How to Start Exploring Tricycle: The Buddhist Review as a Beginner

Updated

Start with the "New to Buddhism?" section on tricycle.org, then sign up for the free Daily Dharma newsletter to get a teaching in your inbox each day. From there, browse the Podcast and Featured Teachings sections to find teachers and topics that interest you. You can explore all of these without a subscription, but some content — notably the full Current Issue — requires one.

The intended beginner path

Tricycle describes itself as "the leading independent Buddhist journal in the West," and its homepage is organized around a few clear entry points for newcomers:

  • New to Buddhism? — the site's own label for its introductory resources. This is the first place to go if you have no background in Buddhist teachings or terminology.
  • Daily Dharma — a daily teaching delivered by email, described on the site as "Buddhist wisdom delivered to your inbox daily." The homepage quotes Lama Aria Drolma on living with intention as an example of what these emails contain.
  • Tricycle Newsletters — a broader sign-up described as "Buddhist wisdom delivered to your inbox," explicitly marked free ("Sign up for free").
  • Podcast — episodes featuring teachers and writers in conversation, such as A Vision of Buddhist Democracy with William Edelglass, and From Despair to Possibility with Rebecca Solnit.

A practical first week might look like this: read through the New to Buddhism? pages, subscribe to Daily Dharma, and listen to one podcast episode. That gives you a mix of structured background, a daily habit, and a sense of which teachers you respond to.

What you can read and listen to for free

The homepage surfaces a rotating set of articles and talks that are readable without signing in. Examples visible on the page include:

Content Teacher / Author Section
Karma and the Energy of Will Joanna Macy Featured Teachings
Eight Slogans to Transform Your Mind Pema Chödrön Meditation
Right Speech Reconsidered Beth Robins Roth Teachings
The Clinging to End All Clinging Thanissaro Bhikkhu Teachings
How to be Selfless in a Selfish World Sensei José Shinzan Palma Dharma Talks
Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh at 100 (students of Thich Nhat Hanh) Personal Reflections

These span teachings, meditation instruction, and personal essays, so you can sample different styles before committing to anything. The Daily Dharma App is also noted as available on the site.

What requires a subscription

The Current Issue (Fall 2026, Volume 36, Number 1) is gated: the table of contents lists pieces such as The High Line Buddha and Meet a Teacher: Sunisa Manning, followed by a "Subscribe to Read" prompt. A Gift Subscription option is also offered. If a particular issue article interests you, treat the subscription as the way in — the site does not present issue content as free.

Online Courses are a separate offering. The homepage lists, for example, How to Prepare for Death and Dying with Sallie Jiko Tisdale, described as "Timeless teachings. Modern methods." Course access and pricing are not detailed on the homepage, so check the course page itself before assuming cost or availability.

A simple decision guide

  • Just curious, no commitment: New to Buddhism? pages, free articles, podcast episodes.
  • Want a steady practice habit: Daily Dharma newsletter (free) or the Daily Dharma App.
  • Want the magazine experience: Subscribe, which unlocks the Current Issue and its archive.
  • Want structured study with a teacher: Look at Online Courses and confirm details on the individual course page.

One caution: Tricycle is a publication, not a sangha. It is excellent for teachings, interviews, and orientation, but if you are looking for a local community or a teacher relationship, use what you read here to identify teachers and traditions, then search for local groups in those lineages.