The origins and meanings of the Eight Auspicious Symbols In my previous article,* I wrote about the large paintings that I was asked to create
Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera (1942–2015) was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk and a nonviolent revolutionary who became one of the most inspiring and influential social
More dance styles are depicted in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes than at any other archaeological site on earth. Dance imagery animates nearly every cave. The
When I began teaching Western women the sacred art of Tibetan appliqué in 2008, I thought I was merely teaching needlework, but I had underestimated
Formalistic characteristics of Goryeo Water-moon Avalokiteshvara paintings This article explores the authentic beauty and iconographical meaning of the Water-moon Avalokiteshvara paintings of the Korean Goryeo
Arguably the most important symbol in Buddhism, the lotus not only represents spiritual purity, but also serves as a reminder that all beings are capable
Tracing the emergence of Chan Buddhism in China
From a very early age I’ve enjoyed spending time alone. As a young girl growing up in England, communing with nature, I would crush stones
Over the course of several days in 2009, I had the great fortune to visit the Buddhist cave temples surrounding the oasis town of Dunhuang
The Eight Auspicious Symbols, or Ashtamangala, are perhaps the most well-known group of symbols in Tibetan Buddhism. Consisting of the parasol, the pair of golden
The 5th/6th century Buddhist monk Bodhidharma is considered the founder and patriarch of meditational Buddhism, known as dhyana in Sanskrit, Chan in Chinese, and Zen in Japanese. Although he was revered
After seeing several Cham festivals in remote places on a 2014 trip to Ladakh and neighboring Zanskar, I came to the conclusion that video-documenting Cham
