Master Dejian is the 18th generation master of the Yonghuatang* of Shaolin Temple, a successor of what is known as Shaolin Chanwuyi, and the abbot of
In the heart of the beautiful city of Chengdu is an archeological site that was once the illustrious Fugan Temple. The ruins of the once-grand
It is often said in Chan literature that there are 84,000 doors to the practice and 84,000 obstructions. The door that resonates with my practice
The Japanese Zen master Dōgen (1200–53) famously said, “To study the Buddha way is to study the self.”* A popular meditation manual known and used
There is a Zen phrase that says, “Not knowing is the most intimate.” I first heard it quoted in a yoga class many years ago.
A journey into the history of Buddhism in China
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
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
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
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
“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
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
