Guo Gu, a longtime student of the late Master Sheng Yen, presents an experiential look at the Chan practice of silent illumination. Silent illumination is a Buddhist practice that can be traced back not only to Huineng (638–713), the sixth patriarch of Chan, and other Chinese masters but also to the early teachings of the Buddha. In the Chan tradition, silent illumination is [...]
The Path of Gratitude
Photo by Michael Kenna. The goal of Shin Buddhism’s central practice, nembutsu, is not to attain buddhahood for ourselves, says Jeff Wilson, but to express gratitude for all we have received. I visit a lot of Buddhist temples and groups in North America, and it’s pretty common for people to ask, “So, what’s your practice?” It’s a sort of icebreaker in the Buddhist world. I [...]
Buddhist Visualization Practice Is Pure, Clear, and Vibrant
Visualization practice sometimes involves traditional symbolism that Westerners have trouble relating to, says Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. He shows us how we can make the most of this powerful method for transforming perception. The technique of visualization is employed throughout the Vajrayana practices of Tibetan Buddhism. Its use of our imagination makes it quite different [...]
How can I share the dharma with my kids?
Question: I have two sons, one seven and the other fourteen. I’d like to introduce them to meditation and the Buddhist teachings but it’s difficult to compete with Nintendo games, favorite television shows, and all the other exciting and flashy things kids gravitate to these days. How can I share the gift of dharma with my sons without trying to force it on them and potentially [...]
What’s In a Name?
Ajahn Amaro presents two helpful meditation practices you can do while listening to the inner sound. One practice that can help free the heart from the compulsions of self-view is to meditate upon your own name. Begin by taking a moment to listen to the inner sound. Focus on that until the mind is clear and open and then simply voice your own name internally. Listen to the [...]
The Sound of Silence
Ajahn Amaro explains how to practice nada yoga and why this simple act of listening to inner sound can help you realize emptiness. Along with the more well-known methods designed to help practitioners of Buddhist meditation ground their attention in the present moment— such as focusing on the rhythm of the breath, paying attention to the feeling of footsteps, or internally [...]
Meditating on the Mind Itself
A teaching on the practice of Mahamudra by Kagyu master Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, who passed away in July 2012 at the age of 57. According to the Buddhist Mahayana tradition, practitioners need to eradicate certain defilements and obscurations of the mind in order to realize ultimate truth, or ultimate reality, and the most effective way to achieve this is through the [...]
Is Meditation Enough?
Sharon Salzberg, Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, and Gaylon Ferguson examine the central role of meditation in Western Buddhism and explore how other practices, such as study and ritual, may or may not be necessary. With introduction by Norman Fischer. The introduction of Buddhism to the West has necessarily involved comparing and contrasting various aspects of Buddhism with our own [...]
Here With You
“When confronted with a patient’s fatal illness,” says physician Friederike Boissevain, “we are expected to know what to do.” But Zen practice has taught her that being present with a mind of not knowing is sometimes the best medicine. I leafed through the man’s medical file. A CT scan showed extensive disease, and the histology was unfavorable. He was younger than me, [...]
No Small Effort
"Coming back to the issue of diversity," say dharma teachers Gina Sharpe and Larry Yang, "is no different from bringing one’s awareness back to the breath or any object of awareness; it is a practice, and sometimes a long and difficult one." On September 19, Spirit Rock Meditation Center held a graduation ceremony for ninety-five leadership trainees in its fourth Community [...]
