How to Create a Meditation Space 

No matter your living situation, you can have a place to practice. Yaotunde Obiora explains.

Books in Brief: May 2025

Jessica Little reviews a series of new books for the May 2025 issue of Lion's Roar.

Life on the Edge

Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax describes five “edge states” where courage meets fear and freedom meets suffering.

How to Practice Wise Intention

Regularly remind yourself of your intentions, advises Sylvia Boorstein. It’s the key to keeping your life on target.

Buddhism-informed activist Mohsen Mahdawi freed after ICE detention

Mahdawi’s case has found support in some corners of the Buddhist community, most notably in via letters from mostly American Zen teachers as well as from Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi. 

10 Tips for a Mindful Home

Karen Maezen Miller offers 10 simple tips for a mindful home.

Mohsen Mahdawi at peace, meditating, he tells NPR in prison interview

It is the first media interview with Mahdawi -- the detained student activist and former president of Columbia University’s Buddhist Association -- or any of the students detained by the Trump administration.

Join Our “The Wisdom of Pema Chödrön Summit” Replay Weekend

Join us May 2-4 for a special free replay weekend of “The Wisdom of Pema Chödrön Summit.”

How to Practice Deep Relaxation

Relaxing the mind is a big goal of Buddhist practice, but to do that you need to relax your body as well. Sister Chan Khong teaches us a three-step practice to access a deep restfulness that rivals sleep.

The Four Highest Emotions

Ayya Khema on cultivating loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.

Shozan Jack Haubner Environment & Climate Change Humor Zen Spring Shambhala Sun Buddhism Lion's Roar

A Spring Prayer

Shozan Jack Haubner presents a prayer for the chaotic awakening of nature that is spring.

Transcending Time with Umeboshi

Elissa Altman shares the story of "Grandma's Ghost," a 30-year-old Japanese <em>umeboshi</em> plum, and the healing it brought in this difficult time.

New York Buddhists support detainee Mohsen Mahdawi

The Buddhist Council of New York and the Columbia University Buddhist Association have both called for the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, the former president of the C.U.B.A., who is facing deportation.

portrait of the late Cindy Littlefair

Remembering Our Friend and Colleague, Cindy Littlefair

We remember Cindy Littlefair, our dear friend and longtime human resources manager, whose invaluable contribution and dedication left a lasting impact on everyone at Lion’s Roar.

New York City Co-Names Street “Thich Nhat Hanh Way” in Honor of Renowned Zen Teacher

On April 11, New York City co-named a stretch of West 109th Street “Thich Nhat Hanh Way” in a moving tribute to the late Zen teacher. Sandi Rankaduwa reports on the historic ceremony.

The Eightfold Path: Right Thought

We can’t control our thoughts, says Reverend Marvin Harada. But we can reflect on them—and doing that changes everything.

“Those Poor Women”

Funie Hsu on the intersection of patriarchy and white supremacy in Buddhism.

The Poem That Made Me a Poet

With a still mind, words can arise. Ira Sukrungruang on Christina Rossetti’s “Who Has Seen the Wind?” — the poem that made him a poet.

two people running down the long hallway, scene from the Apple TV+ show Severance

The Samsara of “Severance”

The surreal Apple TV+ series not only shows us the workings of karma and suffering, says Kim Thai, it also hints at liberation.

How to Talk It Out

Honest, loving communication is the key to healthy relationships. Sister Chan Khong offers a four-part practice for skillfully sharing our thoughts and feelings with each other.