Book cover of Alixe Walker's "Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth"

The Days I Like Best Have Meditation, Lovemaking, Eating Scones in Them

From Alice Walker’s forthcoming collection of poems, <i>Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth</i>.

Gene Smith’s Mission

Lawrence Pintak profiles Gene Smith, the man from Ogden, Utah who single-handedly spearheaded the preservation of thousands of Tibetan texts.

Mahamudra and Dzogchen: Thought-Free Wakefulness

The ability to dissolve thoughts is essential to attaining liberation, says renowned Dzogchen teacher Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Devotion and Pure Perception are two principles that lie at the root of Vajrayana practice that lead beyond confusion to thought-free wakefulness. Meditation training, in the sense of sustaining the nature of mind, is a way of being…

Basic Goodness or Original Sin?

Buddhist psychology is based on the notion that human beings are fundamentally good. Their most basic qualities are positive ones: openness, intelligence and warmth.

Poems & Zen talks of Philip Whalen

Philip Whalen died in San Francisco on June 26, 2002. Here are a selection of his poems and zen talks.

Philip Whalen Shambhala Sun - Nov '02 Zen Life Death & Dying

Philip Whalen on Zen, life, and death

A talk on poetry and Zen from Philip Whalen

Kobun Chino’s Trailer

Reginald Ray writes a remembrance of Zen master and famed calligrapher Kobun Chino Roshi, who died tragically with his young daughter in July, 2002.

Relaxing with Suffering

"I'm certain that compassion is the only possible response to pain, yet I still sometimes become resentful when I or someone else is suffering."

Traleg Rinpoche

Taming the Mind, Transforming Ourselves

Traleg Rinpoche describes the techniques of Buddhist meditation, explaining how working with our passions requires attention to one's body and thoughts.

Warrior Poses

"Yoga practice is not necessarily relaxing; it trains us to be centered, awake, confident and flexible within effortful situations."

Buddhists in the Boardroom

Do big business and Buddhism mix? Samuel Fromartz talks with three entrepeneurs who’ve tried to combine spiritual values and business success.

Entering the Marketplace with Helping Hands

Fred Kofman, a leading organizational theorist, argues that the essential spirit of business is not greed and self-advancement but compassion, even love.

The Red Coat and the Teaching of Impermanence

“In that moment, I discovered a love for her that had nothing to do with my own preconceptions.”

Where Business Looks for Answers

As our world grows more chaotic and unpredictable, says Margaret Wheatley, we're asking questions that can only be answered by spiritual traditions.

Buddhism Lion's Roar Four Noble Truths Mahayana Shambhala Sun Theravada Tulku Thondup Rinpoche Vajrayana / Tibetan Buddhism

The Buddha’s Noble First Teaching

Tulku Thondup on the four simple and practical statements that encompass the entire Buddhist path, the Buddha's Four Noble Truths.

Landing at Tranquility Base

Moonlight shimmers on the surface of the steaming Japanese bath, while a gentle wind rustles. The very atmosphere seems to radiate relaxation and serenity.

The Sharp Sword of Prajna

Wisdom, says Judy Lief, is not about answers. It's about the power of questioning, about developing a great inquisitiveness that cuts through all solidity and self-deception.

What is This Me?

Are we interested in exploring this amazing affair of ‘myself’ from moment to moment?

Waiting. Waiting. For What?

Meditation, then, can show us our true and genuine life, with its freedom, its abundant creativity, and its joy.

Warriorship, bravery, Sakyong Mipham, Vajrayana / Tibetan Buddhism, Shambhala Sun, Lion's Roar, Buddhism

The Buddha’s Bravery

According to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, to have the definite intention to emerge from samsara is an act of warriorship, a way of dealing with our fear of death.