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The Many Buddhist Traditions
Buddhism began in the first millennium BCE, in what is now Northern India, when the enlightened Buddha gave his first sermon in Deer Park. From there, the Buddha’s teachings gradually began to spread through his disciples across Asia. As Buddhism spread around the globe, the dharma evolved, taking on different expressions to fit the desires, […]
The Many Buddhist Traditions,
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What Did the Buddha Teach?
The Buddha had a lot to say about how to understand life. After his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, he gave his first sermons to his disciples, teaching about the nature of suffering and the path to ending suffering. Over this lifetime, the Buddha offered a detailed and wide-ranging set of teachings that would ultimately […]
What did the Buddha teach?,
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Common Misconceptions about Buddhism
From meditation apps to Buddha statues in yoga studios to the use of “Zen” as an adjective, elements of Buddhist philosophy and practice permeate popular culture in the West. As Buddhism and mindfulness have become more popular in mainstream Western culture, many people are more familiar with Buddhism than ever before. At the same time, […]
Common Misconceptions about Buddhism,
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Buddhism in the 21st Century
You don’t have to go to a Buddhist temple or retreat center to come into contact with Buddhist teachings and practices in today’s world. In recent years, Buddhism has become integrated into many aspects of our culture and everyday lives, including in our hospitals, hospices, schools, VA centers, workplaces, correctional facilities and sports stadiums. In […]
Buddhism in the 21st Century,
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What’s the Difference Between Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana?
If you’re just starting out on the Buddhist path, it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed by the number of different schools and their practices: Should you explore Zen? What is Shambhala? What lineage does Vipassana come from? Is Vajrayana the same thing as Tibetan Buddhism? Buddhist schools have proliferated and evolved over time. While there […]
What’s the difference between Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana?,
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Inside the Theravada Tradition
Theravada, the “way of the elders,” rests on core Buddhist teachings and is the predominant form of Buddhism in Southeast Asia, where it has been practiced for twenty-two centuries. Theravada is often considered to have remained the closest to the Buddha’s original teachings and bears the most similarity to early Buddhism. The foundation of the […]
Inside the Theravada tradition,
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What Makes a Person a Zen Buddhist?
The word “Zen” has become a part of our cultural lexicon, signifying calm, serenity, and stillness. The ubiquity of the word in the West reflects the popularity of this major Buddhist school. Practiced by millions of people around the world, Zen originated in China before spreading to Japan and Korea, and later to the Western […]
What makes a Buddhist a Zen Buddhist?,
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Who Is Nichiren and What Is the Nichiren School?
Dating back to medieval Japan, the Nichiren school of Buddhism is now practiced by millions of people around the world. Spreading around the same time as Zen and Pure Land Buddhism, Nichiren was distinct in its emphasis on “faith in action,” empowering individual change through spiritual faith. The heart of Nichiren Buddhism is the practice […]
Who was Nichiren and what is the Nichiren school?,
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What Does It Mean to Be A Pure Land Buddhist?
Found primarily in Japan and East Asia, the Pure Land schools of Buddhism revere the Amida Buddha, or “Buddha of Infinite Light.” In this branch of Mahayana Buddhism, practitioners put their faith in Amida Buddha to be reborn in the Pure Land, a realm where enlightenment comes swiftly. One of the most widely practiced Buddhist […]
What does it mean to be a Pure Land Buddhist?,
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What Do Tibetan Buddhists Practice?
Tibetan Buddhism, also known as Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism, embraces a wide variety of practices—including visualization, mantras, and yogic practices—and harnesses mental and physical energies for use on the path to enlightenment. After Buddhism arrived in Tibet from India in the 7th century, Tibet became the center of Buddhism in central Asia. Over the centuries, […]
What do Tibetan Buddhists practice?,