When Larry Ward died suddenly on August 19, Buddhism in America lost a unique and powerful voice.  “His dharma name was True Great Sound, and he was indeed a master of sound,” said dharma teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo after his death. “He soothed, uplifted, and gave...

One of the tales from the Japanese Zen tradition recounts the story of Ohashi, the daughter of a samurai family that had fallen on hard times. To save them, Ohashi sold herself to a brothel and gave the money to her parents. In The Hidden Lamp: Stories from...

We all need healing. Sometimes we need healing for physical illness. At other times, we need to heal the traumas that we’ve suffered and the past difficulties we still carry in our bodies. We need release from the struggles and emotions brought about by our conflicts...

Andrea Miller: How can Western psychology and Buddhism work together to help people heal from trauma? Jack Kornfield: There’s a very simple word underlying this question, which is suffering. The deep medicine of the dharma acknowledges that there’s suffering, that it...

Buddhism began in a very simple setting. Under a sheltering tree by the banks of the Niranjana River in northern India, Siddhartha Gautama, a prince turned wandering yogi, sat steadfast in meditation until he attained enlightenment. Then, after contemplating for many...

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” ~Dr. Seuss The notification pops up on my phone: “Jason, we made a new memory reel for you.” I pause whatever I’m doing, probably something stressful involving deadlines or dishes, and...

‘Patience, one of the six perfections, is the practice of enduring difficulties without anger or frustration. It is the capacity to remain calm and composed in the face of adversity, knowing that all experiences, whether pleasant or unpleasant, are fleeting.’ Everyday...

‘He [Buddha] does not speak that which is deceitful, nor does he speak that which is alien. There is no mistake in even one phrase or line of the discourses of the World Honoured One.’ Bassui Tokushō

Thanksgiving is such a beautiful time of year. After all, who would object to “thanks” and “giving”? And yet, as warmly as this season invites us in, it can also… stretch us. Between family gatherings, cooking, travel, and all the emotional dynamics that come with...

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” ~Leonard Cohen When depression comes, I feel it like a prowler gliding through my body. My chest tightens, my head fills with dark whispers, and even the day feels like night. The prowler has no face, no...