Buddha’s Birthday and Enlightenment
June 17, 2019
Buddha Weekly's Latest Features
In Praise of the Vajrayana – A Brief Introduction to Buddhist Tantra
A feature article introducing profound Buddhist Tantra, from Jason Espada author of the book A Belief in the Miraculous. I. The Skillful Means of the Mahayana The Stages of the Path teachings [Note 1] cover the entire range of Buddhist teachings, from refuge, to teachings on liberation, to the Mahayana motivation and...
Tantra is esoteric rather than exotic: embracing Samsara and Nirvana, and transforming our cravings
The inspiration for this feature is a reader who wrote in to ask: "What does Buddhist Tantra have to do with love-making?" The short answer is, it doesn't. In Buddhist Tantra, sex is no more important than any other activity: "Making love, as we like to call it, is in itself no...
The month of merit: Saga Dawa, celebrating Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment and Paranirvana — be generous, moral and practice often
Buddhist teachers always remind us to meditate on impermanence, to give us a sense of urgency to meditate and practice. Saga Dawa (sometimes Saka Dawa) is the "Month of Merit" where, traditionally, all of our meritorious karma is particularly fruitful. It is an especially good month to practice the three grounds of...
Chod Practice: the Visceral Imagery of Offering Your Own Chopped-Up Body to All Sentient Beings is Perhaps the Most Misunderstood of Profound Buddhist Practices. Chod Represents the Ultimate Expression of Bodhichitta and”Cuts Your Attachment.”
The vivid and visceral imagery of Chod Practice — where you visualize offering your own body to all sentient beings, chopped up into grisly bits, and presented in a human skull — can lead to extreme misunderstanding. Teachings such as Chod are advanced and profoundly effective practices that help us "cut" our ego,...
A Dog’s Guide to Enlightenment — dogs embody many Buddhist principles
Can dogs walk with us on the path to enlightenment? In 2018, about 85 million families in the U.S. owned a pet, 60.2% of which were dogs. Faithful, kind, forgiving; compassionate words associated with dogs. They are the true embodiment of unconditional love — man’s best friend. However, Buddhists believe dogs also...
Random Acts of Kindness Creates Good Karma. Mindful Acts of Kindness Refines Practice.
"As a mother even with her own life protects her only child, so should one cultivate immeasurable loving-kindness towards all living beings." — Buddha, The Metta Sutta Random acts of kindness, in the moment, are acts of mindful meditation—and positive karma. Mindfulness helps us overcome striving,...
Internet DIY Dharma: What seven Buddhist teachers say about the pros and cons of Buddha’s teachings via the internet and the risks of do-it-yourself Dharma.
What is the promise — and danger — of Buddhist Dharma teachings online beyond the obvious pros vs cons: accessibility of Dharma teachings vs. misinformation or false Dharma teachings. In this feature, you'll find the opinions of seven teachers and two other experts. On one point most of the teachers are virtually...
The Path of Purification? No, my friend. Ratha-vinita Sutta (Chariot Relay Sutra) teaches us not to confuse the seven purifications, with the destination, Nirvana
Although our teachers often drill hard on the theme of "just practice" and "I cannot practice for you" and "the greatest offering is your practice" — never-the-less Sutra cautions us against confusing practice with our goal of Nirvana or Enlightenment. Our teachers also push hard on "purification practices": in Therevadan Buddhism often...
Zasep Tulku Rinpoche discusses decades of teaching, advice for beginner students and funny stories of his teachers.
H.E. Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche is always quick to smile and laugh, regardless of a hectic teaching schedule that has him spending many hours flying around the world. Despite a very tight three week schedule of teachings at Gaden Choling in Toronto, the Venerable teacher found time for an in-depth interview with...
A rare chance to honor Buddha’s relics in New York state: 3-day exhibit of Holy Relics at Thekchen Choling
After the Buddha had paranirvana, the body relics from his cremation were divided amongst various clans of the time. The relics ended up in many countries around the world, mostly in Stupas, where they are honoured by circumambulation. Others are encased in shrines, sometimes portable, so that they can be honored by...
Why recitation of the Sutra of Golden Light brings “peace and happiness” and “long life”; also, Sutra transmission of Chod, alleviating fear, and healing
The dominant theme of many Mahayana Sutras — the Great Vehicle Teachings — is “benefiting others.” To Mahayana Buddhists, there are three principal paths, expressed wonderfully in the “King of all Sutras” the “Sutra of Golden Light”: Renunciation, Bodhichitta (loving kindness) and the Wisdom of Emptiness. [Download link below for pdf of...
Meditation for children: Peer-reviewed studies support structured meditation in classrooms and homes to help children deal with depression, negative coping and self-hostility
Meditation is an essential component of Buddhism that enables us to settle, concentrate, and connect body and mind. Study after study has shown the many benefits it can bring us, including a greater sense of calm, understanding, and empathy. Why leave all its benefits for adulthood? Meditation should be taught from the...
