Do Buddhists believe in heaven and hell?

Do Buddhists believe in heaven and hell? We answer your questions about Buddhism & meditation.

Nagarjuna’s Tetralemma: Zen Math Will Never Add Up

Nagarjuna’s four propositions tell us that something may be what it is or it may not; it may be neither or it may be both. This is Zen math.

After the Election: Buddhist Wisdom for Hope and Healing

Featuring timely teachings and post-election advice from Pema Chödrön, Sharon Salzberg, Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Susan Piver, Jack Kornfield, and more.

Monks meditating in the New York subway.

Buddhists bring meditation to the streets and subways of NYC

A new and quickly growing organization called Buddhist Insights is helping New Yorkers meditate in all manner of surprising places.

Pain Is My Built-in Buddha

Bhikkhu Bodhi on the stern but eloquent teachings of chronic pain.

Buddhadharma Magazine Retreats

Inside the Winter 2016 Buddhadharma magazine

The Winter 2016 issue of Buddhadharma is available now. Below is a preview of what you’ll find in the magazine.

Painting of Indian monk Vasubandhu.

Book Briefs for Winter 2016

We review "When Awareness Becomes Natural," "Inside Vasubandhu's Yogacara," "Passing Through the Gateless Barrier," and more.

Syrian refugee children playing.

Commentary: Let’s Open Our Hearts to Syrian Refugees

Buddhist American international aid worker Katie Letheren makes an appeal for much-needed compassion when it comes to the Syrian refugee crisis.

What does it mean to call yourself a Buddhist?

What does it mean to call yourself a Buddhist? Are there specific things you have to do or believe, or is it up to you?

Therevada Ajahn Amaro Arhat Bodhisattva Lion's Roar Buddhadharma Buddhism

Between Arhat and Bodhisattva

Ajahn Amaro examines the arguments for and against the arhat and bodhisattva ideals that define and too often divide the Buddhist traditions. He suggests a way out of the polarizing debate.

What is the Rakusu?

Have you ever wondered about that bib-like garment that Zen priests and some lay practitioners wear around their necks? (It was also worn by three people on the cover of the first issue of Lion’s Roar.) Called a rakusu, it’s a miniature version of the Buddha’s monastic robe. Since the Buddha’s robe was said to…

Book Reviews for November 2016

We review David Nichtern's "Awakening from the Daydream," Marianne Williamson's "Tears to Triumph," Norman Fischer's "Experience," and more.

Amy Black (Photo by Kimberly Frost.)

The Power of a Two-Inch Circle

With a little pink ink, tattoo artist Amy Black helps breast cancer survivors reclaim their bodies.

What Do Buddhists Mean When They Talk about Karma?

What do Buddhists really mean when they talk about karma? We answer your questions on Buddhism and meditation.

Group of lotuses.

What Actually Happens in the Lotus Sutra?

Donald S. Lopez, Jr. unpacks the Lotus Sutra, one of the most famous Buddhist scriptures, explaining how it came to be and how its influence has grown.

Ira Sukrungruang, Childhood, Buddha, Imaginary Friend, Shambhala Sun, Lion's Roar, Buddhism

Playing With Buddha

At age seven, Ira Sukrungruang believed that the Buddha was more than a bronze statue. The Buddha was his best friend.

Gen X, Teachers, Buddhism, Buddhadharma, Lion's Roar

Forum: The Road Ahead

Gen X teachers from across traditions are transforming the vision and landscape of American Buddhism.

Man with headlamp looking into space.

How do I develop insight through Buddhist practice?

We suffer, according to Buddhism, simply because we misunderstand the nature of reality. Sylvia Boorstein on developing insight into how things really are.

Trusting the Three Treasures

Taking refuge in the Buddha, dharma, and sangha, says Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, involves taking a leap forward with a deep sense of trust in our own basic nature and the natural wisdom of all phenomena.

Ordinary Buddha

Master Linji, better known in the West as Rinzai, shook up the Buddhist world by telling his students to drop their enlightenment agenda and simply be their true, ordinary selves. Thich Nhat Hanh examines Master Linji’s teachings on the “businessless person,” who has nothing to do and nowhere to go.