friendly Nepali monk

my sense of wonder

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April 20th 2009
There is a lot I don't understand. I don't understand the thanka paintings on the temple walls. They are frightening- Buddhas depicted with snake tongues, sharp fingernails, ivory skulls, wild eyes. Where are the fat, smiling Buddhas with the Santa Claus bellies I see in the west? I don't understand the spirit of the old woman who spends her days circumambulating a holy site. Each step wracks he ... read more

Asia » India » Himachal Pradesh » Mcleod Ganj

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The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab in... ... read more