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, [...]
Suspects arrested in connection to Bodhgaya bomb plot
Two active members of banned terror group Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were arrested by the Kolkata Police’s special task force in connection to the recent low-intensity blast in Bodhgaya on January 19, when the Dalai Lama was visiting. Police recovered at least 50 kilograms of ammonium nitrate explosives from Paigambar Sheikh, age 24, and Jamirul Sheikh, age 31, who [...]
Low-intensity bomb explodes after Dalai Lama teaching in Bodhgaya
On January 19, a low-intensity bomb exploded near Bodhgaya, a revered Buddhist site in India, hours after the Dalai Lama had finished teaching and retired for the day. A small explosion alerted security, which they initially believed was a firecracker. They found a burst thermos flask in a kitchen, which may have caused the sound. No injuries were reported. Soon after, [...]
Who is B. R. Ambedkar?
A profile of B. R. Ambedkar, a vital figure in Indian history and an activist for the Dalit ("untouchables") class. B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956) was a statesman, social reformer, and independence leader who led a Buddhist revival in India known as the Dalit Buddhist movement. He inspired millions of Indians to convert to Buddhism to escape the oppression of the Hindu caste [...]
“Ice stupas” bring water to drought-stricken villages of Northern India
Traditional Buddhist monuments are bringing life to a Himalayan community grappling with climate change. Villagers in Northern India have invented a way to fight drought, inspired by traditional Buddhist architecture. Each winter since 2013, the people of Phyang, Ladakh, have built stupas — traditional Buddhist monuments — made out of ice. When the whether warms and [...]
How Steve Jobs found Buddhism
Buddhism had a significant influence on Steve Jobs. Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli explain that Jobs' 1974 trip to India sparked an interest in Buddhism that stayed with him for the rest of his life. From their book, Becoming Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs ostensibly went to India hoping to meet Neem Karoli Baba, known as Maharaj-ji, the famous guru who was an inspiration to his [...]
Contest invites you to “leave reality behind” with 100-day TV binge at Buddhist monastery
Lots of Buddhist monasteries have terrifying illustrations of suffering beings trapped in cyclical existence. Now, Samsung's Swedish branch is offering you the chance to enter a monastery as a living example of one! (That is, if you agree that spending 76 hours figuring out how Ted Mosby met his kids' mom is the epitome of samsaric suffering.) This month, Samsung is awarding a [...]
Ambedkar’s Vision for India’s Dalits
The Buddhist revival in India ignited by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar more than fifty years ago has brought millions of the country’s most impoverished and marginalized people to the Buddhist path. There is much we can learn from them, says Alan Senauke. With justice on our side, I do not see how we can lose our battle. The battle to me is a matter of joy… For ours is a battle not for [...]
Actor Michelle Yeoh blends Buddhism & activism
Buddhist actor and activist Michelle Yeoh was in Ladakh last week to offer aid relief in the wake of flash flooding. While on her trip, Yeoh met up with Conde Nast Traveller to talk about her activism and how it relates to her Buddhist practice. “I think you are always a practicing Buddhist,” she told interviewers. “You are learning every day.” Yeoh was born into a [...]
Watch: “Touching the Untouchable” — and learn more about Dalit Buddhists
From Meena Srinivasan, author of the Lion's Roar post Beyond Caste: Connecting with the Dalit Buddhist Community, and her partner Chihiro Wimbush, comes a moving new short film, about the Dalit Buddhist community in Tamil Nadu, India. As Meena writes in "Beyond Caste": "Previously lower-caste Hindus, the Indian Buddhists in Nagpur converted under the political influence of [...]
