‘May all beings caught up in confusion realise that straightforward action leads to liberation directly.’ Everyday Buddhism
Morning meditation — May all beings caught up in confusion.
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Spirituality
Morning meditation — Not understanding the way.
‘Not understanding the way before your eyes, how do you know the path you walk?’ Sandōkai
Celebrating Asian American Buddhists
With this issue celebrating Buddhists of Asian descent, I’m reminded of Aaron J. Lee, known for his blog Angry Asian Buddhist. He wrote his blog from 2007 to 2017 under the pen name “arunlikhati.” He died of cancer in 2018, at age thirty-four. His archives describe...
Elephant Wisdom
Once upon a time, when the world was still enchanted, wild beasts were central to human development. The terror and awe that our ancestors experienced in the wilderness gave rise to language, religion, invention, and storytelling. In that indigenous, animistic world...
That Time My Father Sued Me
When I found out my father was suing me in the Australian Supreme Court, I blacked out and my hair turned grey overnight. In the following adrenaline-filled days, I armored myself with evidence for the case. My late aunt Theresa, one of my father’s thirty-two...
The Hula Sutra
In the middle of the Pacific, 2,500 miles away from the nearest continent, lies a chain of islands called Hawaii. The weather is mild and sunny with trade winds that often keep the humidity in check. Fragrant flowers and salty sea air embrace you. Colors are vivid;...
Books in Brief: November 2024
In Meditation for Modern Madness (Wisdom Publications), the Seventh Dzogchen Rinpoche, Jigme Losel Wangpo, offers teachings that he feels have all too often been confined to Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. He brings the wisdom of Dzogchen into contemporary lay life by...
Who Has Seen the Wind?
I meditated for lottery numbers. I sat the way I had been instructed to at temple—legs crossed, back straight. If I couldn’t keep my back straight then I flattened myself against a wall, aligning the top of my head down the length of my spine. I inhaled three seconds,...
Asian American & Buddhist
Mihiri Tillakaratne: What can Buddhism offer Asian American practitioners? Are there aspects of your sangha or community that you love and wish to see continue? Renato Almanzor: At the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, a core pillar is radical...
The World Is Your Zendo
I walk along the quiet, empty road above the Inland Sea in Japan and feel unexpectedly cleansed and clarified. Everything around me seems closer to me than I am. The water lapping against the sand below. The bush-warbler, often mistaken for a nightingale,...