Christianity

As I was diving into the depths of the wisdom of the various religious traditions, I still had these burning questions in my heart: “What do I believe?” “What path am I supposed to follow?” And, I couldn’t help but feel torn. I found the Biblical teachings of Jesus extremely inspiring and skillful. [...]

What is Success?

The Monastery   |   Bhikshu Jin Chuan  |   November 29, 2011, 4:00 pm

[This is the third of a series of posts reflecting on how I found myself drawn to monasticism despite (or perhaps because of) my upbringing in the Bay Area and providing insight into how the relatively secular environment in which I grew up prompted me to look deeper into the meaning of life.] My mom’s [...]

Heroes: Catholic and Buddhist Monks

The Monastery   |   Bhikshu Jin Chuan  |   October 31, 2011, 10:00 am

[This is the second of a series of posts reflecting on how I found myself drawn to monasticism despite (or perhaps because of) my upbringing in the Bay Area and providing insight into how the relatively secular environment in which I grew up prompted me to look deeper into the meaning of life.] [Audio clip: [...]

A Journey to Monkhood

The Monastery   |   Bhikshu Jin Chuan  |   October 20, 2011, 4:23 pm

[This is the beginning of a series of posts reflecting on how I found myself drawn to monasticism despite (or perhaps because of) my upbringing in the Bay Area and providing insight into how the relatively secular environment in which I grew up prompted me to look deeper into the meaning of life.] [Audio clip: [...]

Buddha Meets the Parents

The Tribe   |   Alexandra Gross  |   October 13, 2011, 4:00 pm

I was raised without religion. My parents are rational, intellectual, and basically atheist – one comes from a vaguely Christian family, the other from a slightly Jewish one, and they never really made anything of it. They are both professors; they don’t believe, they think. So I had to wonder what they would make of [...]