Archives: LR Articles
George Takei’s six best Buddhist posts
George Takei is famous as an actor, gay rights activist, and Facebook superstar; but have you noticed his occasional Buddhist shout-outs?
Zen teachers issue open letter confronting abuse
As Zen teachers, we would like to express our gratitude to Buddhadharma's recent issue on abuse in Buddhist commiunities.
How Deep Is Your Love?
It isn't easy to offer spiritual comfort to a dying man when you can’t stop thinking about yourself. As Shozan Jack Haubner learned, sometimes you just have to fake it.
Saying No to the Silence of Whiteness
I’m mad. Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker all unarmed, all black men, now dead, just one typical month this summer 2014, USA.
Dalai Lama affirms he may have no successor; China responds
Update, 12:30pm EST, December 19th: Read the response of China's chairman of ethnic and religious affairs.
Why We Can’t Breathe
We can’t breathe! In Buddhist meditation, our breathing is essential. Anapana, meditation on the breath, was the Buddha’s first meditation instruction and the basis for all further meditative endeavors. Breathing is not only life-sustaining and calming; it is a foremost teaching aid. Breathing, we sense immediately our necessary connection to what is other than ourselves. Without the exchange of air —inner and…
Auction closed!
Norman Fischer writes that, if you think about it, "it seems that giving is the whole of the Buddha way." The Shambhala Sun auction is a chance to give a little more.
Watch: Compassion is not a pie chart
In our third video on confronting abuse, Pam Rubin says that having compassion for people who have been abused does not mean demonizing abusers.
Brooklyn Zen Center leadership issues “Thanksgiving & Ferguson” letter
Dearest Sangha Members, This Thanksgiving week and holiday season are a time of remembrance. It is a time to consider both the blessings of our lives and one of reflection.
The Tao of the RZA
The RZA—born Robert Diggs—needs no introduction to hardcore fans of hip-hop. He sat down with me to discuss how far his spiritual quest has taken him, and how far he still hopes to go.
Lama Rod Owens and angel Kyodo williams discuss racism in Buddhist America
Lama Rod Owens and angel Kyodo williams discuss the challenges of being teachers of color in predominantly white communities.
The Oldest Boy premieres at Lincoln Center Theater
The Oldest Boy, a play about a family whose son is identified as the reincarnation of a high Buddhist lama, premiered at Lincoln Center Theater last week
Thanks to Yoko
Everyone, it seemed, liked to tell Lisa Carver what she couldn’t do: it wasn’t proper, it wasn’t art, it wasn’t done. But Zen koans and Yoko Ono—now eighty—turned all that upside down.
What can Buddhism do for the environment?
Buddhism and environmentalism are a natural fit. Jessica Morey points this out in her review of Susan Murphy's new book, Minding the Earth: Mending the World,
Bodhi Trees
In nature we see Buddhist truths unfold, while in Buddhism we find ways to heal the natural world. Jessica Morey on Minding the Earth, Mending the World.
Yoga from the Inside Out
For Christmas a few years ago, my partner, Teja, gave me a round yoga mat about six feet in diameter. When I spread it out and began to practice—by the twinkle of the Christmas tree lights—I was amazed at the way my asanas transformed.
New York Times on Jack Kornfield: “one huggable ex-monk”
On Wednesday, T Magazine, the New York Times’ style magazine, ran a profile on Jack Kornfield, the co-founder of Insight Meditation Society and Sprit Rock Meditation Center.
Books in Brief November 2014
A roundup of reviews including Sam Harris’s <em>Waking Up</em>, Thich Nhat Hanh’s <em>How to Eat</em> and Karen Speerstra and Herbet Anderson’s <em>The Divine Art of Dying</em>.
Understanding reincarnation at the Lincoln Center
In celebration of its new play about reincarnation, Manhattan’s Lincoln Center is hosting two talks on Tibetan Buddhism. The play, by Sarah Ruhl, is called, The Oldest Boy. It tells the story of an American toddler recognized as the reincarnation of a great Buddhist teacher. On Tuesday October 28th, the Lincoln Center will host “Life…
Business’s compassionate awakening?
According to Ryan Honeyman, the world’s biggest consultants are trying to persuade corporations be more socially and environmentally mindful.