Established in 1990 as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization, The Tricycle Foundation is dedicated to making Buddhist teachings and practices broadly available. In 1991 the Foundation launched Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, the first magazine intended to present Buddhist perspectives to a Western readership. Tricycle soon became the leading independent journal of Buddhism in the West, where it continues to be the most inclusive and widely read vehicle for the dissemination of Buddhist views and values. Our readership includes longtime practitioners, those who are curious about Buddhism or meditation, and those who do not identify as Buddhist but value the teachings of wisdom and compassion that Buddhism has to offer.

By remaining unaffiliated with any particular teacher, sect or lineage, Tricycle provides a unique and independent public forum for exploring Buddhism, establishing a dialogue between Buddhism and the broader culture, and introducing Buddhist thinking to Western disciplines. This approach has enabled Tricycle to successfully attract readers from all walks of life, many of whom desire to enrich their lives through a deeper knowledge of Buddhist traditions.

Tricycle has been recognized with the prestigious Folio Award for Best Spiritual Magazine three times, and has twice garnered the Utne Media Award, most recently in 2013. As part of our commitment to our readers who are seeking to implement or sustain Buddhist values and practices, Tricycle accepts advertising only from teachers, programs, centers, and businesses whose offerings we believe will support those aims. Because of this selective policy, we depend on donations to support ever-rising printing and production costs, content updates to our website, and life-enriching programs. The Foundation also hosts occasional pilgrimages that provide opportunities for new and experienced practitioners to explore sites of importance to Buddhist history and practice.

Donations in support of Tricycle’s work may be made by mailing a check made payable to Tricycle at 89 5th Avenue, Suite 301, New York, NY 10003, or by visiting us at tricycle.org/donate.

Mission Statement

The mission of The Tricycle Foundation is to create forums for exploring contemporary and historic Buddhist activity, examine the impact of its new context in the democratic traditions of the West, and introduce fresh views and attainable methods for enlightened living to the culture at large. At the core of the Foundation’s mission is the alleviation of suffering that Buddhist teachings are meant to bring about.

Tricycle is an independent foundation unaffiliated with any one lineage or sect.

Why “Tricycle”?

A three-wheeled vehicle aptly evokes the fundamental components of Buddhist philosophy. Buddhism itself is often referred to as the “vehicle to enlightenment,” and the tricycle’s three wheels allude to the three treasures: The Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, or the enlightened teacher, the teachings, and the community. The wheels also relate to the turning of the wheel of dharma, or skillfully using the teachings of the Buddha to face the challenges that the circle of life presents.

25 Years of History

Part I: Foundations

Part II: From Our Pages

Part III: Tricycle Moves Forward

Editorial

Editor & Publisher James Shaheen
Features Editor Andrew Cooper
Senior Editor Matthew Abrahams
Managing Editor Gabriel Lefferts
Web Editor Karen Jensen
Editorial Assistant Emily DeMaioNewton
Copy Editor Karen Ready
Editor-at-Large Wendy Joan Biddlecombe Agsar
Special Projects Editor Eliza Rockefeller
Production Assistant Amanda Lim Patton

Associate Publisher Sam Mowe
Publishing Assistant Emmye Vernet
Digital Marketing Assistant Erin Strahley
Newsletter Editor Carolyn Gregoire
Marketing & Business Analyst Chris Marchand
Online Learning Manager Danya Spencer
Online Course Designer Mark Cooper
Development Manager Antonio Quey-Lin
Controller Joellen Sommer

Art

Art Director Edward Levine
Photo Editor Nina Buesing

Advertising

Production Stephanie Fulgione
Goodfellows Publishers Representatives (510-548-1680)

Board of Directors

Mayree Clark, Chair
Christopher Crevier
Genevieve David
Werner Doyle
Jonathan Hochman
James Shaheen
Helen Tworkov
Philip Glass, Chair Emeritus

Mindfulness of the Four Elements: Reconnecting with the World

In the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha taught practitioners to contemplate the four elements—earth, fire, water, and air—as a foundation of mindfulness practice. Our Meditation Month teacher, Sebene Selassie, shows how this oft-overlooked practice of examining the elements as basic metaphors for experience can help us see our inherent connections to nature.

Mar 2020

Shifting the Ground We Stand On: Buddhist and Western Thinkers Challenge Modernity

Shifting the Ground We Stand On: Buddhist and Western Thinkers Challenge Modernity, introduces a fresh perspective to the dialogue between Buddhism and science. This anthology of Tricycle essays and interviews by Linda Heuman brings together Buddhist scholars, neuroscientists, and cultural critics on the question of finding meaning in our modern world.