Many wonderful Buddhist movies have been made in recent years, but what about movies that don't explicitly feature Buddhism, but might be said to explore Buddhist themes? Here's a list of some of my favorites - films exploring the nature of reality, consciousness, awakening, rebirth, and karma.

In 2012, Chinese New Year begins on January 23rd and Tibetan New Year (Losar) on February 22nd. Both are celebrated as major Buddhist holidays, and in both calendar systems, 2012 is the Year of the Water Dragon. Learn what this means, along with what the dragon represents spiritually.

The Mind's Own Physician: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama on the Healing Power of Meditation provides a fascinating overview of the current scientific findings on the benefits of meditation and mindfulness practice, including how they impact the brain and facilitate healing.

The Heart Sutra is one of the most well-known Buddhist teachings. Brief and direct, the Heart Sutra outlines the path to prajna-paramita, or perfect wisdom, which might be understood as a direct knowledge of reality without mental modifications.

This 5-CD audio course from Lama Tsultrim Allione introduces a set of practices for transforming our unenlightened aspects into enlightened wisdom. An excellent introduction to Tantra and the dakini principle.

Jonathan and Andi Goldman, experts in sound healing, have incorporated Tibetan Overtone Chanting, sacred sounds, and electronic frequencies into a relaxing and powerful CD for balancing and aligning each of the chakras meditatively.

Many places around the world are held sacred by one or more branches of Buddhism. Some are associated with events of the Buddha's life, and others are the site of historic Buddhist monasteries and art. Learn about several in this article.

Reiki is an increasingly popular form of energy healing in the West, and although not formally a Buddhist practice, it does have strong Buddhist roots through it's founder, Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. Learn more about its history in this article.

The life of Mugai Nyodai, medieval Zen Buddhist nun credited with becoming the first woman to head a Zen order, and author of a famous Zen awakening poem.

The book Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children, by Thich Nhat Hanh, is a beautiful and practical book and CD combo for parents and educators interested in introducing children to mindfulness, meditation, compassion, and other related themes.