New York, N.Y. On the Day of Vesak, which acknowledges the contribution of Buddhism to the spirituality of humanity, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is paying special tribute to the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal over a month ago. A Buddhist monk takes snapshots during the UN’s special event for the Day […]
Tag Archives: Buddhism
Thich Nhat Hanh’s New, Passionate Love Letter to the Earth
Paris, France. At this very moment, the Earth is above you, below you, all around you, and even inside you. The Earth is everywhere. You may be used to thinking of the Earth as only the ground beneath your feet. But the water, the sea, the sky, and everything around us comes from the Earth. […]
Essay Five Years Ago: Will a Vow of Poverty Fill the Void In My Soul?
New York, N.Y. As I approach my fiftieth birthday, I am feeling incomplete. Part of me – my soul? – is still missing. In secular terms, I think I am not yet in touch with the best way to serve humanity. In theological terms, I would say I have yet to stumble upon God’s full […]
Bollywood for Beginners – A Seeker’s Guide
New York, N.Y. Speaking broadly, we don’t appreciate Bollywood because we don’t understand it. We fail to grasp it not for any intellectual flaw, but for a major cultural one: we didn’t grow up in India. The biggest point to absorb to better get Bollywood is that Indian cinema is both sophisticated and unique. Films began […]
Ambassador: From the Killing Fields to the White House
New York, N.Y. I first met Ambassador Sichan Siv in 2004 when I was invited to hear him speak at the imposing Women’s Republican National Club, just north of Rockefeller Center. What a speech! He spoke on surviving Pol Pot’s Killing Fields in Cambodia, then making his way to America where he earned a degree […]
U.N. to Celebrate Buddhist International Day of Vesak Tonight
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 […]
My Pilgrimage Complete: Life Continues Like a Wheel
Bodh Gaya, India. Four years ago I wrote the most-read piece of my life: Will a Vow of Poverty Fill the Void in My Soul? One of the reasons I was interested in this pilgrimage is to meet so many people who have taken a similar vow – the hundreds of thousands of monks who have descended in Bodh […]
