Jamgon Kongtrul.

Who Was Jamgon Kongtrul?

Who was Jamgon Kongtrul and who are his successors?

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.

What are the Eight Awakenings?

The eight awakenings are pithy descriptions of what bodhisattvas and other enlightened beings realize, which are chanted mainly in the Mahayana tradition.

Buddha Shakyamuni.

The Message of the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths

The message of Buddha's Four Noble Truths is that paying attention and seeing clearly lead to behaving impeccably in every moment on behalf of all beings.

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.

Cultivate Tranquility, Harvest Insight

The classical Theravada model of meditation employs the practices of shamatha and vipassana, both. Ajahn Brahmavamso explains the path of tranquility and insight.

The Healing Practice of Cultural Humility

Charlene Leung discusses the importance of using Buddhist practice to become aware of our biases and develop cultural humility.

Four Steps to Magical Powers

Before you fully embark on the path of the bodhisattvas and buddhas, says Sheng Yen, you must first practice the four steps to magical powers.

Light in the dark.

Koan and Shikantaza: Escaping the Trap of Delusion

Jan Chozen Bays on shikantaza and koan study, Zen’s two primary practices.

Buddhist teacher researches ways to improve Indigenous healthcare

Native American Buddhist teacher Bonnie Duran works to decolonize healthcare for Indigenous communities.

A Dalai Lama Reading List

From global ethics to Buddhist practice — Lion's Roar's recommendations from the Dalai Lama’s vast and varied body of writings.

Monk Ledi Sayadaw sitting in meditation.

The Insight Revolution

Determined to save Buddhism in Burma during colonial rule, Ledi Sayadaw popularized the teachings of the Abhidharma and introduced thousands of laypeople to the practice of insight meditation. As Erik Braun tells us, he set in motion a revolution in Buddhist practice still being felt around the globe.

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.

Buddha statue.

To Enter the Vajrayana Start at the Beginning

It is the kindness of the buddhas to provide us with a complete path, and the preliminary practices are part of that path.

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.

The Burning Heart of a Bodhisattva

On the 55th anniversary of Thich Quang Duc's self-immolation, Edward Tick shares what he has learned from his pilgrimages to the site of the famous protest.

Traditional painting of a cabin in the mountains.

Advice for Going on a Long Meditation Retreat

Andrew Holecek offers some practical advice for anyone considering a long-term retreat.

Meditating Buddha.

Shamatha–Vipashyana: Our Original Nature

Gaylon Ferguson explains that through both shamatha and vipashyana meditation we bring our mind back to its original state.

Painting of Sujata offering rice to the Buddha.

Buddhism Began with a Good Meal

Buddhism isn't about depriving yourself of worldly pleasures. Andrea Miller explains how a healthy meal helped Siddhartha understand the importance of nourishment — and offers a healthful recipe for cashew pulao.

Mechanical bodhisattva sculpture by Wang Zi-Won.

Awakening the Bodhisattva

Venerable Pannavati, Anne Klein, and Ejo McMullen on the possibilities and challenges of the bodhisattva path. Introduction by Taigen Dan Leighton.