During a panel discussion with Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, Mitra Mark Power and Shastri Ethan Nichtern in the Cooper Union’s Great Hall in New York City, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche was asked, “What is your aspiration for Western Buddhism?”
Using Inquiry to Unpack the Buddhist Teachings
Special Guest Post by Lama Palden
What happens when, instead of defending ourselves against our suffering, we welcome it with awareness? What is that like?
Dreaming on the Dharma
Special Guest Post by Joan Sutherland, Roshi
As the Buddhadharma takes root in many lands outside Asia, we can expect the unexpected. Are we dreaming the Dharma afresh, or is it dreaming us in ever-new directions?
Psychotherapy as Preliminary Practice
Can psychotherapy support beginning meditators on their journey of self discovery? Can a skilled clinician serve as a means for clients to glimpse their awakened state? Will processing feelings lead to a state of mental tranquility?
Buddha Nature
Special Guest Post by Sharon Salzberg
When asked about self hatred the Dalai Lama said, “Self hatred. What is that? But you have Budddha nature. How could you think of yourself that way?” How can Western Buddhists gain confidence in Buddha nature and nourish our capacity to offer lovingkindness to ourselves?
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s Aspiration for American Buddhism
What would be the key ingredient to a “melting pot” of American Buddhism — one Buddhism, rather than many? How can students of different Buddhist traditions help and support each other on the road to freedom?
Aspirations for the Coming Year
We’ve made lots of new friends and had so many interesting conversations. Let’s keep it going! What are your aspirations as we approach a new year?
Interdependence 101: How I Learned to Ask for Help
How can I apply the Buddhist teachings about interdependence to my fear of asking for help? Am I a nuisance to others? How to examine the inner movies and hidden scripts that determine our beliefs about who we are.
Seeing the Dharma Through Western Eyes
There’s the wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings, and there’s the Asian cultural form in which we learn about them. It’s not always easy to see which is which. But if we’re to evolve a Western Buddhism, we’ll have to take a closer look.
Western Buddhism: Work in Progress
Where are we going as Western Buddhist practitioners? What would a North American Buddhism look and feel like?