Category: Teachings
The Natural State of Happiness
Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche presents five noble qualities that enable us to experience our ever-present natural happiness.
The Koan in the Refrigerator
All he wanted was an egg. Instead Sam Guthrie got a close-up look at his compulsive need for order.
The Problem of Personality
We believe deeply in ourselves as personalities, says Ajahn Sumedho, each committed to the reality of our own personal history and distinctive traits.
Attending to the Deathless
“When the heart is released from clinging,” said the Buddha, “then consciousness does not land anywhere. That state, I tell you, is without sorrow, afflication or despair.” Ajahn Amaro on abiding in the consciousness that is completely beyond conditioned phenomena—neither supporting them nor supported by them.
The Real Practice of Mindfulness
As mindfulness becomes an increasingly popular concept, it is often mistaken for just “being in the moment.” Andrew Olendzki examines the Abhidharma teachings to uncover what mindfulness practice really is and how it works.
The Clarity Aspect
Emptiness without wisdom can lead to nihilism, explains Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. That's why we have the teachings on buddhanature.
Matthieu Ricard: The Path to a Compassionate Society
In this video interview, Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard joins Lion’s Roar editor-in-chief Melvin McLeod to discuss compassion as a transformative force for addressing the challenges of our time. Drawing on his decades of humanitarian work with Karuna-Shechen, he shares how altruism can help build a more compassionate and hopeful society.
Quick! Who Can Save This Cat?
Zoketsu Norman Fischer's commentary on Mumonkan Case 14: Nanchuan's Cat.
The Lamp of Zazen
The point of zazen, says Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, is to live each moment in complete combustion, like a clean-burning kerosene lamp.
Revisiting the Traditional Buddhist Views on Sex and Sexuality
When it comes to sex, Western Buddhists tend to be fairly liberal. But as scholar José Cabezón explains, Buddhist tradition takes a much more conservative approach, prohibiting, among other things, oral or anal sex, male homosexuality, and even sex during daylight hours. He challenges us not to dismiss traditional Buddhist views on sexuality but rather to critically examine them, beginning with the study of sexual ethics in Buddhist texts.
On Suffering and the End of Suffering
It's an essential truth about life itself: suffering of one kind or another is a natural part of existence. Knowing this truth gives our lives wholeness and peace, as it frees us from the exhausting postures of pretense and denial.
“Facing the Mirror”
What we perceive as the faults of others are simply a reflection of our own. A commentary on two verses of the Dhammapada by the late Ayya Khema.
How to Break the Chains of Thought
When you study your thought process, says Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, you not only see how it rules your life. In the breaks and gaps between thoughts, you can experience awakened mind on the spot.
Do Buddhas think?
Zen teacher Blanche Hartman, Tibetan teacher Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, and Insight teacher Narayan Helen Liebenson answer the question, "Do Buddhas think?"
Ask the Teachers: Why can’t I perceive bodhisattvas or deities?
Buddhism says that there are all kinds of beings out there—buddhas, bodhisattvas, deities—but I can't perceive them. How do I work with this discrepancy?
How Can I Accept the Suffering of Others?
Three teachers are asked about coming to terms with the suffering of others.
Awakening the Sacred Feminine
In Vajrayana Buddhism, dakinis are seen as unbridled and enlightened feminine energy. Lama Tsultrim Allione on how she discovered her own dakini power. Watch Lama Tsultrim Allione in Lion’s Roar’s upcoming free online event, “<a href="https://promo.lionsroar.com/the-women-of-wisdom-summit-free-registration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Women of Wisdom Summit.</a>”
Forum: The Myths, Challenges, and Rewards of Tantra
A forum on Tantra with Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Anne Carolyn Klein, and Larry Mermelstein, with an introduction by Reggie Ray.
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.