Archives: LR Articles
Be a Lamp Unto Yourself
The freedom that Buddhism offers can’t be found if you don’t ask questions—about the teachings, the teachers, and yourself. Larry Rosenberg on how to cultivate a spirit of inquiry, even skepticism, to illuminate your path.
Ram Dass: Being Here
Ram Dass has led a long life of loving and being loved: the patience, humor, and grace of one of our most influential spiritual figures.
The Tears I Shed Yesterday Have Become Rain
Thich Nhat Hanh personally knows how we all suffer. Yet, he teaches, every single one of us has the capacity to transform our suffering.
Life, Frame by Frame
Much of the time, life is like watching a movie: we suspend disbelief and lose ourselves in the story. On the bodhisattva path, we see through the illusion.<p class="intro">Much of the time, life is like watching a movie: we suspend disbelief and lose ourselves in the story. On the bodhisattva path, says <strong>Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche</strong>, we see the illusory nature of these appearances, and in doing so discover a boundless compassion.</p>
Commentary: I May Not Stay Here With You
As she receives ordination into the Soto Zen school of Buddhism, angel Kyodo williams reflects on her path to acceptance within this lineage.
Book Briefs Winter 2013
Brief summaries of Buddhist books from the Winter 2013 issue of Buddhadharma magazine.
Ground-breaking TV documentary series depicts realities of dying
Konchog Norbu reports on the new Showtime documentary series, Time of Death, to see how it approaches a difficult topic.
Open to openness: How Buddhism influenced the creative life of Philadelphia artist Doris Staffel
An obituary of Doris Staffel, one of the Philadelphia area’s most respected and beloved artists and teachers.
Video: “I’m that guy” — Mike Giant talks to Mass Appeal about meditation
In this fun and personal video for Mass Appeal, the artist Mike Giant talks about meditation's appeal and leads a simple Vipassana meditation.
Everything shimmering and golden — read Laurie Anderson’s beautiful public words for Lou Reed
Laurie Anderson's beautiful obituary for her late husband and partner, Lou Reed.
Folk legend Peter Yarrow uses Dalai Lama poem for new anti-bullying song
Japan has produced a song by folk legend Peter Yarrow, whose lyrics come from a unique source: a poem by the Dalai Lama.
New Yorker essay: Book printing a Buddhist invention
The West has a misconception that printing was invented in Europe. In fact, the origins of printing on paper comes from Chinese Buddhism.
A thoughtful, high-energy piece applying Buddhist tenets to a zombie-filled fantasy
A look into Saymoukda Vongsay’s “Kung Fu Zombies vs. Cannibals” a new, undead-infested, carefully choreographed chop-and-kick stage show.
Breaking Good: Ricky Gervais’ warm-hearted new show “Derek” declares “kindness is magic”
Amid the current onslaught of antiheroes, vulgarity, ultraviolence, and exploitation on TV emerges a comedy based on an unlikely theme: kindness.
Wisdom Publications launches new site, expands reach through freshly inked deal with Simon & Schuster
Wisdom Publications has entered into an agreement with Simon & Schuster for the sales and fulfillment of its entire catalog of Buddhist books.
Bluegrass Buddhist Peter Rowan’s Tibetan collaboration, new film
From the Marin Independent: “Peter Rowan is just a week or so away from his apotheosis as the world's foremost bluegrass Buddhist.”
Peter Matthiessen’s new novel draws on “Bearing Witness” meditation retreats at Auschwitz
The next book Zen teacher and social activist Peter Matthiessen draws from his experiences meditating and Bearing Witness at Auschwitz.
Josh Korda on “The Glorification of Busyness”
One of the most radical, countercultural things we can do is actually just sit there and relax without feeling we're missing out.
“Look, Look!”
Here is the gate through which the buddhas come into the world, born of women, born of wisdom. Judith Simmer-Brown comments on this koan.
Stillness in Action: Reflections on Dag Hammarskjöld
The late Dag Hammarskjöld, Secretary-General of the United Nations, was both a deeply spiritual person and a highly effective diplomat.