Buddhist Wisdom

Bhante Sumano, Jisho Sara Siebert, and Gaylon Ferguson explore the meaning of ethics and enlightenment on the Buddhist path.

The teachers are asked, "how do I deal with doubt?"

The teachers are asked "Is it ever appropriate for a teacher to be wrathful with a student?"

I would like to help my friend out and to help them find their way to the path. How can I do that without seeming to preach Buddhism?

We can’t control our thoughts, says Reverend Marvin Harada. But we can reflect on them—and doing that changes everything.

Contrary to popular thought, awakening isn’t a distant goal. In fact, says Lisa Ernst, awakening is always available.

Paul Daisuke Goodman on what leukemia has taught him about ego, impermanence, and the incredible power of community.

When we visit the very places where the Buddha lived and taught, we discover deeper meaning in his teachings. Shantum Seth takes us on a sacred pilgrimage.

The essence of mind is empty, luminous awareness. Mingyur Rinpoche on the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Dzogchen.

Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity—these four loving qualities are powerful ways to heal our trauma.

Zen teacher Pat Enkyo O’Hara teaches us the practice of Shikantaza.

Jessica Little reviews “The Story of the Buddha” by John Tarrant, “The Empty Path” by Billy Wynne, “Happy Relationships” by Kimberly Brown, and more.

Thich Nhat Hanh says that mindfulness shows us the suffering of life and connects us with compassion.

Even young children can learn to tune into themselves and the world with curiosity and wonder. Vanessa Zuisei Goddard offers step-by-step instructions for teaching them.

This week marks the third anniversary of the passing of Thich Nhat Hanh, the influential Vietnamese Buddhist teacher and founder of the Engaged Buddhism movement. Here, a selection of Buddhist teachers and thought leaders share their tributes and memories.

In this conversation, bell hooks and Thich Nhat Hanh reflect on the enduring legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and discuss how we can build a community of love.

Those who are dying and their families need compassionate support. Drawing from Pure Land Buddhism, Rev. Michael Tran explains how to provide that support.

When his community’s beloved retreat center burned to the ground in 2016, Anam Thubten took it as a teaching on impermanence.

The dharma can help people wake up to the truth of their substance abuse and find a way to get—and stay—sober. We present four true stories of recovery.

Jan Willis on teaching Buddhism in an academic classroom, and what kind of Buddhist understanding her students are receiving.

Emptiness without wisdom can lead to nihilism, explains Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. That's why we have the teachings on buddhanature.

Teachings by Master Dogen from Beyond Thinking: A Guide to Buddhist Meditation, a collection of translations edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi.

Michael Hebb, founder of Death Over Dinner, offers some important questions to guide your contemplation of mortality.

Many people are feeling lonely this pandemic holiday season. Lisa Ernst shares how the dharma can help.

In this video interview, Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard joins Lion’s Roar editor-in-chief Melvin McLeod to discuss compassion as a transformative force for addressing the challenges of our time. Drawing on his decades of humanitarian work with Karuna-Shechen, he shares how altruism can help build a more compassionate and hopeful society.

The holidays are supposed to be a time of togetherness, but what if it’s the time of year you feel most alone? Therapist Harry Um offers advice. 

Zoketsu Norman Fischer's commentary on Mumonkan Case 14: Nanchuan's Cat.

Mushim Patricia Ikeda’s parents gave her baby sister to an aunt living an ocean away. This act of generosity changed the way she thinks about giving.

Gather around the table, says Allyson Pimentel. A holiday meal can fill your belly and heart — and even give you a taste of enlightenment.

Realizing emptiness, realizing no-self — it’s as freeing as flight, says Hokuto Daniel Diffin Osho.

Tremendous healing can occur during the dying process, both for the dying person and for their family and friends. Barbara Rhodes on how to awaken to life, even as we die.

The point of zazen, says Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, is to live each moment in complete combustion, like a clean-burning kerosene lamp.

Stephen Batchelor talks to <em>Buddhadharma</em> deputy editor Koun Franz about the importance of study in Buddhist practice and the relevance of the Buddha's teachings to modern life.

Kaira Jewel Lingo encourages us to confront our own fears and assumptions with mindful presence and compassion, inspiring a path toward healing a fractured country.

Pema Chödrön describes three ways to use our problems as the path to awakening and joy.

Rest in your true nature without effort or distraction — Mingyur Rinpoche teaches the renowned practice of Dzogchen.

Rev. Park is a minister in the Won Buddhist community and the Buddhist chaplain at two New York universities.

What we perceive as the faults of others are simply a reflection of our own. A commentary on two verses of the Dhammapada by the late Ayya Khema.

When you study your thought process, says Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, you not only see how it rules your life. In the breaks and gaps between thoughts, you can experience awakened mind on the spot.

Zen teacher Blanche Hartman, Tibetan teacher Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, and Insight teacher Narayan Helen Liebenson answer the question, "Do Buddhas think?"

Buddhism says that there are all kinds of beings out there—buddhas, bodhisattvas, deities—but I can't perceive them. How do I work with this discrepancy?

The teachers are asked whether it is necessary to be a monk to attain enlightenment.

Three teachers are asked about coming to terms with the suffering of others.

In Vajrayana Buddhism, dakinis are seen as unbridled and enlightened feminine energy. Lama Tsultrim Allione on how she discovered her own dakini power.

A forum on Tantra with Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Anne Carolyn Klein, and Larry Mermelstein, with an introduction by Reggie Ray.

Change isn’t just a fact of life we have to accept and work with, says Norman Fischer.

True equanimity, says Kaira Jewel Lingo, is not in any way detached or uncaring—it's inclusive, and loving, and the foundation for spiritual courage.

Grounded in our formal practice of meditation, we can relax into the vast, open awareness that is our ultimate nature. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche tells the story of his own introduction to the Great Perfection.

Dream yoga, says Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, is a practice of changing our waking life. He shares the four foundational practices of this powerful mind training. 

If you contemplate these traditional contemplations, the "four great reflections," you will strengthen your intention to practice.

Larry Yang takes an honest look at what it means to be a dharma teacher who hasn’t been, and doesn’t imagine ever being, enlightened.

Rev. Blayne Higa on the founder of Shin Buddhism’s “spiritual insight of imperfection and radical acceptance.” It can lead us to the ultimate realization of buddhanature.

Joan Stamm on how the Japanese art of flower arranging taught her to appreciate her mother—and the seeds she planted in Stamm’s heart.

Awareness will not solve the world’s problems, says Ronna Bloom, but it’s an important first step.

A life-changing journey begins with a single breath. With the simple act of paying mindful attention to one breath, says Melvin McLeod, we step onto a complete path that goes deeper and farther than we can imagine.

Matthieu Ricard provides a glimpse into the life of Patrul Rinpoche, one of the most revered spiritual teachers in Tibetan history.

Guided by Buddhist teachings on the brahmaviharas, Elizabeth Hernandez-Stomp helps us learn when to say yes and how to say no.

For Valerie Brown, her garden is a teacher of the dharma. In every bloom she sees impermanence, nonself, and nirvana.

Pema Khandro Rinpoche, Lama Rod Owens, Lama Rigzin Drolma, and Lobsang Rapgay discuss the guru model in the Tibetan tradition, in which the teacher is central to the path.

The gold of your true nature can get buried beneath fear and confusion, but it can never be tarnished. Tara Brach on how to trust your basic goodness.

According to Frank Ostaseski, offering care to someone who’s dying is like meditation: there’s no one right way, but practice helps, and so do basic guidelines.

Novels, fables, and plays — they’re stories that are made up, yet they often express deep truths. Five writers and thinkers explore the spiritual teachings they’ve found in fiction.

Out of the primordial desire to exist, everything comes into being. This sacred force, says Anam Thubten, is different from clinging, which is the source of our suffering.

Meditation comes alive through a growing capacity to release our habitual conflicts and worries that make up our sense of self, and to rest in awareness.

There are two kinds of refuge. The reason we take refuge in the outer forms of enlightenment is so that we may find the buddha within.

Taryn Stickrath-Hutt shares her journey as a queer woman and Jodo Shinshu Buddhist, drawing inspiration from the infinite light of Amida Buddha.

As you age, says Judy Lief, you can discover your true nature — timeless and luminous.

Avoid pat expressions, says Valerie Brown. What a grieving person needs is loving presence.

Five Buddhist teachers share practices to clear away the poisons that cause suffering and obscure your natural enlightenment.

An excerpt from Jeff Wilson's new book, "Living Nembutsu: Applying Shinran’s Radically Engaged Buddhism in Life and Society" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

Buddhist teacher Judy Lief explains the Buddha’s deep analysis of the roots of anxiety and shows how mindfulness can help us ease the suffering of an anxious mind.

Melvin McLeod on how Buddhism uses mindfulness to develop the wisdom that frees us from suffering.

Everything and everyone are always teaching us the dharma, says Christian McEwen. We just have to know how to listen.

The Buddha who lived 2,600 years ago was not a god. He was an ordinary person, named Siddhartha Gautama, whose teachings on enlightenment and the end of suffering became the basis of the world religion of Buddhism.

Vesak marks the birth, enlightenment, and death of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. Next year it falls on Monday, May 12, 2025.

Nichiren practitioner Johnny Edward Dean Jr. reflects on how his daily practice and chanting the Odaimoku helped him navigate mental health challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Norman Fischer on why mindfulness is not always “right.”

Travel wakes us up to the world. Three personal stories of transformational travel in Thailand, Ethiopia, and Yemen.

Linda Galijan on working with emptiness and your emotions.

Mindfulness Studies student Naomi Matlow shares her top 10 mindfulness books for those undergoing a similar path.

On Tina Turner and bell hooks, love and liberation—eight inspiring new books are reviewed by Arleta Little.

The Buddha’s four noble truths include the truth that the eightfold path is a way out of suffering. It’s not just the path to happiness, says Sister True Dedication. It’s happiness itself.

Melvin McLeod breaks down the Buddha’s four noble truths and argues it’s not only the ultimate self-help formula, but the best guide to helping others and benefiting the world.

Jan Chozen Bays teaches us how to make every meal a celebration of gratitude, enjoyment, and true nourishment.

From the swan that Siddhartha nursed as a boy to the fantastical Garuda—Andrea Miller explores the intriguing role that birds play in Buddhist mythology.

Noel Alumit reflects on the daunting commitment of the bodhisattva vows, and how his ordination bolstered his relationship with his mother and culture.

The four foundations of mindfulness is the Buddha’s fundamental teaching on meditation common to all Buddhist traditions.

It may seem like an unattainable ideal, but you can start right now as a bodhisattva-in-training. All you need is the aspiration to put others first.

How does the Buddha nourish your life and practice? Five Buddhists contemplate this question.

The journey of awakening, says Buddhist teacher Gaylon Ferguson, begins by examining our usual beliefs about who we are. Because maybe we’ve got it wrong.

More people than ever before are changing jobs, or at least thinking about it. To help you decide, says Dan Zigmond, contemplate the nature of change.

Sometimes sitting with her sadness becomes too difficult. But Vanessa Zuisei Goddard has learned she can run with it—and through it.

We base our lives on seeking happiness and avoiding suffering, but the best thing we can do for ourselves is to turn this whole way of thinking upside down.

Mindfulness is more than just a meditation practice. Mindfulness is life, and life is love. That’s why it’s the whole path of the bodhisattva, says Zen teacher Norman Fischer.

Meditation, writes David Guy, is the practice of trusting life. When we practice this trust, we can more easily accept the inevitability of death. 

To change your life now and prepare for the inevitable, says Pamela Ayo Yetunde, regularly contemplate these five home truths.

Good luck with that. What you can do, says Jules Shuzen Harris, is change your relationship with your thoughts.

Introduced by Kaira Jewel Lingo, ten Black dharma teachers dive deep into the paramis, the ten qualities of enlightened beings.

It’s the concept of “other” that drives the evils the world suffers from, says Roshi Joan Halifax. The contemplation we need now is that in reality there is no separation.

You don’t have to be perfect to create positive change. Jessica Little reviews eight inspiring new books.

Wendy Garling tells the story of Khujjuttara, one of the Buddha's foremost female lay disciples. Hear more stories of Buddhist women from Wendy Garling in Lion’s Roar’s “<a href="https://promo.lionsroar.com/the-women-of-wisdom-summit-free-registration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Women of Wisdom Summit,</a>” March 21-25.

When a loved one dies, grown-ups don’t always know what to say to kids. Gail Silver has helpful tips based on Buddhist teachings.

Constance Kassor reviews "The Sound of Vulture’s Wings" by Jeffrey W. Cupchik, "The Kalachakra Mandala" by Edward Henning, "Xuedou’s 100 Odes to Old Cases" by Steven Heine, and more.

Enlightenment is possible in this lifetime but time is running out. We have to make the most of this rare and fleeting opportunity to wake up.

If there’s a mother of Buddhism, it’s Mahaprajapati, says Andrea Miller. In women dharma teachers throughout the ages, we see a continuation of her strength and practicality, her wisdom and compassion.

René Rivera on how to have empathy for the person you’ve hurt—and yourself.

Roberval Oliveira shares his experience with cold water therapy, highlighting the important role mindfulness has played in unlocking its numerous benefits.

Kaira Jewel Lingo and Fr. Adam Bucko share how their union as a Buddhist-Christian couple has revealed that love is not only a feeling, but an intentional practice

Buddhism’s four immeasurables aren’t just states of mind we can achieve, says Venerable Hui Cheng. They’re gifts we can give to others.

Life and practice don't need to be separate, writes Emily Horn. She shares how we can integrate moments of meditation into the routine experiences of our every day lives.

B. Alan Wallace on how the kleshas or “mental afflictors” keep us from realizing the true nature of our mind, and how we can begin to get to the root of our discontent by recognizing the kleshas for what they are.

From Ann Gleig and Amy Langenberg, authors of “Sexual Ethics and Healthy Boundaries in the Wake of Teacher Abuse,” from the Winter 2023 issue of Buddhadharma, comes this gathering of select websites, communities, and projects of value to Buddhist communities, teachers, and students looking to develop and maintain best practices when it comes to fostering healthy teacher-student relationships and addressing conflicts and pitfalls.

An excerpt from Notebooks of a Wandering Monk by Matthieu Ricard.— as reviewed in the Winter 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guiden

An excerpt from Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method by Rebecca Li — as reviewed in the Winter 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide.

An excerpt of Seeing One Thing Through: The Zen Life and Teachings of Sojun Mel Weitsman, by Sojun Mel Weitsman — as reviewed in the Fall 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide.

An excerpt from The Buddhist Tantras: A Guide by David B. Gray— as reviewed in the Winter 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide

An excerpt from Making Sense of Mind Only: Why Yogācāra Buddhism Matters by William S. Waldron — as reviewed in the Winter 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide

An excerpt from Karma and Grace: Religious Difference in Millennial Sri Lanka, by Neena Mahadev— as reviewed in the Winter 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide

Falling into bits and pieces, the robe — like everything else — becomes the universe. A teaching by Tenshin Reb Anderson.

Informed by the teachings of Nichiren Shonin, founder of the Nichiren school of Buddhism, and Sot’aesan, the founder of Won Buddhism, Rev. Ryuei Michael McCormick looks at our capacity for spiritual awakening and how it relates to our maturity.

Guo Gu, contributor to the “Glimpses of Buddhanature” feature in the Fall 2023 issue of Buddhadharma, shares the practice of contemplation of hearing, a practice rooted in a method for awakening attributed to the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.

Paul Condon, author of “Buddhanature Beyond Mere Concept” from the Fall 2023 issue of Buddhadharma, explores how cognitive science can help us to realize buddhanature, and gain more capacity to participate effectively in the world.

Ann Gleig, Nadine Levy, and Bhante Sujato shine a light on the harmful effects of toxic masculinity and its surprising, disturbing rise within the Buddhist milieu.

The Heart Sutra is a pithy, powerful text. If you understand it, says Ven. Guan Cheng, you understand the Buddha's teachings.

By letting go of the goal to realize buddhanature, says Paul Condon, we can embody it more freely.

Lopen Karma Phuntsho, writer-in-residence for Tsadra Foundation’s Buddha-Nature project, takes a look at the history and development of the Mahayana concept of buddhanature.

Carolyn Campbell shares how studying the famous Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France sparked an awareness of death that helped her wake up to life.

Zen teacher Vanessa Zuisei Goddard shares her simple three-step practice to stop, soothe, and shift in the face of suffering.

Meditation can help with navigating challenges, cultivating calm, and connecting with others. Four Buddhists with autism on how the practice has changed their lives.

Corresponding with prisoners, Katherine Jamieson has come to appreciate her own freedom.

Are martial arts incompatible or in harmony with Zen? That depends, says Som Pourfarzaneh.

After an infuriating trim, Renshin Bunce realizes meditation isn’t helping her overcome anger—or is it?

How do we transform suffering into happiness? Bonnie Nadzam surveys new books that are helping to show the way.

In this exclusive interview, Mingyur Rinpoche tells Lion’s Roar’s Andrea Miller how he learned to befriend his anxiety. We all have an innate well-being, he says. And we can all experience it.

“What if,” asks Tsadra Foundation executive director Marcus Perman, “we were brought up with the knowledge that each one of us is by nature capable of complete freedom from suffering, and that we possess wisdom and compassion on a nearly unthinkable scale?”

Gary Donnelly shares a selection of key buddhanature texts to add to your reading list.

Shohaku Okumura explains the connection between non-sentient beings and buddhanature.

Four Buddhist teachers share concise instructions for recognizing the luminous nature of mind.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews seven new books for the Fall 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

In this conversation with Buddhadharma, the Insight Meditation Society cofounder applies the “harmonized understanding” approach championed in his book One Dharma to the idea of buddhanature. In the end, it’s not about who’s right or wrong about it. It’s about what leads us to less clinging.

Vanessa Zuisei Goddard on the famous Zen koan “Mu,” and how it helps us dive into buddhanature.

An excerpt from Susan Murphy's new book, A Fire Runs through All Things: Zen Koans for Facing the Climate Crisis — as reviewed in the Fall 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide

An excerpt of Buddhist Masculinities edited by Megan Bryson and Kevin Buckelew— as reviewed in the Fall 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide

An excerpt Vanessa Zuisei Goddard's new book, Weather Any Storm — as reviewed in the Fall 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide

An excerpt of Gesar: Tantric Practices of the Tibetan Warrior King— as reviewed in the Fall 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide

An excerpt from Bhikkhu Anālayo's new book, The Signless and the Deathless: On the Realization of Nirvana — as reviewed in the Fall 2023 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide

René Rivera shares the direct experience of nonself he discovered along his gender journey as a trans man.

Looking at the words of classical texts, Karl Brunnhölzl explores the notions of buddhanature and emptiness—how they may be understood as one and the same, and how they are not identical.

Buddhism values attention and self-mastery; targeted advertising generates craving. Jonathan C. Gold explores the conflict between the two, calling us to regain control of our mindful attention.

What’s it like to provide spiritual care in hospitals, hospices, prisons, and beyond? Seven Buddhist chaplains share their moving stories.

Rev. Dr. Kenji Akahoshi shares the history and practice of Shin Buddhism, offering a pathway to awakening through the compassion of Amida Buddha.

A century after its publication, Randy Rosenthal explores how Hermann Hesse's classic novel "Siddhartha" came to be amidst the author's personal struggles and search for life's deeper meaning.

Pema Khandro Rinpoche gets personal with the Lion’s Roar readership.

For writer Pico Iyer, travel is a spiritual experience that shakes up our usual certainties and connects us to a richer, vaster world. Iyer talks with editor-in-chief Melvin McLeod about his book, "The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise," and his eclectic contemplative practice.

From simple healing instructions for daily meditation to a scientific theory of complexity and a thoroughgoing investigation into suicidal ideation, Bonnie Nadzam reviews this season’s latest titles.

In this excerpt from “Dakini Journey in the Contemporary World; The Heart of Cho Vol.II,” Choying Khandro explores how Dakini energy, expressed as the Five Dakinis, becomes the embodiment and expression of the Five Elements in an awakened form.

Zen teacher Benjamin Mui Pumphrey on appreciating not just the rare birds, but also the sparrows and crows.

Tara Bennett Goleman looks at the parallels between of Buddhist psychology and modern cognitive science, revealing their shared insights that illuminate a hidden path towards inner freedom.

No one who has ever touched liberation could possibly want anything other than liberation for everyone, says Rev. angel Kyodo williams. She shares why we must each fully commit to our own path liberation, for the benefit of all.

These four women Buddhist teachers are shaping Buddhism in America. Meet Doshin Mako Voelkel, Bonnie Duran, Lama Tsomo, and Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin.

An excerpt from Chapter 4 of The Making of American Buddhism by Scott A. Mitchell.

Librarian Eileen Ybarra explores how her practice and librarianship work together to serve her community through deep listening, mindfulness, and compassion.

There are healing practices and rituals found across Buddhist traditions that reinforce the notion of the healing power of dharma. Dr. C. Pierce Salguero asks, what's behind the Buddhist approach to healing and medicine? Is the healing power of dharma simply placebo or something more?

When we see ourselves as separate, we’re limited, says Rebecca Bradshaw. In experiencing the truth of nonself, we free our hearts and minds.

Buddhist monk and scholar Thanissaro Bhikkhu reflects on encounters with his dharma teacher, who “could obviously read my mind and anticipate future events.”

Though deep in personal grief, Rev. Ryuei Michael McCormick knows that, through continued dedicated practice, he can nurture seeds of positivity within himself.

Gaylon Ferguson on how tantric view and practice help us turn confusion into clarity and wisdom.

Rev. Joan Amaral recalls “Operation Bring John Home” — an effort to break through the bureaucracy that kept a married couple apart — while living one’s values and remaining unbowed.

Author, medical doctor, and Plum Village monastic Sister Dang Nghiem (a.k.a. "Sister D.") talks about how her teacher Thich Nhat Hanh taught the "five strengths" — faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight — and how we can harness them to drive and deepen our dharma practice.

Jill Shepherd explores the relationship between the perfection of energy and wisdom, and how applying our energy and effort wisely leads to less harm to ourselves and others.

Lama Hun Lye explores the power of images and how we can take inspiration from the different ways the awakened state has been represented across Buddhist traditions.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu, featured author in the Summer 2023 "Power & The Practitioner" issue of Buddhadharma, explores the Buddha’s teachings on how a sense of self is formed, how we use the five aggregates to define the self, and how to deconstruct the process.

Sati-AI is an art project created to support meditators on their journey towards cultivating mindfulness and fostering personal growth. Ross Nervig speaks with its creator, Marlon Barrios Solano.

The Buddha discovered a path to liberation, and more than two thousand years later people are still following in his footsteps. Heather Sanche unpacks his life, legacy, and essential teachings.

The "Avatamsaka," or "Flower Garland Sutra," details the path and practices of the bodhisattva, including ten powers that arise from the awakened human mind. Rev. Heng Sure on how teacher and student alike might realize them.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews eight new books for the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt of chapter 7 of Aaron P. Proffitt’s new book, "Esoteric Pure Land Buddhism" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt of chapter 16 of Andy Karr's book, "Into the Mirror" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt from Anne Carolyn Klein's new book, "Being Human and a Buddha Too" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt from chapter 14 of Laura Burges' new book, "The Zen Way of Recovery" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt from "Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Vol. 4: Philosophical Topics" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

An excerpt from "Dancing With the Dead: The Essential Red Pine Translations" — reviewed in the Summer 2023 issue of Buddhadharma.

Three Buddhist teachers answer the question "Are we supposed to stop or transcend thinking altogether, or to find another, more enlightened way to think?"

Lion's Roar Editor Andrea Miller tells the story of the ceramic Buddha cup from her childhood and how it inspires her on the Buddhist path.

When you stir dirty potatoes in a pot, they clean each other. Jane McLaughlin-Dobisz on the bumps and benefits of being with others.

Bonnie Nadzam surveys new books on crisis care, climate change, and deep dharma.

Karen Maezen Miller on cultivating the three minds—joyful mind, kind mind, and great mind.

Koun Franz on seeing what’s in front of you, even the things you’d rather not see.

When the Buddha tended to a dying monk, he demonstrated how to live, how to die, how to care for others. Vanessa Sasson offers her retelling of that poignant story.

Beginning with the Buddha himself,  five extraordinary teachers instruct us in the practice of calming the mind, cultivating awareness, and — ultimately — finding freedom.

To be without a reference point is the ultimate loneliness. It is also called enlightenment.

In this teaching from the late Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, he explores how looking deeply at a sunflower can help us discover the reality of interbeing.

Actions can be helpful in one situation yet harmful in another. Rebecca Li says awareness is needed to identify right action.

Following yesterday's footsteps while hiking through the snowy woods, Peter Moretzsohn contemplates how our actions and thoughts shape the present and future.

The fruit of Chan practice is discovering the freshness of each moment. Guo Gu on silent illumination, gong’an, and engaging with the world.

Bonnie Nadzam reviews new books that can help us navigate the ups and downs of life—from personal grief to collective rage to the joy of creativity.

Pilar Jennings on how to overcome two common roadblocks to compassion. The key is facing the truth of suffering—your own and others.

Sean Feit Oakes explores the dharmic lessons of emptiness and compassion in the Oscar-winning film "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Trees can show us how to be bodhisattvas. Rafe Jnan Martin draws important lessons from an old tale.

Associate Editor Mihiri Tillakaratne introduces the May 2023 Issue of Lion's Roar. 

Realizing the middle way between asceticism and indulgence, Siddhartha accepted milk-rice from the farmer Sujata. Hun Lye celebrates the delicious, healthy rice dishes, which can remind us of that pivotal meal.

Do you have something you want to say? Nikki Mirghafori on the questions to ask yourself.

Work can be a path to changing the world, personal growth, and even spiritual discovery. Tami Simon explains.

It’s not about striving for success, says Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön. Right effort is a graceful fine-tuning.

When you’re in harmony with all the factors on the eightfold path, that is right concentration. A teaching by Bradley Donaldson.

Zenzele Isoke calls on Western Buddhists to confront gun culture and the profound suffering it creates.

Jiryu Mark Rutschman-Byler shares the story of “Roshibot,” an AI bot he created and trained with the teachings of the late Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki Roshi.

Jan Westerhoff explores what we know about the days when Nalanda flourished and what the essential teachings that emerged from it mean for us now.

The teachings on emptiness were studied, debated, and refined at Nalanda. They come to life now, says Gaylon Ferguson, in the progressive deepening of our meditation practice.

According to Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, the "Heart Sutra," the best-known text of the Mahayana wisdom tradition, unfolds as a most unusual conversation that leads us to what lies beyond our concepts.

Adrienne Chang shows how Shantideva joined the way we see with the way we act in his classic guide to living the life of a bodhisattva.

Naropa, among the most revered figures in Vajra­yana Buddhism, began as one of Nalanda’s foremost scholar–practitioners. Elizabeth Monson tells the story of his transformation from brilliant pandita to fierce and wild yogi.

According to Francesca Fremantle, Buddhist tantra is based on the simple proposition that we’re already where we need to be. We simply need to allow ourselves to truly realize it.

Zoketsu Norman Fischer on his deep love for Shantideva and how the great teacher’s insights lead us unavoidably to a path of vigorous service to the world.

Barry Boyce shares why Nalanda’s spirit of open inquiry is just what’s needed to keep Buddhism alive and vibrant in each generation.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews "The Two Truths in Indian Buddhism," "Buddhist Ecological Protection of Space," "Forgiveness: An Alternative Account," and more. 

Arinna Weisman gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

C. Pierce Salguero contemplates the karmic framework in Buddhism, and how it informs life's ethical dilemmas. 

Dominique Butet and Olivier Adam profile Tibetan nun Tenzin Palmo, who is changing the role of women in Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

In this, the final part of his series on tantra, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche presents practices for recognizing the true nature of mind—empty and open, luminous and aware.

Dexter Cohen Bohn shares how NYPD Detective Jeff Thompson incorporates his Buddhist practice into role as a police officer.

What does your body tell you when you're anxious? C. Pierce Salguero explains how Buddhist practice can help us tune in when strong emotions arise. 

Thubten Chodron on how to develop bodhichitta, the aspiration to attain buddhahood in order to benefit others.

Rod Meade Sperry talks to Lama Justin von Bujdoss about the practice of "darkness retreat," which made headlines this week after NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed he will soon undertake the practice to determine the future of his football career.

Does enlightenment make you a good person? Seth Zuihō Segall ponders the balancing act of enlightenment and admirability in Zen Buddhism. 

From Harriet Tubman to narcissism to Appalachian Zen — Bonnie Nadzam reviews new books that are sparking conversation.

“Buddha” means “the awakened one.” Karen Maezen Miller on what it is the Buddha woke up from—and how you can wake up, too.

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi unpacks the Buddha’s original mindfulness manual.

Sensei Alex Kakuyo on finding refuge in the present moment.

The Buddha valued dispassion, yet he also knew the power of love. Reiko Ohnuma on the poignant relationship between Siddhartha and his horse.

In this, the first of a three-part series on tantra, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche presents the three stages of meditation. Meditation, he says, is the process of recognizing your buddhanature, then nurturing that recognition.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s work is not finished, says Shinge Roko Sherry Chayat Roshi. We must continue it with gratitude on the endless path toward liberation for all.

In the first of a two-part article on change, Dr. g examines how by embracing the "bardo" state, we can find meaning in impermanence.

Brian Lesage reflects on how we can honor past and future generations of Buddhist practitioners by bringing the spirit of offering into our everyday practice.

Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu’s grandmother taught him that it’s the human condition to be lonely. Being mindful of our loneliness connects us to all others who are feeling the same way.

Roshi Joan Halifax shares two short prayers to set the intention for the new year.

Ahead of holiday party season, we look at the surprising diversity of Buddhist views on intoxicants.

Photographer Chris Rainier has spent decades seeking out spiritual landscapes and religious sites on all seven continents. He’s come to understand what sacred really means.

Joy, giving, family, and peace—people of all faiths can celebrate these values of the holiday season. Eight Buddhists offer their take on yuletide dharma.

Judy Yushin Nakatomi reflects on the evolutionary ride of caring and learning, and protecting that is mothering.

Myozen Joan Amaral, Rev. Marvin Harada, and Pema Khandro Rinpoche answer a question about secular expressions of Buddhism.

In the opening commentary of the Winter 2022 issue of Buddhadharma, Lama Karma Chötso shares her experience as one of seven clergy in Miami-Dade County who filed lawsuits seeking to invalidate House Bill 5.

Ven. Pannavati, Rev. Blayne Higa, Rev. Myokei Caine-Barrett, and Kakumyo Lowe-Charde explore the complexities of guiding others toward leadership roles.

Nagapriya on Shinran, the vision of Shin Buddhism, and the practice of Nembutsu.

Arisika Razak explores the history, meaning, and ultimate refuge of affinity-group sanghas.

Cinthia Font and Lama Karma Yeshe Chodron, share not only the place the translator holds in the transmission of the dharma, but also how it feels to sit in that seat and hold that responsibility.

If you're spending the holidays with family this year, Jeremy Mohler has some advice for staying present when old wounds pop up.

Qalvy Grainzvolt gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

Mindfulness, courage, and compassion are key. Bonnie Nadzam presents a selection of new books on living well.

It’s when we lose the illusion of control—a "bardo" state where we are most vulnerable and exposed—that we can discover the creative potential of our lives.

Zen teacher Norman Fischer takes you through the principles and practices of the major schools of Zen. Includes specially selected articles for further reading.

Rehena Harilall shares her vision of building and repairing community with an open, kind, and compassionate heart.

Rod Meade Sperry talks to Lama Tsomo about her new book "Deepening Wisdom, Deepening Connection."

When we learn that we are all interconnected, says Keturah Kendrick, we develop a deeper compassion for those around us and ourselves.

Bernie Glassman broke open our idea of what Buddhism could be. He fed the hungry, cared for the sick, and bore witness to the world’s pain.

Eric G. Wilson explains how we can see the strangeness in reality, and how examining the "weird" can help us understand the essence of life. 

Bonnie Nadzam relives the childhood ritual of playing dead.

Koun Franz contemplates how caring for ourselves is caring for all.

Monica Jordan reflects on her experience moving from Argentina to the United States and how it changed her perceptions of life's transitions.

As racist and xenophobic violence and discrimination rose amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Tanny Jiraprapasuke learned to transform her rage into compassion for herself, her community, and beyond.

Candice Tsuei explores what her journey to Buddhism has taught her about attachment, enlightenment, and life.

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche offers a fresh teaching on "phowa" practice and how navigating the various transitions in our lives, including the very small ones, lays a foundation for navigating the much bigger ones when they come.

Sherri Posey is a Buddhist hospital chaplain and professional watchmaker. She reflects on how time’s fleeting nature connects everyone.

Lion's Roar's Beth Wallace reflects on how Pema Chödrön impacted her life, from the November 2022 Issue of Lion's Roar.

Buddhist teacher Justin von Budjoss was a chaplain to staff at America’s most notorious jail—Rikers Island in New York. There he learned two important lessons: Buddhism really helps people, and prisons should be abolished.

An AI robot answers your spiritual questions. Bonnie Nadzam reviews this innovative new book and other titles coming out this fall.

As blow after blow strike the Black community of Minneapolis, Zen practitioner and physician Dr. Didi Koka finds strength in the example of Harriet Tubman and support from a mantra of mutual caring.

Bhante Buddharakkhita gets personal with the Lion’s Roar readership.

When we recite the names of historical teachers and remember their stories, we find role models for our lives and practice. Bhikshuni Heng Yi on five inspiring Chan ancestors.

Chan is a vibrant practice tradition in America. Lina Verchery recommends four communities.

Like leaves in the autumn or wood in the fire, all things pass. But, there is a moment in which we can see things as they are.

For Buddhadharma’s 20th-anniversary issue, Barbara O’Brien takes a look back at the last two decades of losses, challenges, and opportunities in Western Buddhism.

According to Dawa Tarchin Phillips, the work in the Buddhist BIPOC community is about recognizing the need for dignity, safety, and access—and then offering those same things.

Larry Ward looks at the path of leadership, and how we get entangled along the way.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews Lauren Shufran’s "The Buddha and the Bard: Where Shakespeare’s Stage Meets Buddhist Scriptures," Rachael Stevens’ "Red Tara: The Female Buddha of Power and Magnetism," a new translation of Dogen’s Zuimonki, and more.

Editor Koun Franz introduces the 20th anniversary issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Guide, which looks back at where Western Buddhism has been, and what might lie ahead.

How, asks Brian Joshin Byrnes, do we as Buddhists come into genuine contact with the people and places we reject?

In the commentary for Buddhadharma’s 20th-anniversary issue, Sonam Kachru reminds us we are all on a path of learning—and that we always have a long way to go.

Stephanie Kaza invites Buddhist communities, and specifically Buddhist leaders, to take a serious look at how they are—or aren’t—responding to the climate crisis.

When the suffering of the world knocks at our door, says Singhashri Gazmuri, we must be courageous enough to open it.

Willa Blythe Baker, Josh Korda, and Tenku Ruff answer a practitioner's question about losing faith in the institutions of Buddhism and the dharma itself. 

For Myokei Caine-Barrett, how we welcome the various parts of our traditions is a reflection of how we welcome others.

Melissa Myozen Blacker teaches the Koan practice of asking again and again, "Who am I?" Every time an answer arises, set it aside. Eventually, answers stop coming, replaced by a feeling of profound wonder.

Indigo Ocean explores the concept of worship and how it can enrich the Buddhist practice of awareness. 

Although enlightenment can seem like an unreachable goal, says Judy Lief, we're actually having glimpses of awakening all the time.

Emptiness is not something to be afraid of, says Thich Nhat Hanh. The Heart Sutra teaches us that form may be empty of self but it’s full of everything else.

Leading Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg talks to Lion's Roar's Andrea Miller about how to care for ourselves, for others — and for the future. Because we’re in it for the long haul.

Jenny Phillips reviews "That Bird Has My Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row" by Jarvis Jay Masters, the powerful memoir first published in 2009 and now in the news in 2022 thanks to Oprah Winfrey's picking of it for her famed book club. 

Author Natalie Goldberg discusses Zen and the writer's practice.

If you're looking for good books to begin or deepen your relationship to Buddhist meditation, you can't go wrong with these essential picks.

In this teaching, Thubten Chodron comments on a prayer to the buddha Tara to protect us from the eight dangers.

Buddhist teacher Judy Lief explains why our awareness of death is the secret of life.

Lion's Roar's Rod Meade Sperry talks to Leigh Brasington about a new posthumous release from Ayya Khema, "The Path to Peace: A Buddhist Guide to Cultivating Loving-kindness."

What was it like to gather around the Buddha and hear him teach? To find out, says Pascale F. Engelmajer, just read the suttas.

Buddhism was an oral tradition for hundreds of years, and many of the earliest writings were lost centuries ago. If we can’t have 100 percent certainty about what the Buddha actually taught—and it seems that we can’t—how do we determine what is the true dharma?

The teachers are asked "How do we retain passion while accepting all of life with equanimity?"

the teachers are asked "How do you know if you should be with one teacher or another?"

Monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu, a trained translator of the Buddha's words, reveals seven fake Buddha quotes he's found. See if you're not surprised.

Are we all alone in this world or at one with everything? Nick Walser shines a spotlight on the paradoxical nature of loneliness.

Sandra Cisneros writes to honor her ancestors, because when that’s her motivation, ego gets out of the way. Angélica Paljor profiles the celebrated author of The House on Mango Street.

As our world consistently changes, Rebecca Li explains how we can feel true freedom when we learn to live every moment as a new experience.

The Vinaya is more than just the monastic rule book, says Amy Paris Langenberg. It’s a treasure trove of stories shedding light on ethical dilemmas, community tensions, and human foibles.

From Silicon Valley and Afrofuturism to healing trauma and gender transition, here is a selection of new books offering a Buddhist take on today’s issues.

Learn more about Buddhist teacher, Rev. Marvin Harada.

The Pure Land is right here, right now, says Sensei Alex Kakuyo. Chanting the nembutsu can help you see that.

Eda Ocak reflects on how meditation practice and the Buddha’s message of no-self transformed her habit of self-comparison.

Lion's Roar associate editor Mariana Restrepo talks to award-winning novelist, poet, and essayist Erika L. Sánchez about her new memoir, "Crying in the Bathroom."

It's not enough to simply to believe compassion is important. We must transform our thoughts and behaviour on a daily basis to cultivate compassion.

The Dalai Lama explains how the Buddhist teachings of mindfulness and compassion lead inevitably to feelings of self-confidence and kindness.

Ozeki wins the Women’s Prize for Fiction for her fourth book, The Book of Form and Emptiness.

Questions around rebirth—from how it works to whether it’s even real—have energized and divided Buddhists for millennia. In this excerpt from his book "Rebirth," Roger R. Jackson unpacks the complexity of it all and offers four basic approaches to incorporating it (or not) into our own practice.

How does Buddhism make sense of war? In the abstract, the teachings are straightforward. But according to Bhikkhu Bodhi, if we find ourselves supporting those who are fighting back in Ukraine, then we have to ask some hard questions—and maybe accept some uncomfortable truths.

A century ago, Buddhists in Vietnam—and in much of Asia—started rewriting their traditions, and in some cases even their history. Alec Soucy explains how what we think we know of Vietnamese Buddhism points to a much more complex reality.

In this teaching from 1965—taken from the oldest extant recording of his talks—Shunryu Suzuki Roshi explains what it means to understand your true nature.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews Through the Forests of Every Color by Joan Sutherland, Renunciation and Longing by Annabella Pitkin, The Dharma in DNA by Dee Denver, and more.

These instructions, which appear across traditions, sound so simple that we may imagine they’re self-explanatory. Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön invites us to look deeper.

If we don’t allow our practice to include the political, asks Brenna Artinger, then how can we stand up to those who do?

Rhonda Magee reviews "Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition," by Rima Vesely-Flad.

La Sarmiento, Margarita Loinaz, and Carol Iwata discuss the experiences of BIPOC Buddhist practitioners—the obstacles they face, and the contributions they are making. Moderated and with an introduction by Mariana Restrepo.

Grandmothers care about others and shed tears for their suffering. That’s why Dogen said having Grandmother Mind is the most important thing of all. Zen teacher Susan Moon contemplates her own journey as a grandmother and her responsibility as an ancestor-to-be.

Patrice Clark Koelsch reimagines the five precepts to apply when engaging in morally-charged activist settings.

Things to see, do, and enjoy in three American Buddhist hotspots.

If you want to connect with the open, spacious quality of mind, says Willa Blythe Baker, at some point you have to stop trying to meditate.

In the opening editorial from our July 2022 issue, Deputy Editor Andrea Miller reflects on her time in Morocco, and the feeling of connection we experience through travelling. 

Koans, Shakespeare, working with suffering — Bonnie Nadzam looks at new books offering different insights into Buddhist practice today.

An interview with Jan Chozen Bays from our “Meet a Teacher” series in the July 2022 issue of Lion’s Roar magazine.

John Tarrant demystifies Zen koan practice. Yes, it’s paradoxical, poetic, and totally personal. And so is life.

Susan Yao explores how Buddhist principles could help us reimagine the American school system.

Dhondup T. Rekjong tells the story of Ngakpa Kalzang, an exile of Tibet and experienced tantric Buddhist practitioner working as a landscaper on Canada's Vancouver Island.

In Buddhism, compassion is embodied in the bodhisattva Kuan Yin, who is said to manifest wherever beings need help.

Avery Grace reflects on what to do when we harm others, how we can move forward, and the compassion we need for ourselves to do better. 

“The next Buddha may be a sangha,” Thich Nhat Hanh famously said, and the practice of community was always central to his life and teachings. Dharma teacher Mitchell Ratner experienced the wonders, lessons, and challenges of living the mindful life at Plum Village.

Pico Iyer thought he would find what is truly real by going off to a monastery, but he was really fleeing it. Dropping his spiritual romaticism, he found it in ordinary life.

From the healing power of storytelling to the dharma of literature—Bonnie Nadzam recommends new books to help us make sense of our lives.

An interview with Gregory Pai from our “Meet a Teacher” series in the May 2022 issue of Lion’s Roar magazine.

The foundation of the Pure Land path, explains Takashi Miyaji, is Amitabha Buddha’s vow to liberate anyone who calls on him.

I’m confused about all the different terms for meditation, like shamatha, vipassana, zazen, mindfulness, calm abiding, insight, just sitting. What's what?

On the Transgender Day of Visibility, Ray Buckner shares his journey to find home on both the Buddhist path and the path of transition.

No self, no form, no goal: Thich Nhat Hanh on the truth we’re distracting ourselves from.

For generations, Tibetan practitioners have been guided by a chart outlining the nine stages of samatha meditation. Jan Willis takes us through the map and introduces us to the characters along the way.

How do we practice ethical conduct, or sila, without falling into judgment, and without ignoring the complexity of each moment? According to Norman Fischer, the way has always been there.

Sister Clear Grace Dayananda left the monastery, packed her life into a little van, and went out into the world to meet people where they are and where they are suffering. Here, she considers khanti, the paramita of forbearance, and the work it requires.

The abbot of Toledo, Ohio's Buddha Eye Temple on the crucial quality of vigor. Its practice, he contends, "is here in this present step. How do we walk right now? What result is in the step itself?"

In any presentation of the paramitas, dana, or generosity, always comes first — Nikki Mirghafori explains why.  

At the heart of the path of the paramitas is prajna, or wisdom—but a wisdom that goes beyond our conventional ideas about it. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche unpacks how that kind of wisdom works.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews Seeing with the Eye of Dhamma by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Roaming Free Like a Deer: Buddhism and the Natural World by Daniel Capper, Rethinking 'Classical Yoga' and Buddhism by Karen O'Brien-Kop, and more.

Constance Kassor reviews "Other Lives: Mind and World in Indian Buddhism," by Sonam Kachru.

As we witness the great suffering of the Russian-Ukraine war, says Dan Zigmond, we have a moral obligation to pay attention.

Your true nature is like the sky, says Mingyur Rinpoche, its love and wisdom unaffected by the clouds of life. You can access it with this awareness meditation.

Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax describes five “edge states” where courage meets fear and freedom meets suffering.

It's a three-week "practice period" at the Zen Center. Sure, it sounds tough — but in the end, it's all love.

Mariana Restrepo shares her journey towards embodying all facets of her intersectional identities.

As we bear witness to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we cannot fall into our tendency to turn away from suffering, says Roshi Joan Halifax.

Through the Pure Land practice of nembutsu, explains Mark Unno, we “foolish beings” entrust ourselves to the full awakening of Amida, the primordial Buddha of Infinite Light.

Six women from the Order of Interbeing reflect on the impact of their beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, following his death.

We would like to express our deep love and gratitude as we make the vow to carry your teachings, compassion, and insight far into the future, the eulogy reads.

Looking for ways to teach her toddler about Buddhism, Mariana Restrepo finds valuable lessons about compassion and the causes of suffering in Disney’s Encanto.

Larry Ward shares a poem about Thich Nhat Hanh, whose teachings have guided many towards a life of mindfulness, joy, and peace.

In the introduction to the first conversation, I wondered whether Sister Clear Grace would find sustaining generosity for this mission from Buddhists and non-Buddhists. I wondered what might be gained by the non-Buddhist strangers who would be in conversation, perhaps for the first time, with a Black Buddhist monastic defying gender norms talking about racial,…

Pema Khandro on the primordial knowing that, according to the Dzogchen teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, is the source and true nature of ourselves and all reality.

At the core of Mahayana Buddhism, explains Kaira Jewel Lingo, is bodhichitta, the bodhisattvas’ enlightened aspiration to save all sentient beings.

In the Chan and Zen traditions, says Guo Gu, enlightenment is not something we create or achieve. It’s who we already are.

Bhante Sujato on nibanna, the state of enlightenment beyond all conditioned existence.

I grew up in the ethnically diverse neighborhoods of Koreatown and Hollywood in Los Angeles. My father was a Marine Corps veteran and my mother was from Jerez, Mexico. My parents had an affinity for Asian cultures, and my first school was a private Christian Korean school. In my teenage years, I attended Hollywood High…

From ecology to nirvana to a monk in high heels — Bonnie Nadzam recommends new books for your spiritual journey.

A smell could take Marianna Pogosyan back in time, or she could stay present to this precious, fleeting moment.

Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk and founder of the Engaged Buddhism movement, died January 22 in his home country of Vietnam. He was 95. 

Meet eight of Thich Nhat Hanh’s students who are now teachers themselves. In their own unique ways, they’re helping to carry his dharma into the future.

So-called objective reality, Pico Iyer finds, is as fickle as the weather. Maybe that’s because it’s as much mind as matter.

We can’t just blindly meditate, says Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Our practice must be illuminated by deep, critical study of the Buddhist teachings.

Buddhist teacher and scholar Jan Willis on the Buddha’s central teaching — his diagnosis and cure for suffering.

Rashid Hughes explores the importance of listening to loneliness and leaning into social intimacy when engaging in contemplative practice.

Teachings and poems by the late Nyogen Senzaki. From Like A Dream, Like a Fantasy: The Zen Writings and Translations of Nyogen Senzaki.

Roger R. Jackson explains how different Tibetan schools approach the nature of mind, and why it matters.

The cause of our global suffering is forgetting that we belong to one another and to the earth. Tara Brach recommends four practices to nourish a sense of collective belonging.

The African philosophy of ubuntu teaches that we are human only through the humanity of others. Buddhists of African descent explore the synergy between ubuntu and the Buddhist teachings on interdependence.

Read David Swick's classic Lion's Roar profile of Joan Didion, who died December 23 at age 87.

What does cultural appropriation mean in a Buddhist context? According to Chenxing Han and Trent Walker, the answer is not as simple as we might like it to be.

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche shares the fundamentals of Buddhist medicine and the intentions behind it.

When your life takes the shape of a question, says Guo Gu, then you have entered the practice of huatou.

When we place offerings on the altar for teachers long past, do we understand what we are doing, or why? Zenju Earthlyn Manuel looks into the depths of that encounter between past and present.

Sean Feit Oakes, Gendo Lucy Xiao, and Lama Liz Monson on balancing Buddhist practice and the financial realities of life.

Sometimes, says Pema Khandro, there’s no way out. It’s at those times that we can discover the depth and resilience of the mind.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews "We Were Made for These Times" by Kaira Jewel Lingo, "The Wakeful Bod" by Willa Baker Blythe, "The Buddha’s Tooth" by John S. Strong, and more.

When we read fantastical stories in Buddhist texts, we might simply dismiss them as myth. Ralph H. Craig III invites us to look at them a little more deeply.

Renowned author, feminist theorist, and cultural critic bell hooks passed away on Dec. 15 at the age of 69. Read about her remarkable life and and work, alongside a selection of pieces by and conversations with hooks published in the pages of Lion's Roar.

Ikumi Kaminishi looks at regional differences in sculptures of the Buddha.

Buddhadharma Editor Koun Franz on meeting his teacher for the first time. 

Ross Nervig on some teachers past and present whose lives and teachings have a lot of offer us.

From the Dalai Lama to queer dharma to the beloved community — Bonnie Nadzam looks at new books that bring us together in the wisdom of the present.

As ex-Marine Alex Kakuyo laments a war he can no longer believe in, he turns for help to the bodhisattva Kannon and the buddha Amida.

In Japan, wabi sabi is an aesthetic principle that sees beauty in imperfection and age. Can Kem McIntosh Lee see the wabi sabi of her own aging body?

Chris Pacheco, Lion’s Roar’s Associate AV Editor, unpacks the real meaning of ninth-century Chinese Buddhist monk Linji Yixuan's famous quote.

If we don’t embrace the often-paradoxical complexity of societal ills, the actions we take to solve them will be merely “Band-Aids.” Kritee on getting to the root of a problem.

Día de los Muertos is a reminder, says Linda González, that we are all one in life and death.

From just sitting to cooking as practice, Dogen defined how most of us understand Zen today. Steven Heine on the life and global impact of Dogen Zenji.

The human heart is basically very compassionate, but without wisdom, compassion will not work. Wisdom is the openness that lets us see what is essential and most effective.

A teaching on the practice of Mahamudra by the late Kagyu master Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche.

10 Buddhist books everyone should have, as selected by the editors of Lion's Roar.

Non-diet dietician Jenna Hollenstein's book "Eat to Love" paves a Buddhist path toward transforming our often troubled relationship with food and body.

There are plenty of Buddhist books with helpful advice about how to help dying people—and how to die yourself.

From being to the nature of time, Dogen explored the big questions. Four experts unpack some of his most influential concepts.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews What I Don’t Know about Death by C. W. Huntington, The Guru Principle by Shenpen Hookham, Questioning the Buddha by Peter Skilling, and more.

Sonam Kachru reviews C. V. Jones’ "The Buddhist Self."

It’s the Buddha’s basic teaching. It’s life’s universal truth. It’s what we most want to deny. Sallie Jiko Tisdale on how this hard but liberating truth can transform your life.

In too many Buddhist communities, women have not been believed when revealing harm caused by men. Bhikkhu Sujato looks to the Vinaya and finds another approach.

Asian American Buddhist communities have for years been dismissed by “convert” Buddhists for carrying “cultural baggage.” Nalika Gajaweera says the response should not be to let it go but to claim it as a mark of cultural responsibility.

Each one of us, says David Viafora, can be a kalyana mitra, or “spiritual friend.” Here’s how.

According to Willa Blythe Baker, making a strong, healthy community starts with understanding how it is constructed.

An excerpt from Ruth Ozeki’s new novel, "The Book of Form and Emptiness."

Zen teaches that we should maintain “a joyful mind, an elder’s mind, and a great mind.” According to Jisho Sara Siebert, they’re never far away.

Editor-in-Chief Melvin McLeod reflects on the importance of death in Buddhist philosophy in the opening editorial of the November 2021 issue of Lion's Roar.

Learn more about Buddhist teacher, Ven. Dr. Jue Ji. 

Buddhist funeral traditions around the world help both the dead and their loved ones let go and move on.

When we practice mindfulness of breath, says Judy Lief, we connect to the reality that birth and death are happening in every moment.

“When the body has dissolved into the four elements, where will you go?” asks the koan called Doushuai’s Third Barrier. Vastness into vastness, concludes Zen teacher John Tarrant.

Most of the time death won’t follow our script, says Roshi Joan Halifax. But amid its messiness and pain, our experience can be respected, and we can learn.

A report on findings from Gen Z Buddhists surveyed in Springtide Research Institute's "The State of Religion and Young People."

Like motherhood, the path to awakening demands compassion, love, and sacrifice. Jenna Hollenstein explains the parallels between mothers and bodhisattvas. 

It’s less than we think. It’s far more than we know. It’s who we are but it’s not. Contemplate the deeper reality of the body.

A talk by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi on enlightenment.

Willa Blythe Baker explores the idea of “entanglement,” coming to the conclusion that the opposite of attachment isn’t detachment — it’s intimacy.

Why you might take up the Buddhist practice of maranasati, or mindfulness of death — even if you really, really don’t want to.

Farmers, grocery store clerks, garbage collectors, teachers—we’re not just interdependent with essential workers such as these; we’re dependent. Norman Fischer on fair wages for all.

Our editor-in-chief, Melvin McLeod, shares why Buddhism is the ultimate self-help, despite one of its central principles — nonself.

Jaimal Yogis’s dad explained his final wishes: “I’ve gotten so much from Buddhism for good living, I’m not going to pass up their tips for good dying.”

These days, if an aversive reaction starts to form in my mind, I think to myself, “Wait! Don’t disturb the peace!”

It goes a lot deeper than how many times a day you check your phone. According to Buddhist teacher Judy Lief, distraction is the very foundation of ego.

Andrea Miller reflects on the truth that interbeing is as close to us as the white on rice.

When we truly face death, we live more fully. Tracy Franz presents a selection of new books (and one movie) on bereavement, self-discovery in nature, and more.

Avikrita Vajra Rinpoche gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

A poem by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Ajahn Chah explains some of Buddhism's most important principles, including nirvana, samadhi, and why it's important to "Be really careful!"

“How many times have I felt that I couldn’t bear the heartbreak,” says Barbara Gates. “But here I am still hiking strong.”

Karen Maezen Miller on how meditation helps her bring "doing nothing" into everything she does.

Towering stacks of newspapers, a mountain of clippings — James Kullander feels they might contain some fact that would transform his life.

Francesca Fremantle, from her book Luminous Emptiness, discusses the wheel of life and how the Buddha decontructed it.

To understand how to practice mindfulness in daily life, says Gaylon Ferguson, we have to look at all eight steps of the Buddha's noble eightfold path.

Why feel bad about yourself when you are naturally aware, loving, and wise? Mingyur Rinpoche explains how to see past the temporary stuff and discover your own buddhanature.

It’s a paradox, says Hokuto Daniel Diffin. No one can teach you Zen, but you need a teacher to understand that.

If you don’t want your happiness to impede that of someone else, says Vanessa Zuisei Goddard, practice the four immeasurables.

On a birthday like no other, Canyon Sam reflects on celebrating beauty and practicing joy and compassion in the face of an increase in anti-Asian violence.

Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that by looking deeply we develop insight into impermanence and no self. These are the keys to the door of reality.

The Buddha is compared to a doctor because he treated the suffering that ails all of us. His diagnosis and cure, says Zen teacher Norman Fischer, is called the four noble truths.

Place your mind on the needle dipping in and out of the fabric, says Cyndi Lee. If you space out, the stitches will go crooked, and that will wake you up.

Cindy Rasicot interviews Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, Thailand’s first fully ordained Theravada nun, on women's ordination, feminism, the role of monastics in society, and more.

Ejo McMullen on the total response of Avalokiteshvara — with a thousand arms, an eye on the palm of each hand — as the model of the bodhisattva path.

Joy Brennan shows how Yogacara teachings reveal whiteness as a constructed identity—and how they offer a path through it, to bodhisattva activity.

Sarah Jacoby examines how even though mothering has been held up in Buddhist teachings as a model of compassion, actual mothering has never gotten much respect. 

Ken Kessel on how we, as Buddhist practitioners, should pay attention — even to the things we’re not paying attention to.

Lauren Leve reviews "S. N. Goenka: Emissary of Insight" by Daniel M. Stuart.

Photographer A. Jesse Jiryu Davis documented three Vesak celebrations in New York this year.

The true Buddha isn’t limited to the body or mind of a particular person who lived long ago. He is present today, says Jack Kornfield, in teachers pointing the way to a timeless freedom.

There is such a wealth of Buddhist books and teachings to consume. Where do you start? Here are some tips on how to tackle your reading list.

Sometimes we’re committed to our meditation practice and sometimes we drift away. No matter what, Matthew Kohut believes we can always find our way home to the cushion.

In Sanskrit, the word buddha can mean “awakened,” “expanded,” and “understood.” It was the title bestowed on an itinerant teacher about whom little is known, apart from the teachings that have been attributed to him. The Buddha first appears in the rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka, who ruled India from 268 to 232 BCE. For…

Zen teacher Karen Maezen Miller explains Bodhidharma's famous practice of wall-gazing.

In "China Root," David Hinton invites the reader to reexamine Zen through its roots in Taoist teachings. Here, he takes a Taoist lens to the idea of “Buddha” itself.

Andrew Olendzki shares all that made the Buddha one of the most radical people who ever lived.

Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu shows us how we can truly connect with others with the Zulu practice of Sawubona.

According to Pema Chödrön, love and compassion are like the weak spots in the walls of ego.

Their sangha gathered virtually, but it was still real. Rachel Paige King on the loss of an online dharma brother.

It’s not easy, but getting your family to meditate could be the best thing you do as a parent. Gail Silver on how to interest your kids in breathing, seeing, and being.

The teachings on lojong, are an invaluable aid to practitioners. They show us how the wisdom and skillful means of the Mahayana can actually be put to use.

Vishnu Sridharan points out a blind spot in Western Buddhism — South Asia is exorcized, while Buddhism’s origins in South Asian culture are ignored.

An interview with Mary Stancavage from our "Meet a Teacher" series in the July 2021 issue of Lion's Roar magazine.

Anne Lamott, Joko Beck, the mindful family, Black liberation—Tracy Franz looks at new books offering the spiritual wisdom we need today.

You don’t have a surface public self and a private inner self, nor do you have one true, unchanging self. What you have, says Barry Magid, is multiple shifting self-states—and they can get along just fine.

What is shikantaza? Suzuki Roshi, the great Zen teacher, says that it is the experience of receiving a "letter from emptiness"

Thich Nhat Hanh explains that sangha is more than a community, it’s a deep spiritual practice.

Pico Iyer loves reading spiritual books, but he’s found just as much good dharma in the books of three favorite novelists.

Wherever you find yourself, says Pema Khandro, that’s the starting point of the bodhisattva path—all you need to do is take that first step.

For the fiftieth anniversary of Francis Story's death, Randy Rosenthal looks back at the life and work of the lesser-known Buddhist thinker

Jean-Paul Contreras deGuzman on the hidden history of Pure Land Buddhists in America.

It’s one of Buddhism’s most famous texts and, to be honest, it can be confounding: the Heart Sutra seeks to cut our usual dualistic thinking at the root.

In this exclusive excerpt from his book, The Heart of the Universe, Mu Soeng sheds light on the Buddhist view of the self.

Koun Franz ponders the famous koan and the Zen master’s enigmatic answer (it’s not woof).

Pema Chödrön offers a bodhicitta practice for generating love and compassion for all human beings.

Enjoy this introduction to the teachings and meditations of Tsoknyi Rinpoche.

Sara Davidson remembers the American spiritual icon Ram Dass.

James Ishmael Ford gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

Tracy Franz reviews "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Zen," "A Quiet Mind," "River of Offerings," and more.

Perfectly clear, compassionate, and concise, the "Five Remembrances" are Buddhism at its very best. Koun Franz explains.

The way to bodhicitta, the mind of compassion, is marked by the fifty-nine lojong slogans. Gaylon Ferguson points us in the right direction.

Michael Sheehy reviews "Science and Philosophy in Indian and Buddhist Classics, Vol. 2: The Mind."

According to Yogacara, or “mind-only” teachings, everything we experience is a construct of consciousness. Guo Gu explains how it all works.

An excerpt from "Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Volume 2: The Mind" on Buddhist understandings of consciousness.

Until we begin to make the distinction between observing thoughts and observing the knowing mind, writes Ayya Dhammapida, "we have not yet begun to study or to experience the mind directly."

They were typical kids — then they were recognized as the reincarnations of Tibetan Buddhist masters. Three Western tulkus talk to Andrea Miller.

The Abhidhamma, says Bhikkhu Bodhi, breaks open how the mind works, what cognition is, and how there can be thoughts without a thinker.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews "Be the Refuge" by Chenxing Han, "Esoteric Theravada" by Kate Crosby, "Superiority Conceit" by Bhikkhu Analayo, and more.

The opening commentary from the Spring 2021 issue of Buddhadharma.

We call people who harm us enemies, but is that who they really are? When we see the person behind the label, say Buddhist teachers Sharon Salzberg and Robert Thurman, everyone benefits.

In his new book, "Superiority Conceit in Buddhist Traditions," Bhikkhu Analayo investigates some of the ways we as Buddhists have deluded ourselves about the "other."

In Vajrayana, the fast track to awakening is to look directly at your own mind and discover its true nature. Tsoknyi Rinpoche shows us how.

Leading Christian writer Anne Lamott is married to Vipassana practitioner Neal Allen. Andrea Miller on how this couple has found the sweet spot where their beliefs meet.

In this complex and interconnected world, living ethically has never been more challenging—or more important. Jan Willis, Rebecca Li, Trudy Goodman, Thanissaro Bhikku, and Sister True Dedication share the five Buddhist precepts for modern times.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche talks about how the most important thing in spiritual practice is motivation and the wish to free all beings from suffering.

Newly translated works by the renowned Korean poet Ko Un offer powerful glimpses into the human condition and the paradoxes of the Buddhist path.

Zenju Earthlyn Manuel’s deepest vow is to be a person who doesn’t cause suffering and walks in peace. It’s what we all really want.

Dzogchen master Tsoknyi Rinpoche shares a meditation to encourage clarity of mind.

When you recognize the true nature of mind, says Dzogchen master Tsoknyi Rinpoche, all habitual patterns are naturally liberated in the space of wisdom. That includes the ultimate habit known as samsara.

The name “Buddha,” means “one who is awake.” Sam Littlefair shares three Buddhist teachings on sleeping, dreaming and – finally – awakening.

LionsRoar.com's digital editor Lilly Greenblatt looks at the hope in hopelessness.

Rev. Keiryū Liên Shutt gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

Tracy Franz reviews "Be the Refuge" by Chenxing Han, "Peaceful Heart" by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, "Being Ram Dass" by Ram Dass, and more.

When a student confronts his famed teacher, Steve Silberman learns the meaning of “intimate practice.” In that moment, he becomes a Buddhist.

The Buddha’s analysis of how to free ourselves from suffering is profound, universal, and eternal, says Melvin McLeod.

Only three steps of the Buddha’s noble eightfold path are explicitly about ethics. But look more deeply, says Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, and you’ll discover that ethics are at the heart of all of them.

In the dharma of knitting, there is no past or present or future, says Jennifer Urban-Brown. Without holding on to the promise of the finished object, loop yarn, pull through, breathe in, breathe out.

Zen teacher Joan Sutherland on life's dreamlike nature and why it should be embraced.

Charlotte Z. Rotterdam shares three verses by Machig Labdrön, the founder of Chöd, that we can carry with us in our daily lives.

Sitting still in the dark zendo and breathing with others is exactly what Natalie Goldberg needs. On this last night of the year, she wonders what this human life is all about.

Livia Kohn reviews "China Root: Daoism, Chan, and Original Zen by David Hinton."

Chöying Khandro takes us on a tour of Chöd, where we visit the places we don’t want to go and offer ourselves up to the things that frighten us the most.

Gina Sharpe, Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, and Pilar Jennings examine spiritual power, the roots of its abuse, and how we might learn to hold it differently going forward.

Satya Robyn, Harry Um, and Valerie Brown discuss the "positive" and "negative" focuses of Buddhist practice.

Even as we uphold tradition, says Justin von Bujdoss, we also have to leave room for it to grow.

Joie Szu-Chiao Chen reviews "Praise of Great Compassion" by the Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron, "America’s Racial Karma" by Larry Ward, "Reading the Buddha’s Discourses in Pali" by Bhikkhu Bodhi, and more.

Brain-science writer Daniel Goleman describes how we are hard-wired from kindness—and why that impulse is sometimes short-circuited.

Synchronicity, says Rachel Naomi Remen in this holiday teaching, can startle us awake and restore us to ourselves.

Lion's Roar deputy editor Andrea Miller tells the story of Siddhartha Gautama.

Menakem discusses the practices and insights shared in his NYT bestseller, "My Grandmother's Hands."

After launching their first Teens of Color in-person retreat in 2019, Inward Bound Mindfulness Education pivots to online programming.

Rachel Neumann on what it was like to simultaneously navigate the pandemic and the wildfires that ravaged the West Coast.

In this excerpt from her new book co-edited with Cheryl A. Giles, "Black and Buddhist," Pamela Ayo Yetunde offers advice for POC considering entering a dharma community, and shares the importance of utilizing Right Intention when doing so.

Randy Rosenthal interviews the award-winning translator, whose new book, "China Root," goes deep into the Taoist origins of Chan (Zen).

Melvin Escobar on dealing with the loss of a virtual friend.

Pamela White completes eight cycles of the intense purification process known as nyoungne, and finds it a joyous experience.

The sun doesn’t stop shining just because there are clouds in the sky. Our buddhanature is always present and available, even in difficulty.

Through Mahamudra meditation, says Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, we relax into the emptiness, clarity, and awareness of ever-present buddha wisdom.

For December, we're celebrating compassion on Lion's Roar and in Shambhala Sun. Here, Norman Fischer says giving is the Buddha way.

Teachings on the Four Noble Truths from Handful of Leaves, Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s new translations of selected suttas from the Pali Canon.

Tracy Franz on a diverse and inspiring selection of new Buddhist books.

We all have an attitude, says Zen teacher Norman Fischer, our own way of approaching life. You can start to take a bodhisattva’s attitude toward life by practicing generosity and appreciation.

Karen Maezen Miller on how the domestic practice of ancient Zen masters can lead us to intimate encounters with our own lives.

Shinzen Young gets personal with the Lion's Roar readership.

When it comes to sex, Western Buddhists tend to be fairly liberal. But as scholar José Cabezón explains, Buddhist tradition takes a much more conservative approach, prohibiting, among other things, oral or anal sex, male homosexuality, and even sex during daylight hours. 
He challenges us not to dismiss traditional Buddhist views on sexuality but rather to critically examine them, beginning with the study of sexual ethics in Buddhist texts.

Sean Feit Oakes offers a post-election reminder to us all.

Awaiting the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Chenxing Han turns to the prose of Japanese poet and Buddhist monk Kamo-no-Chomei, and ponders his same questions, 800 years later.

Each Friday, we share three topical longreads in our Weekend Reader newsletter. This week, Lion's Roar magazine's Hal Atwood looks at the gifts of impermanence.

Embrace the ritual forms of Buddhist practice, says Zen teacher (and former Buddhadharma editor) Koun Franz — you can't escape them anyway.

How do we as Buddhists meet the challenges of our time? Joan Sutherland says an answer lies in the teachings of two great Chan masters.

Scholar Sarah Shaw explains why mindfulness must work together with ethics, compassion, and wisdom — in Buddhism and in life.

Jan Chozen Bays ponders the question of evil's origin, considering the Christian and the Buddhist perspectives on good and evil.

To whom does the dharma belong? asks Vaishali Mamgain, Ph.D, as she explores the ways colonization and white supremacy have appropriated the dharma and other wisdom traditions.

Karen Connelly on giving unseen beings their due.

I remember having an intimate conversation with His Holiness many years ago. At one point he touched the tip of his tongue and quietly said, “This tongue has never lied.” What a simple and astonishing statement. It cut right through me. It would be quite unthinkable to believe such a clear and dignified declaration from…

As a prelude his five-part series, Zen teacher Lewis Richmond asks us to consider fear itself: what is fear? What are we so afraid of?

When the spirit moves into writing, shaping its direction, that is a moment of pure mystery.

When I have attended His Holiness the Dalai Lama giving Buddhist teachings to large assemblies, I have had an odd sensation lately…

Scholar Andrew Olendzki on how the Buddha discovered a path to liberation that we can take too.

Karma Lekshe Tsomo on the Buddha as social reformer — for his time and ours.

Sharon Salzberg reflects on the selflessness of everyday caregivers, and encouraging a balance of compassion and equanimity.

Tracy Franz on some timely themes in new books and media.

Psychologist and mindfulness meditator Maria Konnikova talks about what she learned about life, luck, and paying attention on her journey from complete novice to poker professional.

The Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron outline three levels of Buddhist ethical codes and how we can follow them.

Sometimes when I teach I feel like I'm pretending to be someone I'm not because I see where I fail to live up to these precious teachings. I begin to doubt.

The Fall 2020 issue of Buddhadharma features in-depth teachings for cultivating your Buddhist practice and manifesting those teachings in everyday life.

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (1920–1996) on the differences between Mahamudra and Dzogchen—and the relationship between them.

Roger R. Jackson reviews "Buddhist Magic: Divination, Healing, and Enchantment Through the Ages" by Sam van Schaik.

Oren Jay Sofer, Sister Clear Grace, and Ayya Yeshe look at the meaning of hope in Buddhism and what it means in today's world.

Rob Preece shares why the Buddhist path isn't about trying become spiritually evolved, but about being authentic, open, and compassionate.

To mark the fiftieth anniversary of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi‘s Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, we present two teachings from the book, alongside testimonials from Buddhist teachers.

Buddhist practice is not meant to be comfortable, says Tenku Ruff. We have to keep pushing our edges — and that includes waking up to the reality of deeply rooted white superiority.

When written language arrived in Tibet, says Patrick Dowd, it brought the dharma with it.

How do we hold the realities of racism in our hearts, asks Doshin Mako Voelkel. And how do we hold the parts of ourselves that might want to look away?

This, says Jan Chozen Bays, is the healing power of practice: we release our fear, transform our unskillfulness, and discover our kindest selves.

It's an essential truth about life itself: suffering of one kind or another is a natural part of existence. Knowing this truth gives our lives wholeness and peace, as it frees us from the exhausting postures of pretense and denial.

Water and wave, being and nonbeing, beginning and ending—liberation from all duality, teaches Thich Nhat Hanh, is the key to enlightenment.

Lion's Roar Special Projects editorial assistant Sandra Hannebohm looks at wabi-sabi and the perfection of imperfection.

In the direct, insightful style for which he is known, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana teaches the meditation technique known as Vipassana and explains why only meditation addresses the human condition.

Hal Atwood looks at three organizations who focus on humanitarian work as an essential expression of their Buddhist values.

A koan can be anything that disrupts our usual way of being. Have you noticed that happens a lot in life? 
Eve Myonen Marko and Wendy Egyoku Nakao explain how we can use our personal koans to experience reality in a new way.

In the Baseball Sutra, recently discovered by scholar Donald Lopez, the Buddha explains why he created a game where suffering and failure are the norm.

Our basic problem, says Trudy Goodman, is ignoring the reality of impermanence. Being mindful in the moment, appreciating this flowing, interconnected life, we miraculously free ourselves from habitual patterns.

The late Burmese teacher Mahasi Sayadaw helped to revitalize the Vipassana tradition with his precise teachings on meditation. His student Bhante Bodhidhamma presents Mahasi’s simple and direct method for slowing down and ultimately halting conceptual thinking.

How do we make offerings to Buddha? First we find Buddha everywhere, says Kokyo Henkel — and then we offer everything.

Insight Meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein examines a key teaching from the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha’s discourse on the four foundations of mindfulness, which he called the direct path to liberation.

Book reviews by Joie Szu-Chiao Chen from the Fall 2020 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly.

Buddhism in the West is having a difficult time. With allegations of misconduct made against teachers in several of our communities, there is now widespread disillusionment and organizational chaos. Of course, similar problems exist in other faith traditions, and the #MeToo movement has been revealing these issues throughout all levels of society. Many of us…

Bill Aiken offers five Buddhist insights to be a more effective agent of change

Using Buddhist principles, economist Clair Brown identifies the big policy changes we need to have a caring society and a sustainable future.

The practice of community, says Mushim Patricia Ikeda, is more than including beyond all people, even all beings. It mean including all thoughts, all emotions, all realities—the bad as well as the good.

We review "Mop Rides the Waves of Life" by Jaimal Yogis and Matthew Allen.

To the Buddhism’s traditional four causes of suffering we must now add a fifth: the suffering caused by racism, sexism, poverty, and all the other forms of human injustice. Only when seeing that clearly, says Ann Gleig, will our compassion will be complete.

Laura Munson finds an unlikely friend named Edgars.

When we are with others in times of suffering, says contemplative care expert Koshin Paley Ellison, we can take the four noble truths as our guide.

Only when we awaken to our own light can we be fully present to another person’s inner light and life, says Shinge Roko Sherry Chayat. "Only then can we respond fully, with nothing in the way."

A talk by Dainin Katagiri Roshi about the Buddhist idea of emptiness — and, an unusual sport.

The Golden Chain is a traditional recitation within American Shin Buddhist communities. For Camille Hamilton Pating, it comes as naturally—and joyfully—as saying the Name of Amida Buddha.

We cling to our own worldviews, says Dorotea Mendoza. Imagine if we listened to each other instead.

The combination of wisdom and compassion—the very essence of Buddhism—leads to that all-American value, freedom. It is, says Duncan Ryuken Williams, freedom in the most profound sense.

As we learn to limit our consumption, a peace appears, says Sean Feit Oakes. Without this peace, the fire that burns our hearts and communities can never be put out.

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse tells us that if it feels too good, it’s probably not Buddhism. If you want real, honest painful, transformation, then read on.

Reginald A. Ray examines the doctrine of karma, one of the most important yet most misunderstood of all Buddhist teachings.

A roundtable discussion with Gil Fronsdal, Michael Liebenson Grady and Marcia Rose. Introduction by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

We review "Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger" by Lama Rod Owens.

We review "You Belong: A Call for Connection" by Sebene Selassie.

We review "Without Ever Reaching the Summit: A Journey" by Paolo Cognetti.

We review "Dreams of Light: The Profound Daytime Practice of Lucid Dreaming" by Andrew Holecek.

We review "An Artful Path to Mindfulness: MBSR-Based Activities for Using Creativity to Reduce Stress and Embrace the Present Moment" by Janet Slom.

We review "The Barefoot King: A Story about Feeling Frustrated" by Andrew Jordan Nance; Illustrated by Olivia Holden.

The great Dzogchen teacher Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche on the primordial union of emptiness and awareness, the space-like nature of mind.

Gesshin Greenwood on what happens when chocolate, peanut butter, and Buddhism collide.

Teachings on Dzogchen by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Sylvia Boorstein looks at the paradoxes and subtleties in the central Buddhist concept of no-self.

After his stroke, Thich Nhat Hanh began enjoying a quiet, 
contemplative life in the temple where he lived as a young novice. Sister Annabel Laity shares the moving experience of visiting her teacher there.

Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche's advice for time management: organize your schedule, let go of distractions, and make a clear aspiration to practice.

Richard Payne takes a serious look at the role of ritual in Buddhist practice and the reasons why Westerners might feel resistant to it.

Michael Sheehy reviews "­­­Why I Am Not a Buddhist," by Evan Thompson.

Ayesha Ali asks white people to examine their life and privilege—without shame but with deep curiosity about why you don’t really know or understand her.

Review: "Dharma Matters: Women, Race, and Tantra" by Jan Willis.