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Tantra Helps “Stop Ordinary Perception”, and is the Fast Path to...
The much revered Guru Lama Yeshe. The great teacher Lama Yeshe once asked: “Why are there so many different deities in tantra?” [1] On one hand, Mahayana Buddhism speaks to universality, emptiness,...
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“The Mind of One Buddha is the Mind of All Buddhas”; How “Jewel Collection...
“The mind of one Buddha is the mind of all Buddhas,” said learned teacher Gelek Rimpoche, in a commentary on Vajrayogini. [1] “The mind of all Buddhas is the mind of a Buddha. It is like a huge...
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Bodhidharma’s Breakthrough Teaching: Shastra on Eradicating Appearances
Bodhidharma[1] is one of the most venerated Buddhist masters of the far east. He was an Indian monk known for having brought the Zen[2] teachings to China, which then spread to Japan and other...
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Part 3: 21 Taras of Mahasidda Suryagupta: after curing him of leprosy, Tara...
Suryagupta, one of the great Eighty-four Mahasiddas (7th/8th century), had countless visions of glorious Mother Tara. She so cherished the great master — also known as Ravigupta or “Nyi ma be pa” in...
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Is there room for the supernatural in Western Buddhism? Four sutra views of...
Does removing the magic from Buddhist practice seem less — magical? Sometimes, with a secular approach to Buddhism, we strip away some of the flair, the near euphoric joy of the Buddha’s Dharma. That...
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Avalokiteshvara’s Ten Prayers for happiness and well-being of all sentient...
Avalokiteshvara’s 10 prayers for the happiness and well-being of all sentient beings, exquisitely chanted by Khenpo Pema Choephel Rinpoche (mini-biography below) — with chant lyrics in video and below...
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Lama Tsongkhapa: A Short, Powerful Practice Helps Bring Compassion, Wisdom,...
“In my opinion, having the opportunity to practice the guru yoga of the great holy being Lama Tsongkhapa, is more fortunate than having the chance to receive and practice other Dharma teachings,” wrote...
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Mama Buddha Tara: Compassionate Action; Stories of Green Tara the Rescuer —...
“Tara is without doubt the most beloved female deity in Tibetan Buddhism, revered for her swiftness in helping those who rely on her. She has been described as a Buddha for our modern age, a sublime...
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Veneration Practice and Devotion According to the Ksitigarbha Sutra: Why...
Editor: In a special feature, author Eddie Sobenes explores The Sutra of the Fundamental Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, emphasizing the differences between the meritorious karma activity of...
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Youthful Manjushri: the flowering of wisdom; the gentle Buddha who cuts...
Of all the Buddhist meditational deities — and, of all the Bodhisattvas we meet in the sutras — the overwhelming feeling with Manjushri is “gentle wisdom” and “gentle friend.” We feel warm, comforted,...
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Chenrezig: the many faces of Avalokiteshvara’s compassion — sometimes we need...
Sometimes we need the gentle mother or father to guide us. We often need a best friend to console us, pat our back, pick us back up and inspire us to work harder. Or, we might need the strength of a...
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Buddhist Ganesha: popular Ganapati’s many forms include enlightened Yidam,...
Buddhist Ganesha’s appeal is wide-reaching, not just amongst the spiritual. Ganesh tatoos and t-shirts are very popular worldwide. There is, a “life-affirming” quality about his image, even for the...
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Healing Parnashavari — Tara’s Healing emanation: specialist in Contagious...
“Tara dressed in leaves” is Parnashavari, the 20th emanation of Tara in the 21 Taras Praise.[3] Her name literally translates from Sanskrit to English as a “leaf-clad goddess” — a treasured and revered...
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Vajrapani, the “Hand of Buddha” defeats the poisons : pride, anger, hate and...
Vajrapani’s name means, literally, “Indestructible Hand” — the Hand of the Buddha. He is one of the three great Bodhisattvas, together with Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig, Guanyin) and Manjushri, who...
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Avalokitesvara compassion practices can “enhance treatment of anxiety,...
Avalokitesvara is the metaphorical rock star of the Bodhisattvas. “Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, is one of the most important and popular Buddhist deities,” writes Karen Andres in...
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The 8 Great Bodhisattvas represent the 8 Great Qualities of Buddha; why we...
The 8 Great Bodhisattvas — also known as the Eight Great Sons — represent the eight great ideals of the Mahayana Path. They are integral to the Great Vehicle Path of Buddhism, that embraces compassion...
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Pacifier of War and Strife, Avalokiteshvara Guanyin Chenrezig — Bodhisattva...
Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin, Chenrezig, Kannon) is immediately synonymous with the word Bodhisattva — He (or She) is the quintessential Bodhisattva — the superhero savior. How do we ask for the...
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Three Great Bodhisattvas of Wisdom, Compassion, and Power — Manjushri,...
The Three Great Bodhisattvas represent the three main focuses of Buddhist Practice — to cultivate Wisdom, Compassion and the Power of Enlightened Activity. Thought of in another way, the Three Great...
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Sacred outlook – seeing beyond ordinary perception in modern culture and...
‘Beware of confining yourself to a particular belief and denying all else, for much good would elude you – indeed, the knowledge of reality would elude you. Be in yourself for all forms of belief,...
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Prajnaparamita Yum Chenmo, the Face of Perfection: Wisdom Personified,...
Why do we call Prajnaparamita — and Her Emanations, such as Tara — the Mother of the Buddhas? Is Prajnaparamita a Sutra or a Goddess or both? Venerable Zasep Rinpoche explained, “Prajnaparamita means...
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