Although in her book "In Search of Buddha's Daughters: A Modern Journey Down Ancient Roads," Toomey focuses on the role of nuns in various Buddhist traditions, she also offers a useful history of that religion, as well as insight into its teachings.
Beginning this month the Spokane Buddhist Temple will offer a six-week Introduction to Buddhism class, which will be taught be Sensei Paul Vielle, one of the temple's volunteer ministers.
The use of, and beliefs about, short recitations are universal in the traditional forms of Buddhism. Popularly known as mantras, the term, derived from Sanskrit, breaks down into two parts: man means to think; and tra is a suffix that designates a tool or instrument. So the literal meaning is: “an instrument of thought.”