Hand Wash Cold: Care Instructions for an Ordinary Life, by Karen Maezen Miller, Zen priest and author of the popular Momma Zen, is part memoir and part manual for living the life we have now, in the now.

In Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, author Stephen Batchelor recounts his experiences as a Tibetan and then Korean Zen monk, his research into the Buddha's life, and how he has come to be a 'secular Buddhist', with an agnostic position towards the doctrine of rebirth.

'Suttas' or 'sutras' are Buddhist scripture consisting of stories, discourses, aphorisms and poetry, most of which are considered to be based on direct oral teachings that the Buddha gave during his lifetime.

In addition to being Valentine’s Day in the west, Feb. 14th 2010 is the start of the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Losar (Tibet and Bhutan.) Learn how this holiday has merged with Buddhist culture in some countries, and what predictions are for the Year of the Metal Tiger.

Buddhism emphasizes interdependence and compassion. Read my review of a book that frames global warming and environmental issues in the context of Buddhist teachings, including essays by the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Bhikkhi Bodhi, Robert Aitken Roshi, Joseph Goldstein, and more.

While Tibetan Buddhism has grown in popularity in the West, many people are not aware that there are actually four distinct schools within it, each with unique teachings and practices. Learn a bit about each in this article, as well as which one the Dalai Lama belongs to.

The Sixteenth Karmapa, from the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, had a profound effect on the spread of Buddhist teachings in the West. Learn more about this fascinating teacher, including details of the 'Black Crown Ceremony', in my review of this documentary about his life.

The Jataka Tales are a set of folk stories that originated in India, and are often used in Buddhist cultures to relay ethical teachings. This article reviews a set available from Dharma Publishing, targeted to 3-8 year olds.

This article continues and concludes the story of the Buddha's life, starting with his flight from home at age 29, and covering his subsequent spiritual quest, awakening, teaching, and death.

The Buddha's life story is an important part of Buddhist teachings, and illuminates many foundation tenets. In this first of two articles, learn about the Buddha's birth, childhood, and flight from home as a young man.