The Institute of Buddhist Studies provides graduate level education in the entirety of the Buddhist tradition with specialized instruction supporting Jodo Shinshu Buddhist ministry.
Movies |
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Storms, Now in 3D - A Review of Life of Pi
As we are consistently told throughout the opening scenes of Fox 2000’s new release, The Life of Pi (adapted from the 2001 best-selling novel by Yann Matel), the story about to unfold “will make you believe in God.” Though that is hardly the case, the spectacular visual landscapes, animated beasts, and terrifying storm sequences, imagined and rendered masterfully in 3D by director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) will certainly cause a stir in your stomach, if not in your faith. The story follows Pi Patel (played well by acting newcomer Suraj Sharma), told in a series of increasingly extended flashbacks from an older Pi (Irrfan Khan) to a dumbfounded Canadian writer (Rafe Spall) who is inquiring into his legendary story of surviving 227 days at sea—with a Bengal tiger. More » -
Buddha Buzz: Buddhist News from Around the World, Week of October 8
In the wake of last week's attack on Buddhist temples and homes in Bangladesh, various news sources have reported that between 100 and 300 people have been arrested. In Burma last Friday, Buddhist monks protested in front of the Bangladesh embassy in Rangoon, although judging by the photo below, the protest was not entirely focused on Muslim-Buddhist relations. More » -
Buddha Buzz: Wolverines, Starbucks, and a Buddhist Statue from Outer Space
For someone whose job consists of (among other things, I swear) writing about the news every week, I don't like reading the news all that much. It's just too depressing. So forgive me while I indulge myself in something much more fun.Hey there, Hugh Jackman.The promotional posters for the next Wolverine movie have been released, with Jackman standing in front of what looks like a Buddhist temple (see, this had relevance after all). The movie is set in Japan, so now I'm wondering: is it going to have a Buddhist theme? We'll have to wait until next July to find out. More » -
Buddha Buzz: Buddhist News from Around the World, Week of September 17
Here's a fun fact: the Tricycle offices in New York are in the same building as a club owned by the rapper Jay-Z. Usually, it doesn't mean much. No one is at work at 3 am on a Friday, which is presumably when the club is—excuse me for using this word—hoppin'. But this Monday Jay-Z and his wife Beyonce hosted a fundraiser for President Obama in the club, and the Tricycle staff were sent home early by what we presume were the Secret Service's orders. Because nothing is more threatening to the President's safety than a bunch of Buddhists typing furiously on their computers. More » -
Wisdom from the Prison Yard: Letters from the Dhamma Brothers
The letter below is one of many included in the book Letters from the Dhamma Brothers. In these letters, the prisoners who took part in the Vipassana program at a maximum security prison in Alabama reflect on their prison experience following their meditation course. The letters are all at once moving, insightful, and profound. These prisoners' introduction to the program was captured by director Jenny Phillips in the film The Dhamma Brothers, which Tricycle screened online in March. More » -
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Tricycle Talk: Victress Hitchcock, Director of When the Iron Bird Flies
This year's Tricycle | Buddhafest Online Film Festival features two films by wonderwoman director Victress Hitchcock: Blessings: The Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns of Tibet and When the Iron Bird Flies. The first opened the film festival by highlighting the practice of the Nangchen nuns within the largely male-dominated history of Buddhism in Tibet. With When the Iron Bird Flies, Hitchcock expands her lens, following the journey of Tibetan Buddhism from its past seclusion in the Land of Snows to its current (almost) mainstream status in the West, focusing especially on the effects of the Dalai Lama's escape from Tibet in 1959. More »
