Biography Guides

Xuanzang: A Guide for Readers

Xuanzang: A Guide for Readers

Xuanzang Learn More A Reader's Guide to the great pilgrim of Buddhism See Also:  Profiles of early Indian Mahayana figures | Tibetan Masters of the 8th Century | Tibetan Masters of the 10th-11th Centuries The Works of the Chan and Zen Patriarchs | The Works of Zen in the Tang Dynasty  (618-907) The Works of Zen in the Song Dynasty (960 [...]
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Nagarjuna: A Reader’s Guide

Nagarjuna: A Reader’s Guide

Straight from the Heart: Buddhist Piith Instructions Translated and introduced by Karl Brunnholzl Three other praises of Nagarjuna’s are included in the collection Straight from the Heart, also translated and introduced by Karl Brunnhölzl</a>. Interestingly, in these praises, Nagarjuna often refers to buddhahood in positive terms, in contrast to much of his other work, which […]

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Milarepa: A Reader’s Guide to Tibet’s Great Yogi

Milarepa: A Reader’s Guide to Tibet’s Great Yogi

Milarepa: A Reader's Guide Learn More There are few figures more beloved in the Buddhist Himalayas than the 11th century yogi-hero Milarepa. Namkading Cave area where Milarepa spent many years in retreat Related Reader Guides: Profiles of early Indian Mahayana figures | Tibetan Masters of the 8th Century | Tibetan Masters of the 10th-11th Centuries The Kagyu Tradition | [...]
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We Won’t Last Forever | An Excerpt from Let the Whole Thundering World Come Home

We Won’t Last Forever | An Excerpt from Let the Whole Thundering World Come Home

Death A Long Distance Call On a Wednesday morning, sitting in my old blue Volvo in a parking lot after just getting a facial—my cheeks redolent with cream, all pores clean—I called the Cancer Center in Santa Fe, persuaded an oncologist to look up my chart. The oncologist I was assigned to was on vacation, [...]
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The Journey Begins | An Excerpt from The Jeweled Path

The Journey Begins | An Excerpt from The Jeweled Path

When Life Changed Forever Off to Colorado Life changed forever the day I set out in my sky-blue VW Bug heaving with everything I owned. An old carpenter’s chest, a gift from my mother and stepfather, had been carefully packed with watercolors, paintbrushes, and other art paraphernalia and small, cherished belongings. A single suitcase that [...]
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The World Is Round or Spherical | An Excerpt from Gendun Chopel

The World Is Round or Spherical | An Excerpt from Gendun Chopel

from Melong Gendun Chopel contributed both poetry and essays to Melong (“Mirror”), the Tibetan-language newspaper published in Kalimpong by the Tibetan Christian from Khunnu, Dorje Tharchin, also known as Tharchin Babu. Its full title in Tibetan was Mirror of the News from Various Regions. In the June 28, 1938, issue, Gendun Chopel published an essay [...]
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Why Buddhism for Black America Now? | An Excerpt from Taming the Ox

Why Buddhism for Black America Now? | An Excerpt from Taming the Ox

The Buddhist, Black Experience Originally published in 2014 What I propose is a spiritual revolution. —His Holiness the Dalai Lama The State of Black America In his 1970 work, Buddhist Ethics, Hammalawa Saddhatissa writes in the preface, “Strictly speaking, Buddhism is not a religion in the generally accepted sense of the word, and it would [...]
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Shambhala Editor Dave O’Neal and Author Roger Lipsey Discuss the Legacy of Thomas Merton and His Relationship to James Fox

Shambhala Editor Dave O’Neal and Author Roger Lipsey Discuss the Legacy of Thomas Merton and His Relationship to James Fox

A Quality of Being By Dave O’Neal We talk with Roger Lipsey about his book Make Peace Before the Sun Goes Down: The Long Encounter of Thomas Merton and His Abbot, James Fox 2018 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the death of the most famous Trappist monk of modern times—or perhaps of all time—Thomas Merton. [...]
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Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche: A Reader’s Guide

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche: A Reader’s Guide

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche A Guide to His Works Learn More Denkok Valley, birthplace of Khyentse Rinpoche. Photo my M. Ricard. Explore Nyingma Lineages: Dudjom Tersar | Longchen Nyingtig | Namcho & Palyul Guides to Important Nyingma Figures: Rongzompa | Longchenpa | Jigme Lingpa | Patrul Rinpoche | Sera Khandro | Mipham Rinpoche | Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche [...]
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The Way of Judo: An Interview with John Stevens on Jigoro Kano

The Way of Judo: An Interview with John Stevens on Jigoro Kano

The Way of Judo$24.95 - PaperbackBy: John Stevens Add to Cart Shambhala: Why did you want to write about Jigoro Kano? JS: Since I have written books on three of the other most important martial artist masters of the 20th century-Tesshu Yamaoka (kendo), Awa Kenzo (kyudo), and Morihei Ueshiba (aikido)-I felt it imperative to write [...]
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Heidi Koppl on the Importance of Rongzom Mahapandita

Heidi Koppl on the Importance of Rongzom Mahapandita

We interviewed Heidi Koppl, author and translator of Establishing Appearances as Divine, about the importance of the great Nyingma scholar Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo's writings and the inspiration behind her work. Shambhala Publications: What inspired you to take on this text? Heidi Koppl: While I was living at my teacher Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche's monastery in the [...]
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In Praise of Longchen Rabjam

In Praise of Longchen Rabjam

The following is an excerpt from The Life of Longchenpa: The Omniscient Dharma King of the Vast Expanse By Jampa Mackenzie Stewart In Praise of Longchen Rabjam By Khenpo Shenga Translated by Adam Pearcey Due to the kindness of Guru Padmasambhava, there have been many great holders of the teachings here in Tibet, the Land of [...]
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Nagarjuna as Described by Buton

Nagarjuna as Described by Buton

From Butön's History of Buddhism in India and Its Spread to Tibet Four hundred years after the Buddha passed away, in the southern country of Vidarbha, there lived a prosperous Brahmin who was childless. In a dream, gods foretold that if he invited one hundred Brahmins to a religious festival, a son would be born [...]
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Saying Goodbye to B.K.S. Iyengar

Saying Goodbye to B.K.S. Iyengar

20 August 2014 The great, perhaps the greatest living yoga master, B.K.S. Iyengar died today in Pune, India, at the delightfully advanced age of 95. There will be many public tributes and even more private tributes as his innumerable devoted students honor his legacy. In memoriam, we offer Iyengar in his own words from his [...]
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