Sumeru News

I recently presented at the New Paths in Teaching Buddhist Studies conference in Toronto. My talk was entitled: Teaching the Buddhism of the Future, not the Past. It was about incorporating green practice path perspectives into all our teaching endeavours and syllabi. Prior to attending, I had opted to take the train to Toronto rather than fly, in order to generate a smaller carbon footprint. When the Tyendinaga protests in support of the Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs' objections to the Coastal GasLink pipeline blocked the rail lines, I was forced to choose between driving, flying, or taking the bus. The flight would...

My latest column for Buddhistdoor Global is now available here: https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/life-hack

Just putting the finishing touches on Mountains and Rivers Sutra: Teachings by Norman Fischer, edited by Kuya Minogue, due out in March 2020. The Mountains and Rivers Sutra is one of 93 essays of Dogen, the great 13th century Zen Master, collected in a work called, The Shobogenzo. “Shobogenzo” means, “Treasury of the True Dharma Eye.” Dogen’s essay expressing the reality of the enlightened mind in the poetic natural imagery of his time is a classic of spiritual literature and an essential text for deep Zen practice to this day. In these talks given at the Upaya Zen Center in 2012, Norman Fischer presents Dogen’s medieval essay in language understandable to us...

Just working on the cover for Pyrrho's Way: The Ancient Greek Version of Buddhism by Douglas C. Bates (www.pyrrhonism.org), due out later this spring. Pyrrho traveled with Alexander the Great to India in the time of Nagarjuna and had the opportunity to study with Buddhist sages there. Upon his return to Greece, he drew upon the philosophy of the Skeptics to re-envision Madhyamaka Buddhism in a way that would make sense to his contemporaries. Pyrrho's Way provides a practical application of Pyrrho's philosophy, bringing his interpretation of Buddhism to life for our modern age. [If you are interested in the scholarly context,...

Buddhistdoor asked me to do a monthly column for 2020, based on my recent book, Bodhisattva 4.0: A Primer for Engaged Buddhists. The articles are extended adaptations of 12 of the topics from the 108 in the book, one from each chapter, along with the books, websites and magazine articles that provide resources for further study and networking. Here's the link to the first two columns: HAPPINESS and MAGIC.