Author Nhi Yến Đỗ Trần has 5.0 out of 5 stars with 15 ratings. "[This is a] fiery debut... [Tran's] perceptive textual criticism and willingness to call out bias are refreshing. [This book] is a valuable contribution to the literature on Buddhism." —Publishers Weekly

​"A refreshingly frank, critical, yet ultimately loving analysis of Buddhism, challenging interpretations shaped by patriarchal views.

"This well-researched page-turner references early Buddhist texts to explore today's hot-button issues, such as abortion, gun rights, LGBTQIA+ identity, and gender equality. [Tran] weaves deeply personal experiences throughout with notable vulnerability and humor, making this book equally compelling as a memoir." — Lion's Roar

Budding Lotus in the West (p.1)

Born into a family legacy of Buddhist spirituality in Việt Nam, Nhi Yến Đỗ Trần immigrated to the US at age 10.

Budding Lotus in the West follows her journey and unveils the complexities of Buddhist teachings woven into American fabric. With raw authenticity, Trần combines personal narratives, scholarly insights, and critical analysis to share her experiences with Buddhism and provide a fundamental understanding of key Buddhist concepts and traditions.

Examining the interplay between ancient wisdom and contemporary challenges, she invites spiritual seekers and curious minds to relate these principles to their own lived realities.

Budding Lotus in the West (p.1)

For example, what would the Buddha say about abortion, gun, and LGBT rights, prejudice, discrimination, and gender equality?

How can Buddhist practitioners more skillfully navigate romance in their sangha (spiritual community)? Whether one is a longtime Buddhist practitioner or just beginning to explore the practice, Budding Lotus in the West offers wisdom, inspiration, and a path toward an evolving, authentic, and inclusive spirituality in the modern world. More

Seattle 🌸 Cherry Blossom Sangha

Nhi Yến Đỗ Trần (kneetran.com) immigrated with her family from Vietnam to the US at age 10 through the Humanitarian Operation Program [Express].

Now residing in Seattle, she cofounded the Cherry Blossom Sangha, a mindfulness community dedicated to fostering inner serenity, mutual understanding, and universal compassion.

AmeEx

Her diverse exploration of Buddhism, from Theravāda and Mahāyāna traditions to secular applications, has been enriched by Buddhist pilgrimages to India and Nepal and a residential internship at a Zen monastery.

Her book, Budding Lotus in the West, reflects these experiences, focusing on gender equality and social change. She is also a devoted patron of Tu Viện Giác Hải, a monastery in Khánh Hòa founded by her great-uncle, Venerable Thích Viên Giác.

Where's the Cherry Blossom Sangha? Map

She holds a master’s degree in public administration from Seattle University and enjoys exploring culinary delights from around the globe, always with a side of sriracha or chili pepper hot sauce. She is represented by literary agent Leticia Gomez (Savvy Literary Agency).

(ABC7) April 25, 2025: The LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department, with a proud history of citizen abuse usually reserved for Black and brown males) released officer-worn bodycam video showing the moment cops opened fire on gun-toting LA resident Jillian Shriner who was at the moment protecting her own private property as they shot her over her fence in Eagle Rock, the nice town next to Pasadena. She is an author and the wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner. Full story: abc7.com/post/jillian-shriner...

(news.com.au) April 27, 2025: LAPD releases bodycam of shooting involving Weezer member’s wife #breakingnews #weezer #police #shoot #wife #bodycam #policecam

The LAPD released bodycam footage showing the moments before police shot Jillian Lauren Shriner, wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, during a confrontation in the Los Angeles foothill suburb of Eagle Rock on April 8, 2025, just before Weezer was to play the first weekend of Coachella 2025.

According to the LAPD, California Highway Patrol (CHP) requested assistance pursuing three hit-and-run suspects who fled into a residential area near the 134 Freeway and Figueroa Street.

LAPD officers were searching for the suspects in the backyards of an Eagle Rock neighborhood. As they were searching the backyard of one residence, Shriner was seen in the yard of a neighboring house armed with a 9mm handgun, the LAPD claim.

The footage shows cops peering over a fence and demanding, multiple times, that Shriner put her [legal] gun down before several shots are fired.

Shriner was wounded on the shoulder and retreated back into her house. In a 911 call made by Shriner after the shooting, she can be heard telling the operator she believed she was defending herself against the fleeing suspects.

Shriner was eventually forced to exit her house and was taken into custody and to a local hospital for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

She was absentee booked for attempted murder, released from custody after posting bail, and was scheduled to appear in court on April 30, 2025.

No officers or community members were injured in the incident. It was later determined Shriner was “uninvolved in the hit-and-run and lived at the residence where she was observed,” police admitted.

One hit-and-run suspect was detained by CHP, but two other suspects escaped and got away and were never located, police stated.

Connect with news.com.au online ► [news.com.au] bit.ly/3WC8hOP

(Jimmy Kimmel Live) Jan. 6, 2025: The show is back with a new installment after a long holiday break, people texting their holiday cards instead of mailing them, a rapper named 2 Low was on a podcast called “One on One with Mike D” and they gave us quiet a moment by firing a gun in his pocket, Mario Lopez was handing out tequila shots on the Nikki Glaser Presents the Golden Globes red carpet and Jimmy has a bone to pick about it, the Golden Globes put up little facts about each of the presenters as they walked on stage, we have a new winner for tonight’s award for “Excellence in Reporting,” Canadian Justin Trudeau (who is ogled and crushed on by a healthy Melania) announced that he will step down as prime minister of Canada, Eric Trump turned 41 and Daddy DonDon wrote a very heartfelt post on Truth Social, today is also the fourth anniversary of our Capitol being stormed by the Buffalo Wild Wing of the Republican party, Congress certified DJ’s victory and VP Kamala Harris had to give the official sign off on Trump’s win as sitting VP in charge of Congress, and Jimmy speaks to the “BlueAnon Shaman.” #Kimmel

(LastWeekTonight) Oct. 31, 2024: New American citizen John Oliver discusses hayseed Lee Greenwood – the man behind one of MAGA America’s most popular anthems, played by Trump at many of his Neo-Nazi rallies and other staged performances – and he suggests a better song to play at naturalization ceremonies.

Sovereign Citizen license plate

Accused would-be Trump assassin Mr. Vem Miller is an investigative journalist, just like he claimed at the checkpoint. That checks out. He has a website to spread his sovereign citizen movement message, exposing government activities, conspiracies, and scary plans the U.S. government for the rest of us. He has a podcast called "Blood Money" (vemmiller.com/podcast) where he covers these topics and/or blows the whistle.

When will G-Joe get his own coin like Trump?

Sovereign citizens do not need a driver's license, car insurance, or state issued license plates, and the law is on their side. But the law is one thing and judges are another. Though the law is clear that they do not need these things, society (through judges) has sought to force them to do otherwise. Why not just change the law instead of having activist judges enforce laws that are not on the books? The system has to follow rules, and it only wants to follow the rules it's forced to follow. So sovereign citizens love their guns for the day when the government comes to try to take away their rights or land or property.

(The Daily Show) Oct. 9, 2024: Jordan Klepper dives into presidential candidate VP Kamala Harris's press tour, including how she utterly fails to differentiate herself from Genocide Joe Biden (except that she plans to lean even more to the right by putting a Republican in her cabinet to advise her) and the revelation that as for handguns, she owns a deadly Glock. Plus, Melania Trump visits Fox News to discuss fecal adult diaper dependent Donald's pajamas, Stephen Miller exemplifies how to be a "sexual matador," and Project 2025 plans to take down porn. #DailyShow #KamalaHarris #MelaniaTrump #JordanKlepper

(Jimmy Kimmel Live) Oct. 9, 2024: There was a new episode of the “Golden Bachelorette” tonight, Jimmy extends his warm and safe wishes to those who are in the path of Hurricane Milton, Trump right now is denying an absolutely inappropriate relationship with his Sugar Vladdy Putin, he released a forceful statement lashing out at Bob Woodward, JD Vance doesn’t seem to have any problem with Trump and Putin’s relationship, Vance never said anything in 2020 about the election being stolen, Eric Trump was just sworn in as a Deputy Sheriff in Florida, Lara Trump wants everyone to know that her father-in-law Donald is huge in the napkin signing community, the God Bless the USA bibles Trump has been selling are made in CHINA, he went on Ben Shapiro’s podcast to tell people he isn’t erratic, and Mike "MyPillow" Lindell (James Adomian) endorses weather conspiracist Marjorie Taylor Greene. #Kimmel

Artificially-flavored fecal contamination patties

(The Daily Show) Sept. 27, 2024: Fresh off a summer vacation at the Paris Olympics, Daily Show Correspondent Leslie Jones returns to offer a fresh perspective on why Europeans think so poorly of Americans and our poop-eating, loud, violent gun culture. Between the chemical food additives in our artificial "natural flavors"

I'm a sa lang now with herbal ingredients + stuff

to public breakdowns on planes, fast food restaurants, and on social media, as well as our rampant gun violence, and whale decapitations by insane politicians and detonations by foolish ones, Jones concludes about Americans: "We are f**ked up." #DailyShow #LeslieJones #Europe

.

I just thought, I take his policies, why not style?

From camo hats to libertarian rhetoric, the Kamala Devi Harris campaign is staking its claim to symbols of conservative identity.

Why it matters: The appeals aim to convey that Democrats are not trying to undo a conservative way of life and that red and blue Americas are not immutably divided by culture. [There's purple.]

REAL, ugh, gun control from, ugh, heart, Kama.

Driving the news: At this month's debate, VP Harris surprised many by saying that she is a gun owner [and later telling a famous Black lady on TV that she will kill anybody who comes uninvited into her house, presumably while Doug cowers in the closet or in the safe room], and in an interview with Oprah this week [in which Kamala showed off her cooking skills with another warped word salad] said, "If somebody breaks into my house, they're getting shot."

Even as she advocates for gun control measures, Kamala used the comments to signal not only that she won't support confiscating guns, but that she has a personal stake in the Second Amendment [and so is inclined to preserve her right to own and use her little metallic friend Shooty].

Zoom out: The comments follow a pattern of Canadian-Californian Harris and Midwestern Walz claiming rhetorical turf that has long been held by Republicans.

Harris' campaign launch video was centered around "freedom," a pervasive conservative rallying cry for resisting liberal policies on taxation, gun control and... More

(CNN) Sept. 15, 2024: A 58-year-old [white, patriotic, felon in possession of a gun, MAGA-like, American volunteer in the US Proxy-War in Ukraine] man was "detained" Sunday in connection with an apparent assassination attempt on golfer Donald Trump in Florida. Suspect Ryan Wesley Routh is a self-employed affordable housing builder in Hawaii who went on social media to weigh in on politics and current events, at times criticizing the ex-president. Routh, whom authorities suspect was planning to attack the MAGA leader as he cheated at a round of golf, posted comments on an X (Twitter) account linked to him, referencing the assassination attempt on Trump at a July rally in Pennsylvania. Routh tagged Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris, in separate posts, encouraging them to visit those injured at the rally. #Trump #CNN #News #CIA

Trump's VP hopeful JD Vance appears to admit tale about Haitian immigrants eating pets is made-up as he loses his cool with [mechanical CIA asset] CNN host Dana Bash.

Can you imagine what the MAGA Central offices communications must be like?

How can we fan the fires of racist hatred, JD?

Don't worry, we'll find a way. Look around in your state for a stories or rumors we can use. We'll exploit the h*ll out of them.

Good idea, Sir. There is this one farfetched story from the TV.

The TV? That's a good source. What did The Box say?

Are the Haitians bothering you? - Meow.

We got a Haitian problem, too many migrants coming in to do the work Americans don't want to do, and the people are sick of it. So someone heard...

Someone?

Well, the someone's friend's daughter heard someone else...

So three people?

Yeah, I guess you could see it that way?

See, I'm always thinking.

What did they do?

They're eating pets.

Cats?

No, dogs, too, and critters from the...

Say no more! Dogs?! This is a bonanza. Run with it!

Did Q know? Why didn't he warn?

(Legally Armed America) This video is protected under fair use, fair dealing, or similar exceptions to copyright. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the speaker and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.