Noh and Zen
Joseph Houseal
12 September 2026
From Zen practice to ghosts and dreams, Joseph Houseal looks at how Buddhist ideas are embodied in Noh performance
Scattering Petals, Falling Leaves: Spring in Noh and the Japanese Sense of Transience
Joseph Houseal
14 March 2026
Joseph Houseal explores expressions of impermanence in the classic Noh performance of Yuya.
Ma: The Art of Empty Space
Joseph Houseal
15 November 2025
Joseph Houseal explores the the role of emptiness as an expression of Buddhist philosophy and aesthetics in Japanese culture
Obon Festival Returns to Lahaina Jodo Mission After Wildfire
Sensei Alex Kakuyo
12 August 2025
Two years after a devastating fire in Lahaina, Maui, Buddhists return to the Jodo Mission temple there for Obon Festival to remember ancestors, joyful practice, and community
Salt Lake Buddhist Temple Celebrates 89th Annual Obon Festival
Sensei Alex Kakuyo
15 July 2025
With deep roots in Utah’s Japanese-American history, Salt Lake Buddhist Temple continues its mission of remembrance and community
World’s Tallest Bronze Buddha Statue in Japan Undergoes Annual Cleaning
Justin Whitaker
10 September 2024
The 120-meter-tall statue was built to honor Shinran, the founder of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism
Japanese American Buddhist Reaches 110 Years Old
Sensei Alex Kakuyo
23 May 2024
After a difficult childhood, Yoshiko Miwa found refuge in the care of Rev. and Mrs. Issei Matsuura of the Buddhist Churches of America
Spring Grief: A Tribute to Gerry Loose
Ratnadevi
22 May 2024
Reflections on the fact and process of loss, and finding beauty in a world so torn by suffering
Matsukaze: Wind in the Pines
Joseph Houseal
13 April 2024
A self-reflective exploration of love and loss, grief and impermanence in Japanese Noh theater
Book Review: Hakuin’s Song of Zazen
Raymond Lam
14 March 2024
Zen teacher Yamada Mumon Rōshi’s series of essays on Hakuin’s poem receives a rich and faithful English translation
Rev. Dr. Seigen Yamaoka, Former Bishop of BCA, has Died
Sensei Alex Kakuyo
16 January 2024
Former bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America is remembered for his contributions to Buddhist practice as well as his visionary work at the Institute of Buddhist Studies
Where/What/When is nirvāṇa?
Gereon Kopf
16 October 2023
Most people with even some tangential knowledge of Buddhism have heard about the concept of “nirvāṇa.” But what is its significance for the pilgrims after weeks of solitary hiking ready to rejoin the society?