Renowned activist and scholar Robert Thurman can translate sutras, joke with the Dalai Lama, and call in a favor from George Lucas. Retirement, says Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, won’t slow this man down.
Commentary: Centrism is Not a Middle Way
In a seemingly divided America, political “centrism” is gaining popularity. But, from a Buddhist perspective, Buddhist teacher Ethan Nichtern argues, centrism is actually a kind of extreme.
Power & Heart: Black and Buddhist in America
At the first-ever gathering of Buddhist teachers of black African descent held at New York’s Union Theological Seminary, two panels of leading Buddhist teachers took questions about what it means to be a black Buddhist in America today.
Arts & Culture
Buddhist monk raises awareness about the swastika’s original meaning
Rev. Kenjitsu Nakagaki wants to educate the West about the history of the manji, a counterclockwise swastika that means “good fortune” in Japanese.
How Marie Kondo Bucks Japanese Tradition, and Why It Matters
Gesshin Greenwood examines how Netflix’s “Tidying Up” star Marie Kondo combines the emptiness of Zen Buddhist practice with her signature spark of joy.
Buddhist News
Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg suffers health emergency
Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg has suffered what a new letter from Salzberg’s director of operations, Lily Cushman, describes as “a major health emergency this past weekend.”
Updated: Former aides describe abuse and sexual misconduct by Shambhala leader
An open letter signed by six former personal attendants to Sakyong Mipham says that the leader of the Shambhala Buddhist community “has consistently shown a disturbing pattern of behavior,” including sexual misconduct, psychological abuse, and misuse of organizational funds.
Current Events
How Do Theravada Buddhists View Extremism Within Theravada?
In media reports on religious violence in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, the perspectives of moderate and progressive Buddhists are often invisible. Khin Mai Aung talks to six Theravada Buddhists about Theravada extremism.
Black Bodhisattvas
Dr. Kamilah Majied reflects her experiences at The Gathering of Buddhist Teachers of Black African Descent.
Reviews
A Clarion Call for Buddhism
In the Spring 2019 issue of Buddhadharma, Annabella Pitkin reviews “A Critique of Western Buddhism: Ruins of the Buddhist Real” by Glenn Wallis.
9 Essential Books for Your Meditation Library
If you’re looking for good reads to begin or deepen your relationship to Buddhist meditation, you can’t go wrong with these nine essential picks.
Teachers & Centers
Thich Nhat Hanh’s health “remarkably stable,” despite report in TIME
A report in TIME said that Thich Nhat Hanh had stopped receiving medication or going outside.
Pioneering East–West psychologist John Welwood dies, age 75
Welwood was a pioneer in the field of East–West psychology and coined the term “spiritual bypassing.”