Following Ancient Traces
Joseph Houseal
16 October 2015
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
Wonderwell Mountain Refuge—A Flowering of Buddhism in America
Harsha Menon, MA, MFA
16 October 2015
As I arrive at Wonderwell Mountain Refuge for a weekend stay, it is immediately evident that while Wonderwell is a place of meditation, it is
Time to Stand Up: An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for our Earth – The Buddha’s Life and Message through Feminine Eyes – Book Review
Caitlin Dwyer
16 October 2015
A few chapters into the newly published Time to Stand Up, I joined the Sierra Club, one of America’s largest and oldest environmental groups. About halfway
Karmic Circumstance—Who Is Entitled to be Reborn in the Pure Land?
Alan Kwan
16 October 2015
Meditative practitioners are entitled to rebirth in the Pure Land In the Contemplation Sutra, Queen Vaidehi asks Shakyamuni Buddha to teach her how to meditate and
Buddhist Heritage Sites Languish in Odisha, India
BD Dipananda
9 October 2015
The eastern Indian state of Odisha (until recently named Orissa) is home to a large number of temples and Buddhist heritage sites that draw scholars
Twelve years of Thangka Art: Apprenticeship, Personal Practice, and Evolution
Dakini As Art, Tiffani Gyatso
9 October 2015
A commonly held view is that the body houses the soul—but have you ever thought that the soul could live elsewhere? I have experienced that
Emptiness and Fullness: Windows into Buddhist and Russian Orthodox Dialogue
Raymond Lam
9 October 2015
I am not qualified to be a theologian, although I share with many of my former teachers and fellow students of religion a belief in interfaith dialogue. The objective
Giving Space and Finding Joy
Heather Sanche
9 October 2015
Shamatha meditation is the practice of settling the mind into a stable and calm state of present-moment awareness. Once the mind is in such a state,
The Path of Joy—The Four Noble Truths in Daily Life: Part Four
Sister Ocean
9 October 2015
The Fourth Noble Truth is The Path that leads to the cessation of dukkha (“ill-being” or “suffering”). The Path is also called the Noble Eightfold Path of
A Comparison of the Two Ways of Seeing Amitabha Buddha and Attaining Rebirth in His Pure Land
Alan Kwan
2 October 2015
Two teachings by two Buddhas—the dual objective of the Contemplation Sutra In his Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, Master Shandao says: “Here, the objective of the Contemplation Sutra is
Pema Namdol Thaye: A Maker of Mandalas
Meher McArthur
2 October 2015
The Sanskrit word “mandala” literally means a sacred center (la) that has been set apart or adorned (mand). In theory, therefore, a mandala can take
Buddhistdoor View: The Perils of Spiritual Materialism
Buddhistdoor Global
2 October 2015
Spiritual materialism is perhaps one of the most powerful spiritual dangers. An easy trap to fall into, spiritual materialism operates at two basic levels: the