Man sitting on cliff overlooking mountain range

Venturing Beyond Our Fear of Emptiness

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.

Undoing Toxic Masculinity in Buddhist Communities

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.

Tree silhouette with sunset in background

Unlocking the Wisdom of the Heart Sutra

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

Buddhanature Beyond Mere Concept

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

Lotus flower photographed from below with sky in background.

Why Buddhanature Matters

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.

A momunment at Père Lachaise Cemetery reads "Aux Morts," or "to the dead," with stautes of people surrounded by flowers.

Learning From the Dead

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.

Traffic light with red light in the shape of a heart

Stop, Soothe, Shift: A 3-Step Practice to Do What Helps

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

colorful tiles collage painting with face and flower

On the Spectrum, On the Path

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

Bird flying in blue sky with clouds

“I Miss the Sky”

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

Two figures bow towards each other

No Self, No Opponent

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

Illustration of woman getting haircut, looking in a broken mirror.

Love Thy Haircutter?

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

collage of book covers

Lion’s Roar November 2023 Book Reviews

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

Mingyur Rinpoche sitting under a tree, looking off into the distance.

Clarity & Calm: An Interview With Mingyur Rinpoche

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.

Lotus flower

Nothing Is More Important Than Your Buddhanature

“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?”

Books

A Short Guide to Key Buddhanature Texts

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

Pink flowers

How Insentient Beings Expound Dharma

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

green and black light sculpture

Meditations on Buddhanature

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

Bookshelf

Buddhadharma on Books: Fall 2023

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

Joseph Goldstein. Photo by Stephanie Zollshan.

Joseph Goldstein: It’s Not Either-Or

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.

A swimmer tries to stay afloat within a wave.

The World Between Breaths

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