Seek a deeper understanding of the fundamental and enduring questions that have been raised by thoughtful human beings in the rich traditions of the East.
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Buddhism and the Age of Compassion
This guest blogpost comes our way from Lama Jampa Thaye, a scholar, author, and meditation master from the UK. From London to Los Angeles it seems like it’s the age of compassion. I hear it everywhere I go. Politicians are selling it, advertisers are packaging it, gurus are preaching it, and movie stars are wearing it. Maybe we Buddhists should be happy about this fashion for compassion. After all, it says in the sutras: Whoever wishes to attain Buddhahood does not need to train in many teachings but needs only to train in one—that of great compassion. More » -
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To Be Born Human
Today’s Daily Dharma: To be born as a human being is a glorious privilege. Man’s dignity consists in his capability to reason and think and to live up to the highest ideal of pure life, of calm thought, of wisdom without extraneous intervention. In the “Saimanna phala Sutta” Buddha says that man can enjoy in this life a glorious existence, a life of individual freedom, of fearlessness and compassionateness. This dignified ideal of manhood may be attained by the humblest, and this consummation raises him above wealth and royalty. Anagarika Dharmapala (Spring 1995) Read the complete article here. More » -
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Watch: Bhikkhu Bodhi on Buddhism for the Post-Modern Mind
"I've come to an understanding that the dharma, to be really living, vitally important, and to be a dharma that is alive and blows open the mind, has to be applied against the background of the period of history we're living in and directed not only to the great universal problems that all humans face but also to the special over-arching problems of this historical period in which we are living." -Bhikkhu Bodhi More » -
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Uproot the Core Problems
Today's Daily Dharma, In the Buddhist path we are bringing together our actions, our view, and our practice. It is a balance of awareness, insight, and action, working harmoniously together. In that way our energy is no longer divided or scattered, but we are fully present in whatever we do. That is what it means to be a genuine human being. In Buddhism, the point is not simply to be accomplished meditators but to change our whole approach to life. Meditation is not merely a useful technique or mental gymnastic, but part of a balanced system designed to change they way we go about things at the most fundamental level. More » -
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Dalai Lama: My Reincarnation Will Appear In Free Country
VIA P. Vijian at Bernama.com, DHARAMSALA, July 20 (Bernama) -- Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama believes his next reincarnation will be in a "free country", if the Tibetan crisis prolongs without a cordial solution. "If I die as a refugee and the Tibetan situation remains like this, then logically, my reincarnation will appear in a free country, because the very purpose of reincarnation is to carry on the work which began in my previous life. "And, there is some contribution, some fulfillment in work started in the previous life. Then, that is truly reincarnation," he told Bernama in a recent interview at his exile-base in Dharamsala in northern India. He said, if obstacles were created against carrying out the tasks of the Dalai Lama's previous life, than the "reality is not reincarnation." More » -
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Deep Roots Need Good Soil
Today’s Daily Dharma: If you have a supportive sangha, it’s easy to nourish your bodhicitta, the seeds of enlightenment. If you don’t have anyone who understands you, who encourages you in the practice of the living dharma, your desire to practice may wither. Your sangha—family, friends, and copractitioners—is the soil, and you are the seed. No matter how vigorous the seed is, if the soil does not provide nourishment, your seed will die. A good sangha is crucial for the practice. More »
