Buddha Weekly's Latest Features
What is Welcome to the householder Buddhist — the Ittha Sutta. Long life, beauty, happiness are “not obtained by reason of prayers or wishes”
Then Anathapindika the householder went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there the Blessed One said to him: "These five things, householder, are welcome, agreeable, pleasant, and hard to obtain in the world. Which five? "Long life is...
Buddhist Pilgrimage: Purpose and Practice: deepening one’s connection, devotion and commitment to the Dharma
Dr. Miles Neale, a Buddhist psychotherapist — and founder of the Contemplative Studies Program — explains the profound practice, karmic and psychological benefits of formal pilgrimage to the sacred sites of Buddhism. A not-to-be missed special feature from a leading advocate for the integration of mind sciences, the practices of Buddhism and...
Lighting the inner fire: subtle body as the path to Enlightenment — the five chakras, three channels and two drops of Tantric Buddhism and their practice
"In my teaching I emphasize that Enlightenment is found in the body. This draws on Dzogchen, where you are told that when you put your awareness in the body in the right way, you encounter your awakened state. I also point out that through meditation we realize that awareness is not located...
What the teachers say about restarting your Buddhist practice: overcoming obstacles, bringing back the enthusiasm, re-establishing faith and commitments
Modern life takes its toll on Buddhist practice, especially the higher practices that might have come with daily practice commitments. Once the momentum is lost, its easy to self-justify just letting practice go "for now." All the teachers, however, agree that it's important to get right back into your practice — even...
Mo Dice and Mala, Bamboo Sticks, Tarot, and other “divinations” — insightful self-guided Buddhist practice or superstition?
Although Mo is a common Tibetan Buddhist practice, not every Buddhist may be comfortable with Mo Dice or Mo Mala Divination — either because of a lingering prejudice, or as a rational mind rejecting non-objectively observable phenomenon. However, His Holiness the Sakya Trizin wrote: “MO: Tibetan Divination System — should be seen...
Exploring Shunyata, Emptiness without Nihilism: the Sutra called Flawless Purity, Buddha’s dialogue with laywoman Gangottara
The Flawless Purity Sutra is memorable for more than one reason. In the form of debate with the sharp mind of the an advanced lay woman Gangottara, it explores the important theme of "Emptiness without Nihilism." It becomes clear, very quickly, that Gangottara is highly intelligent and has a god understanding of...
Painter and digital Thangka artist Jampay Dorje aims to bring “Thangka painting into a modern era” with spectacular art, lessons for students, and a life-long project to illustrate all of the 11 Yogas of Naropa
Jampay Dorje, also known as Ben Christian, has a mission in life. Dividing his time between retreat, teaching digital art, and creating Thangkas for Buddhist practitioners, he has become well known on the internet for his spectacular images. Beautiful thangka images kept appearing to me (several included in this feature), without watermarks,...
The Science Behind Stilling Your Mind With Mindfulness —– MRI Scans Show the Amygdala Shrinks While the Pre-Frontal Cortex Thickens
By Anne Green One of Buddha’s most profound teachings about the mind was that “Ignorance is the one thing with whose abandonment clear knowing arises.” Fundamentally, this teaching is that by clearing your mind of the clutter of delusion and misconception it carries, you can gain valuable insight about what is important...
Deity Yoga: Science or Superstition? Vajrayana Deity Meditation Proves Invaluable in Preventing Cognitive Disorders. In What Other Ways is Vajrayana Buddhist Deity Practice More Science than Religion?
Deity Yoga in Tibetan Buddhism is very often misunderstood. In apparent contradiction to the implied meaning of "deity" — which is really a mistranslation of the Sanskrit "deva" — there might, in fact, be more science than superstition to the practices of deities. It's a ridiculous notion, I know, but one I...
Long distance relationship as Buddhist practice? How to cope with missing a loved one from a Buddhist perspective.
For people who are in love, or who have their very best friend living miles away, it can feel like a little piece is missing from their lives. If you are involved with someone who lives far away, you can, to a great extent, take refuge in Buddha Dharma when the longing...
Today is Zamling Chisang: Universal Prayer Day — “Purification Day” — celebrating Guru Rinpoche’s liberation of local deities
Padmasambhava, the Lotus Born Guru Rinpoche. Zamling Chisang, Universal Prayer Day — or Incense Day, referring to the clouds of sage incense burned — celebrates an important act of Padmasambhava. Guru Rinpoche liberated, converted or tamed the local deities in Tibet. This is also representative of his...
Three Principal Paths of Lama Tsongkhapa: from the land of snows, the peerless path of Renunciation, Bodhichitta, Shunyata
In the land of snows, it could be argued that the peerless Lama Tsongkhapa was the greatest of philosophers, writers, teachers. He wrote over 10,000 pages of commentary and instruction on Buddha’s teachings. This vast library or writings on Lamrim, Three Principal Paths and many advanced practices are historical and revered. Yet,...
