Arts & Letters – Spirituality

Ithaca, New York’s Namgyal Monastery, the North American Seat of the Dalai Lama’s personal monastery, announced on Thursday that it would build the first ever Dalai Lama Library and Learning Center, and is starting a fundraising campaign with the goal of $5 million. The Learning Center will be a 9,240-square-foot physical space and virtual repository of all the works of the current and previous Dalai Lamas. It will also offer free...

“TRUE! — NERVOUS — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?” So begins what may be the most famous short story of all time: “The Tell-Tale Heart,” by Edgar Allan Poe. First published in 1843, the story recounts a heinous act — murdering a housemate and stuffing his body beneath the floorboards — and the narrator’s attempt to rationalize it after...

SENATE PASSES BILL TO COUNTER CHINA; INCLUDES SUPPORT FOR TIBETANS A bipartisan bill passed in the Senate to boost competitiveness with China and further US tech investments also included new policies in support of Tibet. The Innovation and Competition Act, passed on Tuesday with a majority of 68-32 votes, outlined several provisions that would increase US support of Tibet and oppose China’s interference in the Dalai Lama’s succession, according to Phayul. Under sections...

What are the experiences that the teachings of the Buddha are founded on? They are sadness, love, and openness. Although they appear to be quite different, sadness and openness are in fact intimately connected. The profound sadness that overwhelms us when we understand the impermanent nature of all phenomena opens us up to the world around us. We open our hearts and begin to notice our fellow beings. We see...