In the Footsteps of the Buddha pilgrimages with Shantum Seth across India and South Asia. Other spiritual journeys that transform. Mindful travel.
News |
-
0 comments
Buddha Buzz: The Cult's Ian Astbury and Some Hard Partyin' Monks
It's Friday the thirteenth (paraskevidekatriaphobics, beware) and what better way to celebrate than with an interview with "smash-and-grab Buddhist" Ian Astbury, veteran grunger and bandmember of The Cult? As the interview begins on the Huffington Post, "It might be argued that the visceral whack of The Cult's brand of heavy, dharma-conscious rock is just the kind of Zen stick a sleepy pop culture needs administered to its backside." I missed the fan cult of The Cult back in the 80s, so I can't really throw in my opinion on this. But we don't have to take the interviewer at his word: we have YouTube! Here's The Cult performing "She Sells Sanctuary" and perhaps whacking you with their dharma-conscious Zen music stick: More » -
12 comments
Buddha Buzz: Excessive Consumerism, the Templeton Prize, and Everything In Between
Being the writer of Buddha Buzz blog posts certainly has its advantages. For one, I get to spend my time reading and writing about subjects that are important to me. But the main advantage by far is that during the time I spend scouring the Internet each week for Buddhist-related news, I'm often (or so I like to think) one of the first people to be alerted when something really, really awesome—and Buddhist—goes on sale. Like this $28.5 million yacht. More » -
Buddha Buzz: AIDS Activist Buddha
Found this funny Buddhist bumper sticker on chron.com, amid many Christian ones. As the post says, there's something about expressing your religion publicly, for all to see; it's a clear identity statement. But the thing is, I'd hazard a guess that unless you're Buddhist yourself or know something about Buddhism, this bumper sticker wouldn't mean a thing to you—not a lot of non-Buddhists know the word "mahayana." So...what does that make this? A non-identity statement? (A Buddhist bumper sticker, then, indeed!) In any case, unidentified Ford owner, I like your sticker. More » -
Buddha Buzz: Rude Buddhas and Undertaker Bodhisattvas
First off, some follow-up on past Buddha Buzz items: Remember the three Tibetan hunger strikers in New York? They were paid a visit by "Tibet's best friend" (the words of Tsewang Rigzin, president of the NYC Tibetan Youth Congress, not mine), actor Richard Gere last week. And this Tuesday, U.N. Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovic, invited Rigzin to his offices, where the two discussed the hunger strikers' requests, the Huffington Post reports. Looks like they are making some progress! More » -
Buddha Buzz: Big Business Buddhism
China has finally broken its silence about the recent Tibetan immolations, releasing several official statements. But considering that these statements are by and large depressing—one made by a Communist Party secretary in the Miami Herald was that "public complaints about cultural repression do not exist. On the contrary, Tibetan culture is flourishing"—it seems like a better idea to ignore all of these "official" statements and instead enjoy this interesting interview with Ran Yunfei on the New York Review of Books blog. Yunfei is a Chinese intellectual and popular Tweeter who was released from house arrest last month after running afoul of the Chinese government. More » -
Buddha Buzz: A Blond Dalai Lama?
Does anyone remember when Hungary withdrew official recognition for all religious organizations in the country except 14? Well, good news. They've added 18 more, 5 Buddhist groups among them. Of course, that still leaves over two hundred religious sects that aren't recognized, but at least Hungary is acknowledging that Buddhism (and Islam, and Jehovah's witnesses, apparently) exists within its borders. More »
