Lower Palyul Monastery, Tibet. From wikipedia.org The story of the Palyul Dzogchen lineage begins, institutionally, at Palyul Monastery, one of the six “mother monasteries” of the Nyingma school. The house of Nyingma is the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism that dates back to Padmasambhava in 8th century Tibet. Palyul Dzogchen has held an esteemed place in […]
Raymond Lam
Spiritual Colossi: Buddhism and Christianity in China and America
As the United States launches its long-awaited trade war against China, I wonder whether something subtler, but just as significant, is bubbling under the already tumultuous surface. I pondered for a short while whether this observation held any water. After all, indirect pressures or persuasions, rather than outright pronunciations and their enforcement, characterize the influence […]
Why Hong Kong remains a pulsing hub of Buddhist inspiration
“Who said Hong Kong is too small? In size perhaps but not in its soul and personality. Every corner in this city giving you full of surprises, if not every hour but at least every day….” ― Baris Gencel Some of my favourite cities and towns are Wanaka and Queenstown in New Zealand, Haarlem in the Netherlands, […]
The True Friend
Original story in Chinese by Prof. Lee Chack-fan; retold by Raymond Lam There is an old fable, a story about the meaning of stories… a reflection on the virtue of the virtues themselves. This is a folk memory about the most important virtue of them all, without which other strengths become perverted and distorted into […]
Celebrating Vesak at Hong Kong’s Sri Lankan Buddhist Cultural Centre
Last month, I had a truly inspiring and uplifting Vesak (the annual celebration of the Buddha’s life) among Hong Kong’s Sri Lankan Buddhist community. The families comprising the island’s immigrants and expats here come from diverse backgrounds and work in many different trades. What binds them together is a sense of community and duty to […]
Postcard from Raymond: The World is Your Temple
I have a beautiful portable shrine that is dedicated to the worship of Amitabha Buddha, the central Buddha of the Pure Land school and the most popular object of reverence in Chinese Buddhism. Owners of a shrine this size can take it anywhere around the world with them. Elegantly carved out of wood, it fits […]
Bridging China and Japan, the Buddhist Way
It’s the rawest of sensitive matters, the heaviest of historical burdens. I am referring to the shadow of past pain, bloodshed, and war crimes inflicted by Japan against China during the Pacific War that raged from 1937 until 1945. Yet behind the scenes of turbulent political relations and unhealed wounds, influential Buddhist forces in China […]
The Calling of Buddhist Dialogue with the Other
Today I wish to celebrate Vesak with an interfaith twist. It’s a public holiday here in sunny, hot Hong Kong, but tomorrow Buddhistdoor Global will be attending an Iftar dinner held by the city’s Muslim community, with guests from the Christian, Baha’i, and Confucian communities. I believe deeply in the maxim of comparative theology (you […]
Old Man Bai
Original story in Chinese by Prof. Lee Chack-fan; retold by Raymond Lam No one knew Old Man Bai’s given name. Nor did he actually turn up to this year’s graduation ceremony, so it was all a bit awkward when it was his turn to be honored by the school assembly. Draped in his fancy academic […]
The Forever Beggar
Original story in Chinese by Prof. Lee Chack-fan; retold by Raymond Lam There is a bustling street somewhere, far removed from our eyes and limited perceptions. Beside this road stand cafés that never close their doors and shops that stay open even when their owners have long since moved on. Spirits—strange things we don’t quite […]