Category: Dharma & Society
The 17th Karmapa: New Face of an Ancient Lineage
As Barry Boyce tells us, the 17th Karmapa's views will help define Buddhism in the 21st century.
Watch: Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche urges respect for LGBTQ people
In this video, Bhutanese lama Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche enjoins the audience to foster respect for LGBTQ people. “Your sexual orientation has got nothing to do with understanding or not understanding the truth,” says Rinpoche, adding with a smirk, “We never know which one would get enlightened first. Probably lesbians.” This isn’t the first time that…
San Francisco Zen Center to Jerry Brown: Ban Fracking
Zen Center leadership and members issue open anti-fracking letter to Governor Jerry Brown.
Zen Mountain Monastery abbot steps down
On Sunday, January 25th, Ryushin Sensei stepped down as abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery after it became known that he had been committing adultery for the previous six months.
Update: Extremist monk Wirathu responds to global criticism
Burmese monk Wirathu made worldwide headlines earlier this week for a disparaging comment he'd made about a U.N. human-rights envoy.
The story behind the Martin Luther King, Jr., comic book
Watch a video about the creation and legacy of the 1956 comic book "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story."
George Takei’s six best Buddhist posts
George Takei is famous as an actor, gay rights activist, and Facebook superstar; but have you noticed his occasional Buddhist shout-outs?
Saying No to the Silence of Whiteness
I’m mad. Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker all unarmed, all black men, now dead, just one typical month this summer 2014, USA.
The Tao of the RZA
The RZA—born Robert Diggs—needs no introduction to hardcore fans of hip-hop. He sat down with me to discuss how far his spiritual quest has taken him, and how far he still hopes to go.
Lama Rod Owens and angel Kyodo williams discuss racism in Buddhist America
Lama Rod Owens and angel Kyodo williams discuss the challenges of being teachers of color in predominantly white communities.
The Oldest Boy premieres at Lincoln Center Theater
The Oldest Boy, a play about a family whose son is identified as the reincarnation of a high Buddhist lama, premiered at Lincoln Center Theater last week
Thanks to Yoko
Everyone, it seemed, liked to tell Lisa Carver what she couldn’t do: it wasn’t proper, it wasn’t art, it wasn’t done. But Zen koans and Yoko Ono—now eighty—turned all that upside down.
What can Buddhism do for the environment?
Buddhism and environmentalism are a natural fit. Jessica Morey points this out in her review of Susan Murphy's new book, Minding the Earth: Mending the World,
Bodhi Trees
In nature we see Buddhist truths unfold, while in Buddhism we find ways to heal the natural world. Jessica Morey on Minding the Earth, Mending the World.
New York Times on Jack Kornfield: “one huggable ex-monk”
On Wednesday, T Magazine, the New York Times’ style magazine, ran a profile on Jack Kornfield, the co-founder of Insight Meditation Society and Sprit Rock Meditation Center.
Understanding reincarnation at the Lincoln Center
In celebration of its new play about reincarnation, Manhattan’s Lincoln Center is hosting two talks on Tibetan Buddhism. The play, by Sarah Ruhl, is called, The Oldest Boy. It tells the story of an American toddler recognized as the reincarnation of a great Buddhist teacher. On Tuesday October 28th, the Lincoln Center will host “Life…
Business’s compassionate awakening?
According to Ryan Honeyman, the world’s biggest consultants are trying to persuade corporations be more socially and environmentally mindful.
Tsewang Dorji crafting new Buddha statue for Palyul Foundation of Canada
Palyul Foundation of Canada has commissioned Toronto-based Bhutanese artist Tsewang Dorji to craft a new Buddha image, now in progress.
Mobilizing for People’s Climate March
With less than a week remaining before the People’s Climate March in NYC, Bhikkhu Bodhi speaks to the urgency of the problem and the need for us to take action.
Anonymous: Contemporary Tibetan art at Queens Museum
Anonymous, an exhibit by modern Tibetan artists exploring self-expression, attribution, and identity in contemporary Tibet, will open at the Queens Museum Sept. 21 and run through Jan. 4, 2015. An opening reception will be held on opening day, 4-7 pm. In her review in the summer issue of Buddhadharma, Kay Larson explains the exhibition’s title:…