Tricycle | Awake in the World

According to Mike Belsito, who runs a funeral planning website, the word "death" is searched for on Google 68,000,000 times per month. "For perspective," he writes, "that's twice as much as the search results for the word 'marriage'—and more than thirteen times as much as the results for 'happiness.'" When the Tricycle staff were planning our current issue, which features a large special section on death and dying, we didn't know these numbers. But we're happy to learn that we're not the only ones interested in our own mortality. More »

Biography and autobiography in Tibet are important sources for both education and inspiration. Tibetans have kept such meticulous records of their teachers that thousands of names are known and discussed in a wide range of biographical material. All these names, all these lives—it can be a little overwhelming. The authors involved in the Treasury of Lives are currently mining the primary sources to provide English-language biographies of every known religious teacher from Tibet and the Himalaya, all of which are organized for easy searching and browsing. Every Tuesday on the Tricycle blog, we will highlight and reflect on important, interesting, eccentric, surprising and beautiful stories found within this rich literary tradition.   Panchen Lama Incarnation Lines: Rewriting History More »

Happy New Year, everyone!  Over the holiday break, Tricycle was saddened to hear of a Christmas Day plane crash in Burma in which three Burmese died and the founders of the Community Meditation Center, Susanna Weiss and Allan Lokos, were injured. While Susanna suffered broken vertebrae in her back and has been released from the hospital, Allan, the center's guiding teacher and a frequent Tricycle contributor, received severe burns on his hands, legs, and head, and remains in the ICU of a hospital in Singapore. WNYC has the whole, harrowing story here. Please pray for the couple's health and swift recovery. More »

Buddhist practice and Buddhist art have been inseparable in the Himalayas ever since Buddhism arrived to the region in the eighth century. But for the casual observer it can be difficult to make sense of the complex iconography. Not to worry—Himalayan art scholar Jeff Watt is here to help. In this "Himalayan Buddhist Art 101" series, Jeff is making sense of this rich artistic tradition by presenting weekly images from the Himalayan Art Resources archives and explaining their roles in the Buddhist tradition. Himalayan Buddhist Art 101: Stories of the Buddha More »

Here is a last-minute Christmas gift for you, with the knowledge that even the most intense anguish can be lightened with laughter and a little holiday cheer: the first episode of Trike TV, "A Very Buddhist Christmas." Two of our intrepid reporters hit the streets of New York City to ask the passerby—and some friends from the animal realm—"What would you get a Buddhist for Christmas?" Let us know in the comment section if you'd like to see more episodes of Trike TV! Watch the second episode, "Buddha Balderdash," here. More »

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One way to give compassionately and intelligently this holiday season is to widen the net of those who receive the benefit of your generosity by donating to charities and nonprofit organizations. You can forego traditional presents and instead make a donation in your loved one's name, or you can pledge to donate the amount of money you spend on holiday gifts this year to a worthy cause. More »

One way to give compassionately and intelligently this holiday season is to widen the net of those who receive the benefit of your generosity by donating to charities and nonprofit organizations. You can forego traditional presents and instead make a donation in your loved one's name, or you can pledge to donate the amount of money you spend on holiday gifts this year to a worthy cause. More »

For those of you who may qualify for the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation's 2013 Women in Buddhism grants, which support women-led Buddhist organizations, programs, and initiatives, board member Liz Lewinson sent us the following information:   The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism is proud to announce the availability of four annual Women in Buddhism grants during 2013.  Each $2,500 grant supports women-led Buddhist organizations, programs and initiatives designed to cultivate a new generation of American women Buddhist leaders. In 2012, the first year of the program, grants were given to the following organizations: More »