SGI-USA today issued a "Statement on the Racial Unrest in Charlottesville, VA" in which "the members of Soka Gakkai International-USA repudiate hatred and bigotry and appeal for equality and justice for all" and "[advocate] for the values of Buddhist humanism." The statement addresses the evils of racism, quoting from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from his 1967 speech, [...]
The New Yorker publishes Buddhist eyewitness’s account of Charlottesville attack
Kristin Adolfson was feet away from the car attack that killed one and injured 19. On Saturday afternoon, Kristin Adolfson was in downtown Charlottesville, her bag packed with spare clothes, earplugs, saline, snacks, and water. She was equipped to protest hatred. "I'm not there to be around violence," Adolfson told the New Yorker in an interview after Saturday's attack. [...]
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche issues response to Sogyal Rinpoche controversy
Tibetan teacher Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche -- also known for his films, made under the name Khyentse Norbu -- has issued a public response to the allegations made against Sogyal Rinpoche, which led to Sogyal resigning as spiritual director of the international organization, Rigpa. The letter is titled "Guru and Student in the Vajrayana" and has been posted in its [...]
Everything We Do Matters, But Two Things Are Critical
Zen teacher and Unitarian Universalist minister James Ishmael Ford offers a commentary about how we got to Charlottesville and where we go from here. If you’re not familiar with the run-up to the Charlottesville demonstration, let me briefly outline what has happened. It started with some people announcing a protest of the removal of a statue honoring a Confederate [...]
After allegations, Sogyal Rinpoche retires from Rigpa
Following discussion of allegations of abuse, Sogyal Rinpoche, Buddhist teacher and author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, "has decided, with immediate effect, to retire as spiritual director from all the organizations that bear the name of Rigpa in different countries around the world," according to a press release from the organization dated today. The [...]
Dalai Lama, citing exhaustion, cancels Botswana visit
It was announced today that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has cancelled a coming visit to the Republic of Botswana. Exhaustion was the reason cited for the cancellation. A statement on DalaiLama.com reads, in part: During the past few weeks, His Holiness has found that carrying out his activities has left him unusually tired. Although he had been eagerly looking forward to [...]
Programmers say this Buddhist Bitcoin could “disrupt religion”
Users would be able to earn "Karma Coins" by meditating and teaching Buddhism. The coins could be spent within a special Buddhist community called the "Lotos Network." A group of Buddhist programmers says it's time for the world’s first cryptocurrency-based spiritual community, built using "blockhain," the booming new technology that makes Bitcoin and hundreds of other [...]
Dalai Lama denounces ethical misconduct by Buddhist teachers
The Dalai Lama said that when a teacher commits ethical misconduct and disregards Buddhist ethics, students should make the misconduct public. https://youtu.be/S6yzH-1si8o?t=1h15m10s In a talk last week, the Dalai Lama addressed recent allegations of misconduct in Buddhist communities. In July, famed Tibetan Buddhist teacher Sogyal Rinpoche was accused [...]
Five InsightLA teachers earn Theravada authorization
From InsightLA in Santa Monica, California, comes the news that five of the meditation center’s teachers recently became authorized to teach in the Theravada lineage. Buddhist teachers Trudy Goodman, Sharon Salzberg, and Jack Kornfield gathered to formally pass on the Theravada Buddhist lineage to Maureen Shannon Chapple, Wendy Block, Elizabeth Rice, Diana Gould, and Cayce Howe [...]
Watch the trailer for the Cumberbatch-narrated Thich Nhat Hanh documentary, “Walk With Me,” premiering on August 18
Walk With Me, a cinematic journey into the world of Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, will premiere in New York on August 18 at The Rubin Museum of Art. Screenings will be held through August 26, followed by the film's nationwide release in theaters across the United States. The film, directed by Marc J. Francis and Max Pugh, was filmed over three years at Vietnamese [...]