Tricycle, Author at Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

The Best Buddhist Books for Beginners

Tricycle — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:00:32 +0000

In 2011, Tricycle hosted a discussion titled “What Led You to Buddhism?” in which participants were asked to share the stories of how they came to learn more about Buddhism. While reading through the discussion from people of many different backgrounds and traditions, one common theme became immediately apparent: Buddhist books.

It occurred to us that we should compile all the Buddhist books for beginners and that such a list, composed solely of personal accounts of life-altering realizations, could be quite special. We created that list in 2011 (read the original here), and asked readers to suggest more. Here is an updated list of the best books for those new to Buddhism, plus some suggested reading for the more seasoned practitioner:

Blue Jean Buddha: Voices of Young Buddhists
edited by Sumi Loundon Kim

Sumi Loundon Kim’s interest in the practice of young American Buddhists was stirred while working in the kitchen of a Buddhist retreat center in New England. She realized that twenty-somethings had very different reasons than she did for practicing Buddhism. So she set out to find other young Buddhists and collected their stories.

Buddhism for Beginners
by Thubten Chodron

What is the goal of the Buddhist path? What is karma? Tibetan Buddhist nun Thubten Chodron tackles the most commonly asked questions about Buddhism and provides clear, simple answers without oversimplifying. Chodron also relates the Buddhist teachings to modern-day issues, such as the ecological crisis, euthanasia, and social activism.

Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings
by William Edelglass and Jay L. Garfield

While the diversity of Buddhist schools of thought makes it all but impossible to encapsulate the tradition in one book, Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings is as comprehensive an attempt as any. This is a dense volume, but its coherent presentation of Buddhist philosophy in all its variety makes diving in worth the effort.

Creation and Completion: Essential Points of Tantric Meditation
by Jamgon Kongtrul, translated by Sarah Harding

Tibetan Buddhist translator Sarah Harding once noted that despite their best intentions, many Westerners who engage in Vajrayana Buddhist practices don’t understand the nuts and bolts of how these practices work. To fill that gap, she translated 19th-century luminary Jamgon Kongtrul’s Creation and Completion: Essential Points of Tantric Meditation. In this book, which also features a commentary from contemporary teacher Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, Kongtrul explains the meditative states that are meant to occur beneath the ritualized and explicit actions of body, speech, and mind. For those committed to the path of tantra, Creation and Completion’s practical guidance is indispensable.

The Issue at Hand
by Gil Fronsdal

This slim volume is more than just an introduction; it contains gems of insight that will continue to stimulate and deepen your practice as it unfolds. Gil Fronsdal’s training in Zen and Theravada along with his PhD in Buddhist Studies have provided him with a thorough grasp of dharma, which he presents clearly and accurately for a modern audience. The sparkling short essays discuss topics from generosity, metta, and karma to working with anger and fear. (A free pdf is available here.)

Mindfulness in Plain English
by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Walking readers step-by-step through the benefits of meditation and the practice of mindfulness, Bhante G’s instructions are no less inspiring than they are accessible. He makes meditation seem like magic and then succeeds in convincing us that we’re all capable of wizardry. (The Vipassana Fellowship provides a digital copy of an earlier edition of the book on their website.)

Open Heart, Open Mind: Awakening the Power of Essence Love
by Tsoknyi Rinpoche with Eric Swanson

In Tibetan Buddhism, the words mind and heart are used interchangeably. For Tsoknyi Rinpoche, therein lies the key to one of the tradition’s most cherished concepts, bodhicitta [awakened heart-mind]. The book offers down-to-earth teachings on Buddhist philosophy and psychology as well as practical meditation tips, including a seven-point method for establishing a solid base to anchor you in your body.

Pure Land: History, Tradition, and Practice
by Charles B. Jones

In Pure Land, scholar Charles B. Jones provides a comprehensive introduction to Pure Land Buddhism, the dominant tradition in East Asia, whose practitioners chant the name of Amitabha Buddha (the Buddha of Infinite Light) in hope of being reborn in his land of bliss and attaining enlightenment. The book is divided into two parts: the tradition’s history and its beliefs and practices.

Siddhartha
by Hermann Hesse

When New Directions decided to publish the first English translation of Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha in 1951, it could not have foreseen the enormous impact it would have on American culture. The novel’s ostensibly simple narrative about an Indian man named Siddhartha’s journey of self-discovery during the time of the Buddha appealed to the restless drifter, the alienated youth, and the political anarchist alike.

The Sound of Silence: The Selected Teachings of Ajahn Sumedho
by Ajahn Sumedho

Teachings from Ajahn Sumedho, a popular American-born teacher and founder of the first Theravada monastic community in the West, have been hard to come by in print. The talks collected in this volume preserve his warm, humorous style, and reflect his flexible view of teaching as “presenting things for you to investigate.” These spontaneous talks are accessible, but they require attention. The title comes from a meditation practice Sumedho developed on his own over forty years of practice, one not found in the Pali canon. (You can request a free copy of the book on the Forest Sangha website.)

Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living
by Pema Chödrön

From its first sentence— “We already have everything we need”—to its last, Start Where You Are stops us in our tracks. An American nun in the Tibetan tradition, Pema Chödrön takes subtle Tibetan teachings and translates them into straight talk. Throughout the book, Chödrön confronts the habitual self-help impulses—get thin, get rich, get enlightened—that can drive us. Chödrön’s directives are never strident or judgmental; instead, they are reminders conveyed with encouragement, patience, and lighthearted humor.

Taking the Path of Zen
by Robert Aitken

For Zen students, one of the best how-to books is Robert Aitken’s Taking the Path of Zen. Aitken, one of the early pioneers of Zen in America, teaches us not only how to sit but also why we do. Replete with practical instructions and advice, including stretching exercises that make sitting easier, there’s no more comprehensive a guide than this. It’s a great place to start.

The Three Pillars of Zen
by Philip Kapleau Roshi

When The Three Pillars of Zen appeared in 1965, it had a monumental impact on the direction of Buddhism in North America. Zen teacher Philip Kapleau combined a series of talks for beginning students by Yasutani Roshi with classic Zen texts. It offers the first how-to instructions for Western practitioners and remains one of the most influential and inspiring Zen books in the West.

What the Buddha Taught
by Walpola Rahula

Sri Lankan monk and scholar Walpola Rahula provides a well-rounded tour of the Pali canon, the early collection of Buddha’s teachings that is central to the Theravada tradition. His descriptions of Buddhist tenets are clear enough for beginners but avoid oversimplification, opening the door for future study and a more nuanced understanding.

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones
by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones is actually four tiny books that include a collection of Zen koans, stories, and teachings. It’s available in a pocket-sized edition that makes it suitable for koan practice or for a flash of Zen inspiration and bewilderment. For meditation instruction, turn to the final section, called Centering, which is a pre-Buddhist text listing 112 ways to reach enlightenment.

Zen Mind, Beginners Mind
by Shunryu Suzuki

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by the founder of San Francisco Zen Center, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, is one of the undisputed classics of American Buddhism. First published in 1970, the book’s simple approach and plainspoken language have made it timeless. Read an excerpt here.

MORE BEGINNER-FRIENDLY BUDDHIST BOOKS

The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Awakening the Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das
Awareness by Anthony DeMello
Being Nobody, Going Nowhere by Ayya Khema
Read an excerpt here.
Buddhism: An Introduction to the Buddha’s Life, Teachings, and Practices by Joan Duncan Oliver
Buddhism: An Introduction and Guide by Christmas Humphreys
Buddhism Plain & Simple by Steve Hagen
Buddhism: What Everyone Needs to Know by Dale S. Wright
The Buddhist Path to Simplicity by Christina Feldman
The Buddhist Religions: A Historical Introduction by Richard H. Robinson
Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac
Eight Steps to Happiness by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
An End to Suffering by Pankaj Mishra
Everyday Suchness by Gyomay M. Kubose
Everyday Zen: Love & Work by Charlotte Joko Beck
Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience by Sharon Salzberg
Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Golden Wind: Zen Talks by Eido Shimano Roshi
Hardcore Zen by Brad Warner
The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh
How to Meditate by Kathleen McDonald
In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon by Bhikkhu Bodhi
Indestructible Truth by Reginald A. Ray
Manual of Zen Buddhism by D. T. Suzuki
Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening by Joseph Goldstein
The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi
One Breath at a Time by Kevin Edward Griffin
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach
Returning to Silence: Zen Practice in Daily Life by Dainin Katagiri
A Still Forest Pool by Ajaan Chah
The Supreme Source by Namkhai Norbu
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche
The Way of the White Clouds by Lama Anagarika Govinda
The Way of Zen by Alan Watts
What Makes You Not A Buddhist by Dzongsar J. Khyentse Rinpoche
Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up by Koshin Paley Ellison
Why Buddhism Is True by Robert Wright
The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield
Women’s Buddhism, Buddhism’s Women by Ellison Banks Findly
World as Lover, World as Self by Joanna Macy
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Zen Training by Philip Kapleau Roshi

Meditation Month 2022

Tricycle — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 04:01:20 +0000

Welcome to Tricycle Meditation Month, our annual challenge to commit to a daily practice throughout January. Whether you’re new to meditating or a longtime practitioner, our free 31-day challenge is a great way to kickstart your practice and set aside more time for calm and clarity in your life. We’ll be supporting you along the way with an array of meditations, tips, inspiration, and resources. Our free offerings throughout the month include:

A new guided meditation video each week from our Meditation Month teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, master of the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. This year’s theme is The Bodhisattva’s Path of Meditation. (See here to learn more about Mingyur Rinpoche and his online immersion course, “The Way of the Bodhisattva.”)
A live call at 1 pm ET on January 31 with meditation teacher Myoshin Kelley to ask any question you have about your practice. Register here.
A steady stream of helpful articles on Trike Daily, including classic and contemporary Buddhist teachings
A Facebook discussion group where you can share your experience and connect with practitioners from all over the world
An interactive group on Insight Timer, a free meditation app
A weekly newsletter to keep you up to date on everything going on
A video interview with Mingyur Rinpoche by Tricycle’s founder Helen Tworkov
Our evergreen meditation section of Buddhism for Beginners

Historically, Meditation Month has been in March, but this year we’ve moved it to January.

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The Bodhisattva’s Path of Meditation with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Mingyur Rinpoche is a master of the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism and the leader of the Tergar Meditation Community, a global network of Buddhist meditation centers. Born in Nepal in 1975, Mingyur Rinpoche began to study meditation as a young boy with his father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, a revered Buddhist teacher.

Starting on Monday, January 3, Mingyur Rinpoche will lead a series of four guided meditation videos on this year’s theme, The Bodhisattva’s Path of Meditation. Each video will introduce an approach to meditation inspired by the classic text The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva. New videos will be posted every Monday, building on the previous weeks’ teachings.

The schedule so far is:

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Racial Justice Is Everyone’s Work

Tricycle — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 04:00:32 +0000

This week, people gathered in cities across the country to protest police brutality and racial injustice. The demonstrations began after a video captured a Minnesota police officer killing George Floyd, a black man who became the latest casualty in America’s long history of violence against people of color.

As a Buddhist publication, we have asked ourselves how we can be of service. There are some Buddhists who would tell us to recognize this suffering as samsara and to refrain from political and social action: samsara can’t be fixed. We don’t believe that is the most beneficial or compassionate message that the dharma can offer right now.

With some exceptions, social action has not been at Buddhism’s center, but the dharma can give us insight into the suffering that we are all experiencing and witnessing. Although the answers we seek may not be explicit in ancient scripture, they nonetheless can be derived from its teachings on wisdom and compassion. What Karen Armstrong writes in paraphrasing the Christian theologian Hans Frei in the current issue of Tricycle applies as well to our reading of Buddhist scripture: “the Bible and the newspaper, as it were, lie side by side.” Our fellow citizens, drawing from the teachings, may have more to teach us about this particular moment than the masters of old.

Traditions change to meet the needs of the times, and Buddhism is no different. New schools of thought have emerged that see the dharma as a call to engage with the issues of the day. This has resulted in many eye-opening talks, discussions, and essays by Buddhist teachers and practitioners of color.

Tricycle has had the honor of serving as a platform for these works throughout the years. We have selected some of those that are particularly relevant today, and as events continue to unfold, we will continue to seek out voices that can bring greater clarity. If the killing of George Floyd makes anything clear, it’s that we cannot afford to stand by in passive indifference.

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Waking Up to Racism

by bell hooks

Practicing Buddhism does not make you anti-racist. Feminist scholar bell hooks explores white practitioners attachment to the mistaken idea that spirituality makes us anti-racist.

Learning to See Our Racial Biases

With Rhonda Magee

How do we do the inner work of racial justice? Law professor and mindfulness instructor Rhonda Magee discusses how meditation practitioners can wake up to unacknowledged racial prejudice.

Color-Blind Fury

By Robin Hart

“We are judged as a whole by the actions of the worst of us, while the best of us are seen as exceptions.” A practitioner explores how we can work toward greater understanding of ourselves and others in times of instability and crisis.

Awakening to the Apocalypse

By Larry Ward

How can we move forward from deconstruction to reconstruction—from trauma to resilience?

Checking my Inner World

By Hanuman Goleman

“Race is not real, yet it can control us. We now understand that race is an idea constructed by a power elite to justify the dehumanization of people in order to subjugate, exploit, enslave, and kill them without repercussion.”

A Vision of What Could Be

By Jan Willis

An African American professor of Buddhism encourages sanghas to rethink their attitudes toward members of color.

Teachings for Uncertain Times

Thirteen teachers of color share dharma talks on community, identity, and healing.

Difference and Harmony

An interview with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel

“Many have said to me that they do not need sangha. My response has been, ‘Then where will you go when you begin to experience liberation? Who will know the journey you have taken and your vow to be awake?'”

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Scare Yourself Awake

Tricycle — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 16:30:40 +0000

Today is Halloween, and here’s the chilling secret: Buddhism loves ghosts. And not just the hungry kind. Demons, spirits, and other supramundane creatures abound in the Buddhist canon, and they continue to play a role in the lives of many Buddhist practitioners today.

To some skeptics, all those ghoulish beings are just psychological tropes, mere projections of an unenlightened mind. But like any good teacher, the things that go bump in the night have a way of upending our notions about what we hold to be real and unreal.

So, fill your oryoki bowls with mini Milky Ways, and descend into the hellish and haunted realms, with these seven articles from our archives that highlight the mysterious roles that monsters, specters, ghosts, and zombies played in Buddhist traditions throughout history. For the easily frightened, we also include a selection of articles about overcoming fear through meditation and Buddhist teachings. Happy Halloween!

Buddhist Halloween Horrors

The Monsters of Buddhism—Inside and Out by Julia Hirsch
An abridged guide to Buddhist monsters and the lessons they hold about the possibility of transformation—such as the child-eating Kishimojin, who eventually purifies her karma and becomes the Buddha-endorsed guardian deity of mothers and children. Alternatively, a horror movie with a happy ending.
How to Watch a Thai Ghost Movie by May Cat
A Thai cinephile writes about the karma-fueled haunting of the 2009 Thai horror flick Novice. A young man ordains as a novice monk, but is tormented by the misdeeds of his past. In the end, the monk gets his due, and the hungry ghosts doom him to life as one of their own.
Ghosts, Gods, and the Denizens of Hell by Donald Lopez, Jr.
Buddhist studies scholar Donald Lopez Jr. provides an introduction to the six realms—including the less than desirable sectors of existence. “There are eight hot hells and eight cold hells, four neighboring hells, and a number of trifling hells,” he writes, reminding us that even though human existence is tough, it’s still the best (and only) shot we have at freedom from samsara.
Treasury of Lives: Halloween Edition by Harry Einhorn
Tibetan cosmology is populated with interesting paranormal creatures, like deloks—people who died, visited the lower realms, and returned to warn those in the human realm about the punishments that awaited them unless they started walking an ethical path. Also in Tibetan Buddhism is a model of fear-facing Buddhist practice in the female master Machik Labron (1055–1149), who encouraged her students to do chöd, tantric practice in burial grounds and other spooky places.
The Old Human Demoness by Chokey Dolma
This haunting tale by Chokey Dolma showcases the richness of Tibetan ghost stories. Once upon a time, a young monk disobeys his teacher’s order to buy meat only as given without asking for more, and he becomes marked by evil spirits. To avoid becoming demon food, the young monk travels to Lhasa and requests the aid of a mysterious old woman. Although she agrees to help hide him from the demons, the young monk eventually discovers there is more to this woman than meets the eye.
Bringing Hungry Ghosts Out of Hiding, Andy Rotman in conversation with Julia Hirsch
Andy Rotman, a scholar of South Asian religions at Smith College and one of the few academics researching the history of hungry ghosts, explains what the most wretched beings of the Buddhist cosmos can teach us about greed, suffering, and the dharma.
Into the Demon’s Mouth, by Aura Glaser
Through a modern retelling of the Buddhist story of the great Tibetan saint Milarepa and the demons who inhabited his cave, Glaser invokes Carl Gustav Jung, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and others to illustrate how remaining present among difficult life situations can help us to work with problems and to even learn from them. A parable with elements of horror, Glaser’s writing opens up the story so that we can learn to face our fears with clarity and kindness.

Fear

Harnessing Horror Through Meditation by Biju Sukumaran
After getting stuck on Disneyland’s Space Mountain ride as a child, Biju Sukumaran has had a phobia of heights and small spaces. Recently, he started drawing from the Buddhist practices of vipassana (insight) and Tibetan chöd meditation to face his fears of flying, horror movies, and, yes, even roller coasters.
A Safe Container for Fear by Josh Korda
What does fear feel like in the body? Approaching feelings of unease, anxiety, and social discomfort with questions like these, Josh Korda suggests, can help untangle the web of fear we weave for ourselves.
Facing Fear by Lama Tsony
Coming back to the focal point of meditation (the breath, posture, or a visualization) can help us practice and move through our fears, Lama Tsony writes. Taking refuge or seeking guidance from a spiritual teacher or friend offers the support we need as we explore the uncomfortable zones of our minds.
The Terror Within by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
In a meditation on the different ways fear has come up in her own life and practice, Zen priest, author, and artist Zenju Earthlyn Manuel uses lessons from the Heart Sutra and the Buddha’s teachings on the five hindrances to provide steps for breaking out of cycles of anxiety and to acknowledge the roots of our fear as a conditioned state that is accumulated over a lifetime. By providing steps for breathing into these feelings and releasing them, Manuel invites readers not to hide from their fear but to embrace it as an act of liberation.

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This article was originally published on October 31, 2019.

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‘Keep A Small Flame Burning’

Tricycle — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 15:11:36 +0000

The following conversation with Stephen Fulder took place shortly after the Hamas attacks on Saturday Oct. 7 and before the Israeli reprisals and the promised invasion of Gaza by Israeli ground forces. While firm numbers of casualties are still uncertain, thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed in this conflict. At publication time, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is still unfolding.

As the founder and senior teacher of the Israel Insight Society (Tovana), a leading organization teaching mindfulness, Vipassana, and dharma in Israel and beyond, Stephen Fulder has been called upon by numerous organizations over the past few week to deliver wisdom and insight during a time of great uncertainty. While his ecologically minded home village of over 1,000 inhabitants is usually teaming with young people, today that is not the case. Many, including Fulder’s own family, have fled to safer regions following the Hamas attack on Saturday, October 7th and subsequent Israeli retaliation that has left thousands dead.

With war at his doorstep and rage flaring across the political spectrum, Fulder is remarkably calm and composed. As a Buddhist author, teacher, and practitioner, he is involved with peace work in the Middle East. He was a founding member of MiddleWay, an organization that used to hold peace walks across the country. Fulder talked with Tricycle about the role of the Engaged Buddhist during times of political strife, how to generate compassion when it seems like the last thing the mind wants to do, and why some of the Buddha’s last words remain more relevant today than ever before.

Are there Buddhist passages or sutras [Pali, suttas] you turn to in times of despair, confusion, and fear? I personally don’t turn to passages to shift my inner world because I move straight into practice, but I think some really important Buddhist texts can help all of us. I’ll mention one or two.

One sutra is a discourse of the Buddha close to his death, when he told his monks, “be an island to yourself.” “Be an island to yourself” is a beautiful statement on autonomy despite the stormy seas. What’s important in that text is that [when the Buddha was asked], “OK, how do you do that,” he told his monks, “Go back to your basic truth.” When there’s a breath, there’s just breathing; when there is seeing, there’s just seeing; when there’s thinking, there’s just thinking; go back to some basics of our life experience. That truth will ground you in times of crisis and despair.

A second group of sutras that might be relevant are the Angulimala Sutra and the story of Patacara. Both of those talk about a situation of extreme violence. In the case of Angulimala, he killed a large number of people, and in the case of Patacara, she lost all her family in sudden accidents. Both tell us in such a beautiful way that karma can shift radically, that there’s nothing fixed in stone, that there’s somewhere bigger than us that can take us in another direction, and we just need to be open to it.

The third set of sutras remind us of nonduality like the Heart Sutra. They tell us, “What you feel as solid is also empty.” The Heart Sutra expresses the emptiness of form and feeling, and perception and samskaras (formations) as constructions in the mind and consciousness. It’s such a beautiful reminder that if we see what’s happening now as being transparent, empty, and passing, [we can shift into] a totally different perspective.

What do you see as an Engaged Buddhist’s role during times of war and crisis? All Buddhism is engaged. There isn’t such a thing as nonengaged Buddhism. It’s an oxymoron. Maybe we need to change the word Buddhism to Buddhist practice, or Buddhist-inspired practice. Then it has to be engaged, because it’s about our meeting with the world and in the world and our embodiment [of] the world, and what that means. I’ve done years of Engaged Buddhist work with Palestinians and Israelis, and I’ve often been asked, “What’s the point?” One point is to keep a small flame burning that shows another way of doing things, like a candle that brings a little light into total darkness. You don’t know where it will go, but that’s what you can do.

But today, in this critical situation, where people are dying as we speak and there’s huge destruction and rage, Engaged Buddhism may need to be different. It might need to be a kind of first aid, bringing qualities of kindness, love, and care to replace fear. It may need deep listening. Or demonstrating that equanimity and steadiness are possible.

How do we process anger without losing our goodwill, and without diminishing the imperative nature of the outrage? Sometimes, we need righteous anger against injustice and cruelty. It’s needed at times by people who have no other tools. But it’s our responsibility to replace righteous anger with more effective and helpful Buddhist tools. There are better ways of dealing with violence, oppression, and injustice.

One way is more trust, our readiness to meet and see the other, putting ourselves in the other’s shoes. For example, people often report that they go on a demonstration, but are full of anger against the right wing and the far right who are creating so much destruction and fear. How can they be in a demonstration and call for change from a place of deep compassion and joy within? It can come from feeling the energy of being together with others, and acting from trust. This doesn’t mean that we assume that things are going to be better because we are demonstrating—it means we are ready to see things as they are. We wish to make a change here, but not on the basis of trying to control or fight the demons. It’s a different use of energy, of joy and kindness, but still a source of action.

Have you been working on generating compassion and helping others to generate compassion over the past week? I have to say something personal. When the invasion of Hamas first happened on Saturday morning, I heard about it quite early in the morning. When I realized there was so much killing going on for two days, I didn’t want to talk to anybody. I had no interest in being in a public situation. My heart was heavy, a deep heaviness inside, a pain. All I could do was spend two days quietly beaming compassion. I needed this sense of quiet, holding in my heart the pain of others, and just letting it move into compassion. Sometimes, we need to make sure that we have space for this, that we give space to our compassion. It’s quite difficult to call up compassion in an automatic way in the middle of difficulty and crisis. After the first two days, I started to give lots of Zoom meetings.

A second [point to consider] is not to try too hard to be abstract about compassion. Sometimes, it needs a very specific address. I remember a Mahatma Gandhi quote that says that if you’re not sure what to do, “think of the poorest and weakest person you have seen and ask if the step you are contemplating will be of any use to him.” If [general compassion feels too] abstract, go to someone specific. Often, it can be [for] ourselves. For example, if we don’t feel compassion in our hearts, we can feel compassion that we don’t feel compassionate. That’s also a source of compassion. Or if we hear blame and anger and rage, it can trigger sadness which moves to compassion.

What are some Buddhist tools that we can use to create a more balanced and productive dialogue? For dialogue, firstly, I think you need to go into [the other person’s] shoes. Shantideva in the Bodhicharyavatara says it’s sacred to go into someone else’s shoes. The main tool here is listening, deep listening. The dialogue needs to really feel the other, giving respect to the other, a sense that the other is valuable, and a precious human being. Sometimes, dialogue is impossible. We can’t expect it to work all the time. Today, I met a woman in a local town. I felt pain in my heart when I heard [her call for violence]. I felt the impossibility of changing that view. I hadn’t the power to change that view. But I could do two things. I could express compassion to her. Secondly, I could ask some questions. I said, “This war in Gaza is the fourth or fifth time [this violence has] been going round. Every few years, it happens again. So if there is more violence and punishment and destruction and death, isn’t that [just] preparing the ground for the next one?” I also mentioned that there are children growing up now under the bombs [and seeing death], and they will grow up to be violent, because that’s the language that they learn. So I asked her, “What are the consequences of this view?”

There’s a very nice sutra about that. The Buddha said, if someone has strong views and strong hate or anger, you can’t really talk to them or change anything. But never forget the power of equanimity. Your equanimity can help. And equanimity is one of the [tools] that you can bring into a dialogue, to show that it’s possible to stand, to be an island [onto yourself], [to] be steady, and [to] show another way. The other side [also] needs to feel safe. [To have a balanced dialogue you need to create a] safe space [through] friendliness and equanimity and kindness and a sense that we are equal. Then dialogue can start. One direction of dialogue that works is to share pain. Because sharing our personal pain and difficulty is, I would say, a deep place of honesty and listening, where something radically changes; you can’t really be an enemy anymore if you’re listening to each other’s pain.

As Buddhists, how do we combat violence? And are there any particular passages or sutras or anecdotes from the canons about Buddha’s penchant for nonviolence that you’d like to call on during times like these? From the Dhammapada: “For not by hatred do hatreds cease at any time in this place, they only cease with nonhatred, this truth is surely eternal.” I think that’s the core sentence, the core teaching here. It’s very simple and very direct. In a way, it’s what I said to that woman that I mentioned just now—that more violence doesn’t solve the problem. And any of the Buddha’s teachings that teach on causes and conditions would be in that realm [as well]. Because one of the problems is that if you’re acting from instant reactivity, it doesn’t give space to understand causes and conditions, pratītyasamutpāda, dependent arising, that things happen because of the conditions. The conditions create the result. What are the conditions that you’re creating now? This is not a question that’s asked by politicians very often. They’re just reacting and responding, often emotionally, sometimes increasing anxiety and fear. So anything that helps us to see causes and conditions here, pratītyasamutpāda, I consider to be very helpful.

What steps can everyone take to support their own personal healing and integration at this moment? Firstly, we really do need to forgive ourselves. If we feel anger and blame and primal emotions like that, we need to not blame ourselves, because we’re beings born in these bodies. Survival mind is very strong, and samsara is very strong. So do not take it personally but say, this is the nature of things. This is what’s arrived in my existence right now.

Secondly, remember all the joy and well-being that we’ve experienced in our life, all the practice we’ve done in our life, which is needed now. We can remember: I’ve experienced joy in myself and my tissues and my breath and my being. And here it is, again, I’m going to go reconnect with the joy that I already know.

And one final point, as much as we can connect with our ultimate nature, our buddhanature, we also connect with perfection. We are fundamentally perfect. Life hasn’t made a mistake; Dzogchen, the Natural Great Perfection, says it beautifully, that in the ultimate place, there aren’t mistakes. There is completion, perfection, if we look at things inclusively, in a nonpersonal way. The nature of existence is bigger than us, we need to allow life to take us, to have a life point of view instead of a personal point of view. That gives a lot of healing and support from a more nondual and ultimate place.

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Your Despair Over the Environment Is Valid. Embrace It.

Tricycle — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:00:38 +0000

“I watch the news, but I don’t really ‘see’ it. I hear about a mudslide, or a fire that destroys a town and I shake my head, and the suffering feels too great to bear, so I turn away. It isn’t that I don’t care, so I feel helpless to do anything. Or I did, until the people you will meet in this book helped me see that I am actually connected to all of it, that there are already people doing something about it and I can join them,” says Susan Bauer-Wu, author of the new book, A Future We Can Love. Those people are the Dalai Lama and climate activist Greta Thunberg, whose first meeting, hosted by the Mind & Life Institute, Bauer-Wu introduced to the almost one million people who watched it. They are also Indigenous musician, scholar, and community organizer Lyla June; British writer and environmental activist George Monbiot; meditation teacher Willa Blythe Baker; and so many more experts whose work offers an empowering approach to the climate crisis, instead of one of despair, paralysis, or avoidance. By seeking the wisdom of these activists, scientists, and meditation teachers, Bauer-Wu presents a case for hope, grounded in science, and actionable advice to make change.

The book is an invitation, Bauer-Wu says, to join the conversation, and with contemplative practices woven throughout, it’s an active read. One of those practices comes from Dekila Chungyalpa, Director of the Loka Initiative at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who offers a tonglen-inspired meditation to help with eco-anxiety and despair. Confronting the climate crisis shouldn’t require choosing between facts and emotions, but embracing both. “There’s relief,” Bauer-Wu says, “in giving up the charade that everything’s okay and strength to be found in this deeper communion.”

A Meditation for Eco-Anxiety and Climate Despair

By Dekila Chungyalpa

In this meditation, we will cultivate our interconnectedness with the earth through a variation of tonglen, the Tibetan Buddhist practice of giving and receiving.

Please start by grounding yourself with the earth beneath you. Pay attention to how your feet or any other part of your body that is touching the floor is placed. Notice how you are rooted, through a chair or floor, to the earth and how she literally holds you up—unconditionally, effortlessly, compassionately.

This practice requires that you access the emotions of eco-anxiety or climate distress—grief, anger, vulnerability, sadness, fear—and open yourself up to experiencing them. I ask that you observe how these emotions arise, in what manner and intensity. Pay attention to the shape, color, size, any aspects that give an emotion form. Where does it arise in your body? What are its characteristics? If an emotion overtakes you and washes you away, that is all right. Simply bring yourself back to your purpose of observing, as many times as you need to.

When you have a good hold of the characteristics of your emotions, acknowledge them with respect. Your emotions are a completely valid response to an existential threat to you and your loved ones. It means your inner warning system is working and that is a good thing. So, whatever losses you have witnessed or anticipate, whatever emotions you have suppressed or reacted to, take time to let them all flow out of you and into the earth. Acknowledge and let go.

Notice your incoming breath—the air entering your nostrils, your mouth, filling up your belly. That oxygen that keeps you alive is coming from forests and oceans, from plants and phytoplankton, from all over the world and from outside your window. Rest in the awareness of this physical manifestation of the earth’s compassion for you.

Every aspect of you right now, the air that fills your lungs, the clothes that you wear, the food you ate today, all of that comes from outside of you. This ever-present, life-encompassing, compassionate earth sustains you. You are part of this effortless cycle of give and take. You are participating in an exchange with the elements, with other living beings, with the earth herself. With each inhale, breathe in the earth’s compassion, and with each exhale, breathe out gratitude.

Relax here in this indivisible connection with all that surrounds you; breathe in compassion, and breathe out gratitude.

Now comes the hard part. Visualize a place or being or community you love that is suffering from climate and environmental harm. It could be a river, a species, the community you belong to, or even the earth herself rotating in space.

Resting in and rooted by the compassion and gratitude you hold, I want you to access your intention, your motivation to alleviate the suffering of your beloved. Now, when you inhale, breathe in their suffering; and when you exhale, breathe out your compassion.

This can sometimes bring up fear, or you may be swept away by grief. If that happens, simply go back to grounding yourself in the earth’s support. When you’re ready, come back to inhale the pain and suffering, exhale your compassion and healing.

You can practice this for as long as you feel comfortable and at ease. Do not force yourself; you can always come back to this stage another time.

When you are ready, I would like you to return to the earlier exchange of compassion and gratitude. However, this time you will reverse the direction. Let yourself inhale the

earth’s gratitude for your existence; and when you exhale, offer the compassion and love you have for her. You are inextricably connected with her in every moment and there is no division here.

Wonderful. As you emerge from this practice, please set the intention to try it again the next time climate distress or eco-anxiety arises. You can also compress the practice and simply rest in the give-and-take of compassion and gratitude for short moments throughout your day. The work you do is critically important for safeguarding the earth and all the life she carries. I hope this practice strengthens your inner resilience as you go forward.

♦

From A Future We Can Love: How We Can Reverse the Climate Crisis with the Power of Our Hearts and Minds by Susan Bauer-Wu © 2023 by the Mind & Life Institute. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO. www.shambhala.com

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Five Timeless Teachings by the Dalai Lama from the Tricycle Archives

Tricycle — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 10:00:27 +0000

In Tricycle’s first issue, writer Spalding Gray interviewed the Dalai Lama, covering subjects like doubt, fear, and dreaming. Since then, the magazine has featured a number of teachings from His Holiness that range from introductions to the Buddha’s teachings to advice for countering stress and depression. In honor of his 88th birthday today, here’s a collection of the Dalai Lama’s teachings from Tricycle’s archives.

***

A Brief Teaching on the Purpose of Meditation from The Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Wisdom
“Buddhism explains that our normal state of mind is such that our thoughts and emotions are wild and unruly, and since we lack the mental discipline needed to tame them, we are powerless to control them. As a result, they control us. And thoughts and emotions, in their turn, tend to be controlled by our negative impulses rather than our positive ones. We need to reverse this cycle.”

An Introduction to the Buddha’s Teachings and Their Place in Tibet
“Buddhism has flourished for centuries in many countries, but it was in Tibet that all three paths, the Shravakayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, were preserved completely. . . Moreover, Tibetan scholars never ignored the practice aspect, and experienced practitioners did not neglect to study. This seems to me a very good way of doing things.”

Why the Inner Enemy Is the Most Dangerous One
“One of the best human qualities is our intelligence, which enables us to judge what is wholesome and what is unwholesome, what is beneficial and what is harmful. Negative thoughts, such as anger and strong attachment, destroy this special human quality; this is indeed very sad. . .A person gripped by such states of mind and emotion is like a blind person, who cannot see where he is going. Yet we neglect to challenge these negative thoughts and emotions that lead to near insanity. On the contrary, we often nurture and reinforce them! By doing so we are, in fact, making ourselves prey to their destructive power. When you reflect along these lines, you will realize that our true enemy is not outside ourselves.”

A Brief Teaching on Equality
“It’s true that in specific circumstances where you have the ability to alleviate the suffering of another person or to protect another person from suffering, there is, in that sense, an inequality. One person has a capacity that the other person does not. But there is no such sense of inequality, no feeling of superiority, in the actual mode in which compassion views the other sentient being. . . The other being for whom I feel compassion is just like me.”

Advice for Countering Stress and Depression
“If the situation or problem is such that it can be remedied, then there is no need to worry about it. In other words, if there is a solution or a way out of the difficulty, you do not need to be overwhelmed by it. The appropriate action is to seek its solution. Then it is clearly more sensible to spend your energy focusing on the solution rather than worrying about the problem. Alternatively, if there is no solution, no possibility of resolution, then there is also no point in being worried about it, because you cannot do anything about it anyway. In that case, the sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be for you.”

This article was originally published on July 6, 2021

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From the Archive: Q & A with U.S. Military’s First Buddhist Chaplain

Tricycle — Mon, 29 May 2023 10:00:57 +0000

***From Tricycle’s archive***

Continuing Tricycle’s Q&As with Buddhist bloggers series, today we have an interview with Lt. Jeanette Shin, the U.S. military’s first Buddhist chaplain (there are more now, all of them except Lt. Shin serving in the Army). Commissioned by the Navy in 2004, Lt. Shin, an ordained priest in the Nishi Hongwanji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, has been providing Buddhist services at the Marine Corps Base Camp in Pendleton, California as well as in Afghanistan. She also runs the blog Buddhist Military Sangha, a forum for Buddhists serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Not sure what military chaplains do in the first place? Read on to find out and hear Lt. Shin’s thoughts on being a female Buddhist in the armed forces.

Why did you first join the military and what inspired you to apply for chaplaincy? I first joined the military (U.S. Marine Corps) in 1988 and served for four years. It was during my time as a Marine that I was introduced to the teachings of Shinran Shonin at Ekoji Buddhist Temple, in Fairfax, Virginia. After I was discharged I went back to school and worked for the federal government for awhile, and eventually decided to go to the Jodo Shinshu seminary in the U.S., the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, CA. My intentions were to become a Shinshu minister in the U.S. but then I learned that the military chaplaincy option was available, and became a Naval Reserve chaplain after ordination in 2003. In 2006 I became an active duty chaplain. I felt it would be a natural fit after my prior experience in the Marines.

You’ve written on Buddhist Military Sangha that military chaplaincy is one of the least understood professions in our society—what are some common misconceptions about it, and what is chaplaincy in reality? I stated that military chaplaincy is one of the least understood professions, but I believe this could also apply to all forms of chaplaincy. I’ve met many individuals, not only Buddhists, who were unfamiliar with the word “chaplain” or who did not know what chaplains do—to provide spiritual ministry, care, and counseling outside the confines of a traditional place of worship. I think one misconception is that military chaplains function as missionaries or that they preach killing. However, most chaplains really are concerned with ensuring that individuals, whether in the military or hospital or prisons, have access to services and sacraments of their respective faith. Military chaplains exist because of the U.S. constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion. I think that if a chaplain were to engage in such behavior they would have very little credibility with other Marines and Sailors and therefore be very ineffective in their jobs.

Do you often find yourself defending your career path and your choice to enlist in the Marines to other Buddhists? How do you respond to criticism in regards to Right Livelihood and keeping the first precept? I have encountered some Buddhists who object to the practice of military chaplaincy due to the First Precept and Right Livelihood; however, my response is that Buddhists do exist in the military, they are citizens of this nation, so therefore they should have a chaplain of their faith background available. Also, America is not the only country to have Buddhist military chaplains—they are also present in the armed forces of nations with predominantly Buddhist populations like South Korea and Thailand. Buddhists, like other people, make individual choices about their practice of Dharma; it is not for me to judge how they interpret doctrine—my only concern is that they are able to practice without discrimination.

Tell us about some of the challenges of being one of the only Buddhist chaplains in the U.S. armed forces. Is it difficult to be a female Buddhist in an environment dominated by Judeo-Christian males? It is certainly a challenge being a Buddhist chaplain in the military! There certainly have been a few individuals who do not understand why a female would want to be in the military, or a Buddhist, but the majority of chaplains I’ve met have been welcoming and curious about the Dharma. Many chaplains have been stationed in numerous Asian countries, and have encountered Buddhism as practiced there.

Do you work with non-Buddhists as well as with Buddhists? The armed forces is overwhelmingly Christian, but is there some receptivity to learning about Buddhism and other religions? How do you approach helping soldiers who are not Buddhist and may have radically different views? I work with non-Buddhists every day. As a Navy chaplain, we work in a pluralistic environment. I think that is another misconception of military chaplaincy, that chaplains are only available for individuals of their own faith group or denomination. While we cannot perform services from another faith tradition (for example, I won’t be saying Mass or doing Friday Islamic Prayers), we can always listen and talk with military members regardless of their religious or non-religious background. There is definitely a curiosity about Buddhism, but I am careful not to “push” my beliefs onto someone who is not receptive. If there is a Marine or Sailor who needs or wants something from their own faith tradition, I always refer them to a chaplain of that faith.

What do you have in your kit bag? When I was deployed to Afghanistan last year, I ensured that my bag had items to hold a service: An image of Buddha (in this case I used a thangka of Sakyamuni Buddha—easy to roll up and carry strapped onto my bag), incense, nenju, service book, candles, also some pamphlets on Buddhism to give to others. These were similar items that I would use as a Jodo Shinshu temple minister if I was visiting a member at home or at the hospital.

Can you talk a bit about how your practice as a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist reflects the Navy core values of honor, courage, and commitment? As a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist, the core of my belief is faith and devotion to Amida Buddha. This informs who I am and how I approach my life and behavior towards others. We believe that we are essentially beings of bonno, or the unskillful desires. Often we have difficulties acknowledging this, but once this occurs, then understanding the path of Dharma becomes easier. This manifests in daily life in our conduct to others; I have learned buddhadharma from interactions with our sangha at our temples, seeing ordinary men and women care for each other and helping to keep their temples active and welcoming to all in spite of a long history of racial hatred and misunderstanding. This makes ideas like the Navy Core Values relatable as in how we want to treat others.

You’ve been deployed to Afghanistan to serve the troops there—what did a usual day there look like for you? An ordinary day would consist of Staff meetings, which chaplains participate in, and visiting areas of the camp where our Marines and Sailors worked, sometimes performing counseling, or just “hanging out” with them, talking and joking with them. I was also an active provider of the United Through Reading Program in which military members could record themselves on DVD reading books for their children at home. Chaplains and lay leaders conducted a variety of services, including Islamic and Wiccan services. The most moving experience for me was conducting a prayer for an “angel” (a Marine killed in action) on his way home to America. It was a service held at the airfield in front of many fellow warriors, very moving.

And since these questions have been very serious so far…what do you like to do for fun? I practice Japanese Calligraphy, although not very well! I also like hiking in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, not far from Camp Pendleton.

♦

Missed one of the Buddhist blogger Q&A’s? We’ve had one so far with Kyle Lovett, Justin Whitaker, Waylon Lewis, and Barbara O’Brien. Go ahead and check them out!

[This article was originally published on October 4, 2011.]

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Tina Turner, ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and Nichiren Buddhist, Has Died

Tricycle — Wed, 24 May 2023 21:05:16 +0000

Legendary soul singer Tina Turner, known for her electrifying live performances, died in her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, on Wednesday, May 24. She was 83 years old.

“With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model,” said Bernard Doherty, Turner’s publicist, who did not share a cause of death. According to the New York Times, Turner suffered a stroke and was also battling other illnesses, including kidney disease, in recent years.

Born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee, Turner first took the stage at a club in East St. Louis where she used to go to hear Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm. Drummer Eugene Washington invited her to sing one night, and the rest is history. The band became the Ike and Tina Turner Revue in 1960 and Ike and Tina romantic partners until they later divorced in 1978. After a few years out of the spotlight, Turner soared in popularity with the 1984 hit album Private Dancer, and she became one of the most successful solo artists of all time.

Turner was also a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism, which she says changed her life when she started practicing in 1973. As former senior editor at Tricycle and the editor of the Tricycle Haiku Challenge Clark Strand wrote in an interview with Turner in 2020, “Tina has overcome domestic abuse, discrimination, professional setbacks, life-threatening illness, and devastating personal loss. Throughout it all, she has credited her practice of Nichiren Buddhism as the source of her hope for a better world and her determination to overcome every obstacle in her life.”

Speaking about how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo helped her during a time of personal crisis, Turner said, “Not long after I started chanting, I began to see that the power I needed to change my life was already within me.” In her interview with Strand, Turner also spoke about why, as a musician, she was drawn to chanting; how she still holds on to the Baptist influences of her childhood; and how to approach the divisiveness of our times.

“Buddhism has taught me that hidden inside of our challenges are the lessons we must learn in order to break through to a better life. As hard as that might be to grasp in the midst of difficult times, when we can see our problems from that perspective, things naturally change. Then even the impossible becomes possible.”

Read Tricycle’s full interview with Tina Turner here.

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The Asian American Heritage of Buddhism in the United States

Tricycle — Mon, 08 May 2023 10:00:02 +0000

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, an opportunity to reflect on the vital contributions Asian Americans have made throughout the history of the United States—including the role Asian communities played in laying down the path for American Buddhism. Here are fifteen stories from our archives that touch upon the trials and triumphs of American Buddhists of Asian descent.

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Whose Corruption and Whose Compassion? by Russell Leong

A Buddhist temple in Los Angeles played a key role in a fundraising scheme for the 1996 presidential election. Chinese American author Russell Leong explores how xenophobia around both race and religion may have contributed to the media fallout.

Who is the Angry Asian Buddhist? An interview by Emma Varvaloucas

The writer behind the “Angry Asian Buddhist” blog explains his frustration over the “two Buddhisms” framework, which distinguishes between “immigrant” and “American” Buddhism. He argues that the tapestry of practitioners in the US is far more complex. In 2017, the blogger, Aaron Lee, who went by the pseudonym arunlikhati, died from cancer at age 34.

Real Refuge: Building Inclusive and Welcoming Sanghas by Mushim (Patricia) Ikeda-Nash

Building inclusive, welcoming sanghas necessitates “looking around the room and seeing who’s here and who isn’t here.” In this Dharma Talk series, Buddhist teacher and community activist Mushim (Patricia) Ikeda-Nash instructs us in “seeing the unseen,” a practice in examining our unconscious assumptions that binds us to racism, classism, or ableism.

Young Adult Novelist Emily X. R. Pan Didn’t Mean to Write a Buddhist Book by Lakshmi Gandhi

Author Emily X.R. Pan reflects on how writing a novel led her to discover a deeply ingrained personal Buddhism.

Brown Body, White Sangha by Atia Sattar

A mindfulness of the body meditation takes on a different meaning for a Pakistani practitioner in a mostly white sangha. “Nowhere does race blindness feel more hurtful,” writes Atia Sattar, “than in well-intentioned white sanghas presently striving for diversity and inclusion.”

Thus Have I Heard: An American Sutra by Duncan Ryuken Williams

Scholar and Zen priest Duncan Ryuken Williams pieces together the story of how Japanese internment camps gave birth to a uniquely American Buddhism. You can also listen to “When Buddhists Were a ‘National Security Threat’” on the Tricycle Talks podcast to hear Williams in conversation with Tricycle editor-in-chief James Shaheen.

Never Again Interview with Duncan Ryuken Williams by Ashoka Mukpo

New York City-based staff reporter for the American Civil Liberties Union Ashoka Mukpo interviews scholar and Zen priest Duncan Ryuken Williams on his work with Tsuru for Solidarity, a group of Japanese American activists who work to support immigrants and refugee communities, and what a Buddhist ethic of confronting that brutality might look like.

From “Just Culture” to a Just Culture by Reverend Cristina Moon

Hawaii-based Rinzai Zen priest Cristina Moon describes why embodying the cultures from which Buddhism came helps the dharma work on us from all angles.

Young. Asian. American. Buddhist: What These Words Cannot Say Chenxing Han in conversation with Ann Gleig

Writer and Buddhist chaplain Chenxing Han speaks with scholar Ann Gleig about why the next generation of practitioners is thinking about intersectionality, the problem with “two Buddhisms,” and how her research into identity inspired her book, Be the Refuge.

Bodhicitta in the Time of Asian Hate by Anthony Tshering

In the wake of a spike in hate crimes against Asian Americans, therapist and Asian American Buddhist Anthony Tshering embraces his emotions and opens his heart to help himself and others.

Planting the Spirit by Nikiko Masumoto

In this cross-post from the Inquiring Mind archive, a fourth-generation farmer illustrates how tending the earth is a practice of resilience.

Partial Equanimity Interview with Jay Caspian Kang by Chenxing Han

On the heels of his novel The Loneliest Americans, writer Jay Caspian Kang discusses Buddhism and identity, including a formative phase in his own life, with writer and Buddhist chaplain Chenxing Han.

Listening to the Buddhists in Our Backyard by Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil

Reporter Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil spotlights an innovative new course called “Listening to the Buddhists in Our Backyard” at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, which immersed high school seniors in local Buddhist communities just miles from their own campus.

My True Home by Kim Thai

Writer, social justice advocate, and mindfulness teacher Kim Thai describes how Thich Nhat Hanh helped her find refuge as a child of Vietnamese refugees.

Grief Is an Ancestor by Mimi Zhu

In this excerpt from Be Not Afraid of Love, writer Mimi Zhu explores how rituals around loss can transform deep grief into love.

This article was originally published on May 23, 2019, and has since been updated.

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A Nontoxic Social Media Experience

Tricycle — Fri, 05 May 2023 10:00:34 +0000

“Landed is about connection,” says Sagar Bhatt, creator of the new “mindful audio” app Landed. The app departs from other social media apps in that there’s no feed, no photos or videos, and no texting element. Rather, Landed connects users one-on-one via audio messages. Each week, on Sunday, users are prompted to share three things they were grateful for in the last week, and, if they want, to share a challenging experience. A few days later, they’ll receive an audio message from their randomly assigned match for the week, and then the matched pair can exchange audio for the rest of the week. At the end of each week, all records of the conversation disappear. Bhatt likened the temporary exchange to a “kind conversation with someone next to you on a plane.”

We first connected with Bhatt last summer, when the app was in beta testing. Landed recently became available in the app store, so Tricycle sent some questions to Bhatt about Landed’s launch, user feedback, and the ephemeral nature of the app.

Messaging apps are said to be more conducive to happiness than “feed” apps that deliver us a list of other people’s posts. How did you conceive of Landed, and what were you trying to avoid in its construction? I really had no intention of getting into tech. I was a comedian and mindfulness teacher in NYC, and, sometime during COVID, I had the idea while exchanging voice notes with a friend. I think quarantine allowed me to pursue threads of curiosity I normally wouldn’t.

The concept was a slow experience that felt like a contrast to the endless scrolling in other apps. Certain elements evolved, but exchanging voice notes with a different match each week (and nothing else!) was the center from the beginning. I always liked voice notes because they felt personal, but you can do them on your own time.

The gratitude portion came later. So did matching with a stranger. There’s great research about the benefits of talking to strangers, but it makes some people anxious. Starting the connection with gratitude warms up the whole enterprise.

A customer service executive whose mantra is to let customers choose their channel—phone, email, text, in-person—said, “Everyone chooses text.” How has the response to audio messaging been? Overall, it’s been positive. For this format, voice makes sense. I agree text is better for efficiency, but Landed is about connection. The pauses, the whimsical asides, the inflection—that’s the point. Hearing a voice lends an immediate feeling of intimacy that some users value even more than the words. Someone told me that an audio message also feels intentional. He liked knowing someone took the time to record it.

That said, some people just aren’t going to like voice, which is fine. Landed isn’t for everyone.

Landed users record and send voice notes each week.

What about the response to the gratitude component? Has there been any skepticism? Folks with some familiarity take to it well. It helps that there’s so much research about the benefits of gratitude. But the most moving feedback I’ve received speaks to gratitude’s power as connective tissue. Several people have now mentioned how special it feels to listen to another human reflect on the things that bring them joy, comfort, and appreciation. It’s quite intimate and without pretense.

Some people are skeptical, and I used to be one of them. I used to think gratitude was just a superficial self-help thing and not the real work. Over time, I began to understand that gratitude isn’t meant to push away discomfort but rather to help center us as we navigate it. In a way, gratitude brings us closer to the truth rather than further away, since there are so many small aspects of good fortune we tend to overlook (Two bites into lunch, I’m thinking about dinner). I try to include this in the messaging, and I also encourage people to be as specific and grounded as possible when noting their gratitude.

Lastly, there’s the issue of gratitude feeling like homework. I’m fine with this too. Do some homework! It’s our preoccupation with the shiny and stimulating that led me to make Landed in the first place. Meditation can feel like homework too, but there is a deeper reward that emerges over time.

What feedback have users of Landed given? What adjustments, if any, have you made since launch? If something is confusing, misleading, or overlooked, we fix that. Other feedback is more complex to negotiate, because certain elements being a turnoff isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Some people want the app to do more—maybe they want multiple matches, a text or picture component, or something else that would make it more engaging. The work here isn’t to change those things but to better communicate the purpose and values of the app, and then being OK with losing people. For example, our submission window opens every Sunday. So if you download Landed on a Wednesday, you have to wait four days to use it. If you can’t wait four days, farewell (with metta).

Having a core user base that values the constraints helps me hold steady for now. Being 40 helps too. I no longer have this knee-jerk response to manipulate everything for max approval.

Part of the pitch of Landed is its ephemeral nature. But have you or users come across anything you would like to save? Reflecting on a nice walk opens up more real-time appreciation for the next walk. I think that’s the part that stays with you.

With the matches, it’s harder to pin down what remains, but one user mentioned that even though her match disappears each week, she’s now more in touch with the part of her that is nurtured by human contact.

More tangibly, some people do want to save their matches. Doing so could quickly make Landed another platform where we feel behind due to too many threads, so I’m holding off.

What have been some of the challenges so far? Landed has many qualities. It’s minimalist, mindful, audio-only, you connect with a total stranger, you cultivate gratitude, it’s ephemeral. From a user perspective, it’s all a pretty singular experience, thankfully. But from a promotional standpoint, I sometimes don’t know where to start.

The other challenge is it’s self-funded, and I am not wealthy.

Your business isn’t data harvesting or monetizing, but what have you learned about Landed users? Mindfulness practitioners have taken to this format the best.

⧫

Learn more about Landed here.

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The Monk and the Military

Tricycle — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 14:39:05 +0000

I was a high school student at the time of Thailand’s 2014 coup d’état. I turned 18 on September 10, 2014, and as I considered the sources of my society’s problems, I saw forced conscripted military service as one of them, violating the freedom and rights of Thai people. Thus, I published a statement that I would not serve in the military.

Since July 10, 2022, I have been ordained as a monk, studying and practicing Buddhism with a strong faith in the teachings of the Buddha. Without coercion to the service, I wish to continue studying and practicing Buddhism as much as I desire. However, I do not want to use the privilege of being a monk to escape military service or give the impression that I am running away and using the temple as a shield, which would contradict my statement from almost nine years ago.

Therefore, I have decided to disrobe and return to household life, willingly struggling in the legal process to uphold my beliefs and guide my Thai society toward a path of peace, nonviolence, and no military conscription.

However, before disrobing, I must complete some unfinished tasks. I need to pass the Pali examination and will be retaking one subject on April 15–16, which I devoted time to study for. After that, I will ask for some preparation time before disrobing, which I plan to do before the end of April. During this very short period, I want to maintain myself as a Buddhist monk and ask for the kindness of everyone to give me a chance to cultivate the peaceful serenity that suits a monk who follows the noble life.

Tricycle sent Netiwit several questions about his life and plans. His answers are below.

What was your childhood like? Where did you grow up, and what was your experience with Buddhism as a young person? I grew up in a middle-class family in Samut Prakarn Province, near Bangkok. Despite my parents’ divorce when I was 6 years old and the financial insecurity we faced following the 1997 Tom Yum King crisis, my family was diverse in terms of beliefs and interests. My grandmother, whom I lived with between the ages of 10 and 16, was a vegetarian and a Mahayana Buddhist who ran her own vegetarian shop. As a child, I was rebellious and skeptical of many beliefs, including those of my family. I felt that I needed to find my own meaning and purpose in life. My father, who was interested in politics, helped shape my interest in the subject, and I eventually discovered Buddhism and the political history of my country.

I found Sulak Sivaraksa’s writings to be especially compelling and became involved with his magazine, Pacharayasala, which means “Great Teacher,” and which had been in existence for over forty years. I developed a strong interest in the connection between spirituality and political awareness, which led me to pursue a path of morality, idealism, and critical thinking. As the youngest editor of Sulak’s magazine, I have gained valuable experience and insights into Buddhism, politics, and the importance of critical thinking.

Tell us about your time as a monk. What led you to be a monk, and what have you been studying? Before becoming a monk, I was already critical of mainstream education. As a student in high school, I witnessed oppression, such as strict rules about hairstyles, and I became vocal about it. My objection to the enforcement of “traditional” hairstyles comes from the Kalama Sutta, where the Buddha teaches that we don’t need to believe something just because it is tradition. Some friends and I founded the student group called TERA (Thailand Education Revolution Alliance) to collect petitions across the country to change the rule. We even debated about it on a popular news show and gained national attention. Later on, I cofounded The Education for Liberation of Siam, which focused more broadly on creating education that aims to liberate student minds and be critical of authoritarianism in society, not just school rules. After finishing my high school education, I took a gap year to study at Deer Park Institute in Bir, India. During this time, I learned English, and also about practitioners of Vajrayana and the suffering of Tibetans in exile. It was also during this time that the 2014 coup happened in Thailand, disrupting our hopes for change.

The military regime imposed strict rules and brainwashed people to admire the military, and I witnessed this firsthand when I returned from India. I became involved in opposing the Junta while studying at Chulalongkorn University, known as the bastion of conservatism. My friends and I demanded the student union act on behalf of the students to fight for democratic change. During this time, I also learned about the Hong Kong Protest and became friends with Joshua Wong, whom I highly admired as a devout Christian fighting for social justice. We tried to create an international translation activism before the Milk Tea Alliance became popular. I voiced the need to change the culture in my university, and we succeeded in many ways, but sometimes we faced setbacks. However, I won the administrative court case and later became the president of the student union. Recently, the university punished me when I invited the leader of the student protest to speak at a freshman orientation. As a result, I lost my position once again.

The many struggles I faced often made me feel sad and lost. In September of 2014, on my 18th birthday, a few months after the coup, I declared myself a conscientious objector because I knew that I would have to face military service in the future, which is this year (2023). I understand that this might be one of the hardest things in my life, so I am preparing myself and finding more peace and encouragement in my heart. I always believe that if politics or society could change, individuals also have to change. We must cultivate virtue and find more peace and less want in our hearts. I consider Buddhism my native religion, and I have always read about it. But now, as a monk, I can study and practice it more deeply. I should mention that Joshua Wong, my friend and ally in social justice, has inspired me with his faith to seek more meaning and purpose in my life.

What are the laws around military service? Are monks not exempt from service? Do the Buddhist authorities not protest? In Thailand, it is stated in the constitution that every male must serve in the military for two years. However, in reality, there are various ways to avoid military service due to the poor conditions, humiliations, degradations, and even deaths from bullying that occur in military camps. For instance, some students in high school can apply for the Territorial Defense Student program, which requires attending military training once a week for three years and staying in camps for five to seven days per year. However, this program requires purchasing its uniforms and enduring military indoctrination, making it similar to serving in the military. I empathize with poor and ordinary students who do not have the financial means to join the Territorial Defense Student program and therefore have to serve in the military.

Additionally, it is heartbreaking to see videos of monks having to draw a card from a box—if they receive a black card, they are exempt; a red card means they have to serve in the military for two years. Many monks appear heartbroken and cry in these situations. However, there is a way for monks to apply to avoid military service if they have completed certain degrees of moral education within the monk system. If they remain in the monkhood until 30 years old, they will also be allowed to not serve in the military. I have this privilege myself, but I have decided not to use it. Instead, I believe that every person in Thailand, regardless of their financial status or social status, should have the right to live according to their own beliefs and values, such as nonviolence. I have made the decision to refuse military service and will go to trial and will face the penalties.

What is the danger you face if you do not comply with the authorities? Refusing military service comes with significant risks. Firstly, I would be considered to have violated Thai law, which would lead to me losing my monk status. I do not want to put my temple under any pressure from the state due to my actions. Additionally, I would face consequences for my unlawful actions, including potential jail time of up to three years. While I am unsure how the court would rule in my case, I am willing to face the truth and the consequences of my decision.

Is there anything else we should know about your situation and Thai militarism? Thailand’s history is deeply intertwined with militarism, with a long history of military coups and a powerful military-industrial complex that permeates all aspects of society. The conscription process is particularly troubling, as it is riddled with corruption, allowing the rich to avoid service while the poor are forced to go and often face harsh conditions. As an advocate for nonviolence, I have seen firsthand the devastating effects of militarization in my country. This is why I believe that the abolition of conscription is crucial to ensure that every individual is granted the dignity and respect they deserve. By taking a stand against mandatory military service, I hope to inspire others to challenge the status quo and work toward creating a more compassionate and just society. My situation is not unique: many young people in Thailand are faced with the same dilemma of having to choose between serving in the military and maintaining their beliefs and dignity.

As a Buddhist, I believe that my actions are in line with the principle of abhayadana, the “gift of fearlessness,” which means giving others the confidence and security they need to live without fear. By refusing to comply with mandatory military service, I am offering an alternative vision of a more compassionate society. Though this decision carries risks and potential consequences, I believe that the pursuit of justice and peace is worth it. I hope that my actions will inspire others to question the militaristic culture in Thailand, and around the world, and to seek nonviolent solutions to conflicts. Together, we can create a better future for all.

The post The Monk and the Military appeared first on Tricycle: The Buddhist Review.

Dalai Lama Apologizes Over an Exchange with a Child

Tricycle — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 13:41:28 +0000

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama apologized on Monday after a video circulated on social media of the spiritual leader kissing a boy on the lips and telling him, “Suck my tongue.” The interaction took place in late February at the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamsala, India, with about 100 young student graduates of the Indian M3M Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the real estate company M3M Group, in attendance.

In the video, a young boy approaches the microphone and asks if can hug the Dalai Lama. The 87-year-old points to his cheek, saying “First here,” after which the child kisses his cheek and hugs him. The Dalai Lama then points to his lips and says, “I think here also” and pulls the boy’s chin and kisses him on the mouth. He then tells the boy “And suck my tongue,” sticking his tongue out, forehead to forehead with the boy. The Dalai Lama then laughs and pulls the boy in for another hug.

As the video went viral, many condemned the spiritual leader’s actions, calling it “inappropriate,” “pedophilic,” and “disgusting.” Others have decried the criticism, arguing that the Dalai Lama’s actions have been misinterpreted. Sticking one’s tongue out is a traditional greeting in Tibet, according to NPR.

In response to the backlash, the Dalai Lama’s office issued an apology to the boy and his family, “as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.” The statement did not mention the kiss or extended tongue, only that the boy asked the Dalai Lama for a hug. It continues, “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”

The spiritual leader has drawn criticism for public remarks in recent years, including in 2015, when he joked in an interview with BBC that any future female Dalai Lama should be “very attractive.” When pressed about the comments in a later 2019 interview with BBC, the Dalai Lama reaffirmed his belief that a female Dalai Lama “should be more attractive.” His office later issued an apology for the remarks.

The post Dalai Lama Apologizes Over an Exchange with a Child appeared first on Tricycle: The Buddhist Review.