- "All Dharmas Are Not Self": Have We Got It Wrong?
"All dharmas are not self" is perhaps the deepest wisdom in Buddhism. How should we understand it? We'll look at both a traditional interpretation and a new understanding based on the suttas by monastic scholar Bhikkhu Sujato.
- Ajahn Brahm's Lovingkindness Practice
Popular Buddhist monk Ajahn Brahm recently suggested a new practice to help us foster kindness. I'll look at the history of kindness practice in Buddhism and how Brahm's meditation fits into it. Then I'll go through his practice and…
- The Perils of Openheartedness
Openheartedness is one of the qualities fostered in Buddhist practice. I'll look at some of its apparent downsides that lead some of us to have trouble opening up our hearts, using an article from Tricycle Magazine by the Tibetan teacher…
- The Controversy Over Nuns (Bhikkhuni) in Buddhism
In the past few decades a controversy has arisen over the restarting of nuns' orders in two schools of Buddhism. We will discuss the controversy as it relates to the Theravāda school, and note in passing that a similar controversy exists…