Indica et Mongolica: Four Relics of the Buddha in Ulaanbaatar

Today, the 14th, marks Buddha Purnima in Mongolia and a symbolic milestone in Buddhist-influenced Indo-Mongolian relations. Two days ago, Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju led a 25-member delegation to Ulaanbaatar, meeting Khamba Lama Gabju Choijamts Demberel, the most senior Buddhist leader in the country. Accompanying the delegation was a quartet of relics of the […]

From Chu’s Gallery to Oneness: Rebirth of an Art Icon in Central

Images by Lai Chun Hei Standing for 27 years on Hong Kong’s Hollywood Road is a gallery owned by a family for over two generations: Chu’s Gallery. It is an art dealer that contributed to the cultural development of Central district’s emergence as an art hub distinct from Central’s financial and professional emphases. Chu’s Gallery was […]

The Bodhi Stupa in Gelephu, Bhutan: A To-Be-Completed Structure of Beauty and Compassion

Stupa projects are often initiated by an aspiration or prophecy. A modern-day example of this is in Gelephu, a town (thromde) in Sarpang District, southern Bhutan. It shares a border with India, and one can cross into Bhutan here through Assam. It is a hub for Indo-Bhutanese trade, with a pleasant, moderate climate and rainy […]

Announcement: The Practice of 21 Tara, with Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche

Yayasan Pema Norbu Vihara (YPNV) is delighted to invite you to a precious teaching on the practice of the 21 Tara. This teaching is being given one of the most senior Buddhist luminaries of the Nyingma tradition and the Palyul Lineage, Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche. During this Zoom event, attendees have the precious opportunity to […]

Women in Indian Tantric Buddhism, Part Two

Dombipa and Dombi Yogini. Drawing by the author Tantric women who are mentioned in the biographies of the great mahasiddhas as their spiritual wives or teachers share their spiritual achievement. Among them are the female partners of Dombipa, Ganthapa, Babhaha, Karbaripa, Saraha, Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, Maitripa and others. Dombi Yogini. Drawing by the author

“Seven Line Prayer to Guru Padmasambhava” – A Milestone Translation and Song

I remember first listening to the magical Imee Ooi over the speakers of a souvenir shop at Ngong Ping Village, which leads to the famous Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong. It was 2010. Her songs, which are contemporary renditions of Buddhist dharanis, mantras, and passages from Buddhist texts, evoke aural Pure Lands. Her ethereal, […]