The reinvigoration of the Chinese Mahayana tradition in Cuba has largely been thanks to a single Buddhist monk, Taiwan-born Ven. Zhihan. Ven. Zhihan was already an established name in Vancouver, where he had founded the Bodhiyana Foundation, an educational non-profit devoted to spreading the Buddhist teachings. Ven. Zhihan is a charismatic and thoughtful religious leader, […]
mahayana
Mahayana in Cuba: Chinese Forebears
Lined by small restaurants, shops, laundromats, cultural societies, medicinal establishments, and leisure and education clubs, Barrío Chino in Havana is perhaps the largest “Chinatown” in the Latin American world, with a history dating to the 19th Century. This is the locus where the earliest recorded presence of people practicing Buddhist customs in Cuba can be […]
Healing the World with Thangtong Gyalpo’s Prayer
Since 1 August 2020, Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) Sangha have been coming together as a global community reciting “Thangtong Gyalpo’s Prayer” to reduce the suffering caused by the COVID pandemic. This 1 August marks its first year – a milestone that the founders themselves would have preferred not to reach. […]
Nairatmya, Part One
Nairatmya is a Vajrayana goddess who embodies the supreme Buddhahood. Her main role is as a wife of the Tantric meditational deity (Tib. yidam) Hevajra, but she also has an independent significance as a supreme dakini. Her Sanskrit name, as well as its Tibetan version, Dagmema, translates as “the one who realized the absence of […]
Frederik L. Schodt’s “My Heart Sutra: A World in 260 Characters”
The pithy Heart Sutra is celebrated as perhaps the most profound Mahayana Buddhist scripture that remains relatively famous and accessible, frequently appearing not just onstage at pop stars’ concerts in China but also referenced in East Asian films and Japanese manga. For forty years, this Buddhist text has hung on the bedroom wall of Frederik […]
Budding Buddha: A Conversation with Artist James Stanford
James Stanford, “Budding Buddha.” From artfixdaily.com James Stanford is a longtime Buddhist artist with a distinct aesthetic and inspiration. Last November, he donated his “Budding Buddha” art to the Art for Tibet exhibit and auction at Gallery Eight in New York, which was organized by Students for a Free Tibet. Can you describe a bit your background in […]
Woodenfish and Shenzhen: Building Networks with Researchers in Buddhism and Science
On 22 August, I travelled with my wife from Hong Kong to Shenzhen in Mainland China to present a paper at a conference titled, Buddhism, Science, and Future: Brain Science and Mental Well-Being. The Woodenfish Foundation, an international Buddhist educational NGO, organized this conference at the Interlaken OCT Hotel Shenzhen from 23–24 August. Woodenfish was an […]
Kumarajiva Project: A 60-year Tibetan-Chinese Translation Initiative from Khyentse Foundation
Statue of Kumarajiva outside the Kizil Caves. From China Discovery There are two “buzzwords” in the Buddhist world today. One is obviously mindfulness and has dominated contemporary discourse for decades. The other is translation, and despite being overshadowed by mindfulness to some extent actually remains one of the most important activities of the global Buddhist […]
The Shuilu Fahui at Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Society
The 25th anniversary of Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Society (TLKY CS) in Vancouver was marked by the shuilu fahui ritual last month. It is so grand and taxing that not every temple can host it. Those that do, commit considerable time and resources of both a financial and human nature to ensure this ritual’s […]
Sitatapatra: Goddess of Protection from Evil Forces
Sitatapatra with one face and two hands. From liveinternet.ru Sitatapatra (Tib. Dugkarmo) is a goddess of protection from supernatural dangers such as demons and any other harmful influences. Her name means “White Parasol” and she is perceived as a wrathful aspect of the bodhisattva of compassion Avalokiteshvara (Tib. Chenrezig). As an embodiment of one of […]