RYI STUDENT BLOG

Investigating Buddhist Ethics   This semester RYI offered a class on Buddhist ethics, taught by Prof. Diane Denis. Have you ever wondered  what Buddhism has to say about complicated ethical questions? Sure, we should be compassionate, follow our vows, avoid the ten non-virtuous actions and engage in the ten virtuous actions and the six paramitas, but what do we do when an issue is too complex to be answered by these maxims or they contradict each other? Is it more ethical to do a retreat or to help society through activism?  I usually have an opinion on  ethical  issues,  but  it is mostly based on my gut-feeling rather than ethical considerations and I often wonder if my intuition is in accordance with Buddhist philosophy or not. There are many issues and problems in modern times that are not directly addressed in Buddhist teachings, because they were not relevant at the time.  In our class, we started by learning a variety of ethical ideas that Buddhism has to offer and c

Arya Tara on Khenpo Rinpoche's 86th Birthday Today (March 1 st  2020) is  Khenpo   Tsultrim   Gyamtso  Rinpoche’s birthday. On this auspicious day, one of my secret wishes was fulfilled. Last year, I received  lojong  and vajra dance trainings from Ani Tsering  Youdon , one of  Khenpo  Rinpoche’s nuns. This year, I began  cary ā  dance training from our respected  Gurju  Padma Raj  Bajracarya  and one of his prominent students  Aasna   Bajracarya .  Since  both Tibetan and  Newar  tradition s  have this practice of dance offering, I  always  wanted to  bring my teachers together.    What could have been a better occasion than  Khenpo  Rinpoche’s birthday? The entire arrangement  manifested  itself quite spontaneously, although at times there were nerve-wracking moments.   I suppose, all such hurdles seem insignificant when everything starts to fall into place. It was a phenomenal moment when Ani Tsering-la met  Aasna , both vajra dancers, in their own traditions, offer