It had been about five years since I visited Ajanta, one of the oldest surviving complexes of rock-cut caves carved into the hillside. Apart from ongoing restoration work by the Archaeological Survey of India, little had changed, including the bright and sunny, humid weather and the understandably large crowds that came from all over India […]
Month: August 2018
Integrating the Caravan Leader and Junzi in Buddhist Leadership
“Arise, victorious hero, caravan leader, Debtless one, and wander the world. Let the Blessed One teach the Dharma, There will be those who will understand.” I was discussing the subject of Buddhist leadership with one of our website contributors recently. I suggested that while the ten virtues of Buddhist governance articulate well what a leader […]
When Nature Devours Civilization
Last night I watched Wind River, director Taylor Sheridan’s intense film about the disappearance and murder of a Native American woman, Natalie Hanson. The ambience is extraordinary, the motives for violence primal. The movie, whose protagonists are a hunter deeply embedded in the Native American community (Jeremy Renner) and a well-meaning but unprepared FBI agent (Elizabeth […]
The Three Time Frames of Karma (Part 1)
Master Huijing; compiled by Householder Fo’en, English translation by Malcolm Valaitis, edited and adapted by Householder Jingxing When Shakyamuni Buddha was in the world, a merchant entering a city was killed by a cow. The cow’s master worried that it would bring more trouble, and hastily sold it. The person who bought the cow led […]
In Praise of the Monastic Experience, a Taste of Chinese Buddhism
In July I read the account of a philosopher spending time at the famous Trappist monastery called the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. This is the place where Thomas Merton lived for a while in the 1960s. Reflecting on the beauty and simplicity of monastic vocation, the philosopher wondered, “why do so few people choose […]
Potato Wedges
This will always be one of my most beloved recipes, given my lifelong attachment to potato dishes. They are the quintessential side dish: they never dominate the table but are solid enough to satisfy any hunger pang until the main stars are ready. Add rosemary or other herbs that you enjoy. With thanks to Susan […]
A Cook and a Dharma Master
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foyuan, edited by Fojin A cook who cannot prepare a dish without any seasoning is not a good cook. And someone whose cooking always tastes of the same seasoning, without its natural flavor, is also not a good cook.
Maithuna in Buddhist Art
Photo: Maithuna, Eastern Ganga dynasty, 13th century Orissa, India The notion of the eternal union of man and woman spawned an incredibly diverse abundance of sexual images in Hindu and Buddhist art. In the Hindu tantras the idea of the couple and the act of copulation is called maithuna—a Sanskrit term, which has several meanings […]