‘I appear in the midst of the activities of all sentient beings without leaving the presence of all the Buddhas.’ Avalokiteshvara
Morning meditation — The whole world is cause and effect.
‘The whole world is cause and effect; excluding this, there's no sentient being.’ Arya Nagarjuna
Morning meditation — What joy there is in this radiance!
‘What joy there is in this radiance!’ Harada Tangen Roshi
What to Say When Someone Dies
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...
Asian American & American Zen
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...
I Figured I Would Never Find Another: On Being a Queer Asian American Buddhist
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,...
Reuniting Buddha’s Head and Body
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...
Poetry as Spiritual Practice
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...
Learn the B.A.S.I.C.S of Insight Meditation
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....
The Power of Awareness: An Interview with Rock Climber Francis Sanzaro
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...
