I am full of anxiety given some of my past experiences with India Rail. Will we get past the touts? Will we get to the right platform? Will we board… Read more

The visit is a “Family Must” in Kolkata. Let me explain. Married in 1987, Mary and I were “older.” We had been unsuccessful in having kids. During the summer of… Read more

It is so obvious that it is easy to miss. Buddhists focus their religiosity on the figure of the Buddha. If I counted the first several taxi drivers, three have… Read more

I can’t deny it. I’m a tourist in Bagan, Myanmar. The Bagan Tour Guide Association estimates that there were 250,000 tourists in 2015. The Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism… Read more

A little background first. My family, friends, and colleagues know that sometimes I am the absent-minded professor. However, for this six-month sabbatical around the world, I’ve done some serious planning.… Read more

Nothing is more important for Buddhists than to recognize the reality of sickness and death and to draw insights from those realities. The Venerable Master Hsing Yun states “Death is… Read more

Fo Guang Shan has a rich and fascinating history and presence. Here are a few notes from observation, conversations, and reading about Fo Guang Shan. Fo Guang Shan originates from… Read more

We stroll into Home of Joy and Celebration  near the Buddha Memorial Hall. Cheerful young women greet us and escort us toward a small, bright chapel which cushioned benches for… Read more

At 5AM, a monk begins to clap blocks of wood together. The sound grows louder and then more quiet as he moves through the campus. At 5:30AM another monk begins… Read more

Last January 14, 2016, President Mallard mailed me a letter concerning my sabbatical proposal. “As President of Reinhardt University, I am pleased to approve your application.” Those words shaped my… Read more