Category: Buddhist Wisdom

Women in Buddhism Dalai Lama University of Hamburg

Women in Buddhism Study Initiative, University of Hamburg

Bhikkhu Analayo spent many years poring through the voluminous discourses of the Pali canon, trying to unravel an enduring mystery. What, he wondered, was the Buddha’s true view on the ordination of female monastics, or bhikkhunis?

The World Catches Us Every Time

A mysterious beast captures your attention. Is it distracting you or calling you? It can be hard to tell, says Zen teacher John Tarrant, what’s distraction and what could have real meaning for your life. Either way, there’s no going back.

The Distortions We Bring To The Study of Buddhism

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse calls on Westerners to acknowledge the distortions we may bring to the study of Buddhism—through our cultural arrogance, the deceit of ego, and simple ignorance. The successful transplant of such a subtle and challenging practice as Buddhism, he says, depends on thorough study and clear recognition of our habitual patterns.

Losing Katherine

Katherine was the sort of person who might suddenly ask, “How do you know love?” Natalie Goldberg recounts what she learned from this friend.

Ono No Komachi Old Woman Poetry Poems Ruth Ozeki Japan

About a Poem: Ruth Ozeki on Ono no Komachi

How do we remember a woman’s life? Can we piece her together from a few lines of poetry?

The Bearable Lightness of Being

When we honor life but don’t make it a big deal, we become more joyous. The fancy name for that, says Pema Chödrön, is enlightenment.

Forum: Your Teacher and You

A forum on what it means to have a teacher today, how you can make the most of the relationship, and what you can do when it’s not working.

Buddhadharma - Spring '14 Sumi Loundon Kim Teacher

Teachers Are People Too

We want our teachers to practice what they preach, but when we look closely, they can seem just as flawed as the rest of us. Sumi Loundon Kim discovers for herself what’s so special—and so ordinary—about being the teacher.

Reviews: Buddhism — A to Z

Rory Lindsay reviews "The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism" by Robert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.

Buddhadharma - Spring '14 Eight Bardos Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Milarepa Song of Realization

A Commentary on “The Eight Bardos”

According to Tibetan Buddhism, all life and death take place in the gap, or bardo, between one state and another. While the most famous bardo is the one between death and rebirth, there are others that also shape our lives. Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen presents a commentary on Milarepa’s song of realization “The Eight Bardos.”

A Meeting of Hearts and Minds

In a teacher-student relationship, says Jakusho Kwong, it’s not enough to know your teacher’s heart and mind. You also need to know your own.

Falling in Love with a Buddha

Frank Berliner, a student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, describes the ever-deepening stages of relationship one experiences with their guru.

Chanting Names Once Forgotten: The Zen Women Ancestors Document

A quiet movement to reshape our understanding of Zen lineage and history is bringing attention to the forgotten names and voices of women in the tradition.

Enlightenment is Something We Do Together

There’s a romantic idea of enlightenment as a solitary and heroic act, but even if you’re off by yourself in a cave, you are still part of a culture, and it’s observable that some cultures are more friendly to discovery than others. Building a culture has been an ongoing and repeated task of Buddhism since the time of the Buddha.