Tag Archives: religion India is in the news at the moment – because of Covid. In spite of the fast-tracking of any vaccines the country can get hold of, a second wave of virus variants is sweeping the country. India now has the second-highest number of Covid cases in the world, and their public and private hospital systems […]  Sri Lanka was a delight! I hadn’t done any homework prior to travelling there, so it was also a delightful surprise. I expected (and got) colonial architecture and Hindu temples (see: Temples, Rains, and Ruins), but the number and variety of Buddhist sites in the country (eg: Dambulla Cave; Avukana Buddha; and Sigiriya) surprised me. […]  The crush of humanity heading to and from the Ganges through the streets of Haridwar seems unimaginable now. Haridwar, in Uttarakhand in North India, flanks the holy River Ganges as it flows south and east out of the Western Himalaya. The city has a population of just over 310,000 (2011), but when I was there […]  Candlelight is a powerful symbol in many spiritual practices around the world. In Christianity, the candle stands for light and the spirit of truth in the darkness of life; in Hinduism, light is a strong symbol of hope and prosperity; in Buddhism, burning candles evoke the state of impermanence and change, and represent the enlightenment […]  “Respect all religions. Practice your own.” So said a Swami visiting Australia many years ago in interview when asked if he wished to attract people to his Hindu faith. Proselytisation is an alien concept in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Sectarianism violence has played – and still plays – a central […] |
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