Joseph Goldstein is a co-founder of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. Now in his 70s, he has taken up the practice of writing poetry. In this interview with Amy Gross, originally published in Tricycle: Winter 2023 and shared here with permission, Joseph talks about what the practice of poetry has meant for him. Poetry as/and Practice: A Conversation with Joseph Goldstein You are invited to a conversation with Joseph Goldstein and William Edelglass, BCBS Director of Studies, in … [Read more...]
Early Buddhism: An Article by Bhikkhu Anālayo (November 2023)
Bhikkhu Anālayo
The present article explores the term “early Buddhism,” in an attempt to clarify its meaning and explore the significance of what it designates for both scholars and practitioners. Download PDF Version Common Ground The expression “early Buddhism” refers to the earliest period in the development Buddhist thought and practice, spanning from its inception to about the time of the reign of Aśoka in the third century BCE. The time of inception—in other words, the time when the Buddha … [Read more...]
Life of a Meditator (Part 2) An Interview with Bhikkhu Anālayo (February 2023)
Bhikkhu Anālayo
Q: Bhante, in the first part of our interview you described your first encounters with meditation and how you went to Asia and took temporary ordination, until you had to go back to Germany to settle things. What happened next and how did you get ordained again? A: Back in Germany I settled what needed to be done and also worked a bit to replenish my travel funds. Then I went to China, in accordance with my original plan. I studied Chen-style Taijiquan and also spent time at a Chan monastery in … [Read more...]
Life of a Meditator (Part 1) An Interview with Bhikkhu Anālayo (February 2023)
Bhikkhu Anālayo
Q: Bhante, you spend much of your time in solitary retreat; perhaps you could tell us more about how you came to develop such a strong interest in meditation in the course of your life and also how that relates to your scholarly activities. It would be interesting to know more about your personal history. Maybe we can get started with the question: How did you come into contact with meditation? A: When I was about eight years old, I started practicing Judo, a Japanese martial art. At the … [Read more...]
Speculative Views Sutra (February 2023)
Mu Soeng
In “Speculative Views Sutra,” Mu Soeng, inspired by the Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta, MN 63, explores the relationship between liberation and letting go of speculative views. Mu Soeng is Scholar Emeritus at BCBS. He trained in the (Korean) Zen tradition and was a monk for eleven years. He is the author of Thousand Peaks: Korean Zen (Tradition and Teachers); The Diamond Sutra: Transforming the Way We Perceive the World; Trust in Mind: The Rebellion of Chinese Zen; The Heart of the Universe: … [Read more...]
