Many Buddhist practitioners can’t afford to go on retreats. Pamela Ayo Yetunde says it’s time we start thinking about how to make the practice less exclusive. I first learned about meditation retreats when I was a volunteer with Zen Hospice Project. My co-volunteers—professional financially stable white men—often talked fondly about their meditation teachers and retreat [...]
Investigating the Rainbow Body
Michael Sheehy reviews Rainbow Body and Resurrection by Francis V. Tiso. From the Winter 2016 issue of Buddhadharma. If we look across spiritual traditions, we find the human body is broadly envisioned to be a vessel that contains the essence of existence and transformation—a container, likened to clothes that are to be stripped off or a boat that is to be abandoned [...]
Ask the Teachers: How do I know whether to avoid or accept something that causes me distress?
If someone or something causes me distress, how do I judge whether to avoid the situation or to accept it as a practice opportunity, along the lines of an Atisha’s assistant? Dungse Jampal Norbu: The story of Atisha's assistant is a reminder that we can further our practice by accepting difficult situations in our lives. When Atisha was asked why he tolerated his insulting [...]
On Retreat, Block All Exits
It takes courage to undertake a retreat, says Andrew Holecek. But in that container, we find freedom. The principle of retreat speaks directly to the power of environment—step into Times Square or the Strip in Vegas, archetypes of an anti-retreat environment, and you will feel the torrential force of distraction. The relentless activity and noise of our postmodern age rips [...]
When the Retreat is Over
Mingyur Rinpoche recently spent more than four years on wandering retreat in India and the Himalayas. In an interview with Buddhadharma, he shares his most challenging moments as well as practical advice for returning home. Let's start with what people can people do to support and cultivate the insights they’ve gained on retreat once the retreat is over? First, you need [...]
We’ve Been Here All Along
Funie Hsu says it’s time we recognize the contributions of Asian American Buddhists and address the racism and cultural appropriation that marginalizes their ongoing role in transmitting the dharma in the West. Somewhere in the soil of California’s Central Valley lies buried treasure. Scholar and Soto Zen priest Duncan Ryuken Williams tells the story of ten-year-old Masumi [...]
How Will You See the Guru?
Are you able to see your teacher as the Buddha? It’s not easy, says Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, but for the Vajrayana practitioner, this is where the real path begins. Guru devotion is the head, heart, blood, spine, and breath of the incredible Vajrayana, the path of Buddhist tantra. The Vajrayana is not a safe stroll in the countryside. In fact, safety is probably the [...]
Consider This Before Going on a Buddhist Retreat
Christine Skarda has been on retreat for the past twenty-five years. She offers advice on preparing for a successful retreat. Let go of the idea of a perfect retreat place There is no such place! After all, this is samsara, not nirvana. When we think about doing a retreat, we tend to recall famous practitioners and want our retreat to be like theirs: done in perfect [...]
How Do You Step Forward?
Many of us may find ourselves on a journey that feels in one way or another like a steep climb. With great energy over considerable time, we ascend stage by stage and take heart in our progress. Whether it is in our work or personal goals or Buddhist practice, we are eager to measure our accomplishments. In Mumon’s The Gateless Gate, Case 46, Master Sekiso says, “From the [...]
Inside the Winter 2016 Buddhadharma magazine
The Winter 2016 issue of Buddhadharma is available now. Below is a preview of what you’ll find in the magazine. Your Guide to Retreat Practice Retreat practice, in one form or another, has been an integral part of Buddhism from the beginning—and it’s something many practitioners long to do. Whether you’re considering a solo retreat or a weeklong sesshin, you’ll need a road [...]
