Category: Teachings
Take a Good Hard Look
Everyone faces doubts about their progress on the path, says Doug Phillips, and the Bahiya Sutta shows us how to meet that doubt honestly.
The World Catches Us Every Time
A mysterious beast captures your attention. Is it distracting you or calling you? It can be hard to tell, says Zen teacher John Tarrant, what’s distraction and what could have real meaning for your life. Either way, there’s no going back.
The Distortions We Bring To The Study of Buddhism
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse calls on Westerners to acknowledge the distortions we may bring to the study of Buddhism—through our cultural arrogance, the deceit of ego, and simple ignorance. The successful transplant of such a subtle and challenging practice as Buddhism, he says, depends on thorough study and clear recognition of our habitual patterns.
About a Poem: Ruth Ozeki on Ono no Komachi
How do we remember a woman’s life? Can we piece her together from a few lines of poetry?
Forum: Your Teacher and You
A forum on what it means to have a teacher today, how you can make the most of the relationship, and what you can do when it’s not working.
The Eight Bardos
According to Tibetan Buddhism, all life and death take place in the gap, or bardo, between one state and another. While the most famous bardo is the one between death and rebirth, there are others that also shape our lives. Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen presents a commentary on Milarepa’s song of realization “The Eight Bardos.”
Ask the Teachers: Is there an eternal soul in Buddhism?
The Teachers are asked if there is an eternal soul Buddhism.
Profile: The New York Buddhist Church
Michael Haederle profiles the New York Buddhist Church.
This issue’s Editorial: “Buddha’s Daughters”
Andrea Miller on why the March 2014 Shambhala Sun magazine shouldn't be considered particularly special.
Photos and letter emerge from Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche’s ascetic retreat
The Tibetan Buddhist world was abuzz Friday with the sudden appearance on Facebook of images of (maybe) Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.