In March 2012, Lion's Roar published "The Wanderer," about the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche's secret plans to disappear and go on what would be a four-year-long wandering retreat. In early November came the news that he'd returned. Now we bring you an exclusive interview, conducted by senior students of Mingyur Rinpoche immediately after he resurfaced. (The [...]
Neurotribes: The New Diversity
Steve Silberman’s groundbreaking book, Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, is changing the way we think about cognitive differences. If there’s one message you’d like people to take away from your book, what would it be? That autism is not a historical aberration. It is not a product of vaccines, pesticides, Wi-Fi, antidepressants in [...]
Buddha’s Daughters: An Interview with Insight Teacher Gina Sharpe
At one time, Gina Sharpe was a corporate lawyer, a model, and an assistant to the producer working on such films as Little Big Man. Today she’s the guiding teacher and a co-founder of New York Insight Meditation Center, where she’s helping to pave the way to more inclusive, diverse sanghas. This interview with Gina Sharpe is part of series to mark the publication of Buddha’s [...]
Watch: Rapper Prince Ea and Glenn Beck talk Buddhism and hip-hop
And now for something completely different, via BlazeTV.com: Here's a video (dated October 31, 2014) of St. Louis-based rapper Prince Ea in gentle conversation with none other than Glenn Beck -- who you might remember as a bit of a fire-and-brimstone type from his times as a prominent US conservative commentator on FOX. (Beck has also authored several books and now hosts [...]
Buddha’s Daughters: An interview with dharma teacher and author Judy Lief
When I was putting together the anthology Buddha’s Daughters: Teachings from Women Who Are Shaping Buddhism in the West, Judy Lief was one of the first teachers I thought to include, as her teachings are some of today’s most remarkably insightful, relatable, and also just plain enjoyable. A frequent contributor to the Shambhala Sun, Lief is the author of Making Friends with [...]
Buddha’s Daughters: An interview with dharma teacher, writer, and editor Carolyn Gimian
Carolyn Rose Gimian has edited many of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s books, including his Collected Works. She's also a senior teacher in Shambhala International whose teachings are characterized by her down-to-earth wisdom braided with her playful sense of humor. One of Carolyn’s teachings is in my anthology Buddha’s Daughters: Teachings from Women Who Are Shaping Buddhism in the [...]
Buddha’s Daughters: An interview with Karen Maezen Miller
The author of Paradise in Plain Sight: Lessons from a Zen Garden, Karen Maezen Miller describes herself as an errant wife, delinquent mother, reluctant dog walker, and expert laundress. She's also a Zen Buddhist priest and meditation teacher at the Hazy Moon Zen Center in Los Angeles. Two of Karen's teachings are found in my anthology Buddha's Daughters: Teachings from Women [...]
“There Is No Pizza in Nibbana” — Mirka Knaster and Robert Pryor on Anagarika Munindra
An interview by Danny Fisher with the authors of Living This Life Fully, a book reviewed earlier this year in Buddhadharma. Anagarika Sri Munindra (1914-2003) was the much-beloved Bengali master whose many students included such luminaries as Dipa Ma, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and Lama Surya Das. Many generations of young practitioners and up-and-coming scholars also [...]
“Happy Birthday, Dr. Ari!” Danny Fisher talks to Engaged Buddhism icon A.T. Ariyaratne
Danny Fisher interviews Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne, one of the most iconic and influential figures in the history of Engaged Buddhism. Saturday, November 5, marked the eightieth birthday of Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne — one of the most iconic and influential figures in the history of Engaged Buddhism. Though he was very busy this weekend as the center of celebrations, he graciously took [...]
What’s “After Buddhism”? An interview with Stephen Batchelor
The titular figure behind the recent popular memoir Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, Stephen Batchelor has had a diverse and fascinating history as a contributor to the development of Buddhism in the modern world. Here he speaks to Danny Fisher about atheism, his understanding of what and how the Buddha taught, why he appreciates his critics, and more. Stephen Batchelor has [...]