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The Buddhist Review
Back Issues
An introduction to the special section on Buddhism and the environment
An interview with Elizabeth Kolbert
Opening our eyes to the nature of this earth
Buddhism isn’t the environmental religion it’s made out to be. But the tradition’s legacy on this planet isn’t set in stone.
If Buddhism is to address the ecological crisis, it must clarify its essential message.
Mapping the transition to a sustainable human culture
A longtime student reflects on 30 years with the Vietnamese master.
Buddhist tradition and modernity are in many ways incompatible. But one Western intellectual tradition may hold a key to bringing the two into meaningful dialogue.
The ego cannot achieve freedom from itself—something more is required.
Contributors include Johan Elverskog, Sam Mowe, and Paul Kingsnorth
A selection of letters sent by Tricycle readers
A letter from Tricycle’s editor, James Shaheen
The Pali word sila (“discipline, restraint”) recalls the word “sealant” in English. When you want to close a crack, you use a sealant and seal it off. You lay the foundation for a house and cover all the cracks, so no water will seep in, no insects will enter, and the foundation won’t collapse. As […]
For Buddhism to grow in our modern world, we need to do more than teach meditation, preach inspiring sermons, and make the sutras available over the Internet. We are good at studying, publishing, and spreading the word of Buddhism. What we have not been very successful at is showcasing the compassion and selflessness of the […]
Because he’s read about it in a book on Zenand there were lilies-of-the-valley on the tablein a thin white vase, he took the morningto look at them and only them, to concentrateall his attention on the lilies-of-the-valley. Sick of politics, society, and war, he wanted only Zenanswers to the universe. Where but a kitchen tablecould […]
My life is uncomfortable only when I am not capable of controlling my mind. If I am in charge of my mind, then I can live comfortably even in hell. Do not try to find happiness or comfort outside yourself; instead, you should try to become the commander of your own mind and utilize it […]
The perfection of zeal is a pure [mind] that exists in the profound depths of the Way. Advancing without ever slacking off—lying down, sitting, standing, and walking—even if you are gasping for breath, never abandon it. ♦ From The Chan Whip Anthology: A Companion to Zen Practice, translated by Jeffrey L. Broughton with Elise Yoko […]
Hiding one’s faults within, although they are as huge as a mountain,One exposes and condemns others’ faults, although they are as small as a sesame seed. Without having even the slightest good quality, one acts as if one is noble.Named a Dharma practitioner, all one does is against Dharma.Sublime Guru, you who know, please swiftly […]
You are telling me thought is limited. Show it to me! Not by talking of memory, experience, or knowledge; I understand that, but I don’t capture the feeling that it is limited, because I see the beauty of the earth, I see the beauty of a building, of a person, of nature. I see all […]
Hearing about bodhisattvas’ ability to cherish others more than themselves, we may doubt, “If I abandon all self-interest and only cherish others, I will neglect myself and my suffering will increase.” Cherishing others does not mean ignoring our own needs and caring only for others. If we did that, we would fall into a deplorable […]
Fundamentally, there is no problem in life, because everything that happens is actually part of the human journey and human awakening, and all of it is leading us deeper and deeper into reality. ♦ From Darkness Before Dawn: Redefining the Journey Through Depression, edited by Tami Simon. Reprinted with permission of Sounds True.
An interview with Pauline Sherrow, pole dancer and Buddhist
An interview with artist Selena Kimball
Getting started on a spiritual path takes guts.
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche introduces an American classroom to the three bodies of the Buddha.
A 1988 interview with Gary Snyder, from the newly published anthology Nobody Home: Writing, Buddhism, and Living in Places
Recent reviews of Buddhist books
While others busied themselves with no-self, Hakuin asked what a Buddhist self might look like.
Parting words by Terrance Keenan
How to love yourself and others
A resource list of Buddhist climate action organizations
It’s not the places we visit—it’s the perspectives we choose.
Many point out the pitfalls of mindfulness. But the problem is in the approach, not the practice.
Can working to treat pain help us tackle the fundamental causes of human distress?
Early days in Plum Village with Thich Nhat Hanh