Buddhist meditation techniques are widely popular, and one such method is called Shambhala meditation, a simplified version of Tibetan practice. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, author and meditation leader, told a group of beginners to relax, note their breathing, set aside their thoughts, and just be — quietly — who they are. More →

April 30, 2004

  BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: In the U.S. and Europe, the other best-known Buddhist leader, besides the Dalai Lama, is the renowned Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. He, too, has been on a U.S. tour, ended this past week — … More →

September 19, 2003

Read more of Bob Abernethy’s interview with Thich Naht Hanh: Q: What is it that you teach, and that Buddhism teaches, that Christians and Jews and Muslims should listen to? A: I realize that many elements of the Buddhist teaching … More →

September 19, 2003

Buddhists pay special tribute to the dead during the Bon or Obon Festival — the Feast of Lanterns. More →

July 18, 2003

Southern California’s Soka University resembles a charming Mediterranean village. Opened in 2001 by a powerful Japanese religious sect called Soka Gakkai International, it is the first college campus in the United States whose academic values and teaching principles are inspired by Buddhism. Inside, one can find 103 acres of stately architecture, spacious gardens, and tranquil gardens. More →

May 2, 2003

Read more of Bob Abernethy’s interview with Diana Eck exploring religious America. More →

April 26, 2002

“In simple terms, we have become the most religiously diverse nation on earth,” says Diana Eck, professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard University. More →

March 8, 2002

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly invited several scholars to comment on the divisions and direction of Buddhism in America today: Carl Bielefeldt is professor of religious studies and co-director of the Center for Buddhist Studies at Stanford University: For more than … More →

July 6, 2001

MARY ALICE WILLIAMS: Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion, founded about 2500 years ago in India. The Buddha taught that life is suffering and the way to overcome that is to get rid of attachments. Widely practiced across Asia, … More →

July 6, 2001

Part two of our series on the Tibetan Buddhists in exile in India. They’re refugees not only from Chinese oppression in Tibet but also from what the Dalai Lama calls “cultural genocide.” More →

June 11, 1999