Buddhism and the Environment in China: PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly

Last updated on: October 25, 2014 at 12:55 pm By Justin Whitaker

PBS takes us to China this week, where the increasing signs of environmental degradation are leading many in this officially ‘atheist’ nation to embrace Buddhism. Buddhism is on the rise in China, currently estimated to have about 200-300 million adherents, for a variety of reasons. After the extreme persecution of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 70s, the nation slowly and quietly allowed some cracks to form in its atheist and socialist facade. Over the last twenty years especially,... Read more

Happy Pavarana from Bodhgaya

Last updated on: October 8, 2014 at 5:19 pm By Justin Whitaker

This full moon is an especially significant one in Buddhism, and we spent the late afternoon and moon-rise (around 5:15pm) at the Japanese Temple practicing Soto Zen. After the practice we emerged to see this: It must have been just the last moments of the eclipse. These are busy times, I’m afraid, so I’ll offer you just this image and a couple clippings from around the web to tell you more about Pavarana: Pavarana is a Buddhist holy day celebrated... Read more

BREAKING: World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates canceled after the Dalai Lama’s visa refusal

Last updated on: January 5, 2015 at 4:51 pm By Justin Whitaker

Speaking from Dharamsala, India, American Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams told reporters that the event in South Africa had been cancelled and shifted to another venue, to be announced. Williams is in Dharamsala with Shirin Ebadi of Iran, a fellow laureate, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his 1989 award (live stream available here) on October 2nd. “We feel proud that the summit has been cancelled after we lodged a protest over denial of visa to the Dalai Lama,” she... Read more

Ajahn Brahm’s Gender Equality in Buddhism petition nears 5000 signatures

Last updated on: September 29, 2014 at 4:51 pm By Justin Whitaker

As per a request on twitter, I’m reposting this with the hopes of driving the petition over 5000 (it needs just 239 more as of now): In May, Ajahn Brahm, one of the world’s best known Theravadin monks, was scheduled to give a talk on gender equality (and lack thereof) in Buddhism in Vietnam at the annual UN Day of Vesak conference. However, at the last minute his talk was canceled. Here Ajahn Brahm talks about why: Now you can... Read more

Bodhgaya, Buddhism’s holiest city, in pictures

Last updated on: September 26, 2014 at 6:22 pm By Justin Whitaker

September is a strange time in Bodhgaya. It’s stretched between the hot and muggy monsoon season of N.E. India and the gradual onset of the cool season. Over the three weeks we’ve been here, the temperatures have gone up and down (highs ranging from around 95F/35C to a cool 85F /29C) but the humidity has steadily dropped from the stultifying 85+% to a merciful 65% during the day. It is still low season for tourists, so we get the city and... Read more

Shinnyo Lantern Floating for Peace: NY City, beginning Sept 21

Last updated on: September 21, 2014 at 6:53 am By Justin Whitaker

For readers in or near the New York City area, here is a great opportunity to learn about and participate in a ceremony with a growing global Buddhist community. I had the privilege of interviewing the head of Shinnyo-en, Her Holiness Shinso Ito, last May. And my friend Danny Fisher points us to the more recent Religion and Ethics Newsweekly coverage of last year’s lantern floating. Below is taken from their press release announcing this year’s event. On Sunday, Sept.... Read more

Notes on teaching Buddhist philosophy

Last updated on: September 20, 2014 at 4:27 am By Justin Whitaker

I’m teaching Buddhist philosophy in Bodhgaya, India at the moment, so much of my blogging-life is taken up by activities here. In lieu of all of that (I will post on my usual topics now and then) I thought I’d share notes from my teaching. Teaching Buddhist philosophy to American college students from diverse backgrounds (some with extensive philosophy, some with Buddhism, some with a mix or neither) has been a challenge. To start, I wanted to get them thinking... Read more

Double Dalai Lama or none: Buddhist leader contemplates ending reincarnations

Last updated on: September 13, 2014 at 4:34 am By Justin Whitaker

This week the Dalai Lama is grabbing international headlines and as usual, Stephen Colbert’s commentary is a great one to start with: on point, historically accurate, and highly entertaining. Colbert has it right that a major worry is that when the current Dalai Lama passes away, China will likely appoint its own successor, in effect leading to a secular, communist state endorsing the Tibetan Buddhist belief not only in rebirth, but in the specific ‘tulku’ system whereby individuals of extraordinary spiritual... Read more

Malaria, Maoists, and other news from India

Last updated on: September 8, 2014 at 5:10 pm By Justin Whitaker

I’ve once again found myself in rural India, Bodhgaya to be precise, teaching Buddhist Philosophy to American undergraduates. I was here in 2010, early in the days of my PhD, and coming here again as I near the end of this colossal project seems fitting. I remember when I first arrived in England for my MA all those years ago, marveling at how much history surrounded me: pubs dating to the 1600s, churches from the 14th century and before, castles,... Read more

TransBuddhism, an interview with the creators of transbuddhists.org

Last updated on: July 2, 2019 at 5:15 am By Justin Whitaker

Updated July 2, 2019 to note the change in terminology, removing any/all * after the word “trans”. I am honored this month to share an interview with the creators of transbuddhists.org and a guide to trans competence (links below). Please read on and visit their website to find out more about how you can make Buddhism more inclusive. Who counts as “trans” and why is it important for Buddhists today to understand the term? We use trans (“trans”) as an umbrella term to describe... Read more