Politics has become somewhat of a dirty word in Buddhist life. Sometimes, this is for legitimate reasons. However, if we are to be consistent, then we should welcome and support those who become statesmen with a genuine wish to benefit their people and whose vision has common ground with our Buddhist values. Zoya Sandzhieva, minister […]
Raymond Lam
Postcard from Raymond: Taking Care of Your Magic Dragon
There is a magical dragon dwelling inside every one of us. Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow’s Puff the Magic Dragon, which was masterfully sung by folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, is a melancholic song about losing the capability for imagination, for wonder. When I first heard this song as a kid, I thought that […]
Ideas for an Emotionally Mature Life
Personally, I like to stick to a few cardinal rules for maintaining some measure of happiness amidst a sea of human discontent and restlessness. As a prime directive, following the Mahayana (or any legitimate) Buddhist path will always bring some measure of tranquility, in spite of how inadequately I practice. Being on the path is […]
Happiness: Shveitta Sharma and Adrian Taffiner on Success and Transformation
On 15 December, Shveitta (our personal growth columnist and School of Happiness founder) gave a very well-received speech at the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong (PolyU), at an event organized by the Mind Expansion Academy. While I managed to only attend the morning half of the seminar, I came away feeling deeply enriched by both her […]
Khamtrul Rinpoche: Living a Blessed Life
A religious teacher might not necessarily have much to share, unlike those of us (journalists, theologians, academics, and other guilty parties) who enjoy writing about them. That is the perspective of His Holiness Dokhampa Shedrub Nyima, the 9th Khamtrul Rinpoche (whose tulku lineage is affiliated with the Kagyu and Nyingma schools). He carries the message of […]
Indulging in Our Self-Pity
I sometimes think I’m reliving Groundhog Day with some people. You might know such individuals too. Take any grievance across the spectrum of human experience today: office politics, insufferable personal relationships, struggles to pay the bills, turmoil and gridlock in the governing classes, getting divorced, that guy who just cut me off on the freeway. […]
The Noble Reporter: Lessons about Right Speech and Media from “Roman Holiday”
Roman Holiday is one of my favourite movies, not only because it’s a moving comedic romance (one of the few romantic comedies I enjoy) but because it touches upon a timeless issue in journalism: what stories are worth reporting? It gets more complex than simply bad or boring stories versus good and entertaining ones. It’s […]
Postcard from Raymond: “Monk’s Posture”
This image, shot by photographer Ding Zuhe and called, “Monk’s Posture,” won first prize in the China category for National Geographic’s 2017 photography contest. Here are six people, all in some form of sleep, lethargy, stupor, or unconsciousness. There are two women (the one in the foreground looks older), and four males: a child in […]
Embrace your advantages and deploy your blessings for the good of others
Every day I choose a quote from a Buddhist source that runs on the homepage of Buddhistdoor Global. Tuesday’s theme is Pure Land-inspired, and today I picked one that seemed particularly thought-provoking to me: “Being born as a human, having heard of the Buddhist teachings, and encountered with the unsurpassed great teaching of Amitabha’s deliverance, […]
Why Hindutva Ideology Will Obstruct Indian Buddhist Diplomacy
It was relatively recently in 2014 that Indian PM Narendra Modi went on an all-out charm offensive to Buddhists domestically and globally, appearing alongside Asian leaders at Buddhist sites during international trips and appearing personally at Bodh Gaya in September 2015 at the invitation of the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). While activities related to […]