The race against time to conserve Tibetan Buddhist art

Lessons on inner cultivation

Master Empty Cloud, or Xu Yun (虚雲), was born in Fujian Province in southern China during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), on 26 August 1840. This was the time of the first Opium War, when Hong Kong

There are few better examples of the Mongolian Buddhist heritage than Ikh Khüree, known today as none other than Ulaanbaatar itself, the country’s capital. A seamless fusion of nomadic prac

One of the best studies on Buddhist-Islamic history

In 1920, a Belgian missionary posted in Inner Mongolia received a mysterious gift from a Mongolian Tibetan-Buddhist monk: 54 painted pages illustrating various Buddhas, bodhisattvas, yoga positions, c

Interview with pristine Pure Land practitioner Thomas Polin

Every now and then, one encounters an item of human culture that is so striking and poignant that one sincerely believes there is nothing else in the world’s museums like it. Two of these remarkable i

The 2000-year-old Silk Road refers to the trade routes and transcontinental economy of Central Eurasia. However, its history is much richer when one looks into its maritime dimension. According to Cen

Editor's note: “Teachings of Amitabha Buddha” is an inspiring column about the vital spiritual matters of Pure Land Buddhism – from its history, philosophy, and practice to its scriptures and their ex

Editor's note: “Teachings of Amitabha Buddha” is an inspiring column about the vital spiritual matters of Pure Land Buddhism – from its history, philosophy, and practice to its scriptures and their ex

The first article in Alan Kwan's Pure Land column!

Master Xu Yun had an extraordinary and very long life. He lived into his 120th year, and his life spanned two centuries and three dynasties. It is a belief within traditional Chinese culture that the

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