Buddhism and the Real World
For most of its history, the dharma has had little to offer in the domain of social action. But that’s OK.
Donald S. Lopez Jr.
Donald S. Lopez Jr. is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan.
Featured Articles
Buddha Takes the Mound
Why the Buddha invented baseball
How to Read the Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sutra is one of the foremost Buddhist texts, but to the uninitiated reader, it can make little or no sense.
Latest Articles
Four Ennobling Truths
The four noble truths are not true for everyone.
The Biggest Misconception about Buddhism
Contrary to popular belief, most Buddhists throughout history have not meditated.
10 Misconceptions about Buddhism
Two Buddhist scholars expand on popular misconceptions about Buddhism.
Only the Occasional Brothel
The “unconstrained conduct” of Zen is more literary trope than pervasive practice.
Was Buddha God or Human?
While Buddhism has a place for gods, the Buddha wasn’t exactly one of them.
The Life of the Lotus Sutra
An interview with Donald S. Lopez Jr. on the biography of one of Buddhism’s most influential texts
Podcasts
Revisiting the Story of the Buddha’s Life
Scholar Donald S. Lopez Jr. lays out a “remythologized” account of the story of the Buddha, highlighting the supernatural elements of his life.
Listen Now on Tricycle | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
A Journey through Buddhist History
Scholar Donald S. Lopez Jr. discusses the challenges in attempting to tell any single history of Buddhism.
Listen Now on Tricycle | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
How to Read the Lotus Sutra
Our guests are two of the foremost scholars in Buddhist studies, Donald Lopez, Jr. and Jacqueline Stone. They have written a chapter-by-chapter guide to the Lotus Sutra called Two Buddhas Seated Side by Side: A Guide to the Lotus Sutra (October 2019, Princeton University Press). Here, Stone and Lopez sit down with Tricycle Editor and Publisher James Shaheen to discuss the issues, such as religious meaning, reinvention, and adaptation, that this book brings to the surface.
Listen Now on Tricycle | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
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