Samurai and Monks: Lessons in Impermanence
Gereon Kopf
24 March 2017
In the last few weeks, I have been teaching the Tale of Heike (Heike monogatari) to my students at Luther College. The Tale of Heike is central to Japanese
When All Else Fails, Exhale
Sister Ocean
3 March 2017
I once had a dance teacher who shared with us his trick for ensuring a successful performance: he would rehearse his dance company enough to
Book Review: Approaching Buddhism—An Introduction to the Buddhist Tradition from the Pure Land Perspective
Raymond Lam
3 March 2017
It is a cliché to say that publishing an introductory textbook to a vast and philosophical subject like Buddhism is much harder than some writers
Life in America as a Chinese Buddhist Monastic: An Interview with Venerable Guan Zhen
Guoying Stacy Zhang
24 February 2017
In ancient Chinese literature, “the West” refers to India—the birthplace of Buddhism. Nowadays, as in most cultures across the globe, the West for the Chinese
The Fiction of the Self: Ruth Ozeki
Caitlin Dwyer
24 February 2017
“Ultimately, all the creative arts are testaments to the foundational truths of Buddhist principles,” says Canadian-American writer Ruth Ozeki. Whether tracing the themes of interdependence
Diplomacy, Heritage, and Cultural Pride: Reviving the Buddhist Legacy of Islamic Pakistan
BD Dipananda
24 February 2017
Predominantly Islamic Pakistan is not the first country that comes to mind when one mentions Buddhism. Many archaeologists, historians, and Buddhists are aware of the fact that
Tam Po Shek and Wing Chi Ip: Refreshing the Soul and the Senses by Playing the Flute and Drinking Tea
Grace Ko
10 February 2017
While our senses may have become dulled by city life, two masters, Tam Po Shek and Wing Chi Ip, teach us that we can find
The Making of Buddhist Wood Sculptures in China
Guoying Stacy Zhang
27 January 2017
According to the Ekottara Agama Sutra (增一阿含經), the first Buddha image was made of wood. It is said that when the Buddha was teaching his deceased mother in
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
Buddhistdoor View: Mahayana Buddhism’s Unique Place in History and Chinese Civilization
Buddhistdoor Global
13 January 2017
Pristine Pure Land teacher Master Jingzong (b. 1966) once wrote about why he would not want to be born anywhere else except in China: “For all
The New Year Is Now
Sister Ocean
30 December 2016
The turning of the year is a natural time to pause and reflect on our lives, be it for the lunar or the Gregorian calendar.
The Potential of Propagating Pure Land Buddhism in the West
Alan Kwan
28 December 2016
Why Pure Land is an ideal school of Buddhism to be…