Practices

To become a Buddhist is to take refuge in the Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures. The Three Jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

The Buddha taught that to realize enlightenment, a person must develop two qualities: wisdom and compassion. 

In conversations about religion, there is often discussion about converting from one religion to another. For some people, Buddhism may offer an option if you are not finding yourself a good fit for the religion you currently practice.

Buddhism is practiced in many countries and cultures throughout the world. Mahayana Buddhism has played a significant role in China and it has a long and rich history.

In Buddhism, there are several lists of "perfections" (parami, Pali; paramita, Sanskrit). These various lists are of qualities that lead to buddhahood if practiced diligently and to perfection. 

Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926) is a Vietnamese monk, teacher, author, and peace activist who has lived and taught in the West since the 1960s. His books, lectures, and retreats have brought the dharma to the world, and his influence on the development of Buddhism in the West is immeasurable.

In recent years, many practicing psychotherapists have adopted the Buddhist practice of mindfulness as part of their therapeutic toolkit. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), for example, are being used to treat conditions such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. The results have been enormously encouraging.

Prajna is Sanskrit for "wisdom." Panna is the Pali equivalent, more often used in Theravada Buddhism. But what is "wisdom" in Buddhism?

If atheism is the absence of belief in a God or gods, then many Buddhists are, indeed, atheists.

In the West, Buddhist nuns don't always call themselves "nuns," preferring to call themselves "monastics" or "teachers." But "nun" could work. The English word "nun" comes from the Old English nunne, which could refer to a priestess or any woman living under religious vows.

Buddhism calls itself a "non-theistic" religion. The historical Buddha taught that believing in and worshipping gods was not useful for those seeking to realize enlightenment. Due to this, many Buddhists consider themselves to be atheists.

Art historians have taken an interest in Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769) in recent years. The old Zen master's ink brush paintings and calligraphy are prized today for their freshness and vibrancy. But even without the paintings, Hakuin's impact on Japanese Zen is incalculable. 

Many supernatural creatures populate Buddhist literature, but among these Mara is unique. He is one of the earliest non-human beings to appear in Buddhist scriptures. 

The Japanese Buddhist school of Shingon is something of an anomaly. It is a Mahayana school, but it is also a form of esoteric or tantric Buddhism and the only living Vajrayana school outside of Tibetan Buddhism. How did that happen?

If you are to practice Buddhism with formal sincerity rather than just as an intellectual exercise, you will soon confront the fact that there are many, many different rituals is Buddhism. 

When many Westerners think of "Buddha," usually they don't visualize the Buddha of history, meditating or teaching. This "true" Buddha is known more completely as Gautama Buddha or Shakyamuni Buddha and is almost always depicted in deep meditation or contemplation.

To Buddhists, war is akusala—unskillful, evil. Still, Buddhists sometimes fight in wars. Is war always wrong? Is there such a thing as a "just war" theory in Buddhism?

Western Buddhists often recoil at the word faith. In a religious context, faith has come to mean stubborn and unquestioning acceptance of dogma. Whether that's what it's supposed to mean is a question for another discussion, but in any case, that's not what Buddhism is about. The Buddha taught us to not accept any teaching, including his, without testing and examining it for ourselves.

The word nirvana is so prevalent for English speakers that its true meaning is often lost. The word has been adopted to mean "bliss" or "tranquility." Nirvana also is the name of a famous American grunge band, as well as of many consumer products, from bottled water to perfume. But what is it? And how does it fit into Buddhism?

The historical Buddha's most famous statement on women came about when his stepmother and aunt, Maha Pajapati Gotami, asked to join the sangha and become a nun. According to the Pali Vinaya, the Buddha initially refused her request. Eventually, he relented, but in so doing, the scipture says, he made conditions and a prediction that remain controversial to this day.

Loving-kindness is defined in English dictionaries as a feeling of benevolent affection, but in Buddhism, loving-kindness (in Pali, Metta; in Sanskrit, Maitri) is thought of as a mental state or attitude, cultivated and maintained by practice. This cultivation of loving-kindness is an essential part of Buddhism.

All Buddhists are vegetarians, right? Well, no. Some Buddhists are vegetarians, but some are not. Attitudes about vegetarianism vary from sect to sect as well as from individual to individual. If you are wondering whether you must commit to being a vegetarian to become a Buddhist, the answer is, maybe, but possibly not.

Western Buddhists often recoil at the word faith. In a religious context, faith has come to mean stubborn and unquestioning acceptance of dogma. 

Buddhism is not a monolithic tradition. As it spread through Asia over more than two millennia, it divided into several sects, each with its own liturgies, rituals, and canon of scriptures. 

In conversations about religion, there is often discussion about converting from one religion to another. For some people, Buddhism may offer an option if you are not finding yourself a good fit for the religion you currently practice.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is often referred to as a "God-King" by western media. Westerners are told that the several Dalai Lamas who ruled Tibet for centuries were reincarnations not only of each other but also of the Tibetan God of Compassion, Chenrezig.

You may know there are two primary schools of Japanese Zen, called Soto and Rinzai. Rinzai Zen is associated with formal koan contemplation, whereas the Soto meditation practice is called shikantaza -- "just sitting."

Unlike many other religions, Buddhism does not have a single canon of scriptures. This means that sutras venerated by one school of Buddhism may be considered inauthentic in another.

The spiritual path can seem a frustrating slog much of the time. The Buddha knew this, and he taught that there are five spiritual qualities that, when developed together, become the panca bala that overcome hindrances. The five are faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom

For 12 centuries, students of Zen Buddhism who engage in koan study have confronted Mu. What is Mu