Archives: BD Articles
Ask the Teachers: Is it ever appropriate for a teacher to be wrathful with a student?
The teachers are asked "Is it ever appropriate for a teacher to be wrathful with a student?"
Commentary: Why We Need to Know Our Buddhist History
Rita Gross explains why it is important for our practice to understand the history of Buddhist movements.
Medicate or Meditate?
Four physicians and long-term meditators explain why both antidepressants can have an important role to play in treating depression.
No Turning Back
Christine Skarda’s investigations into the nature of perception drew her out of the research laboratory and onto the meditation cushion.
The Magical Illusion of Self
For the meditator who sees things as they really are, explains the late Mahasi Sayadaw, there is no “I” or “being”—only mental and physical phenomena coming together in the present moment.
What is Sabba?
Sabba as defined by Glenn Wallis, a scholar in Buddhist studies from Harvard University.
Can Buddhism Save the Planet?
<p><strong>Buddhism may be our planet’s only real hope, say David Loy and John Stanley. They’re calling for an international gathering of Buddhist leaders to address the ecological crisis before it’s too late.</strong></p> <blockquote>If we continue abusing the earth this way, there is no doubt that our civilization will be destroyed. This turnaround takes enlightenment, awakening. The Buddha attained individual awakening. Now we need a collective enlightenment to stop this course of destruction. Civilization is going to end if we continue to drown in the competition for power, fame, sex, and profit.<br /> <br />— Thich Nhat Hanh, <em>The Art of Power</em></blockquote>
Spotless from the Start
In order to overcome the five main obstacles facing a bodhisattva, says Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, we must realize that all beings are primordially pure. He presents the essential teachings on buddhanature from Maitreya’s Uttaratantra Shastra.
Zen Has No Gates
Nyogen Senzaki, one of the great Zen masters of the twentieth century, quietly dedicated his life to bringing the authentic practice of Zen to America. Now, on the 50th anniversary of his death, a new collection of his teachings, Eloquent Silence, presents his commentary on the classic koan collection, The Gateless Gate. Introduction by Roko Sherry Chayat.