Lion's Roar

The Lion's Roar celebrates the spirit of wakefulness wherever it appears - in the arts, relationships, politics, livelihood, popular culture, and all the challenges of modern life. It offers a Buddhist view for people of all spiritual traditions who are open, inquisitive, passionate and committed.

A Difficult Problem

Even the Colonel Is Meditating • Meditation is getting mainstream enough to attract the attention of big league advertisers. Good news or the beginning of the end? ROD MEADE SPERRY analyzes the latest videos from KFC.

Business as Unusual • After a successful career at Etsy, MATTHEW STINCHCOMB is now connecting and supporting changemakers in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Fear of a Hot Planet • WILLA MILLER offers five Buddhist practices for facing the truth of our warming planet and taking action.

My Child Fears the Future • SYLVIA BOORSTEIN on how to give our children—and ourselves—hope in a worrying time.

Modern Monk Dad • In his fantasies, DANIEL POLK lives in a monastery. In real life he brings a bit of the monastery into his home, car, and office.

Do you believe in rebirth?

Dedicating Merit • When we dedicate our meditation to others, says LAMA PALDEN DROLMA, we make our practice more open and beneficial.

BUDDHISM BY THE NUMBERS

DHARMA FAQS • We answer your questions about Buddhism & meditation.

WHO? WHAT? WHERE?

Jules Shuzen Harris Sensei

An ex-neo-Nazi’s journey to Buddhism • Arno Michaelis founded a white supremacist gang and was frontman for a white-power metal band. Yet, as he tells LINDSAY KYTE, his ideology could not hold up when those he hated met him with love.

Do You Only Live Once? • What happens after you die? That used to be just a religious question, but science is starting to weigh in. SAM LITTLEFAIR looks at the evidence that you’ve lived before.

Just More of the Same • Moment to moment, lifetime to lifetime—death and rebirth are happening all the time. Nine leading Buddhist teachers explain the concept of rebirth—and why it’s not the same as reincarnation.

How to deal with difficult people   (and not be one yourself) • It’s one of life’s biggest challenges. Seven teachers offer Buddhist wisdom and techniques to help you handle it.

Ego Is the Real Culprit • No matter what the conflict appears to be about, says Zen teacher NORMAN FISCHER, it always come down to defending our shaky sense of self.

How to Hold Your Seat • PEMA CHÖDRÖN shares four practical methods for keeping your cool when difficult people are at their worst.

The Undefended Heart • The way to helpful communication in difficult situations, says RAY BUCKNER, is by pausing, creating space, and listening to your body and mind.

10 Vows Not to Make Things Difficult • Who’s really making things difficult? asks Zen teacher KAREN MAEZEN MILLER. Here are ten ways to take care of your end.

Meeting Heart-to-Heart • The key, says KOSHIN PALEY ELLISON, is two people willing to let go of being right.

Difficult People Are Suffering People • Understanding that, says MITCHELL RATNER, is the key to responding with compassion and skill—even to that guy in the White House.

Eat! Eat! • Forced to overeat as a child, SHARON SUH finally learns for herself what is enough.

Lessons from a Wildfire • When his community’s beloved retreat center burned to the ground, ANAM THUBTEN took it as a teaching on impermanence. Instead of futilely fighting loss, he says, let it be our invitation to freedom and spaciousness.

Destinations of Desire from The Lost Traveler’s Tour Guide • Travel isn’t always as “spiritual” as we hope. ANDREW WEINSTEIN offers these realistic travel tips about some unreal destinations.

You’re the Cook...