The Gandharan Buddhist manuscripts are leading scholars to rethink the origins of Mahayana Buddhism. Richard Salomon looks at what we can learn from the recently-unearthed texts.
Amida Buddha Welcomes All Refugees
Jeff Wilson explains how the Jodo Shinshu school of Pure Land Buddhism emerged from the refugee experiences of its two Japanese founders.
British Library’s “Buddhism” exhibition explores Buddhist printing centuries before Gutenberg
The British Library showcases masterworks of Buddhist printing in a new exhibition that explores how Buddhism spread across Asia through the centuries.
160,000-year-old jawbone discovered by Buddhist monk sheds light on ancient humans
The monk gave the fossil to a lama at a nearby Buddhist monastery, who passed it on to university researchers.
In Search of the Real Buddha
Buddhist scholar Peter Harvey explores the facts, myths, and deeper truths of the Buddha’s life story.
Who Was Mahasi Sayadaw?
Burmese monk Mahasi Sayadaw helped revolutionize Buddhism. He was a respected scholar, teacher, and meditation master.
Buddhist monk raises awareness about the swastika’s original meaning
Rev. Kenjitsu Nakagaki wants to educate the West about the history of the manji, a counterclockwise swastika that means “good fortune” in Japanese.
What is Nichiren Shu?
Along with Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu, Nichiren Shu is one of the largest sects of the Nichiren school of Buddhism. A Nichiren Shu priest explains the tradition’s roots, practices, and basic teachings.
Who Was Bodhidharma?
The legendary founder of Zen in China famously taught a dictum long-regarded as the taproot of Zen, “Point directly at the human mind, see its nature, and become Buddha.”
What’s the connection between Buddhism and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar?
How have Buddhists become implicated in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world? Randy Rosenthal looks through history to understand how a religion of peace has become a justification for violence.