Issues - Inquiring Mind

Blowin' in the Wind

Spring 2015

Volume 31, Number 2

For this final print issue, Sandy Boucher joins us as a guest editor in conversation with some of the West’s earliest teachers of Buddhism, along with younger dharma leaders. Cover Art: John Bigelow Taylor and Diane Dubler, photograph, with Inquiring Mind covers by various artists superimposed by Margery Cantor.

Hunger

Fall 2014

Volume 31, Number 1

Guest editor Wendy Johnson helps us explore how, as dharma practitioners and concerned citizens, we can take in and respond to the deep-rooted causes and conditions of hunger. Cover art: Heather Wilcoxon, “Nothing Makes Sense,” 54″ x 54″, multimedia on canvas.

War and Peace

Spring 2014

Volume 30, Number 2

Engaged Buddhist Alan Senauke works with us to showcase multiple points of view on the way of the warrior and the path of nonviolence. Cover art: Barbara Parmet, “Magician,” 9″ x 12″ solarplate etching, 2012.

The God Issue

Fall 2013

Volume 30, Number 1

Can a Buddhist believe in God? Susan Moon and M. K. Nelson team up with us to explore: How might a relationship with God enrich or conflict with one’s Buddhist practice? Cover art: Jeff Faust, “Clouds Above a Small Sea.” Acrylic on canvas, 48″ x 36″ .

Once Upon a Time: Stories & Poems of the Dharma

Spring 2013

Volume 29, Number 2

For this issue, writer and dharma teacher Susan Moon co-curates stories and poems about the “three marks of existence”: suffering, impermanence, no fixed self. Cover art: John Kemp Lee, “Cat’s Cradle,” 52 x 36 x 4 inches. Copper, bronze, brass.

Demons & Dharma

Fall 2012

Volume 29, Number 1

Is strong emotion a hindrance or a gateway? Kevin Griffin joins our staff to investigate. Cover art: Eva Bovenzi, “Red #2,” 36 x 24 inches, acrylic on canvas, 2009.

Earth Now

Spring 2012

Volume 28, Number 2

In “Earth Now,” guest editor Susan Moon accompanies us in speaking up on behalf of the “voiceless”: frogs and spotted owls, trees and rocks, melting glaciers, our great-great-great-grandchildren… Earth Now! Cover art: Audrey Kral, “Roots,” 30 x 30 inches, oil painting, 2009.

Bodhisattva

Fall 2011

Volume 28, Number 1

For citizens of our struggling world, Buddhism offers a model of compassionate action, the figure of the bodhisattva. Sandy Boucher joins us to explore this. Cover art: Lorraine Capparell, “Aspiration,” 11 x 11 inches. Watercolor painting, 2011.

Passages

Spring 2011

Volume 27, Number 2

For this issue, guest editor M. K. Nelson helps us illuminate rituals of passage, following a loose trajectory of birth, coming of age, marriage/ordination, aging and death. Cover art: Sabina Lanier, photograph.

Enlightenment

Fall 2010

Volume 27, Number 1

Sandy Boucher joins us as guest editor for this collection of articles on the indescribable, ineffable, unformed, unconditioned, taintless, everlasting, invisible and, by many other names, beyond-comprehension topic of ENLIGHTENMENT. Cover art: Barbara Parmet, “Leap,” 8 x 10 inch solarplate etching, 2010.

Addiction

Spring 2010

Volume 26, Number 2

Addiction is seldom discussed in the serenity of Dharma halls, yet it affects almost all of us, either personally or through a family member or friend. Dharma teacher Kevin Griffin joined us to curate this issue. Cover art: Kelli Bickman, “Taming the Mind,” 5′ x 6′, acrylic on canvas.

Transformation

Fall 2009

Volume 26, Number 1

Wendy Johnson joins our staff as we look at the dynamics of transformation within our love relationships, our families, our sanghas and the world. Cover art: Glen Rogers, “Borrowed Forms in Nature VII,” 7″ x 5″, 2009. Monotype with photo transfer using an image from 19th-century illustrator Ernst Haeckel.

Heavenly Messengers, Part 2: The Global View

Spring 2009

Volume 25, Number 2

Continuing our celebration of Inquiring Mind’s 25th year of publishing, we broaden our view of the Heavenly Messengers, the theme we first addressed last fall. Cover Art: Monos, “World Peace.”

Heavenly Messengers

Fall 2008

Volume 25, Number 1

Inquiring Mind‘s 25th anniversary edition explores Heavenly Messengers: Sickness, Old Age, Death and the Path of Practice. As Bhikkhu Bodhi says, “they become catalysts that can induce in us a profound internal transformation.” Cover art: Dianne Dubler & John Bigelow Taylor. “Though long dead and desiccated, this wonderful wing still soars.”

Passing Along the Teachings

Spring 2008

Volume 24, Number 2

This issue explores how to pass the teachings to the next generation, along with an array of practice approaches. It includes several perspectives on the Buddha’s renunciation of family, and a collection of stories by and about young people. Cover art: Still image from director Rosemary Rawcliffe‘s Women of … »

Science of Mind

Fall 2007

Volume 24, Number 1

This issue explores Western psychology, neuroscience and Buddhism—as well as grief, loss, and dana. It also includes a special collection of War and Peace poems called “Poetry Saves.” Cover art: Lorraine Bonner, “Internalized Perpetration,” 13″ x 13″ x 10″, clay, 2001.

The Tough Stuff

Spring 2007

Volume 23, Number 2

Money. Sex. Power. Our courageous writers bring forth provocative interviews, insightful essays, and wise advice on understanding and working skillfully with desire—no matter how it might manifest. Cover art: Lorraine Capparell, “Monkey on Your Back,” 12″ x 12″. February 11, 2007. Watercolor.

Freedom

Fall 2006

Volume 23, Number 1

Freedom begins in the mind…without mastery of ourselves, we are at the mercy of karmic conditioning. In this issue of Inquiring Mind, we explore a few different flavors of freedom. Cover art: Elaine Surya, “Keys to Eternity.” Collage.

Practice

Spring 2006

Volume 22, Number 2

This issue explores a variety of practices: study and contemplation, ethical living, pilgrimage, chanting, not to mention mindfulness meditation. It also includes a special section on audio dharma. Cover art: Sabina Lanier, “Monk Watering Plants.” Photograph.

Earth Dharma

Fall 2005

Volume 22, Number 1

This issue draws inspiration from the Earth-based teachings within Buddhism and spiritual traditions such as those of the Native Americans, and looks at the impact our global economy has upon other societies and other species. Cover art: Stephanie Peek, Reflections I, 24″ x 36″, 2005. Oil on panel.

Gravitas Levitas

Spring 2005

Volume 21, Number 2

When the world is just too much, a full dose of dharma humor can be the cure. But harsh realities still demand a voice, so we split this issue between gravitas and levitas, ending up—surprise, surprise—on the middle path. Cover art: Jon Kaplan, “Girl with Broom, Lhasa, Tibet (near Johkang temple),” 1998. … »

Reconciliation

Fall 2004

Volume 21, Number 1

To heal ourselves and find a better harmony with each other in this world we need better tools, skillful means, a clear path of reconciliation. This issue of Inquiring Mind is dedicated to finding and smoothing that path. Cover art: Dana (White) Anjali, “Prajñaparamita’s Blessing,” 11″ x 14″. 2003. Color photograph.

The Six Senses

Spring 2004

Volume 20, Number 2

In this issue of Inquiring Mind we explore the senses—seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and thinking/feeling—from a dharma perspective. Cover art: Ma Deva Padma, “Abundance,” 25″ x 33″, acrylic on canvas. (Hexagram 55 from the TAO Oracle: An Illuminated New Approach to the I Ching.)

20th Anniversary Issue

Fall 2003

Volume 20, Number 1

To celebrate our twentieth anniversary, we offer stories from along the path by teachers and sangha members: tales of insight, foolishness, triumphs and pratfalls. We also get a little wild and crazy with a special humor section! Cover art: Steven Poe, “Sands of Time.” 6.75″ x 14″. 2002.

Fear and Fearlessness

Spring 2003

Volume 19, Number 2

In a world where choices often seem driven by terror, Inquiring Mind decided to address the theme of fear. But as dharma practice aims to see both suffering and the end of suffering, we recast our theme as “Fear and Fearlessness.” Cover art: Don Farber, photographer.

In the Time of Speed and Greed

Fall 2002

Volume 19, Number 1

This issue contains a complete set of interviews, articles and reviews about living “In the Time of Speed & Greed.” Cover art: Robin Brandes, “Metro,” digital photo-illustration.

Revealing the Vision: Art & Dharma

Spring 2002

Volume 18, Number 2

How do art and dharma intersect? To explore this question, we enlist the help of artists and visionaries who draw inspiration from their spiritual practice. Cover art: “Many Buddhas” by Jeannene Langford. Etching.

Not-Self

Fall 2001

Volume 18, Number 1

This issue of Inquiring Mind focuses on one of the Buddha’s most difficult teachings—that of anatta, or not-self. Cover art: Robert Spertus, “Mojave Desert #5,” Spring 2001. Photograph.

Suffering and the End of Suffering

Spring 2001

Volume 17, Number 2

This issue of Inquiring Mind—second in a series focusing on the “three characteristics” of impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and nonself (anatta)—explores suffering as a core problem of existence. Cover art: Marianne Kolb, “Monk, No. 12, 2000.” Painting.

Impermanence

Fall 2000

Volume 17, Number 1

This issue of Inquiring Mind is the first in a series focusing on what the Buddha called “the three characteristics of existence.” Cover art: Ginger Beringer.

The Violence of Inattention

Spring 2000

Volume 16, Number 2

In this issue of Inquiring Mind we consider the violence of inattention—in our cities, our prisons, our ecosystems, and our day-to-day lives—and explore ways that mindfulness and compassion can bring healing to our world. Cover art: photographer Bob Hovey.

What We Know About Ourselves: Dharma and Science

Fall 1999

Volume 16, Number 1

The interplay between our understandings of science and of the dharma forms the theme for this issue of Inquiring Mind. Cover Art: Marianne Kolb‘s painting, “There is nothing you can hold for very long.”

The Embodied Spirit

Spring 1999

Volume 15, Number 2

This issue evokes the tension between spirit and soul, between the realms of the absolute and relative, the dharma and the drama—and includes a special section on meditation and adolescents. Cover art: Bette Alexander, “Earth Angels.”

Things Lost & Remembered

Fall 1998

Volume 15, Number 1

Reflections on heritage, health, spirituality, activism, psychotherapy and meditation practice—from Ram Dass, Thai Forest monks, China Galland and others. Cover art: photograph by Bob Hovey.

Declaring One’s Truth

Spring 1998

Volume 14, Number 2

It is one thing to discover your own truth; quite another to declare it to the world. Writers in this issue proclaim their deepest truths, despite potential challenges and risks. Cover art: “Two Awakened Hearts View the World,” photo by Ed Brown. Sculpture by Patricia Sullivan.

Liberation & the Sacred

Fall 1997

Volume 14, Number 1

This issue, with Andy Cooper as guest editor, examines the relationship between liberation and sanctification, as experienced in a life of spiritual practice. Cover art: “Bufo, Dr. Wolfram” by Michael Dee Cookinham. Painting.

Arts, Sports, Idleness

Spring 1997

Volume 13, Number 2

Can anatta be acted out on stage? How do the muses of poetry talk with the Buddha? What about the Dharma of Just Hanging Out? In this issue, we explore these questions. Cover art: “Who Knows the Use of the Useless?” (1993) by Zea Morvitz. Acrylic and mixed media.

By Any Skillful Means

Fall 1996

Volume 13, Number 1

In this Inquiring Mind, we explore various ways and means of Buddhadharma. Cover art: Sculpture by Arlene Shechet.

Compassionate Action

Spring 1996

Volume 12, Number 2

Like the thousand-armed Bodhisattva of compassion, the followers of Dharma are reaching out in all directions to heal the world. Throughout this issue of Inquiring Mind you will find evidence of what our featured artist Kazuaki Tanahashi calls “global heart.” Cover art: painting by Kazuaki Tanahashi.

Westward Dhammo! The Future of Buddhism in the West

Fall 1995

Volume 12, Number 1

In this issue of Inquiring Mind we explore the great East-West transmission now taking place — in which we are all participants. Cover art: “American Buddha” by Rob Schouten. Watercolor.

Self/No Self

Spring 1995

Volume 11, Number 2

In this issue of Inquiring Mind we explore the notion of anatta, hoping to illuminate its importance and to dispell some of the confusion surrounding it. Cover art: Jeff Greenwald took this photograph of an amusement-park-like art installation in Yokohama, Japan.

On Having a Body

Fall 1994

Volume 11, Number 1

Different schools of Buddhism have a variety of approaches towards the body—from loathsomeness practices to the Tantric embrace. In this issue we explore our subject from head to foot. Cover art: “Hands” by Lorraine Capparell. It is a large glazed ceramic sculpture, 60″ diameter and 30″ tall.

Storytelling

Spring 1994

Volume 10, Number 2

Buddhist teachers and storytellers tell us their tales and discuss the role of storytelling in dharma transmission. Adding different flavors to the mix, we include Hasidic tales, contemporary fiction, and a Poetry Page full of questions. Cover art: Gordon Onslow-Ford, “All Ones Company,” 1993, acrylic on canvas, 82″ x … »

Tenth Anniversary Issue

Fall 1993

Volume 10, Number 1

In this issue—along with our 10th anniversary retrospective—we focus on how meditation practice is moving out of retreat centers and into hospitals, prisons, inner cities, and political action campaigns, often leaving the Buddha behind. Cover art: Lorraine Capparell, based on a drawing we received from an overseas reader.

Buddhist Ethics and Modern Dilemmas

Spring 1993

Volume 9, Number 2

Kindness and its attending ethics may be expressed at any of the endless intersections in this web in which we live—on the meditation cushion, in family drama, in our decision making. . . Here, we look at ethics in the light of Buddhist teachings. Cover art: Mayumi Oda, from Touching Peace.

Teachers of Non-Duality

Fall 1992

Volume 9, Number 1

This issue of Inquiring Mind focuses on the teachings of Tibetan Dzogchen, Advaita master Hari Lal Poonja and former Zen teacher Toni Packer as ways of exploring dharma that emphasizes non-duality. Andrew Cooper gives an overview.

Passing Dharma Around the Generations

Spring 1992

Volume 8, Number 2

This issue looks at the cycling of Buddhist teachings in contemporary America—between parents and children, classroom teachers and students, the subculture and the culture.

One Dharma, Many Paths

Fall 1991

Volume 8, Number 1

All the Buddhist paths intersect in this issue’s cover photo of the Dalai Lama hugging a penguin. May all people, penguins and other sentient beings be liberated. Cover photo: Susan Middleton and David Liittschwager, California Academy of Sciences, 1991

Ecology Issue

Spring 1991

Volume 7, Number 2

This issue features reflections on ecological/spiritual crises, from a Buddhist perspective.

Special Books & Bodhi Issue

Fall 1990

Volume 07, Number 1

Features include an interview with author and translator Stephen Mitchell; Thich Nhat Hanh offering advice to artists; Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Allen Ginsberg chatting about rock and roll; followed by an expanded section of musings and reviews of dharmic literature.

Death and Serving the Dying

Winter/Spring 1990

Volume 06, Number 2

This issue offers intimate, memorable perspectives on pain, death and healing—from the dusty streets of Calcutta to hospice beds in San Francisco, to the bardo and beyond.

Traditional Dharma

Summer 1989

Volume 6, Number 1

From Joseph Goldstein on “Possibilities of the Path” and AIDS activist John Hobbie on “Four Heavenly Messengers,” to a variety of senior teachers’ reflections on their favorite sutta passages, this issue grounds readers in Buddhist philosophy.

Off the Zafu! Dharma in the World

Winter 1989

Volume 5, Number 2

There is more to spirituality and dharma than retreats or daily meditation. Drawing insight from Joanna Macy, Larry Rosenberg, Jack Kornfield and others, this issue looks at activism, parenting and daily life as practice. Even further off the zafu, Insight teachers do a teaching-tour in glasnost-era USSR.

Special Psychology Issue

Summer 1988

Volume 5, Number 1

What is the overlap between psychotherapy and meditation? How are these practices different vs. complementary? Is meditation harmful to some people? Prominent dharma teachers, psychologists and East-West scholars dive deep into these questions.

Devotion to Dhamma

Winter 1988

Volume 4, Number 2

Humor, scholarship and personal stories imbue this issue with insight, anchoring us in the history of Buddhism, from East to West.

Summer 1987

Volume 4, Number 1

This early issue does not have a specific theme. What it does have: early, in-depth interviews with S.N. Goenka, Susan Griffin and more.

Arts Issue

Winter 1986

Volume 3, Number 2

Composer John Cage, painter Mayumi Oda, tea-ceremony practitioner Tara Bennett-Golman, poet Wes Nisker and others explore symbioses between Buddhism and the arts.

Western Vipassana

Summer 1986

Volume 3, Number 1

Alongside an early interview with the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, Western teachers examine the Eastern roots of Buddhist practice, women’s spirituality, mystical experiences and more.

Winter 1985

Volume 2, Number 2

Themes of activism and loneliness weave through Inquiring Mind’s interviews with Ram Dass and Vimala Thakar—as well as poetry, book reviews that are essays in their own right, a Practice Q&A and Wes Nisker’s The Dharma & the Drama column.

Summer 1985

Volume 2, Number 1

This third issue of Inquiring Mind revolves around the question of how to bring spiritual practice into everyday life—even when living in tumultuous times. Interviews with Allen Ginsberg and A. T. Ariyaratne touch on the influence of politics on the evolution of Buddhist practice.

Winter 1984

Volume 1, Number 2

For the second issue of Inquiring Mind, Jack Kornfield and Ruth Denison give interviews, Joseph Goldstien fields questions about practice, several poets share their work, and Jeanne Hay Rosenblum describes how A. H. Almaas’s Diamond Approach enhanced her meditation practice.

Spring 1984

Volume 1, Number 1

Inquiring Mind’s debut issue features interviews with Joseph Goldstein and Christopher Titmuss, articles by James Baraz, Corey Fischer and Wes Nisker, and poetry—lots of poetry!