On Christmas Eve 2015, I was working in the Kechara Forest Retreat kitchen with a small group of volunteers preparing the buffet for our themed gathering – Himalayan Night – to commemorate and celebrate Nepal’s spirit and culture as the country works to get back on its feet again. In the conversation, we talked...
Posted in Guest Contributors | 10 Comments »
A man dressed in a suit, deep in meditation, in the middle of a subway station. Unfazed, his calm and peaceful energy serves as the perfect juxtaposition for the insanity that surrounds him...
Posted in Etc | 8 Comments »
In Tibetan, a puja house is called Shabten Khang. "Shabten" means "puja" and "khang" means "house". So a "Shabten Khang" or Puja House is a house or place where monks can do pujas (prayers) for the lay people all year around. There are many Puja Houses throughout India, for example Jangtse and Shartse Shabten...
Posted in Animals, Vegetarianism & Environment, Kechara - 13 Depts | 15 Comments »
Yesterday, I received a message from one of Kechara's full-time staff, Frederick Law. In his message, he shared that the blog corner at Kechara House (our gompa in the city), had recently undergone a new face lift!...
Posted in Kechara - 13 Depts, Videos | 3 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) As a student within the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, it is important for us to learn as much as we can about the founder of our lineage, Lama Tsongkhapa. Here are some short stories and facts to share with you to build your knowledge as well as confidence in the...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Tsongkhapa | 19 Comments »
Dear friends, I came across this article and find it surprising. I wonder if it is true. What do you think? I certainly do not wish His Holiness the Dalai Lama ill, we may not share the same point of views at some matters but I will always respect and love Him. Are global...
Posted in Current Affairs & News | 10 Comments »
Would you reject a $37 million contract to fulfill your dream of becoming a farmer to feed the hungry and less fortunate? For most people, $37 million is THE big dream, but not for Mr Brown, who firmly believes that a life of greatness is accomplished through living a life in service to others....
Posted in Celebrities & People, Inspiration & Worthy Words | 26 Comments »
Somethings are unavoidable. No matter how much we bellyache we don’t like people politics whether it’s at home, with friends, organization or the office, as long as there are people, politics will arise. Politics simple is people’s divergent views and methods to carry out their goals. At times it clashes. Since it’s unavoidable, better...
Posted in Current Affairs & News | 8 Comments »
Dear friends around the world, I’ve have always felt ‘connected’ to Bigfoot. When I was a kid in Howell, New Jersey growing up, no one knew anything about Bigfoot. My interest in this grew when I saw two documentaries on television on Bigfoot and it just clicked. I was perhaps around ten years old....
Posted in Science & Mysteries, Yeti/Bigfoot/Sasquatch | 12 Comments »
By Jace Chong A near-death experience (NDE) is a personal experience associated with impending death, encompassing multiple possible sensations including detachment from the body, feelings of levitation, total serenity, security, warmth, the experience of absolute dissolution, and the presence of a light. Coming back to the physical body completes the process of NDE. He/she...
Posted in Guest Contributors, Science & Mysteries | 11 Comments »
(译文请往下阅读) (By Tsem Rinpoche) Dear friends around the world, The Buddhas’ compassion can manifest as animate and inanimate objects. The purpose of a Buddha to emanate is to bring benefit to others both big and ‘small’. This special emanation as Janguli is very interesting and fascinates me very much. I thought I would share some information of this special Female Buddha with everyone as it’s rare. If we live in the forest or jungle, we should take precautions against various dangerous animals, snakes, insects and so on a...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, 中文 | 17 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) I’ve had a strong and consistent interest in the famous Buddha of Kamakura or Daibutsu in Japanese. I personally like Japanese culture, landscape and the country very much. It is one of my favorite countries in the world. So many things fascinate me in Japan and would not mind living there....
Posted in Asia, Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Travel | 10 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Dear students and friends, As Buddhists, incense is a common item on our altar. We use it to purify offerings before we present it to the Buddhas or offer the incense directly to the Buddhas. When we offer incense to the Buddhas, we should not take it only as a physical...
Posted in Animals, Vegetarianism & Environment, Buddhas, Dharma & Practice | 13 Comments »
I studied Business Administration in university. At that time, which was about 23 years ago, it was the most common degree, especially with Asian students. How time flies… Anyway, during the course of my degree, I studied Psychology as one of my general requirement classes. To my surprise, I enjoyed that class very much,...
Posted in Guest Contributors | 13 Comments »
Anyone who has an interest in the animal rights movement is no stranger to Moby, a strong supporter of various animal welfare groups and a vegan himself. After being a vegan for 28 years, Moby opened a vegan restaurant called Little Pine to spread Veganism in a modern way as well as to generate...
Posted in Animals, Vegetarianism & Environment, Celebrities & People | 8 Comments »
War, conflict, fighting… no matter who takes the lead, it will always be ugly. Today, Britain is one of the most active Human Rights advocates in the world, but just as little as 50 years ago, the British Empire struck fear in the hearts of many as their brutal colonization schemes brought suffering and...
Posted in Current Affairs & News | 1 Comment »
Buddhism for businesses? If it benefits people, why not! I must say that this is really good news. Especially in this era where Facebook and other social media platforms are widely prevalent and used by many. When communication with the masses is as simple as pressing the ‘Enter’ button, many have unfortunately let out...
Posted in Celebrities & People, Current Affairs & News | 8 Comments »
Japan has always been one of the countries that I find to be incredibly beautiful. I love their courteous and unique culture and tradition, and their lifestyle which is hugely influenced by Zen Buddhism, something that I am very fond of. It is one of my favorite countries in the world. This article features...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Travel | 15 Comments »
If you are considering taking on a vegetarian diet but are still uncertain about it, this might just be the right article for you. People always say that meat provides our body with the nutrients it needs but fortunately (or unfortunately for some), studies have proven otherwise. Meat is in fact one of the...
Posted in Animals, Vegetarianism & Environment, Current Affairs & News | 20 Comments »
These are some of the most unique and absolutely mesmerizing places in Japan. They are not your usual go-to places for tourists and, the fact that they are not frequented by throngs of people allows them to retain and sustain their natural beauty. Of the 16 places on this list, I found the Buddhist...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Travel | 9 Comments »