Dharamshala, India. First, it’s in India. Second, it’s spelled four ways. And third, it’s His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s hometown. At least, for now. We arrived in Dharamshala (also spelled Dharamsala, etc.) last month to have an audience with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama has been in residence there since about the time he […]
Tag Archives: Sanskrit
Himalayas: From India/Pakistan to Bhutan & Nepal + Chinese Tibet
Tawang, India. As I sit here at 10,000 feet on the veranda overlooking the cloud-covered mountain range before me, I study over my books on this spectacular mountain range. I am a long way from New York. Let me share with you what I am learning! The Himalayas is a mountain range in Asia, separating […]
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 […]
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 […]
Raavanan: The Must-See International Film of 2010
New York, NY. Raavanan, the new Indian film produced in both Hindi and Tamil, premiered at the Tenth Annual Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival in New York City this week and I was on the red carpet meeting the biggest names in Bollywood – and beyond – for the occasion. Abhishek Bachchan and […]
