The Monks and Nuns of Plum Village have issued another update on the progress of Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) in his recovery from a stroke last November. In their update in July the Monks and Nuns let us know that a donation page had been established to help pay for the treatments he would receive while in the United States. As of the last update, that account has taken in nearly $300,000. This week’s update discusses his ongoing therapies, including acupuncture,... Read more
“Anywhere from $44 for cheaper dolls, and up to nearly $1500 for top-of-the-line models…” Who doesn’t like a little memento, a souvenir to carry around for good luck? Buddhists, especially but not exclusively those of Theravadin Buddhism, have long found value in amulets, “small, mystically charged objects carried [to] provide the bearer with good fortune or protection from harm.” (Encyclopedia of Buddhism) When I visited Thailand in 2012 I recall seeing amulets for sale (via donation) at many temples. One could also go to... Read more
As college classes start up this time of year, many people will find themselves debating the merits of this course versus that one, this major versus that. As I’m now going on 15 years as a student of religion and philosophy I might be a bit biased, but for what it’s worth, I still think these two topics (and in particular Buddhism) are the best thing you can study in college. In fact, in this age of adult education programs and online... Read more
Or, “On submitting a PhD thesis, and going back to school.” This week I saw, probably on twitter, an image of a man around thirty wearing a backpack and a sign hanging from his neck reading “Starting 19th Grade.” The caption said, “what grad school feels like.” No doubt that image captures how a lot of people are feeling this time of year, aged 5-35. As for me, I’ve just submitted my Ph.D. thesis, something about comparing early Buddhist and... Read more
Mingyur Rinpoche, founder of Bodhgaya’s giant Tergar Monastery and author of numerous widely praised books on Buddhist practice including The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness and Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom, has a new video out on the topic: “I’m Too Lazy to Start a Meditation Practice.” Substitute “Busy” for “Lazy” and I think we’ll have most of the non-meditating world covered. So if you find yourself saying “I’m too lazy” or “I’m too... Read more
The Rubin Museum of Art in New York City is hosting Sharon Salzberg and other teachers from the New York Insight Meditation Center this month and next to teach mindfulness and discuss intersections between meditation and art. The Rubin’s PR and Marketing Manager Robin Carol writes, “The practices of meditation and art have long gone hand in hand, and art itself is often described as a meditative experience. Today, the Rubin Museum of Art is launching a weekly lunchtime Mindfulness Meditation series, where visitors... Read more
In their latest update, Plum Village of France, Thich Nhat Hanh’s home monastery, informs us that Thay has been transferred to UCSF (University of California, San Francisco) Medical Center for further rehabilitation after his stroke last November. You can read accounts of his continued progress here: Thich Nhat Hanh: still stable but “sleeping more deeply and communicating less” (November 22, 2014) Thich Nhat Hanh still stable and his “hemorrhage has slightly reduced in size” (December 1, 2014) Thich Nhat Hanh, still in... Read more
I’ve been off the blog and social media for the most part this month, working busily on my PhD thesis, which is nearing completion (or at least its last deadline) and enjoying a bit of Montana’s amazing National Forests and Wilderness areas. After a 4 mile hike with a 3200 foot ascent, this was my view on the 4th of July: Yet I still get emails when I’m tagged in something on social media (which alerted me to the content of... Read more
Agence France-Presse reported today that Dharmarajika, a Buddhist monastery in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, is serving food to Muslims this Ramadan, “in a rare example of social harmony between the religions in the South Asian nation.” The monastery, they report, “has become a hit on social media since it started distributing daily food packs for Muslims who break their fast during the Islamic month at sunset, known as Iftar.” The abbot of the monastery, Suddhananda Mahathero, speaking to AFP,... Read more
A few months ago I came across a remarkable writer from Zimbabwe. She found me through twitter and directed me to her site, https://hamamaoko.wordpress.com/, specifically her poem, Cherish the Present Moment, which concludes with these lines, wonderfully expressing a major part of the Buddha’s teachings: The present moment; Gives you all. It orders everything sweetly; Showering material and hallowed gifts over your head. Sadly, man is full of wishes, plans and expectations. Cherish the Present Moment! Until another cycle emerges. Wishes... Read more
American Buddhist Perspectives
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In