Buddhism
What is Mahāyāna Buddhism? A scholar of Buddhism explains
By Pierce Salguero — December 7, 2022
(The Conversation) — The Mahāyāna branch of Buddhism likely emerged around the first centuries A.D. and was most readily carried through the Silk Road and maritime trade routes.
Monsters, meditation and Marie Kondo: the religious roots of Japan’s ‘waste not’ ethic
By Kevin C. Taylor — December 6, 2022
(The Conversation) — The impact of centuries-old Shinto and Buddhist rituals and stories continues today.
What is a bodhisattva? A scholar of Buddhism explains
By Pierce Salguero — October 18, 2022
(The Conversation) — Buddhists believe that bodhisattvas reside in heavenly realms but can also appear on Earth disguised as humans, animals or other types of beings.
In India, where Hindu majority has complex views, Supreme Court liberalizes abortion law
By Kalpana Jain — October 3, 2022
(RNS) — The judgment will have significant implications for Muslim, Christian and other minority faith groups but will likely face pushback from conservative Hindus.
Young Colombian activist brings light to the displaced communities
By Magdalena Rojo — September 30, 2022
(RNS) — Jenifer Colpas Fernández had to leave her native Colombia to recognize its problems — and to see that there were solutions.
Nepal’s holy Bagmati River choked with black sewage, trash
By Binaj Gurubacharya — August 17, 2022
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Tainted by garbage and raw sewage that is dumped directly into the waterway, Nepal’s holiest river has deteriorated so greatly that today it is also the country’s most polluted.
2nd Australian state bans public displays of Nazi swastikas
By Associated Press — August 11, 2022
SYDNEY (AP) — The law allows for the swastika to be used in academic, historical or educational settings, thereby paving the way for its display by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains for whom it holds religious significance.
Buddhist leader in Bhutan fully ordains 144 women, resuming ancient tradition
By Haley Barker — June 21, 2022
(RNS) — Damcho Diana Finnegan, an American Tibetan Buddhist nun, called the ordination ceremony ‘a major step towards ending the institutionalized inequality between men and women in Tibetan Buddhism.’
In WWII, Japanese Americans’ faith came under suspicion and helped them survive their incarceration
By Alejandra Molina — April 29, 2022
(RNS) — The new 'Sutra and Bible' exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles explores the role of religion in the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Jains celebrate the founder of their small but ancient faith
By Kalpana Jain — April 13, 2022
(RNS) — A contemporary of the Buddha, Mahavir preached his own way of nonviolence, or ahimsa.
A 300-year-old church hopes to connect with spiritual but not religious neighbors
By Bob Smietana — February 15, 2022
(RNS) — Facing a future where organized religion is on the decline, Trinity Episcopal Church hopes to offer spiritual community for the nones.
What is walking meditation?
By Brooke Schedneck — February 5, 2022
(The Conversation) — The late Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh popularized the contemplative practice around the world.
Thou shalt not share false witness
By Steven Waldman — December 9, 2021
(RNS) — Why do bad retweets come from good people?
What the world can learn from the Buddhist concept loving-kindness
By Brooke Schedneck — November 11, 2021
(The Conversation) — On World Kindness Day, a scholar of Buddhist studies explains its idea of compassion and the diverse ways to think about and express kindness.
Dalai Lama says China’s leaders ‘don’t understand’ diversity
By Associated Press — November 10, 2021
On Wednesday, the 86-year-old Buddhist monk said he wished to remain home in India rather than get involved in the “complicated politics" between China, run by the officially atheist Communist Party, and strongly Buddhist Taiwan.
