In this short video the Buddhist teacher and filmmaker, well known for his wit and sense of humor, speaks about the place of Homosexuality in Buddhism. Here is a partial transcript: Just um, this interesting question of sexual orientation, like gays and lesbians, what to do with, you know, how does this sort of fit with Bhutanese sort of Buddhist world? And I would like to speak [about] this a little bit. In Buddhism, as Shantideva said (in Tibetan): wisdom is the... Read more
TIME reports today that H.H. the Dalai Lama will appear for the first time in public with President Barack Obama at the Feb. 5 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. The breakfast, organized by the Christian Fellowship Foundation, is expected to bring 3000 people of various religions together “in the spirit of Jesus”. According to TIME: The Dalai Lama will attend this year’s National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 5, marking the first time that the Tibetan leader will appear in public... Read more
Starting tomorrow, January 27, An Olive Branch will offer free online seminars “to increase awareness and adoption of ethics statements within Buddhist communities in the U.S.” They continue: The scope of the term “ethics” includes all aspects of ethical behavior such as student-teacher relationships, handling money, and power dynamics. “Buddhist communities” includes all schools and traditions practicing in the U.S. Each webinar will be presented by a prominent teacher, practitioner, or expert on ethics and will be facilitated by An Olive Branch. The need... Read more
As the “mindfulness buzz” grows, along with its detractors, let us not forget the other mystical Eastern trend taking root in Western culture: yoga. This week College Humor takes on the contemporary yoga world by resurrecting Gandhi: As I wrote back when Portlandia did its meditation spoof, it’s funny because it is true (partially). Happy weekend, everyone. Read more
The following is an announcement from the TransBuddhist Online Sangha: For trans and gender non-conforming people who have a connection with Buddhist practice We will start with meditation, followed by an opportunity to get to know each other and discuss our experiences. Sunday, Feb. 8 6:30pm *Eastern time* – join us for a 30 minute sit. You can log onto our “Transbuddhists” group on the Insight Timer App, if you have it, as we support each other in practice in this virtual way.... Read more
Paper proposals are being accepted for the Twentieth Annual Postgraduate Conference for Religion and Theology (13-14 March, 2015). Located in beautiful Bristol, England, the University of Bristol Theology and Religious Studies department provides the perfect venue for postgraduates along with some undergraduates and early career academics to present their work before a diverse, thoughtful, and supportive audience. In past years, presenters have come from around the world to take part in this, the UK’s largest postgraduate conference in the humanities (and second... Read more
As winter break wraps up and spring semester starts at colleges and universities across the country, more than a few students out there will be reconsidering their choice of majors, or at least dabbling in fun and interesting classes outside their department. While a number of classes may come highly recommended, two courses that really must be taken by any student today are an Introduction to World Religions and an introductory Philosophy course, which come under many names: “World Philosophies” tends... Read more
As we pause on this day to reflect on the life and vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. it’s easy to throw our hands up and admit defeat. Black men and boys are being killed by their neighbors and police with impunity, Muslims in the West face increasing scrutiny and bigotry, governments continue to ignore the wrongs of their nations past – and present – toward indigenous peoples, the latest boom in the economy seems to be just... Read more
I just got back from inviting 2 Muslims to serve at the head of the meal line for Tomorrow’s lunch at Pa-Auk. Everyone thought I was crazy and that the Muslims would kill me or at least shout at me as soon as I entered the compound. Instead they sat us down and offered us apples, and fruit juice with a happy and warm welcoming smiles. I explained my story to him through a translator, my trusty senior friend Venerable... Read more
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, once hailed as a “multimedia phenomenon and ascetic Buddhist superstar” by the New York Times, has had a tough year. After meeting nine heads of state in 2001 and eleven in 2002, the Dalai Lama met with just one by the middle of 2014: President Barack Obama. In an article discussing the event, Shannon Tiezzi of The Diplomat, described Obama as rather bravely walking a “tightrope” in the meeting, where he had to make it clear that he regarded the... Read more
American Buddhist Perspectives
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