
History

A well-known Buddhist story, and its contemporary interpretations, reveal the evolving tension between ascetic detachment and compassionate engagement—and where meditation fits in.

When Women Showed Up
Scholar Vanessa R. Sasson tells the story of the first female Buddhist renunciates.

Why Does the Buddha Smile?
Scholar David Fiordalis unpacks the meaning behind the Buddha’s wondrous smile.

The Invention of Nothing
The history of zero, shunya, and creation ex nihilo

A New Weekly Series on Epigraphy Explores the Lives of Ancient Buddhist Women
The community-oriented group meets on Fridays to “interpret a bunch of old stones and think about how women lived in history.”

CultureMagazine | Film, Reviews
Breathe In. Breathe Out. Now Watch Watchmen.
The recent DC comic-adapted TV series flips the script on what it means to live in the present moment.

IdeasMagazine | Buddha Buzz, Openings
Ladakh Is Bringing New Love to Old Stupas
How a small but committed group of masons in this former Buddhist kingdom are safeguarding their religious and cultural heritage.

The Wisdom of Uncertainty
The dharma's true home is neither here nor there.

Bidia Dandaron
Prisoner, lama, and “neo-Buddhist” heir to a Russian dharma king

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