Illustration by Ray Fenwick. What are the four noble truths? Buddhism's famed four truths are called noble because they liberate us from suffering. They are the Buddha’s basic teaching, encapsulating the entire Buddhist path. 1. Suffering Life always involves suffering, in obvious and subtle forms. Even when things seem good, we always feel an undercurrent of anxiety and [...]
How to Do Green Tara Practice
Lama Palden Drolma teaches how to visualize the deity Green Tara, who embodies one's buddhanature. Illustrations by Tomi Um. Tara, the savioress, is the most beloved by Tibetans of all the female awakened beings. Tara is known as “she who ferries beings across the ocean of samsara.” She is fully enlightened and is inseparable from genuine reality, or true nature, the [...]
10 Buddhist Books Everyone Should Read
10 Buddhist books everyone should read, as selected by the editors of Lion's Roar. After the Ecstasy, the Laundry by Jack Kornfield (Bantam, 2000) According to Jack Kornfield, enlightenment does exist and is even pretty common. The rub is that after achieving it, day-to-day tasks and troubles still await you. This is a guide to translating our spiritual [...]
Forget Perfect. Just Practice.
Many of us begin meditation practice with some level of excitement and expectation. But like all things, those too shall pass. Rod Meade Sperry offers some encouragement for keeping on. Perhaps you meditate occasionally, in the park or on the bus. Maybe you have a dedicated spot in your home and a regular time to meditate. Or you study with a teacher and sit with others [...]
Loving the Many Sides of You
Susan Piver shares her practice for loving all of your imperfections and contradictions. Begin by offering loving-kindness to yourself in your ordinary form. This is the “you” that you see in the mirror. Next, imagine yourself as a beloved. See yourself through the eyes of love and offer loving-kindness to this version of yourself. No matter how puny you may feel right now, [...]
Committing to Impermanence
It may not be forever, but for right now Rachel Neumann and her partner of 20 years celebrate their love. Thirty-four years ago, when I was ten, I stood in a wooded field, far from a crowd of children and adults who had come to celebrate a birthday, and made two vows: I would have a daughter, at least one, and I would never get married. I imagined this daughter would be [...]
DIY Dharma: You Have Everything You Need
You have a mind, body, thoughts, and a natural bent toward awakening. From that great beginning, Buddhist teacher Judy Lief offers helpful guidelines for the path ahead of you. If you are inspired to establish a personal meditation practice or explore the Buddhist teachings, what is the best way to go about it? For many of us, it’s a very different path than it used to [...]
5 Practices for Nurturing Happiness
The great Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh suffered a serious stroke in November of 2014. (You can contribute to his relief effort, here.) We join practitioners around the world in sending our prayers and good wishes for his continued recovery. Thich Nhat Hanh’s life is inspiring, his benefit great, and his teaching, like the dharma itself, profound and practical. We all want [...]
The Way to Dismantle Ego’s Game
A teaching by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche on how to take the fresh and open mind you’ve experienced into the rest of your life. One of the effects of meditation is that you become more open-minded, and this gives rise to an interest in working with others. In that way, meditation practice can transform your lifestyle and your relationships with other people. Then, mindfulness [...]
Learn the “BASICS” of Insight Meditation
The term “insight meditation” comes from the Pali word Vipassana. It is the ability to see clearly and deeply into what is unfolding in our lives. Insight practice reveals what has created our present conditions and allows us to more fully live in the present moment. This is so valuable for our ability to make conscious choices to better our lives. It is why the Buddha said [...]
