Category: Buddhist Wisdom
Gods, Demons, Sages, and Enlightened Kings
We call it Tibetan Buddhism, but it’s really much more. Robin Kornman sees Tibet as the last of the Silk Route cultures, where the great religions of Asia unite in a magical world of Gods, Demons, Sages, and Enlightened Kings.
Enter… the Bodhisattva
David Loy on why Buddhism’s bodhisattva ideal is what the world needs now. Unless you’re on long retreat in a Himalayan cave, it’s becoming more difficult to overlook the fact that our world is beset by interacting ecological, economic, and social crises. Climate breakdown, species extinction, a dysfunctional economic system, corporate domination of government, overpopulation—it’s…
The Voices of Buddhism
Our editor-in-chief shares his admiration for the varied voices of Buddhism in today's twenty-first century world.
South Australia’s first Buddhist burial grounds to open
South Australia's first dedicated Buddhist garden and burial grounds will open Sunday, April 3 at Enfield Memorial Park.
How did a Buddha statue land in Viking hands?
Last month, Sweden Post released a stamp that depicts the Buddha sitting in a lotus as part of a series commemorating the Era of Vikings.
The Promise of Nibbana
What does final liberation and the end of suffering look like and how is it achieved? Mahasi Sayadaw explains Nibbana.
Book Briefs for Spring 2016
David M. DiValerio’s The Holy Madmen of Tibet (Oxford 2015) examines some of Tibetan history’s most fascinating figures. Diving straight into the grotesque for which these fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Kagyu “madmen” became known, DiValerio begins by describing Tsangnyon Heruka’s use of human remains as clothing and Drukpa Kunle’s verse about paying homage “not to the Buddha,…
The Basic Principle of Bodhicitta
Relative bodhicitta is how we learn to love each other and ourselves, according to Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. The basic principle of ultimate bodhicitta is to rest in the fundamental state of consciousness, before it is divided into ‘I and ‘other.'
Making Our Way: On Women and Buddhism
Grace Schireson, Christina Feldman, Rita Gross, and Lama Palden Drolma discuss how women are defining new roles as Buddhist leaders, teachers, and practitioners.
It’s Time for Buddhists to Address Ableism and Accessibility
Often, people with mobility impairments are excluded from encountering the dharma. The time is ripe to address accessibility head-on.
Flip through “The Story of Mu,” a book about your child’s true nature
In The Story of Mu, author James Cordova proposes the classic starter koan Mu for your kids' contemplation.
Zazen: Just Ordinary Mind
Our natural mind is clear, simple, and ordinary. The practice of Zen meditation, says Susan Murphy, is simply to abandon anything extra. Then the ordinary reveals its magic.
Inside the Spring 2016 Buddhadharma magazine
This issue explores enlightenment, dharma accessibility, and the many faces of Avalokiteshvara.
Understanding Emptiness — in 50 Words or Less
“Emptiness.” It’s a fundamental Buddhist concept — but what does it mean? And how could you explain it to someone else?
Is enlightenment off-limits to laypeople?
Three teachers discuss whether Buddhists must in ordain to achieve enlightenment.
Buddhism’s Big Lies
Karen Maezen Miller breaks down the three most common lies in Buddhist discourse.
Review: Stephen Batchelor’s “After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age”
In his latest and most ambitious work, "After Buddhism," Stephen Batchelor makes a sustained and serious attempt to argue for his vision of a more secular Buddhism.
There Is No Blame
“There are no human enemies,” says Sylvia Boorstein, “only confused people needing help.”
The Place Where Your Heart is Kept
Norman Fischer tells the story of how Mitsu Suzki, a Japanese schoolteacher born in 1914, made a home for herself in American Zen.
Neurotribes: The New Diversity
Steve Silberman’s book, "Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity," is changing the way we think about cognitive differences.