Dances of the Luminous Bardo
Joseph Houseal
6 January 2017
A most amazing mural is painted on a six-meter-high cylinder on the second floor of Dungtse Lhakhang in Paro, Bhutan. The temple was designed by
Buddhism in Contemporary China Through a Photographer’s Eye
Guoying Stacy Zhang
23 December 2016
According to the Washington, DC-based Pew Research Center, 18.2 per cent of China’s population—that is 224 million people—are Buddhists, accounting for about half of the
Russia’s Golden Triangle of Buddhism
Lyudmila Klasanova
2 December 2016
Buddhism first came to Russia in the 17th century and became firmly established mainly in three Russian republics, Buryatia, Kalmykia, and Tuva, where it had
An Illuminating Exhibition on the Transmission of Buddhist Art at the Palace Museum in Beijing
Guoying Stacy Zhang
25 November 2016
The transmission of Buddhist art from India to China is a fascinating topic. Indeed, how did pious and profound art, along with a complex belief
Finding Excellence, Part 5: A Buddhist Land
Joseph Houseal
11 November 2016
There are not so many places left on Earth where the population is virtually 100 per cent Tantric Buddhist. Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India,
Book Review: Wendy Garling’s Stars at Dawn
Caitlin Dwyer
28 October 2016
Imagine this: a young woman, heavily pregnant and in labor, makes the journey to a grove of trees sacred to the local goddess. The village
Exploring Buddhism’s Tensions With Modernity: An Interview with Prof. David McMahan
Raymond Lam
28 October 2016
David McMahan is professor of Religious Studies at Franklin & Marshall College, Pennsylvania. In recent years he has offered the Buddhist Studies community a more
The Hanging Sculptures of the Little Western Paradise
Guoying Stacy Zhang
14 October 2016
Qianfo’an (千佛庵), the Temple of One Thousand Buddhas, better known as Xiaoxitian (小西天) or the Little Western Paradise, is located in present-day Xi County, Linfen
Who was Alexandra David-Neel? A Brief Story of a Buddhist Anarchist
Marion Dapsance
30 September 2016
Alexandra David-Neel (1868–1969), a French traveler and a prolific writer, is variously celebrated for being “the first Buddhist in France,” “a fearless explorer,” “the first
Approaching Chan, Part 3: The Methods of Lingji’s Huatou and Caodong’s Silent Illumination
Ven. Chang-Hwa, Ph.D.
23 September 2016
By the early 20th century, Chan Buddhism had declined and diminished in China. As the Dharma heir of both the Caodong and Lingji lineages, Master
Finding Excellence, Part 3: Who is the Best Dancer Here?
Joseph Houseal
15 September 2016
Venture into remote places and you will find a joyful purity. During our recent summer fieldwork in Himachal Pradesh, northern India, we distributed copies of
The 2,600th Anniversary of the Global Bhikkhuni Sangha and Fourfold Sangha of the Buddha
Ayya Tathaloka
9 September 2016
Between the full moon of September 2016 and the full moon of September 2017 there will be worldwide commemorations of the 2600th anniversary of the