The Berenike Buddha—a 2nd-c CE marble statue in Egypt—is the earliest Buddha image found west of Afghanistan. M. D. Usher suggests that early Buddhist communities may have been in Roman Egypt long before modern notions of “Western Buddhism.” Accessible Link

Legal scholar Benjamin Schonthal explains the recent ruling in Sri Lanka on Bhikkhuni ordination and its implications. I must admit, I underestimated the importance of the ruling, since it didn't require the Nikayas to accept anything. We will have to wait and see how this unfolds. Free Link

A new book on #Shinto and famous #Kokugaku scholar Hirata Atsutane 平田篤胤 (1776-1843) has just been published open access and free for download by the preeminent historian Dr. Ann Walthall! You can check it out here: www.fulcrum.org/concern/mono...

America’s democratic system depends on the public’s understanding that law is bigger than politics, @davidfrum.bsky.social argues. But now, Trump is sending a clear message that he is willing to go after his enemies and undermine that system.

Randy Rosenthal reviews a new book of unpublished writings by Jack Kerouac, a powerful force in popularizing Buddhism in the West. Rosenthal says, "We see him as an earnest fellow seeker, trying to incorporate his newfound wisdom into his art." Accessible Link

Stanford PhD Candidate Nancy Chu reviews a new book by Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Chengpang Lee. The book tells the story of Tzu Chi and the Buddhist nun behind one of the world’s most significant humanitarian movements. Accessible Link

A timely article by SOAS PhD candidate Conan Cheong on the recent sale of the Piprahwa relics to an Indian conglomerate. The Sotheby's debacle, when they tried and failed to auction them to the highest bidder, raises important questions on custodianship of sacred objects. Accessible Link

Franz Metcalf @franzmetcalf.bsky.social reviews Natasha Heller's @nlheller.bsky.social new book on Buddhist picture books for children. "These books become the material form of modern family Buddhism, giving rise to new practices rooted not in the temple but in the home." Accessible Link

Scholar C Pierce Salguero provides a brief introduction to Mahayana medicine. One of my first experiences with medicine in Korea was being bloodlet by a nun to take out bad qi making me sick. That finger poke sure rid me of nausea. Still not sure about the qi. Accessible Link

Joanna Macy has died. For more than half a century, scholar, Buddhist, ecologist, and “awake activist” Joanna Macy, PhD, worked tirelessly for personal, social, and planetary transformation. Accessible Link

Tricycle appreciates Amy Langenberg's @amyparis.bsky.social report from the 2025 Sakyadhita Conference in Malaysia. This conference brings together monastics, academics, and laypeople to address issues facing Buddhist women. Without Buddhist women, there would be no Buddhism. Accessible link

Jas Elsner's book on Amaravati hints at the early dawn of Mahayana, pushing it back to the very foundations of Buddhism. Curator Tushara Bindu Gude reviews this dense read and gets to the heart of Elsner's important findings. Accessible Link

Anderson Cooper @andersoncooper4.bsky.social talks with Ann Tashi Slater @anntashislater.bsky.social about the precariousness of life and the questions he still wrestles with today. Accessible Link

Ever wanted to talk about #Buddhism and #Money (or personal #finance), but didn't know where to start? Here's your chance, the first of a series by @maiaduerr.bsky.social , author of "Work That Matters: Create a Livelihood that Reflects Your Core Intention." www.buddhistdoor.net/features/the...

Ben Van Overmeire @zenmirrors.bsky.social explores how reading and writing have long guided seekers toward the Chan threshold to awakening. "If we let go of our attachment to words and letters, and instead let them point, amazing things can happen when we read and write." Accessible Link

"Enlightenment is knowing that there is no absolute self that exists apart from the self that has defilements, delusions, and worries right now." Daehaeng was one of the most respected masters in modern Korean history. I love seeing her smile gracing Tricycle. Accessible Link

A 2016 interview by Mary Talbot with scholar Shayne Clarke on the messiness of monastic life as glimpsed through the Vinaya. You don't make a rule because something happens once. The Vinaya stories behind the rules never fail to be an eye-opening read. Accessible Link

An adaptation of an article by @hannahgould.bsky.social and @manigarm.bsky.social "Robots are gods of our own making, and when Buddhists, with all their human failings, fill the gaps of ritual failure with technology, they also reproduce the things they mean to transcend." Accessible link

If you're interested in Buddhist philosophy, check out this book on Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), the founder of the Tibetan Buddhist Gelukpa. Edited by David B. Gray, introduction by Donald S. Lopez Jr. Review by Justin Whitaker @justinwhitaker.bsky.social Accessible link

Writer An Tran @an-tran.bsky.social explores the Vietnamese Buddhist tradition of Dual Cultivation—the bringing together of the Pure Land tradition and the Chan-Thien meditation school. Another example of the importance of the Pure Land in East Asian Buddhism. Accessible link

Once we translate the whole Buddhist canon into English, what then? Do we read it—or just wear it on a flash drive amulet for its magically meritorious qualities? Scholar Donald Lopez asks if the AI future of sutra translation ends in awakening or apocrypha. Accessible Link

The eccentric Japanese poet Ryokan skipped temple promotions to drink with farmers, write poems in the dirt, and stretch out in the rain. Myozan Ian Kilroy channels that spirit: Zen contentment isn’t passive—it’s refusal. Don’t optimize. Just sit. #buddhism #contentment Accessible link

All 3 of Trump's Supreme Court appointees just voted to hand him another major loss

President Trump fired Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, via email late Thursday night, the latest in a string of actions the president has taken to shape American cultural institutions.

Important new collection edited by Ben Brose Buddhist Masters of Modern China www.shambhala.com/buddhist-mas...

"He's free!" Tricycle was on the scene for Mohsen Mahdawi's release from detention. Accessible link

An excerpt from the late J.C. Cleary's introduction on Korean Seon master T'aego, a 14th-century monk who helped shape Korean Buddhism into what we see today. Cleary reminds us that these narratives are didactic anecdotes more than proper biographies: we usually know very little. Accessible link

Auction of ancient Indian gems ‘imbued with presence of Buddha’ condemned www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

Tricycle Archives 1998 Summer An interesting exploration of samadhi by James H Austin, whose award-winning book 'Zen and the Brain' helped popularize the scientific study of meditation. A bit of rational mysticism never hurts. Cool charts, too. Accessible link

Join Tricycle on May 6 at 2 p.m. ET for a live event with renowned Zen scholar Dr. Steven Heine as he explores the unfinished “12 Fascicles Collection,” Dogen’s apparent final work. Learn more below!

A new article from Vanderbilt assistant professor Adeana McNicholl @adeanamcn.bsky.social on Buddhist preta or "hungry ghost" stories. I love this topic and her book! "These stories are more than simple scare tactics to encourage ethical behavior." Accessible link

What happens when Buddhist philosophy meets the supernatural? D. E. Osto’s “Paranormal States” explores psychic phenomena like levitation, telekinesis, and animal communication, as experienced by modern-day Buddhist practitioners.

Tricycle Archives 1995 Summer In Japanese Buddhism, the bodhisattva Jizo protects not just children—but fetuses. The late William LaFleur examines how rituals help families grieve without condemnation, offering a cultural counterpoint to polarized debates over abortion in the West. Accessible link

Tricycle Archives 1998 Summer In the high desert of Nepal's Buddhist Mustang, horses carry travelers, stories, omens, and gods. Medical anthropologist Sienna Craig reflects on loss, devotion, and the rituals that bind humans and animals in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. Accessible link

TGIF

Join Zen scholar Dr. Steven Heine on May 6 at 2 p.m. ET for a deep dive into what is believed to be Dogen’s final, unfinished work—the “12 Fascicles Collection.” What do these late teachings tell us about Dogen’s view on zazen versus karma? Learn more and sign up today!

For those who don't know, Peter Gregory has died. Robert Buswell wrote an obit for H-Net, and we thought a more public announcement was needed. Condolences to his family and friends, and gratitude for his years of rigorous work.

The Buddhist community must all stand up for Mohsen as another illegal and unconstitutional detention and deportation is under way.

If you haven't heard of Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, you should check out Tricycle's interview with the musician and Zen priest, with samples from his new release, 'Gift Songs'. "It’s about allowing the music to have a life of its own that isn’t necessarily constrained by my own ideas." Accessible link

"His moral clarity stems from the view that compassion and nonviolence are not signs of weakness but necessary tools of resistance." Exiled Tibetan author Bhuchung D Sonam reviews the Dalai Lama's new book 'Voice for the Voiceless' for Tricycle. Accessible Link

I love seeing people identifying problems with media, and it sure isn't hard when talking about the DPRK

“Big fires come from little ones.” The Buddha taught his son Rahula how to watch his actions like a hawk, own up to his mistakes, and learn from them. Thanissaro Bhikkhu breaks down a deceptively simple training with radical implications, as only he can. Accessible link

Is experience wisdom? Is the capacity for integrating experience as learning the source of wisdom? Is wisdom a concept we fail to develop sufficiently? If so, why not take your own shot at defining it? Humanity must be a central component in its elaboration.

Chee Shimizu, Tokyo-based DJ and owner of Organic Music used record store, has one of the best jazzy-fusion music feeds around. No joke! Check out Tricycle's interview with one of Japan's favorite DJs. Find his feed online at nts.live Accessible link

'Bluesky has overtaken its flailing rival X in hosting posts related to new academic research, indicating the platform is fast becoming the go-to place for scholars to share their work.'

So, you want to be a Buddhist author, eh? Part one of a six-part series. #publishing #books #buddhism www.buddhistdoor.net/features/so-...

Mood

A recent English translation of a popular French book on Leonard Cohen's life was published. Matthew Gindin reviews Christophe Lebold's book for Tricycle. Love him or hate him, Cohen is part of our American Zen heritage. Accessible Link