United Nations, N.Y. Vesak – “Buddha’s Birthday” – is the most sacred day in the Buddhist calendar, which celebrates the birth, enlightenment and the Parinirvãna (passing away) of Gautama the Buddha. A rough approximation to Christmas for Christians. In an era where the world is darkened by multiple conflicts and natural and man-made calamities, the Buddha’s message of non-violence, understanding, compassion […]
Tag Archives: Buddha
Touching the Untouchables in a Rural Indian Village
Bodh Gaya, India. I have been privileged to visit two “Untouchable” villages while here on pilgrimage in India — the first about four miles outside Bodh Gaya in Bihar province, and the other about four hours south of here, in the village of Dumri in Jharkhand province. Both experiences were essential to my pilgrimage, as […]
Under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya Where the Prince Became The Buddha
Bodh Gaya — the place of Gautama Buddha’s enlightenment under a Bodhi tree considered the most sacred place in Buddhism — is not much to look at upon arrival. Flat, dusty – I could be in Haiti. I was amused on the flight here when I realized that Buddhists come in two classes: business and economy. The […]
Next Step of Indian Pilgrimage: Vultures’ Peak Where Buddha Preached
Rajgir, India. Following several days in Bodh Gaya, where Buddha obtained enlightenment under the tree, we continue our pilgrimage to another holy site of Buddhism: Rajgir. One of eight great places of the traditional Buddhist pilgrimage, Rajgir is located in a green valley surrounded by rocky hills. Here and nearby, especially at Vultures’ Peak, many important […]
Following the Footsteps of the Buddha Across North East India
Americans have been flocking to India in search of enlightenment since before America was founded. Europeans, too, the conscientious objector E.M. Forster and psychoanalytic Herman Hesse among them. So my trip — my pilgrimage — to follow in the footsteps of Buddha across Northeastern India is nothing new. Except that it promises to be transformational to one person: me. […]
Jim Luce on Buddhism
Jim Luce’s best friend his freshman year at college, living in the international dorm, was a Japanese Buddhist by the name of Ryuichi Hirabayashi who influenced Jim to study in Tokyo and broaden his horizons. Buddhism and the Universal Concept of Social Responsibility Buddhism for Beginners: Insights from a Non-Buddhist Under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya Where the […]
