Category: Buddhist Wisdom
Putting Death on the Table
It’s the ultimate reality we all share. Why not get together and talk about it over a cup of coffee? John DeMont on death cafés.
Who Was Queen Anula?
Bhikkhuni Sudhamma traces the origins of Buddhist ordination for women to Queen Anula, Sri Lanka’s first Buddhist nun.
What is Satipatthana?
Satipatthana as defined by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, an abbot in the Thai Forest Tradition.
Buddhahood in Three Dimensions
In these teaching on chapters one and twenty of the Lotus Sutra, Thich Nhat Hanh discusses the three dimensions in which all beings and things reside.
Who Was Sayadaw U Pandita?
Burmese meditation master Sayadaw U Pandita had a defining influence on the Western Insight movement of Theravada Buddhism.
Who Was Prajnatara?
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold tells the story of Prajnatara, the 27th "patriarch" of Indian Buddhism — who is believed to have been a woman.
A Path Beyond Death
People often think that Buddhism's view of death is that it doesn’t matter and we should just accept it, but that is a crucial misunderstanding.
Mirabai Bush and Ram Dass on Bringing Fear Close
As long as you think vulnerability is weakness, you’re going to be afraid. Mirabai Bush and Ram Dass on the kind of vulnerability that’s actually strength.
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation
Tibetan translator Christopher Stagg died in a car accident on October 1, 2018. In tribute, we are republishing this excerpt from his recent translation of The Hundred Thousands Songs of Milarepa, which was featured in the Winter 2017 issue of Buddhadharma.
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, leader of the International Dzogchen Community, dies at 79
Norbu was a Tibetan master of Dzogchen and taught extensively around the world.
The Good Place Is a Show About Why We’re Good
According to Zen priest Gesshin Greenwood, NBC's The Good Place shows us people are good because of their bond to each other — even in the afterlife.
A Woman of Zen
Melissa Myozen Blacker recounts how she, as a practitioner and a teacher, has navigated a male-dominated tradition.
How We Work with Koans and How They Work on Us
Joan Sutherland, Judy Roitman, and Bodhin Kjolhede examine the practice of koan introspection and how different traditions approach it.
Who Was Milarepa?
Milarepa was a Tibetan master, yogi, and poet who led an inspiring life of spiritual progress and human accomplishment.
Radical Thinkers of Pure Land Buddhism
Mark Unno looks at the historical figures behind Pure Land Buddhism — the tradition based on the enlightened realm of Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light.
Koans: One with the Question
The enlightenment stories of the ancient masters are confounding to conventional mind. Their truth, says Melissa Myozen Blacker, is revealed only when our whole being becomes the koan.
The Five Buddha Families
The five buddha families, traditionally displayed as a mandala, are an ancient Buddhist system of understanding enlightened mind and its various aspects.
About the art in the Fall 2018 issue of Buddhadharma
We take a closer look at the art featured in the Fall 2018 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly.
How to Read Dharma
Studying Buddhist teachings is different from learning other subjects. Judy Lief shows you how to read the dharma so that it really changes you.
Why do Buddhists bow?
In Asian traditions, bowing is a gesture of humbleness and respect, but it can seem strange in the modern West.