@buddhadharma.bsky.social
Whether you’ve been practicing for two years or twenty, Buddhadharma is your ideal source for deepening your understanding of and connection to Buddhism. Buddhadharma is a project of Lion's Roar, found at https://www.lionsroar.com/buddhadharma/
"Instead of looking at work as an enemy that must be conquered, we can embrace the many challenges it affords us. When we do this, we can focus our energy in a light and pleasurable way, and it is much easier to persist in a task until we have reached our goal."
"Every other major world religion has a campus chaplaincy organization which does advocacy, training and fundraising. What would it take? Could we indeed form such an organization, so as to make possible a sustainable future for Buddha’s way in the West?"
Lion’s Roar wishes to share our condolences with the Heartwood community and all who were impacted by Ven. Pannavati’s work and teachings.
"What we are seeing is that in many cases it is monks who have supported or participated in this violence or incited it. This has been documented by human rights organizations. It is these facts that drew me to this story and to voyage across these countries."
The brilliant modern composer Eliane Radigue has died. Read Lion's Roar's 2017 appreciation of her masterwork, inspired by the Bardo Thödol, often referred to as the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
"Our deepest bows and appreciation to David," writes San Francisco Zen Center, "who was indefatigable in his care for the history and memories of Suzuki Roshi and SFZC’s founding years. Our hearts and thoughts go out to David’s loved ones at this tender time of loss.”
"I am someone who gets frustrated when something doesn’t make sense. [...] That frustration drove me to keep looking for clearer explanations. What I eventually found wasn’t something new, but something old."
Galijan has been co-leader of the Bay Area Soto Zen center since 2004. Congrats to her and to the sangha.
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"His unique transition — from intellectually gifted individual from a Muslim heritage to sincere forest monk — highlights a remarkable spiritual integrity."
"I wondered if this was the groundbreaking moment that I thought it might be. As I scrolled down the page, I noticed the caption below: An Historical First: Nuns Perform in Tsechu Lama dance. The description identified two nunneries involved, so I set to work arranging to visit them."
In addition to her illustrations for the book, An Illuminated Journey, the Story of the Dalai Lama, the exhibit will feature Fujita’s extensive interviews with the 14th Dalai Lama, with an eye toward honoring His Holiness in this, his 90th year.
"The question became practical and immediate: What changes when we bring yidam practice — not just mindfulness and compassion — into our encounters with AI?"
"There are so many things that we could say. Yet in many ways, no words. But here is a final note."
"The fundamental way Tara—or any other buddha—benefits sentient beings is by teaching us the dharma and inspiring us to investigate its meaning so we reach a correct understanding. She then guides us in meditation practice so we generate transformative realizations."
"In my own life, meditation brought genuine realization. And still, something essential remained unhealed. This is not due to a failure of the dharma, but a mismatch of tools."
"They aren’t arguing for peace — they’re living it. Through harsh weather, pain, obstacles, crowds, and opposition, they mindfully return again and again to love, compassion, and peace."
"Most dharma communities, though strong in values, are weak in structures. This is overlooked by most people walking in the door. They are looking for a dharma that fits. They rarely look at the contours of power."
"If your volition is clear and strong—you have a clear idea of what you want to do and you set about doing it—then the karmic result will be equally clear and strong. On the other hand, if your intention is weak and hesitant the karmic result will not be well defined either."
"For me, the test of different teachings is simple: does it result in no clinging or not? If they’re seen as skillful means for not clinging, it doesn’t matter if they’re positing different metaphysical views."
"The question then becomes, what do I need to do to express, develop, and sustain compassion? And the answer is, practice the six practices: generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom. That’s the way to develop compassion."
"Yes, even bodhisattvas shatter. They pause, and grieve, weep and wail, and heal. And eventually, when their time has come, bodhisattvas rise."
Luckily, as local news outlet KRON and others report, “There were no occupants inside the temple at the time of the blaze” and no injuries have been reported, though four individuals who lived on the temple property have been displaced.
"The most famous manifestation of this vision is Indra’s net. ... Nothing is left out—not the things we like and not the things we don’t like. Reality is vast and transcendent, excluding no one, connecting everyone, as intimately as the fingers on a hand are connected.
“ACLS will place up to five early-career scholars of Buddhism in one-year professional positions with host institutions that present and interpret knowledge of Buddhist traditions."
"Each of us must find a vow that speaks to our specific needs. When we do this, we invoke our deepest intention, which will encourage us to sit in the midst of the fire of our own difficulties and act in response to our individual inner desire to practice this vow at this moment."
The foundation and the Buddhist world at large — the uncountable organizations, institutions, and individuals that have been direct or indirect beneficiaries of his generosity — mourn and remember him.
The first volume of Franziska Oertle’s groundbreaking colloquial Tibetan coursebook, The Heart of Tibetan Language, has now been digitally released in Spanish.
"For this Asian American feminist, Buddhism is about liberating ourselves from systems of domination and cycles of trauma that requires a deliberate and thoughtful process of self-care and self-love."
