The Tendai lineages of Japan

Seeking harmony within diversity

The first in a special series introducing Chan Buddhist concepts

Understanding the power of Amitabha-invocation

A superlative examination of a fierce philosophical debate

An archetypal three-way relationship between a shapeshifting girl and two monks

An Easy Path for Uncultured People   I first approached Buddhism as a philosophy in 1988, when I was searching for the truth about life and the universe. Over time, however, my interest changed from

Interview with pristine Pure Land practitioner Thomas Polin

Behind the simple invocation of “Namo Amitabha Buddha” (nianfo) awaits the keys to Amitabha Buddha’s Land of Bliss (Sukhavati). According to Master Shandao (613 - 681), the recitation of this sextet o

Song of the Truthful Mind Jianzhi Sengcan was the Third Ch'an or Zen Patriarch in China, who has been credited with composing a verse called Xinxin Ming. This verse

A tremendous portion of Chinese Buddhism’s rich inheritance is drawn from two traditions. On the one hand we have the deeply devotional Pure Land, where the Other-Power of Amitābha Buddha is invoked t