Archives: LR Articles
A Masterful Guide to Vajrayana Practice
Francesca Fremantle reviews Thinley Norbu Rinpoche's book, A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar, published by Shambhala Publications, 2006.
Book Briefs Winter 2006
Taking the Path as the Result; Dogen on Meditation and Thinking; The Platform Sutra; The Mirror of Zen; Songs and Instructions of the Karmapas; and more.
What Is the Sound of No-Sound?
With a strike of the gong, sound is born, sustains, and passes away. All things are like this, notes Erik Hansen, but where is the no-sound his Zen teacher talked about? Is it the sound of one hand clapping? Is it the jackhammer in the street?
Analyzing Enlightenment
Buddhism and Psychotherapy Across Cultures: Essays on Theories and Practices and The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra reviewed by Mark Epstein.
Book Briefs Fall 2006
Zen Sanctuary of Purple Robes, A Song for the King, Hakuin on Kensho, Honen the Buddhist Saint, Zen Master Who?, Quintessential Dzogchen, and more.
Who Does God Vote For?
Seeking an Alternative to the Christian Right: Barry Boyce reports on the movement to develop a political platform that is both progressive and spiritual.
Dharma for a Dangerous Time
The world may seem particularly dangerous and uncertain, but it’s wise to remember that the ways of history—and the dharma’s response—haven’t changed.
All in the Family
Katie Zdybel grew up on the music of James Taylor and Carly Simon. Their son Ben Taylor discusses how the love of music brings the generations together.
Why Can’t “I” Be Happy?
The four noble truths tell us that to be happy we must first discover the causes of our unhappiness. This is the approach of the renowned French Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, who says that genuine happiness is only possible after we understand the fundamental mistake that is the root of our suffering.
The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel
Virtue, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, is like the legendary jewel that fulfills all our wishes. By meditating on and practicing the virtues of wisdom and compassion, we make our lives meaningful, happy, and successful.
Review of “Encountering the Dharma”
Encountering the Dharma: Daisaku Ikeda, Soka Gakkai, and the Globalization of Buddhist Humanism by Richard Hughes Seager, reviewed by Martin Baumann.
Review of “The Madman’s Middle Way”
The Madman’s Middle Way: Reflections on Reality of the Tibetan Monk Gendün Chöpel by Donald S. Lopez Jr., reviewed by Felix Holmgren
Book Briefs Summer 2006
The State of Mind Called Beautiful; Buddhists, Brahmins, and Belief; Zen in Brazil; Dzogchen Teachings; On Buddha Essence; Explaining Pictures; and more.
The Power of Positive Karma
Rebirth and karma are the Buddhist beliefs that Westerners find hardest to accept. Yet are they really so foreign to us?
What the Buddha Taught
The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche outlines the Buddha's teachings, broken down by the three turnings of the wheel of dharma.
Review of “The Women of the Way”
The Women of the Way: Discovering 2,500 years of Buddhist Wisdom by Sally Tisdale, reviewed by Roko Sherry Chayat.
Returning Home
Thich Nhat Hanh offers a guided meditation to relax our body and mind and return to the here and now. Fully present, fully alive, we find we are already home. Do you remember anything from your stay in your mother’s womb? All of us spent about nine months there. That’s quite a long time. I believe…
Robert Coles and the Moral Life
When so much talk of morality is marked by aggression and self-righteousness, Robert Coles, child psychiatrist, is a gentler and deeper moral voice.
A Few Words Before They Drag Me Away
In and out of hospital since childhood, Diana Atkinson on a life cut to pieces.
The Karma of Happiness
In measuring and prescribing human skills for a good life, lasting happiness requires that we carefully weigh the consequences of our actions.