In Strava's heat maps, the devotional movements of tired pilgrims become blazing symbols of sacred geography. Back in January, the fitness app Strava caused a stir when it released a global heat map of its users' fitness activity. The heat maps, meant to illustrate popular running routes, inadvertently revealed the locations of secret US military bases. But Jennifer Rowe, [...]
Famous street artist “invades” Bhutan with Buddhist-inspired mosaics
With permission from monastics, French street artist Invader recently installed eleven mosaics at various locations in Bhutan, including Buddhist temples. "Invader," the French street artist who is known for his colorful mosaics modeled after the pixelated graphics of 1970s arcade games, recently installed eleven mosaic artworks in Bhutan inspired by Buddhism and Buddhist [...]
How Photographer David Butow Captured the Buddha
When David Butow set out to photograph Buddhist culture, he learned that Buddhism isn't just captured in the subject of a photo, but in the act of taking it. In 2012, David Butow ventured to find the parallels between his work as a photojournalist and one of his most enchanting inspirations: Buddhism. One year and ten countries later, Butow produced a stunning series [...]
Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s successor is confirmed
A young boy in Bhutan has been officially recognized as the reincarnation of Thinley Norbu Rinpoche (1931-2011), an important teacher in the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and the eldest son of Dudjom Rinpoche, the former head of the Nyingma school. Sey Rinpoche (Dungse Gyanata Rinpoche) was confirmed on the auspicious day of the full moon by HH Dodrupchen [...]
Pitch in to Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s “most personal and artistic” film yet
The Bhutanese Buddhist teacher and filmmaker, Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, also called Khyentse Norbu, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for his fourth film, called Hema Hema: Sing Me A Song While I Wait. He describes his new project as "an unconventional feature film set in the jungles of Bhutan about what is unleashed when identity is concealed." The drama will be [...]
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche on Bhutan’s chances for the 2018 World Cup
Bhutan has the worst-ranked football team in the world, but in the past week they beat Sri Lanka twice in the first qualifying matches for Russia 2018. In this clip from BBC's world service, Bhutanese lama and filmmaker Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche talks about his love for football, and Bhutan's chances in the qualifiers. "I don't really consider Buddhism as a [...]
Video: Imogen Heap goes to Bhutan
She went to Bhutan for “the amazing scenery, to meet people I didn’t know much about, and to discover a new culture,” says musician Imogen Heap — and sure enough, all of this has come into play in her new music. In this behind-the-scenes clip behind the making of two new songs and their videos, Heap explains how the sights and sounds of Bhutan — temple bells, the crackling of [...]
Video: Imogen Heap goes to Bhutan; inspired musicmaking ensues
She went to Bhutan for "the amazing scenery, to meet people I didn't know much about, and to discover a new culture," says musician Imogen Heap – and sure enough, all of this has come into play in her new music. In this behind-the-scenes clip behind the making of two new songs and their videos, Heap explains how the sights and sounds of Bhutan -- temple bells, the [...]
Think monks don’t get stressed?
As Monday begins, it might be tempting to fantasize about getting away from the daily grind. But if you think monastic life is the answer, a recent story from Religion News Service suggests that you might think again, because, in fact, some monks are every bit as stressed as you are. Or, worse. Mental stress, Bhutan's health ministry says, is driving some monks to have sex [...]
A Teacher of Teachers
Though he lived as a simple householder yogi, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s impact was far-reaching, says his longtime student Samuel Bercholz. On a sunny day in the Paro Valley of Bhutan, the air was crisp and clean, flags of the five colors were snapping in the wind, and hundreds of yogis and yoginis were chanting and playing their chod drums, bells, and thigh-bone trumpets—the [...]
