Articles on Buddha Dharma at Sutra Journal

Reflections on the Buddha: Historical and Philosophical - Part 1

February, 2016 by Jeffery D. Long

The Buddha, the Awakened One, is certainly one of the most inspirational figures to have ever walked this planet–perhaps the most. His teaching is the foundation of the world’s fourth largest religion (in terms of numbers of adherents)–a religion that has transformed cultures from Afghanistan to Japan, and continues to transform lives around the world. In addition to establishing Buddhism, the Buddha exerted a profound influence on Hindu thought and practice as well. read more

Tibet's Secret Temple: Body, Mind and Meditation in Tantric Buddhism

January, 2016 by Ian Baker and Vikram Zutshi

Beyul are places where the physical and spiritual worlds are said to intersect and where meditative and yogic practices are said to be most effective. Located in remote regions of the Himalayan mountain range, beyul are also places known for their extraordinary bio-diversity and physical beauty. The biggest lesson that I learned from staying for extended periods in several such hidden-lands is that wild and untamed landscapes can open us to dimensions of experience that are often overlooked in more tempered read more

The Buddha in Vedic India

October, 2015 by Dr. Koenraad Elst

Orientalists have started treating Buddhism as a separate religion because they discovered it outside India, without any conspicuous link with India, where Buddhism was not in evidence. At first, they didn’t even know that the Buddha had been an Indian. It had at any rate gone through centuries of development unrelated to anything happening in India at the same time. Therefore, it is understandable that Buddhism was already the object of a separate discipline even before any connection... read more

Reflections on the Buddha: Historical and Philosophical - Part Two

March, 2016 by Jeffery D. Long

The question centers on that most distinctive of Buddhist teachings: the doctrine of No Self, or, in the Pāli language of the earliest Buddhist scriptures, anatta. In contrast with at least the mainstream of Upaniṣadic thought, as well as with Jainism, the Buddha does not emphasize the immortality of the Self, or ātman, nor does he point to the realization of this Self as the highest spiritual goal. In stark contrast to such affirmations, he teaches that no such thing as a self is anywhere to be found. read more

Robert Thurman on Buddhism in the West (Video)

March, 2016 by Bob Thurman

Bob Thurman reflects on Western society’s misunderstandings of Buddhism. A recognized worldwide authority on Religion and Spirituality, Asian history, world philosophy, Buddhist Science, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and his Holiness the Dalai Lama, Robert Thurman is an eloquent advocate of the relevance of Buddhist ideas in our daily lives. read more

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Bhudda Dharma

Reflections on the Buddha: Historical and Philosophical - Part 1

Tibet's Secret Temple: Body, Mind and Meditation in Tantric Buddhism

The Buddha in Vedic India

Reflections on the Buddha: Historical and Philosophical - Part Two

Robert Thurman on Buddhism in the West (Video)

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