Buddha Weekly's Latest Features
Kurukulla: the “Diva” Dakini of enlightened magic; the enchantress transforms seduction into ‘the cause of wisdom’
Kurukulla could be thought of as the "Diva" pop star of the Dakinis. She is like a beautiful, modern celebrity endorsing a worthy cause; she projects this divine and Enlightened beauty to attract us to the Dharma. She uses her enchanting "magic" to remove our obstacles to practice. We all need a...
Evidence: what are the verifiable facts about Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha? What do archaeologists, scholars and scientists agree are the validated, authentic events?
There can be no question that Buddha was a living, historical person, born in the sixth century B.C. in what is now Nepal — whose profound teachings influenced the thinking of philosophers for the last 2600 years. Buddha's life and teachings are not a matter of faith. His practical, method-based teachings changed...
What Are We? The Body is the Channel — Energy and consciousness are enmeshed principles in Tibetan Buddhism
What are we and what are our limits? An answer arrives when we make contact with the nature of energy and consciousness embodiment. Energy and consciousness are enmeshed principles in Tibetan Buddhism and other contemplative spiritual traditions. Energy and consciousness are indistinguishable through the lens of unequivocal causal interdependence and the middle-path...
Mahayana Thought Training – Turning Adverse Circumstances into the Path of Awakening: An Ideal Practice for Our Times
I recently heard the Buddhist story of Devala the Dark, who was being cursed by seven Bramhans, ‘but the more they cursed him, the more beautiful, good-looking, and inspiring he became…’ This reminded me of the Tibetan Buddhist Thought Training practice, called changing adverse circumstances into the path to enlightenment. One analogy...
Vajrasattva, the Great Purifier, among the most powerful and profound healing and purifications techniques in Vajrayana Buddhism
All Buddhist practices could ultimately be described by the goal "purification of the five aggregates" — through various forms of meditation and virtues (actions and thoughts.) Purification is a core concept. H.E. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche discusses Vajrasattva purification in video teaching (below.) Vajrasattva meditation and mantra is the...
Karma is Not Fate: Why Karma is Empowering
Why is Karma empowering? One way of viewing Karma is as an aggregate of all of our actions, thoughts, words, dreams, desires into a user-controlled version of fate — that is you control your fate instead of some invisible higher being. Another concept of karma, aligned to both mystical sciences and scientific...
Mahayana Sutra Of The Three Superior Heaps — now, is always the right time to confess downfalls and purify them
Venerable Thubten Chodren explains the importance of the Sutra of the Three Heaps, and why it should be part of everyone's practice: "There are a variety of purification practices, The Bodhisattva’s Confession of Ethical Downfalls being one of the most popular. We all have done actions that we now feel badly about...
Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Establishing of Awareness; mindfulness of body, feelings, mind, mental qualities
Perhaps the greatest teaching on mindfulness, the Maha (translates as: great) Satipatthana is a Sutta that serious meditators of all traditions reference in modern teachings. As a Pali sutta, it is an important teaching for the elder path (Theravada) — and mindfulness is a major foundational practice. In advanced Mahamudra and Dzogchen, Vajrayana Buddhist...
Immortal Rain Long Life Prayer to Venerable Zasep Rinpoche from HH. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche
Venerable Zasep Rinpoche, Spiritual Director of Gaden for the West, is known for the clarity of his profound Buddhist teachings, many of which are found in Buddha Weekly's YouTube Channel. To honour his kindness in offering these teachings, Buddha Weekly offers this tribute and long-life prayer video, based on the Long Life...
Healing meditation, prayer and mantras? Do they work — according to research? Can we turn to mantras for help?
Do you feel silly when you turn to “mantras” for healing? Do you think meditation is healthy but not necessarily healing? Does it seem impossible to expect results from meditating on the Medicine Buddha? To chant or not to chant? — that is the question. To Pray or not to pray? To...
Buddha on Dharma Prayer Wheels: “defilements will be purified and the face of the deity will appear”; Guru Rinpoche: you will “be able to attain mystic powers…”
It's unlikely you'll be levitating off the ground any time soon — even if you undertake millions of prayer wheel spins — so what did the great Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava mean when he wrote: you will "be able to attain mystic powers... eliminate immeasurable karmic obscurations" in teachings on Prayer Wheels? We...
Sutra in Forty-Two Sections — excerpts of timeless wisdom and practice advice from the World Honoured One
This sutra contains many favorite gems: "You should be mindful of the four elements within the body. Though each has a name, none of them is the self. Since they are not the self, they are like an illusion." "When you see someone who is practicing giving, aid him joyfully, and you...