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Last Sunday (20th March 2001) I went to Gyuto monastery to shoot a narrative film with two young monks. On my way home I stopped by Norbulingka Institute. Although the gardens at Norbulingka are quite beautiful, and worthy of their own piece, I ended up shooting just the main temple as I was short on time. Technical Canon 60d 28mm f1.8 USM II Thoughts A fundamental theory of Buddhist philosophy related particularly to Buddhist soteriology is the notion that every living being has the potential to become enlightened—"Buddha potential." This potential is a naturally occurring and innate...

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Saving Zanskar: A Short Documentary is the story of a Tibetan Buddhist monks vision to save his dying culture by providing the children of his region with a modern education. Shot over the course of a few days (6 hours of total shooting time) in several locations around Northern India, Saving Zanskar is an insight into the problems facing ancient cultures as the younger generation are increasingly influenced by modernity. The interview for the film was shot in a relatively quiet place behind the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamsala. It is one of the few places in Dharamsala (unknown to many)...

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In a recent discussion generated by Alan Wallace's bold article Distorted Visions of Buddhism: Agnostic and Atheist,  I put forward a couple claims that some of you might like to read. As my comments were a response to the topic in general, and  not anyone persons thoughts, I pass them on. Not because they are correct, not even because they are useful, but because someone somewhere might get something from them. Couple of points. First, the issue surrounding the development between the time of the Buddha and creation of the canon is perhaps not all that straight forward, as you have suggested....

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please note this is a draft version: 23/2/2010 1. Introduction Does Buddhism need science? That is to say, does Buddhism need the validation of science? Perhaps not, however, in order to lift the essence of Buddhism out of the cultural setting from which we as practitioners have learnt this science of the mind we call Buddhism, we need to test the claims presented. In this article, I want to explore the possibility that science and Buddhism need each other. Most would agree I think when I say that calling Buddhism a religion is really a misnomer. For the Buddha himself urged his students...

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Buddha said more than two and a half millennia ago: all beings want happiness and wish to avoid suffering. At first glance, this may seem like a simplistic observation, however, a closer examination will reveal an extraordinary implication. Everyone has this innate wish, the wish for greater happiness—a flourishing life— it is not a selfish wish, however, we often employee erroneous methods in our endeavors to find happiness. Many people believing that happiness can be found through external conditions such as physical stimuli or financial security, spend their entire lives chasing after...

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Buddhism is not simply a religion. It is a pragmatic description of life that details our very existence and shows methods for eliminating the dissatisfactory nature of many everyday experiences. The Buddha showed us the true nature of conditioned existence and thus It can be said the teachings of the Buddha are a set of mind training instructions that lead anyone who diligently practices these trainings to a flourishing life. Not in the sense of the happiness found through good external conditions, or physical stimuli but rather, from the inner conditions of functional states of mind. for...

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Please do not quote as I am in the process of rewriting this article. Some think: meditators do not need to study; those who teach need to study. Actually, learning is more necessary for the meditator; teachers may just incur the fault of explaining something incorrectly. It is vital for a meditator to study in order to properly understand what to meditate on. This may sound obvious, however, many people think that studying or the doing of philosophy gets in the way of real practice. However, the great Kadampa masters of old Tibet tell us it is more important for a meditator to study...

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Note: below I have described "mindfulness" as it is popularly known in modern cognitive psychology. This is but a small piece of the pie of the Buddhist practice called mindfulness. Mindfulness is a technique usually spoken of in terms of meditation. However it can be defined as: being intentionally phenomenally aware of cognitive states. That is, being intentionally aware of your thoughts and actions in the present moment without placing values, labels or categories on these mental phenomena. It is a process of observing thoughts, feelings,, sensations, everything around you, and staying...

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Meditation is an integral part of a larger process of becoming healthy, and as such, it is both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool used in this endeavor. In the Buddhist context, the term meditation is used to translate the Sanskrit term bhavana. While the Tibetan equivalent is gom. To receive notification of articles as they are published subscribe below: Subscribe via RSS Enter your email address: The Sanskrit term bhavana carries with it the connotation of cultivating particular cognitive states. While it's Tibetan equivalent gom has the idea of developing a familiarity...

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This is a copy of a letter I wrote to my teacher–Geshe Thubten Loden–a few days before leaving for Tasmania. I am publishing it here now as a means to create the merit for Geshe la to continue to stay with us. Please Geshe-la do not leave us now. Please continue to remain with us, to help, guide and protect us. Dear Geshe la, This letter is to say thank you for the kindness you have shown me over the past 14 years, in particular the teachings, initiations and daily guidance I received from you over that time. You have been more than a father, more than a mother, more than a best...

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