One of my favorite films about aliens is Arrival (2016), based on Ted Chiang’s Story of Your Life (1998). It portrays otherworldly visitors as enlightened extraterrestrials with a literally timeless grasp of language and causality. Aside from being spacefaring travellers and inhabiting spacecraft that leave no residue, traces, or pollution, the advanced creatures of Arrival perceive time […]
fiction
Lotus, to eat, the beach
You give me a Buddhist-themed noun, an action, and a location, and I create the story. Today, I was given the noun “lotus,” the action “to eat,” and a location “the beach.” Hope you enjoy the read! “If you had a problem with me waking you up early you should have just told me, I’m […]
A Buddhist Reading of “Henderson The Rain King”
As a film and literature enthusiast, I am always on the look out for stories that evoke the Dharma. Today, I have a gander at “Henderson the Rain King,” the 1959 novel by Canadian-American writer Saul Bellow. This farcical adventure is the story of a millionaire in his fifties whose inner voice says I want, […]
Alice Walker
She watches the solar systemthe way Galileo didyearning for extinction&fresh as shallots just openedshe writes to change her taste in the world George Cassidy Payne is a poet from Rochester, NY. His work has been included in such publications as the Hazmat Review, Moria Poetry Journal, Chronogram Journal, Ampersand Literary Review, The Angle at St. John Fisher College, and 3:16 Journal. George’s blogs, essays and letters have appeared in USA Today, The Wall […]
The Day the Buddha Woke Up – A Book for All Children
I met Andrea Miller, deputy editor of Lion’s Roar magazine, in India, during the 6th International Buddhist Conclave. While we did exchange editorial ideas and matters that affected the future of Buddhism around the world, from politics to culture, we also talked about family: she is a mother while I had married just a couple […]
Landscapes of the Heart
Buddhistdoor Global presents Landscapes of the Heart, a series of Buddhist themed short stories on Tea House, Buddhistdoor Global’s webzine. This collection features stories originally written in Chinese-language anthologies by emeritus professor Lee Chack-fan, director of the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole at The University of Hong Kong. Now retold in English prose by Buddhistdoor Global […]
Chösgyal: Kings of Old Tubo
A stele of a Buddha or bodhisattva image in Purang in Ngari Prefecture, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, exudes the courtly mystique and power of the ancient Tibetan imperium (Tubo) during the first diffusion of Buddhism. Functioning perhaps as a donative monument or a pillar of a long-lost temple, this stele was erected in either 826 or 838: […]
May the Force Be Unnecessary With You
One needs wisdom, strength, and ethics to pursue a Buddhist life. It’s a discipline and a challenge. It’s a journey through the internal world. The Star Wars film series depicts worldly struggle: lightsaber duels, space battles, galactic journeys, and political intrigue. How can a close examination of the movies deepen our appreciation of the Dhamma? […]
No Tomorrow
Inspired by the Maranassati Sutta The moment she was born Gemma knew she was about to die. By all accounts she was unlike any other child: she never got excited about Christmas and she never got upset when she was grounded. In fact her brother tells me she didn’t even bat an eyelid when her […]
Water’s Moon, Mirror’s Flower
Short Stories About the Dharma in China Invoking the timeless and poetic themes of illusions, heartache, and dreams, Water’s Moon, Mirror’s Flower is a series of tales about Chinese Buddhist landscapes, characters, and events with a dash of magic and eeriness. Featuring diverse themes from over two millennia of Chinese history, some of the stories feel historical, […]