Category: Dharma & Society
Toward a Worldwide Culture of Love
The practice of love, says bell hooks, is the most powerful antidote to the politics of domination.
The Path is Peace
Thich Nhat Hanh, in his address to congress, says only listening, mindfulness and communication can remove the perceptions that underlie violence.
How Not to Freak Out
If you find all the bad news overwhelming, Buddhist teacher Judy Lief has some meditations to help you relieve your anxiety.
Now We Wait
It could be anywhere from hours to days — and possible even longer — before we know the outcome of the most crucial American election of modern times. Wth the future direction of the country at stake, here is some Buddhist wisdom to help us while we wait.
How to Be a Good Citizen in Troubled Times
A good society is built one citizen at a time. Here are some Buddhist-inspired ways to be a good citizen in these troubled political times.
Toward a Revolution of Love
In this important essay, the late bell hooks inspires us to make her vision of a culture of love come true.
Thich Nhat Hanh’s Love Letter to the Earth
The earth is you. You are the earth. When you realize there is no separation, says the late Thich Nhat Hanh, you fall completely in love with this beautiful planet.
You and Me — It’s All One Thing
James Ishmael Ford finds that an ancient Zen story's wisdom speaks quite well to our confusion around questions of identity, sexuality, and gender.
Very Mindful, Very Demure: The Joy of Jools Lebron’s Playful Mindfulness
Pop culture writer Jennifer Keishin Armstrong unpacks the joyful wisdom behind Jools Lebron’s viral “very mindful, very demure” TikTok trend.
The Life-Changing Words of Mary Oliver
Rick Bass looks at the late Mary Oliver’s poem “The Summer Day,” which asks, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
The Shape of Emptiness: David Provan’s Life & Art
Shortly before the acclaimed artist David Provan passed away on April 18, 2024, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong interviewed him at his studio. Now, recounting their meeting, she explores the Buddhist concepts at the heart of his work.
Rev. angel Kyodo williams and Resmaa Menakem to gather Black leaders at “Being Black, Healing Black” event
The three-day event in September will “create a powerful container for embodied exploration and praxis with race unlike any other.”
The Light Enters You: Remembering Video Artist Bill Viola
Video artist Bill Viola died Friday at his home in Long Beach, California of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 73. As a video artist, Viola captured not just image, but experience, showing us what video art could be. In this 2004 interview with Lion’s Roar, Viola talked in detail, for the first time, about his Buddhist practice and how it informed his art.
I Figured I Would Never Find Another: On Being a Queer Asian American Buddhist
For Pride Month, Marissa Wong reflects on her experiences with alienation and community.
The Meditation Police
How can Buddhist centers manage gatekeeping volunteers that treat BIPOC practitioners with suspicion? John Mifsud offers some solutions.
Do I Have to Pick Just One Buddhist Tradition?
Rev. angel Kyodo williams addresses the challenge of sticking to one Buddhist tradition.
Recent Buddhist Books by Black Authors — A 2024 Roundup
On Tina Turner and bell hooks, love and liberation—eight inspiring new books are reviewed by Arleta Little.
No One Like Me
Lama Rod Owens on taking care of your own needs when you don’t see yourself represented in those around you.
5 Buddhist Practices to Help Tackle Climate Change
Willa Blythe Baker offers five meditations to help accept the truth of climate change, laying the ground for a skillful response.
Good, Evil, and Gaza
In a moving personal essay from the December issue of “Wheel of Dharma,” Buddhist Churches of America member Sydney Shiroyama reflects on the horrors of the Gaza war and what Shinran’s teachings about human nature and the deeper causes of good and evil tell us about the path to compassion and peace.