The Summer 2017 issue of Buddhadharma is available now. Preview the magazine contents and sample articles below.
Destroyed Not Destroyed
In his commentary on the koan “Dasui’s Aeonic Fire,” Norman Fischer takes on the end of the world. It’s happening right now, he says, but probably not in the way that you think.
A Jewel Heart
Gelek Rimpoche passed away in February at the age of 77. Dimitri Ehrlich remembers his teacher’s generosity.
This Rare and Precious Life
We have been given an incredible opportunity for enlightenment, says Gelek Rimpoche. We should practice as if we believe it.
There, There — It’s All Empty
Dismissing someone’s suffering as relative truth, says Gesshin Greenwood, isn’t imparting the wisdom of emptiness. It’s using the dharma to silence them.
Forum: Exploring Emptiness
The teachings on shunyata, or emptiness, are a cornerstone of Buddhism—and they’re frequently misunderstood. Ari Goldfield, Daijaku Kinst, and Guy Armstrong discuss what emptiness is, what it isn’t, and why it ultimately points to an experience that is dynamic, intimate, and workable.
The Clarity Aspect
Emptiness without wisdom can lead to nihilism, explains Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. That’s why we have the teachings on buddhanature.
We Walk the Path Together
The Buddha never intended awakening to be a solitary pursuit, says Larry Yang, so why do many Western practitioners resist spiritual community? He invites us to explore the value of sangha—and our cultural biases around it.
What Meditation Can’t Cure
Meditation wasn’t designed to heal early psychological wounds, explains Debra Flics. She cautions us not to look to it as a replacement for psychotherapy.
Departments
Commentary
Jeff Wilson / Why Buddhist Communities Should Include Children
First Thoughts
Not a Moment to Lose, by Andrew Olendzki
Right Where You Should Be, by Diane Hamilton
Let It Break, by Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel
The Test of Time, by the Dalai Lama
Dharma Isn’t the Only Gift That Matters, by Bhikkhu Bodhi
We’re Only Human, by Ajahn Sundara
Ask the Teachers
Q: Should I meditate if can’t stop thinking about porn? — Bodhin Kjolhede, JoAnna Harper, and Repa Dorje Odzer respond.
Feature Reviews
The Lotus Sutra: A Biography by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.; Review by Paul Swanson
Book Briefs
Reviews by Rory Lindsay
Secular Buddhism, by Stephen Batchelor
Master Ma’s Ordinary Mind, by Fumio Yamada, translated by Nick Bellando
Patriarchs on Paper, by Alan Cole
Right Thoughts at the Last Moment, by Jacqueline Stone
Power Objects in Tibetan Buddhism, by James Gentry
The Suttanipata, translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi
Journeys
Catherine Toldi / Me and My Imperfect Teacher
