The Institute of Buddhist Studies provides graduate level education in the entirety of the Buddhist tradition with specialized instruction supporting Jodo Shinshu Buddhist ministry.
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What makes a Buddhist?
By view or practice
Over the last decade, there has been a fascinating discussion about Buddhism for the West -- whether the Buddha's teachings should be adapted or imported with all the cultural trappings, whether we should all dressed up as Tibetans, Burmese monks and Zen masters, or whether it is our duty to create a new brand such as "American Buddhism."
Since I'm supposed to be a spokesperson here for the Tibetan tradition, it brings up an interesting point: was there really a "Tibetan Buddhism"? I wonder. That branding sounds a bit like it was made by early explorers and travelers who simply described what they saw -- from the outside. You probably heard names like Lamaism, the Yellow and Red Hat Sect. Over three decades of spending time with Tibetan Buddhist teachers, I've never heard then use those names even once, except to make fun.
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Effortless (almost) farming
FUKUOKA - A Japanese agro-philosopher developed a farming practice called "Natural Farming", in response to modern organic agricultural methods that degrade soil. He encourages "no till" methods of grain cultivation, and the idea of letting nature do the farming work for you. He wrote an important book called One Straw Revolution, and introduced the idea of "seed balls", self propagating balls of clay containing hundreds of seeds, to the world: The Natural Way of Farming by Masanobu Fukuoka. Check out: www.seedballs.com
I would be very interested in hearing some practical experience with this method.
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Cultivation of Flowers and Vegetables
Aug. 16, 2006
By The Mahayana way
It was just the other night that I heard about some ethical way of growing things in your garden without "having to" leave casualties in one's wake. Have any of your heard something called "Mahayana Cultivation" by Fukuoka?
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A "Buddhist Thing"
Aug. 2, 2006
By Erik Pema Kunsang
Recently, the folks at Tricycle asked me to begin writing a blog on this website since there was no other Westerner directly representing the Tibetan branch of Buddhism. Now I wonder what I got myself into.
I thought about this opportunity and feel that a blog opens up many possibilities for exchange. Here is an opener.
All levels of the Buddha’s teachings emphasize respect for the living – not just human life but animals and even insects. But refraining from needlessly snuffing harmless creatures out of existence is not necessarily a “Buddhist thing." Isn't it also the First Commandment?
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Welcome!
Welcome to the all new Tricycle blog. Our editorial staff will be posting all manner of interesting material here, from links to websites and stories that catch our eye to commentary on hot topics in the public eye, with free links to pieces in the Tricycle archives. Check back often, and let us know what you think!
Rediscovering Judas
Nothing has dominated public discourse like religion has in recent years, and in political life, we hear most often from the fundamentalist extremes. But a growing number of voices—from Tikkun magazine’s Michael Lerner to scholars Karen Armstrong, and Elaine Pagels—navigate the moderate middle, finding in the world’s greatest traditions an evolving ethos of tolerance and compassion. Tricycle has given airing to each of them, and in recent weeks, these thinkers have found themselves in the spotlight once again.
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