ON THE ROAD TO SHANGRI-LA: Following in the footsteps of the 10th Karmapa and Karma Kagyu in Lijiang, Shangri-la, Dechen Tibetan region and seeing the great Khawa Karpo Tibetan mountain (Part 1: Highlights and research review))

Introduction: the 10th Karmapa and Karma Kagyu in Lijiang (Jang), Yunnan This is the first in a new set of original research articles about my recent two-week pilgrimage to Yunnan, South China to visit Lijiang, Shangri-la (Gyalthang) and Dechen Tibetan Autonomous region, and the famed Tibetan mountain there, Kawa Karpo. For a while now, I… Continue reading ON THE ROAD TO SHANGRI-LA: Following in the footsteps of the 10th Karmapa and Karma Kagyu in Lijiang, Shangri-la, Dechen Tibetan region and seeing the great Khawa Karpo Tibetan mountain (Part 1: Highlights and research review))

RETRACING THE FOOTSTEPS OF BUDDHA AND XUANZANG: Walking and mapping by foot the (2000 km) route of Xuanzang on the Indo-Gangetic plains: Interview with Deepak Anand (Dakini Coversations, Ep.9 )

"Without Xuanzang, we would never know where the Buddha went wandering." --Deepak Anand For Episode 9 of the Dakini Conversations podcast (available on Youtube (with English captions and outline), Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music) I am delighted to welcome Deepak Anand, an Indian explorer, writer, researcher and author of several books on Indian Buddhist heritage… Continue reading RETRACING THE FOOTSTEPS OF BUDDHA AND XUANZANG: Walking and mapping by foot the (2000 km) route of Xuanzang on the Indo-Gangetic plains: Interview with Deepak Anand (Dakini Coversations, Ep.9 )

The past few weeks I have been doing pilgrimage in Chiang Mai for the first time, an important Buddhist site in North Thailand with hundreds of ornate and stunning Buddhist temples (Wats) on every street. It is my first time to this region of Thailand and I can honestly say it is one of the… Continue reading BUDDHA BEAUTIES OF THE ‘NEW CITY’ (CHIANG MAI): The ‘Lion Buddha’ (Phra Singh) and magnificent, flower-filled, golden Temples (Wats) of North Thailand (Scenes from Chiang Mai Pilgrimage I)

I was fortunate to be in Chiang Mai for two major festivals connected to lanterns/light, which both occur at the same on the full moon day of the twelfth Thai Lunar month, this year on the 27th-28th November 2023. Both these festivals are known for creating beautiful displays of lights and take place on the… Continue reading THE LANTERNS OF LIGHT FESTIVAL SENDING AWAY THE DARK PAST: Festival of Lights (Loy Kratong) and the Two Day Full Moon festival (Yi-Peng): A Magical Celebration of Light, Water and Sending Goodbye to Darkness (Scenes from Chiang Mai, IV)