Have you had that awkward, uncomfortable moment when a friend’s loved one has died, and you’re at a loss for words? Do you struggle with what to do when you’re with someone who’s grieving? If so, you are not alone. Over a twenty-six-month period, I navigated a...
In 1972, just after my mother immigrated from Korea to California, she attended a summer camp that gathered young people of different races and religions to build mutual understanding. A smiling sansei (third generation Japanese American) counselor approached her and...
Growing up both Japanese and Chinese, I often felt alienated because I lived in a majority white town. I also sometimes felt like I was on the outside of my sangha looking in because I didn’t completely fit in there, either. I was raised in the Japanese Jodo Shinshu,...
Whether looted Greek antiquities, stolen indigenous artifacts—even remains—or Jewish-owned art pillaged during World War II, museumgoers often overlook just how exactly these pieces came to be in a museum’s possession. This question of provenance arose for artist...
Everything Blends Together to Form Its Own Coherence By Shin Yu Pai My earliest connection to Buddhism came through poetry. Growing up in a Taiwanese immigrant household without consistent ritual or practice, I learned social values through my father quoting Confucius...
The term “insight meditation” comes from the Pali word Vipassana. It is the ability to see clearly and deeply into what is unfolding in our lives. Insight practice reveals what has created our present conditions and allows us to more fully live in the present moment....
Martine Panzica: Could you share some of your own history with Buddhism and how you’ ve come to incorporate the principles of Zen into your life and your climbing? Francis Sanzaro: I started climbing seriously when I was 13 and discovered Buddhism about two years...
In the heart of a vibrant meadow stood a solitary lake, its waters shimmering with the hues of the setting sun. This serene oasis was known as Layken's Lake, named after a young woman whose journey of self-discovery transformed the landscape around her. Layken was a...
Trigger Warning: This story mentions abuse of minors. Please proceed with caution. I was born on June 2, 2011. When I was only one month old, my grandfather passed away from cancer. I never got to see my grandfather. When I was two years old, my mom broke up with my...
Hello, my name is Jade, and I want to share my year of trial and tribulation with my own mind, which has been an uphill battle. From a young age, I trained my mind to be on guard at all times against any possible danger or threat, and I carried that into adulthood,...