaring—it's inclusive, and loving, and the foundation for spiritual courage.

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Dzogchen, Shambhala Sun, Buddhism, Lion's Roar, Meditation

Moving Beyond Meditation

Grounded in our formal practice of meditation, we can relax into the vast, open awareness that is our ultimate nature. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche tells the story of his own introduction to the Great Perfection.

Lucidity Without Limit

Dream yoga, says Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, is a practice of changing our waking life. He shares the four foundational practices of this powerful mind training. 

Statue of the deity tara.

Four Reflections That Strengthen Your Intention to Practice

If you contemplate these traditional contemplations, the "four great reflections," you will strengthen your intention to practice.

In the Moments of Non-Awakening

Larry Yang takes an honest look at what it means to be a dharma teacher who hasn’t been, and doesn’t imagine ever being, enlightened.

Hope for the Hopeless

Rev. Blayne Higa on the founder of Shin Buddhism’s “spiritual insight of imperfection and radical acceptance.” It can lead us to the ultimate realization of buddhanature.

The Way of Flowers

Joan Stamm on how the Japanese art of flower arranging taught her to appreciate her mother—and the seeds she planted in Stamm’s heart.

Let Your Heart Break

Awareness will not solve the world’s problems, says Ronna Bloom, but it’s an important first step.

The Complete Path of Mindfulness

A life-changing journey begins with a single breath. With the simple act of paying mindful attention to one breath, says Melvin McLeod, we step onto a complete path that goes deeper and farther than we can imagine.

Who Was Patrul Rinpoche?

Matthieu Ricard provides a glimpse into the life of Patrul Rinpoche, one of the most revered spiritual teachers in Tibetan history.

How to Set Better Boundaries

Guided by Buddhist teachings on the brahmaviharas, Elizabeth Hernandez-Stomp helps us learn when to say yes and how to say no.

Archway of flowers

The True Nature of a Flower

For Valerie Brown, her garden is a teacher of the dharma. In every bloom she sees impermanence, nonself, and nirvana.

A monk standing in a field, with a statue of Padmasambhava in the distance.

Is the Guru Model Broken?

Pema Khandro Rinpoche, Lama Rod Owens, Lama Rigzin Drolma, and Lobsang Rapgay discuss the guru model in the Tibetan tradition, in which the teacher is central to the path.

Uncover the Golden Buddha Within You

The gold of your true nature can get buried beneath fear and confusion, but it can never be tarnished. Tara Brach on how to trust your basic goodness.

A woman holding a man's hand in a hospital bed.

How to Be a Friend Until the End

According to Frank Ostaseski, offering care to someone who’s dying is like meditation: there’s no one right way, but practice helps, and so do basic guidelines.

The Dharma of Fiction

Novels, fables, and plays — they’re stories that are made up, yet they often express deep truths. Five writers and thinkers explore the spiritual teachings they’ve found in fiction.

The Sacred Desire to Exist

Out of the primordial desire to exist, everything comes into being. This sacred force, says Anam Thubten, is different from clinging, which is the source of our suffering.

Clouds and sky.

Develop a Mind Like Sky

Meditation comes alive through a growing capacity to release our habitual conflicts and worries that make up our sense of self, and to rest in awareness.

Shakyamuni Buddha

Why We Take Refuge

There are two kinds of refuge. The reason we take refuge in the outer forms of enlightenment is so that we may find the buddha within.