Buddhism

To those who have spent some time with Buddhist primary philosophical sources, thinking by means of lists, catalogs, and enumerations comes as no surprise. The most popular philosophical assertion in Buddhism worldwide is a clear example—the four noble truths. These four have countless subdivisions within them—three sufferings, five aggregates, three poisons, eight paths; the list …

Thinking by Numbers—Why are Buddhists obsessed with lists? Read More »

Poor girl, they all said. Her body spread across the mountain range with vultures hovering over it. She didn’t deserve this horrible fate. She was born in the King’s Apex to a well-to-do family. Ambition, however, is the seed of one’s own demise. They were not content with what they had and wanted more. When …

One Hundred Thousand Lights Shining From the Earth Read More »

The concept of history in Tibet — at least since the 7th century, when King Songtsen Gampo ruled — is inextricably tied to Buddhism as a larger framework of Tibetan culture and identity. The very first works of Tibetan historiography — the Annals, the Chronicles, and the Testaments of Ba — are tellings of the …

A personal history — the historicity of Tibetan rnam thar Read More »

“This is a mock-up letter created to communicate with my friends soon to be and thus gone.” Dear S. I am happy to know you are fine and I am grateful for your letter. Once again, I apologize I wasn’t able to make it to your birthday party this year. As I mentioned, your birthday …

Letter to a friend: what does it mean to be a Buddhist practitioner? Read More »