Buddhadharma

Named for the mythical (?) and mystical kingdom in the East, Shambhala Publications is known for bringing some of the greatest and sometimes most obscure philosophical writings of Mankind to the attention of the general public. As part of its Dharma mission, the company markets several web portals and periodicals.

BUDDHADHARMA presents us with some of the best Buddhist writing available today. I have watched this magazine mature into an eminently readable publication, a sister magazine to SHAMBHALA SUN, but more focused on the whys and wherefores of Buddhist practice and the issues confronting serious practitioners today.

Does BUDDHADHARMA have shortcomings? Well, in my opinion, a few, some of which it shares with SHAMBHALA SUN:

Like SHAMBHALA SUN, BUDDHADHARMA is a "slick" magazine chock full of ads and promotions for meditation retreats and other expensive products. I know ad space pays the bills, and I like money as much as any capitalist can, but the nakedly exploitative nature of some of the ads is troubling. Chogyam Trungpa, the founder of Shambhala, wrote a seminal work named CUTTING THROUGH SPIRITUAL MATERIALISM, and I have to wonder what he would think of the Dharma practices of Ford Motor or the "Geshe Lama Gogolak Awareness Retreat of Telluride Colorado (only $10,000 per day, minimum twenty days)."

Having made these objections, I will quickly add that these issues are raised by way of promoting awareness among potential subscribers, not as a critique of the magazine itself. People can and do benefit from Dharma education, training, retreats, and practice aids. BUDDHADHARMA only runs ads, it doesn't judge them. Thus, insofar as this reviewer goes, BUDDHADHARMA is a valuable resource in the propagation of the Buddhadharma.