Origins of the Godai Myо̄о̄
Michael Van Hartingsveldt
8 March 2018
Introducing a new column on iconography in Japanese…
Heirs to the Tiantai Tradition: The Tiantai Trilogy, Part 3
Zephyr Chan
27 December 2017
In my previous articles in this trilogy, I explained the philosophy of Tiantai Buddhism and why it appeals to me. Unlike the philosophically rich Huayan,
The Story of Zhanran, Tiantai’s Ninth Patriarch
Zephyr Chan
21 July 2017
A life combating philosophical errors and spreading the…
Strings of Enlightenment: The Beauty of Buddhist Prayer Beads
Meher McArthur
17 February 2017
Prayer beads are an important part of Buddhist practice and ritual throughout Asia and beyond. Although they are generally regarded primarily as tools to aid
Why Meditate?
Gereon Kopf
27 January 2017
Whenever I teach Japanese Buddhism, whether in the Americas, Europe, or East Asia, I frequently run into the same assumption among students that Buddhists, for
Does a Philosopher Have Buddha-nature?
Gereon Kopf
4 November 2016
In my previous article,* I introduced a method of reading Japanese Buddhist texts, especially writings by the Japanese Zen master Dōgen (1200–53).** Here, I would
Cosmic Contemplations: A Glimpse of Japan’s Rare Star Mandalas
Meher McArthur
2 September 2016
Japan’s esoteric Buddhist traditions boast a rich and diverse array of imagery, ranging from figures of individual deities to elaborate mandalas depicting specific deity families
Spiritual Receptiveness: A Conversation with Reverend Shomon
Raymond Lam
31 July 2015
Buddhism’s remarkable receptiveness has enabled it to evolve into a tradition of great diversity. Through pragmatic absorption and negotiation rather than conquest or imposition, Buddhism