Author Archives: tolaneyc
Indian Recipes: Simple Foods, Sumptuous Taste
India, a hauntingly beautiful land with widely divergent arid, wet and coastal environments, now supports a population of better than a billion people with some of the most varied and surprising cuisine in the world. The variations not only include … Continue reading
Puja Rituals for Hindu God Ganesha
Every devout Hindu begins his daily worship, all important events and religious festivals by invoking Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Everyday worship for Ganpati begins with the lighting of an oil lamp in front of Ganesh statue. Vinayaka is then … Continue reading
Buddhism Around the World
The estimate of the number of Buddhists in the world varies between 350 million and 1.5 billion. The disparity in figures is because of factors like the lack of exact figures for congregational memberships and the practice of Buddhist beliefs … Continue reading
Hinduism’s Favorite God Ganesha’s Family
Elephant-headed Ganesha, Hinduism’s most popular deity, is a study in dichotomy. He is held in awe and reverence as a powerful force who removes obstacles in people’s lives. But Ganpati also evokes a very down-to-earth affection. Some of this warmth … Continue reading
A Guide to the Principles Teachings of Buddhism
To understand the basic principles of Buddhism, it is not necessary to believe in heaven or hell or to chant mantras. While monks must practice all the precepts, the lay Buddhist (if he is to be called Buddhist) is expected … Continue reading
Ganesha and His Brother Kartikeya
Sibling rivalry is the same everywhere, whether the kids live in Minneapolis, Morocco or Mount Kailasa, the home of the gods. Shiva and Parvati had their hands full as peacemakers in the incessant quarrels between their two sons, Ganesha and … Continue reading
Hiindu God Ganesha’s Broken Tusk
That broken tusk on Ganesha… what’s it all about? There are three different possibilities. This article discusses those stories. First Secretary If laptops had existed way back when the great Hindu epic poem, Mahabharata was written, Ganesha might never had … Continue reading
An Introduction to the Buddha and Buddhism
Some 2,500 years ago, Siddhartha Gautama, a prince of the royal Shakya Clan of Nepal, meditated under the bodhi tree (a type of fig tree) in the Indian town of Bodh Gaya (in eastern India) and attained enlightenment. Today, thousands … Continue reading