Why do Buddhists bow?

In Asian traditions, bowing is a gesture of humbleness and respect, but it can seem strange in the modern West.

Girl on a bicycle with trainingwheels

The Five Precepts—Buddha’s Training Wheels

Zachary Bremmer explains why we should approach the five precepts as training wheels to guide our practice.

The front of a Victorian house.

San Francisco’s famed Zen hospice closes doors while seeking funding

The Zen Hospice Project guesthouse opened in 1990, during the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Glass

Do you see the glass as half full or ultimately empty?

“Do you see the glass half full or half empty?” a therapist asks Nadia Colburn. That's not the question, she says. In truth, the glass is already broken.

XXXTentacion funeral to be officiated by Buddhist teacher Lama Rod Owens

Today Buddhist teacher Lama Rod Owens announced to his Facebook followers that he would serve as the officiant at the funeral of rapper XXXTentacion.

Small girl crying while border guards search her mother.

Now is the Time to Find Our Compassion

Lion's Roar deputy editor speaks with Zen teacher Tenku Ruff about a collective statement that she helped author — signed by 200 Buddhist teachers — calling for an end to the US government's practice of separating migrant children from their parents.

Blanche Hartman, Living, Dying, Zen, Buddhism, Lion's Roar, Shambhala Sun

Good Evening, Bodhisattvas

Zenkei Blanche Hartman reflects on “The Great Matter” that has driven and sustained her.

The Tibetan Buddhist View of Death and Rebirth

In the March 1995 Lion's Roar magazine, Professor Robert Thurman explained the Tibetan Buddhist view of death and rebirth.

Cartoon dog comfortable in flames.

These Flames are Cool and Refreshing

What do a 16th-century Zen master and a contemporary cartoon dog have in common? Both of them maintained equanimity as their worlds burned, says Cristina Moon. And this is why we train as Buddhists.

Sharon Salzberg: Love Is Not Weakness

There is a misconception, says Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg, that developing a more loving heart will make us weak.

Weed Buddhism Marijuana Drugs Precepts Renunciation Cannabis Smoke Pot Lion's Roar Buddhism Shambhala Sun

A Buddhist pot-smoker on quitting weed

Pot use is having its moment, finding new acceptance across America. So why, after a long love affair with weed, has this Buddhist kicked it to the curb?

Pema Chodron, kd lang, lion's roar, shambhala sun, buddhism, music

Pema Chödrön & k.d. lang talk Buddhism, creativity, and “gapaciousness”

The beloved Buddhist teacher and famed singer discuss Buddhism, creativity, and "the gap."

Plane going down.

Facing Death, Mindfully

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana tells the story of coming face-to-face with death when his plane's engine set on fire.

Pema Khandro Rinpoche Recites a Prayer to Awaken Bodhicitta

Pema Khandro Rinpoche offers a recitation from the Vajrayana tradition to awaken bodhicitta, or enlightened mind.

Compassion Has No Enemy

In the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, Buddhist teacher Guo Gu explored human violence through the lens of the three poisons.

bell hooks and Pema Chodron.

Cultivating Openness When Things Fall Apart

Isn't that the kind of teaching we need these days, that difficult circumstances can be the path to liberation. That's news you can use.

Dena Merriam

Dena Merriam: “We Need an Evolution in Consciousness”

A significant shift is needed, says Dena Merriam of the Contemplative Alliance, "and for that shift to take place we need a growth in consciousness."

Ursula K. Le Guin.

Ursula K. Le Guin on Housman’s Classic Poem “From Far”

Ursula K. Le Guin unpacks the rhythm and wisdom of A.E. Housman's classic poetry.

Bernie Glassman staring out of a window at Auschwitz.

Bearing Witness to All of Life

Roshi Bernie Glassman on the three pure precepts — cease from evil, do good, and do good for others — and why they all come down to one point.

Atisha, lojong teacher.

How Lojong Awakens Your Heart

Pema Chödrön's new commentary on Atisha's famed mind-training slogans that use our dificulties and problems to awaken our hearts.