Buddhadharma: Deepen Your Practice & Study of Buddhism
@buddhadharma.bsky.social
Whether you’ve been practicing for two years or twenty, Buddhadharma is your ideal source for deepening your understanding of and connection to Buddhism. Buddhadharma is a project of Lion's Roar, found at https://www.lionsroar.com/buddhadharma/
"There are so many things that we could say. Yet in many ways, no words. But here is a final note."
The Nation is Shattered; Mountain and Rivers Remain
A heartfelt commentary by Zen teacher Roshi Joan Halifax on how, in this time of danger and loss, we can find “the measure of our humanity.”
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January 29, 2026 at 7:49 PM
"There are so many things that we could say. Yet in many ways, no words. But here is a final note."
"The fundamental way Tara—or any other buddha—benefits sentient beings is by teaching us the dharma and inspiring us to investigate its meaning so we reach a correct understanding. She then guides us in meditation practice so we generate transformative realizations."
Oh Tara, Protect Us
In this teaching, Thubten Chodron comments on a prayer to the buddha Tara to protect us from the eight dangers.
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January 29, 2026 at 6:50 PM
"The fundamental way Tara—or any other buddha—benefits sentient beings is by teaching us the dharma and inspiring us to investigate its meaning so we reach a correct understanding. She then guides us in meditation practice so we generate transformative realizations."
"In my own life, meditation brought genuine realization. And still, something essential remained unhealed. This is not due to a failure of the dharma, but a mismatch of tools."
What “Integrated Meditation” Is, and Why It Matters
Amma Thanasanti explains how her program functions to "restore the relational ground required for deeper healing — and for meditation itself — to function."
www.lionsroar.com
January 22, 2026 at 4:21 PM
"In my own life, meditation brought genuine realization. And still, something essential remained unhealed. This is not due to a failure of the dharma, but a mismatch of tools."
Deadline: one week away!
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Buddhism Public Scholars and New Professorships in Buddhist Studies is accepting applications
Lion's Roar is honored to be among its participating host institutions. The deadline to apply is January 27.
www.lionsroar.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Deadline: one week away!
"They aren’t arguing for peace — they’re living it. Through harsh weather, pain, obstacles, crowds, and opposition, they mindfully return again and again to love, compassion, and peace."
A Glimpse of the Buddhist Monks’ “Walk for Peace” Across the United States
A group of monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas have inspired folks in person and online with their walk “to raise awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion...
www.lionsroar.com
January 20, 2026 at 12:45 PM
"They aren’t arguing for peace — they’re living it. Through harsh weather, pain, obstacles, crowds, and opposition, they mindfully return again and again to love, compassion, and peace."
"Most dharma communities, though strong in values, are weak in structures. This is overlooked by most people walking in the door. They are looking for a dharma that fits. They rarely look at the contours of power."
The Building Blocks of Belonging
According to Willa Blythe Baker, making a strong, healthy community starts with understanding how it is constructed.
www.lionsroar.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:36 PM
"Most dharma communities, though strong in values, are weak in structures. This is overlooked by most people walking in the door. They are looking for a dharma that fits. They rarely look at the contours of power."
"If your volition is clear and strong—you have a clear idea of what you want to do and you set about doing it—then the karmic result will be equally clear and strong. On the other hand, if your intention is weak and hesitant the karmic result will not be well defined either."
The Surprising Good News of Karma
No Buddhist teaching is as challenging to the modern mind as karma. Is it determinism, cosmic justice, or the simple truth that unwholesome states of mind create suffering and virtuous states of mind ...
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January 13, 2026 at 12:58 AM
"If your volition is clear and strong—you have a clear idea of what you want to do and you set about doing it—then the karmic result will be equally clear and strong. On the other hand, if your intention is weak and hesitant the karmic result will not be well defined either."
"For me, the test of different teachings is simple: does it result in no clinging or not? If they’re seen as skillful means for not clinging, it doesn’t matter if they’re positing different metaphysical views."
Joseph Goldstein: It’s Not Either-Or
In this conversation with Buddhadharma, the Insight Meditation Society cofounder applies the “harmonized understanding” approach championed in his book One Dharma to the idea of buddhanature. In the e...
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January 12, 2026 at 12:44 PM
"For me, the test of different teachings is simple: does it result in no clinging or not? If they’re seen as skillful means for not clinging, it doesn’t matter if they’re positing different metaphysical views."
"The question then becomes, what do I need to do to express, develop, and sustain compassion? And the answer is, practice the six practices: generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom. That’s the way to develop compassion."
How to Practice Sila Without Calculation
How do we practice ethical conduct, or sila, without falling into judgment, and without ignoring the complexity of each moment? According to Norman Fischer, the way has always been there.
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January 9, 2026 at 7:41 PM
"The question then becomes, what do I need to do to express, develop, and sustain compassion? And the answer is, practice the six practices: generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom. That’s the way to develop compassion."
"Yes, even bodhisattvas shatter. They pause, and grieve, weep and wail, and heal. And eventually, when their time has come, bodhisattvas rise."
When Bodhisattvas Break
Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön invites us to find hope and resilience in our grief, just as the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, even after shattering under the weight of samsara, finds strength to alleviate th...
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January 7, 2026 at 10:57 PM
"Yes, even bodhisattvas shatter. They pause, and grieve, weep and wail, and heal. And eventually, when their time has come, bodhisattvas rise."
Luckily, as local news outlet KRON and others report, “There were no occupants inside the temple at the time of the blaze” and no injuries have been reported, though four individuals who lived on the temple property have been displaced.
San Jose Buddhist temple suffers three-alarm fire
It was the second fire that Vietnamese Buddhist temple Chua Duyen Giac has endured since May 2024. No injuries have been reported.
www.lionsroar.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Luckily, as local news outlet KRON and others report, “There were no occupants inside the temple at the time of the blaze” and no injuries have been reported, though four individuals who lived on the temple property have been displaced.
"The most famous manifestation of this vision is Indra’s net. ... Nothing is left out—not the things we like and not the things we don’t like. Reality is vast and transcendent, excluding no one, connecting everyone, as intimately as the fingers on a hand are connected.
All Beings Liberating, Together, At Once
Judy Roitman unpacks the Mahayana vision. "The essence of this vision," she says, "is a universe in which time and space are flexible, and in which beings are neither separate nor dissolved in each ot...
www.lionsroar.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:40 PM
"The most famous manifestation of this vision is Indra’s net. ... Nothing is left out—not the things we like and not the things we don’t like. Reality is vast and transcendent, excluding no one, connecting everyone, as intimately as the fingers on a hand are connected.
“ACLS will place up to five early-career scholars of Buddhism in one-year professional positions with host institutions that present and interpret knowledge of Buddhist traditions."
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Buddhism Public Scholars and New Professorships in Buddhist Studies is accepting applications
Lion's Roar is honored to be among its participating host institutions.
www.lionsroar.com
December 17, 2025 at 1:06 PM
“ACLS will place up to five early-career scholars of Buddhism in one-year professional positions with host institutions that present and interpret knowledge of Buddhist traditions."
"Each of us must find a vow that speaks to our specific needs. When we do this, we invoke our deepest intention, which will encourage us to sit in the midst of the fire of our own difficulties and act in response to our individual inner desire to practice this vow at this moment."
Steadfast in the Midst of Samsara
Shinshu Roberts examines the suffering inherent in the bodhisattva path, what Dogen referred to as being “the blue lotus in the flame.”
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December 16, 2025 at 4:17 PM
"Each of us must find a vow that speaks to our specific needs. When we do this, we invoke our deepest intention, which will encourage us to sit in the midst of the fire of our own difficulties and act in response to our individual inner desire to practice this vow at this moment."
The foundation and the Buddhist world at large — the uncountable organizations, institutions, and individuals that have been direct or indirect beneficiaries of his generosity — mourn and remember him.
Philanthropist and patron of contemporary Buddhism Robert H. N. Ho dies, age 93
Lion’s Roar joins our friends and colleagues across the world in reflecting with gratitude upon the life and work of Robert H. N. Ho.
www.lionsroar.com
December 10, 2025 at 10:32 PM
The foundation and the Buddhist world at large — the uncountable organizations, institutions, and individuals that have been direct or indirect beneficiaries of his generosity — mourn and remember him.
The first volume of Franziska Oertle’s groundbreaking colloquial Tibetan coursebook, The Heart of Tibetan Language, has now been digitally released in Spanish.
New Spanish translation of The Heart of Tibetan Language – Volume 1 released
“The main purpose of this Spanish edition is to offer all Spanish speakers — whether they know English or not — the opportunity to learn Tibetan and appreciate its nuances without relying on materials...
www.lionsroar.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
The first volume of Franziska Oertle’s groundbreaking colloquial Tibetan coursebook, The Heart of Tibetan Language, has now been digitally released in Spanish.
"For this Asian American feminist, Buddhism is about liberating ourselves from systems of domination and cycles of trauma that requires a deliberate and thoughtful process of self-care and self-love."
Self-Care for Liberation
The new book Emergent Dharma (North Atlantic Books) is a ground-breaking collection of Asian American feminist Buddhist voices. In this excerpt, the book’s editor Sharon Suh says Asian American women ...
www.lionsroar.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:44 PM
"For this Asian American feminist, Buddhism is about liberating ourselves from systems of domination and cycles of trauma that requires a deliberate and thoughtful process of self-care and self-love."
Content includes articles from Buddhadharma and Lion’s Roar, and Tricycle — as well as varied books, podcasts, papers, and more.
“mitigating dHARMa” site launches to support abuse/spiritual abuse survivors
The professional interfaith chaplain and committed Buddhist practitioner behind the site explains its impetus and structure.
www.lionsroar.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Content includes articles from Buddhadharma and Lion’s Roar, and Tricycle — as well as varied books, podcasts, papers, and more.
"Through visualization practice, we can come to understand emptiness not just as a negation of real things but as an open space within which anything is possible."
Visualizing a Pure and Perfect World
Heidi Köppl looks at how Vajrayana visualization practice, when applied correctly, helps us to acknowledge the emptiness of the present moment.
www.lionsroar.com
December 3, 2025 at 1:35 PM
"Through visualization practice, we can come to understand emptiness not just as a negation of real things but as an open space within which anything is possible."
"Despite facing severe criticism and accusations of posing a threat to Buddhism, Venerable Adicca Vamsa’s progressive stance on the revival of the bhikkhuni order has been vindicated [and] his literary contributions continue to hold significant influence."
The Story of Buddhist Reformer Venerable Ādicca Vamsa
Hein Htet Kyaw offers a profile of a monk, author, and hero of Buddhism deserving of true appreciation.
www.lionsroar.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:49 PM
"Despite facing severe criticism and accusations of posing a threat to Buddhism, Venerable Adicca Vamsa’s progressive stance on the revival of the bhikkhuni order has been vindicated [and] his literary contributions continue to hold significant influence."
"In a world that never stops interrupting us, this ancient Tibetan practice offers a way to reset body, mind, and spirit, clearing these poisons in a few breaths."
Let the “Nine Breaths of Purification” Clear Your Mind and Open Your Heart
Daniel Ahearn, LMFT, shares an article and accompanying video on the how and why of a practice he says offers "a gentle revolution, a way to clear what weighs us down, to reconnect with the body, and ...
www.lionsroar.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:14 PM
"In a world that never stops interrupting us, this ancient Tibetan practice offers a way to reset body, mind, and spirit, clearing these poisons in a few breaths."
"What was once recorded in guidebooks, or held in the monastic library, may also be found in the form of pilgrimage YouTube vlogs (video-blogs). These vlogs are offering new pilgrimage experiences, education, and re-historicized versions of Buddhism’s past."
How YouTube Is Changing Buddhist Pilgrimage and Re-Historicizing Buddhism’s Past
Nikhil Stewart shares what he's learned by interviewing 30 monks about how vlogging (video-blogging) has impacted Buddhist pilgrimage — online, and "IRL."
www.lionsroar.com
November 17, 2025 at 5:00 PM
"What was once recorded in guidebooks, or held in the monastic library, may also be found in the form of pilgrimage YouTube vlogs (video-blogs). These vlogs are offering new pilgrimage experiences, education, and re-historicized versions of Buddhism’s past."
"When nightmares, panic, and fear began to resurface, he turned to his teacher, a highly regarded master. The teacher’s response: 'Snap out of it. You know how to meditate.'
"Perhaps he meant, 'You’ve got this.' But that’s not what landed."
"Perhaps he meant, 'You’ve got this.' But that’s not what landed."
Why Meditation Alone Can't Heal Every Wound
Amma Thanasanti asks “the question that won’t go away”: If a dharma teacher has authentic awakening, how are they able to still cause so much harm?
www.lionsroar.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:08 PM
"When nightmares, panic, and fear began to resurface, he turned to his teacher, a highly regarded master. The teacher’s response: 'Snap out of it. You know how to meditate.'
"Perhaps he meant, 'You’ve got this.' But that’s not what landed."
"Perhaps he meant, 'You’ve got this.' But that’s not what landed."
"You’re a bodhisattva when you never waiver from your powerful aspiration to be of benefit to everyone, not just in meditation but throughout daily life." —Anne Klein
Awakening the Bodhisattva
Venerable Pannavati, Anne Klein, and Ejo McMullen on the possibilities and challenges of the bodhisattva path. Introduction by Taigen Dan Leighton.
www.lionsroar.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:42 PM
"You’re a bodhisattva when you never waiver from your powerful aspiration to be of benefit to everyone, not just in meditation but throughout daily life." —Anne Klein
This is just one of the pieces featured in Buddhadharma's Deep Dive, about no-self, this month. Visit the Buddhdharma homepage for more: www.lionsroar.com/buddhadharma/
Looking Deeply into Impermanence, No-self, and Nirvana
Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that by looking deeply we develop insight into impermanence and no self. These are the keys to the door of reality.
www.lionsroar.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:02 PM
This is just one of the pieces featured in Buddhadharma's Deep Dive, about no-self, this month. Visit the Buddhdharma homepage for more: www.lionsroar.com/buddhadharma/