Pure Land Buddhism

Pure Land Buddhism

Death and Dying

In a conversation with the Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche, I had the opportunity to discuss death and dying. In the Tibetan tradition, the teachings on this topic are vast, so I asked Rinpoche what should be emphasized in presenting this material to the West. His...
Emergency Meditations: Easy Short Meditations

Emergency Meditations: Easy Short Meditations

Meditation

Many people have a limited sense of meditation. One unexpected aspect of expanding our sense of meditation is learning how to shrink it, so to speak, into what I refer to as “Emergency Meditations.” People often think that meditation only works when you...
Meditation is Not Enough

Meditation is Not Enough

Meditation

Many meditators think that meditation is capable of handling all your issues. People often swing the pendulum too far back in the other direction, from an initially dismissive attitude towards meditation, to one that views it as a panacea. They swing from one extreme...
After Death States: The Bardos in Tibetan Buddhism

After Death States: The Bardos in Tibetan Buddhism

Death and Dying

What are the Bardos? The central orienting view in the Tibetan tradition of “thanatology” (the study of death and dying) is that of the bardos.  This Tibetan word “Bardo” is translated as “gap, interval, intermediate state, transitional process, or in...