In their latest jab at the growing popularity of Buddhism in the West and one of its most common delivery systems: meditation via a 5-inch screen, The Onion offers us 31-year old Eric Reeves, a Seattle man whose new meditation app promises to lead him to a “Lotus Plane of Eternal Serenity.” Noting that he was “just moments from being carried like a cherry blossom on a soft breeze into a placid realm of unending tranquility,” The Onion reports that: Having readied himself... Read more
Mindfulness, as we discussed last month with Jeff Wilson’s lecture on the topic, is the single most impactful aspect of Buddhism in America. The notion has become so ubiquitous that one could almost search for “mindfulness and x” and find a website, book, or guru/guide devoted to the subject – x being virtually any activity common today, from sex to eating, parenting, commuting, college life, and even the newest fad, adult coloring books. A friend of mine even sent me... Read more
Earlier this month we set out a home-work assignment of sorts for those interested in exploring more of the rich diversity in contemporary American Buddhism. That assignment was to get Diana Eck’s 2001 book A New Religious America: How a “Christian Country” Has Become the World’s Most Religiously Diverse Nation and read/discuss the chapter on Buddhism. Eck begins this great book by drawing attention to a shift that has occurred in her lifetime as a baby-boomer: The religious landscape of America has changed... Read more
What is the ideal Buddhist romantic relationship? Contemporary books had plenty of relatively good, if not platitudinous, advice, but in the scholarly works and early texts, we have a problem. The answer in most is: don't have one. The big names, saints, bodhisattvas, etc are well over 90% unmarried monastics and well over 90% male. Read more
By Daniel D. Woo (© 2016) Saturday, January 30, I attended an all-day retreat at the Seattle Insight Meditation Center (http://seattleinsight.org/About/Who…) led by two teachers in the Insight Meditation lineages. In addition to several 30 minutes unguided silent sitting meditations, the teachers had the participants practice two self-inquiry walking meditations. The first one required contemplating two questions during 30 minutes of mindful walking: (1) Where is my physical Dukkha; and (2) How does this lead to personal freedom? Dukkha... Read more
Today I am very happy to share the work of a dear friend and colleague, Lynette Monteiro. This continues our series of expanding perspectives on race and diversity in American Buddhism alongside Secundra Beasley’s “Among the Sangha…“, “Crossing the Great Divides in U.S. Buddhism” by Mushim (Patricia) Ikeda, last Wednesday’s (forthcoming) book excerpt from Lama Choyin Rangdrol, “African American Buddhism…” an interview discussing emerging voices in the Western Buddhist world, the Tibetan Feminist Collective, and two excellent academic pieces that started things off: “Race Matters…” and... Read more
Today I am again honored to share another wonderful guest post in our ongoing series of expanding perspectives on race and diversity in American Buddhism. Recent posts include yesterday’s “Crossing the Great Divides in U.S. Buddhism” by Mushim (Patricia) Ikeda, Wednesday’s (forthcoming) book excerpt from Lama Choyin Rangdrol, “African American Buddhism…” an interview discussing emerging voices in the Western Buddhist world, the Tibetan Feminist Collective, and two excellent academic pieces that started things off: “Race Matters…” and “The Dukkha of Racism…”. With one more post... Read more
Speaking from the hospital in Rochester, Minnesota where he is undergoing precautionary prostate treatment, His Holiness the Dalai Lama offered a brief message on the occasion of the upcoming Tibetan New Year (Losar, beginning Feb. 9 and lasting 15 days). There, he reassured friends and supporters that he is in good health and is being well looked after by hospital staff. His message focused on expressing his appreciation to those who have sent prayers and well-wishes for his health and recovery, reassuring... Read more
Today I am again very honored to share a guest post in our ongoing series of expanding perspectives on race and diversity in American Buddhism. Recent posts include yesterday’s (forthcoming) book excerpt from Lama Choyin Rangdrol, “African American Buddhism…” an interview discussing an emerging and wonderful voice -several voices, in fact- in the Western Buddhist world, the Tibetan Feminist Collective, and two excellent academic pieces that started things off: “Race Matters…” and “The Dukkha of Racism…”. Today’s article comes with a home-work assignment... Read more
Today I share another article from a developing series on expanding perspectives presented here starting last month with two wonderful academic guest posts on the topic of race in American Buddhism (“Race Matters…” and “The Dukkha of Racism…”). Yesterday’s interview with Tenzin Pelkyi of the Tibetan Feminist Collective, though developed alongside the series, further expands our awareness of the Buddhisms lived and practiced in America-and elsewhere-today. Today’s post is longer than earlier posts but worth every word. Lama Choyin Rangdrol has been a... Read more
American Buddhist Perspectives
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