Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, photo via DGL nunnery. Nikki Mirghafori, photo courtesy Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Gyokei Yokoyama, photo courtesy the author.Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Nikki Mirghafori, and Gyokei Yokoyama answer the question: “We are encouraged to dedicate the merit of our practice to all beings. It’s a beautiful idea, but what effect, if any, does it really have? And can you offer something you’re not sure you even have?”
From left: Konda Mason, photo by Scott R. Kline. Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, photo by Bronya Agasto. José Shinzan Palma, photo by Joan Halifax.Konda Mason, Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, and José Shinzan Palma discuss the difficulty of aligning our work lives with our Buddhist values.
Pictured: Zenkei Blanche Hartman, Narayan Helen Liebenson, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Photos by Barbara Wenger, Janine Guldener, Mary Lang.The teachers are asked whether nonviolence necessarily means a passive or non-reactive approach.
From left to right: Rebecca Li, Kakumyo Lowe-Charde, Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin. Photos by Andrew Merz, Genko Rainwater, Kim Winton.Rebecca Li, Kakumyo Lowe-Charde, and Myokei Caine-Barrett answer the question “How can one practice for the sake of all beings without inflating their ego?”
Pictured: Zenkei Blanche Hartman, Narayan Helen Liebenson, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Photos by Barbara Wenger, Janine Guldener, Mary Lang.The teachers are asked “How do I know if I’m having a moment of realization or if I’m just deluding myself (still in ego)?”
Pictured: Zenkei Blanche Hartman, Narayan Helen Liebenson, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Photos by Barbara Wenger, Janine Guldener, Mary Lang.I am relatively new to Buddhism and I’ve been struggling with the balance between study and practice. Is there an ideal balance between the two?
In Buddhadharma’s Ask the Teachers section, Sestuan Gaelyn Godwin, Larry Yang, and Dungse Jampal Norbu discuss relating to obstacles and difficult emotions.
Pictured: Zenkei Blanche Hartman, Narayan Helen Liebenson, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Photos by Barbara Wenger, Janine Guldener, Mary Lang.The teachers are asked “How do we retain passion while accepting all of life with equanimity?”
What is your question? Which teachings do you find particularly challenging or perplexing? We want to know.
I was born male, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m actually a transgender woman. As a Buddhist, I feel conflicted by the teachings on no-self.
