Buddhist Door

Jan 17, 2025 | buddhistdoor.net | Raymond W. Lam

In Storehouse of Treasures: Recovering the Riches of Chan and Zen (Shambala, 2024), author and lay Zen teacher Nelson Foster has published a book about the “treasures” of Chan and Zen Buddhism. The essays within this collection embody what could be called “Zen Americana”—a seamless integration of inherited ancient teachings into his modern cultural being, or context, as an American. Foster names Robert Aitken, Yamada Roshi, and other figures as being inheritors of a cross-cultural continuity.

Jan 7, 2025 | buddhistdoor.net | Buddhistdoor Global

Local Buddhist accounts claim that Buddhist inscriptions appeared in the area of Bengal shortly after the historical Buddha (563–483 BCE) visited this region. Buddhist influence grew over time, fueled by supportive rulers during the reign of Aśoka (304–232 BCE) of the Maurya Dynasty (322–184 BCE), the Gupta Dynasty (240–550 CE), and the Pāla Dynasty (750–1161 CE).

Nov 29, 2024 | buddhistdoor.net | Karen Greenspan

About a half-hour drive outside of Bhutan’s warm and sun-drenched winter capital Punakha lies Dorangthang Nunnery, near the village of Lobesa. The land belonged to the renowned Lama Sonam Zangpo (1888–1982), a direct disciple of the Tibetan master Togden Shakya Shri (1853–1919) and a main student of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche (1904–87). The name “Dorangthang” means “grinding stone” and refers to a very large rock that marks the location of a site designated in a prophecy that the lama received.

Nov 22, 2024 | buddhistdoor.net | Johan Nilsson

In this series, Johan Nilsson takes a look at the international nexus of Shin Buddhist leaders around the world. In his first entry, he spoke to Clement Tan of Singapore about establishing a Shin Buddhist center in the city state. This is Part Two of their interview. Read Part 1BDG: Have you faced any unique challenges in establishing a dojo in Singapore? Do you anticipate any challenges in the future?

Nov 21, 2024 | buddhistdoor.net | Raymond W. Lam

Bhikkhuni Dhammadinna presents a rigorous, historical-critical case for transcending sectarian boundaries within and across Buddhist traditions while treasuring our inheritance from the ancient past. The first in a series of conversations. Non-sectarianism is one of those terms that Buddhist institutions like to invoke at festivals and conferences. Overused though it might be, practicing non-sectarianism requires open leadership balanced with intellectual rigor.