Tag Archives: temple Sri Lanka is said to be the oldest continually Buddhist country in the world. When Buddhism first spread beyond India, the two countries that embraced the teachings were Gandhara (lands that are now in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan) and Ceylon (called Sri Lanka since 1972). Buddhist scholars believe that the Buddha visited the island […]  When ever I think of Sri Lanka, I think of water: lotus and lily ponds, flooded rice paddies, dams and reservoirs, and rain. Lots of rain. I was travelling solo on a trip that had been originally planned for two, and although it was November, the south-western monsoon clearly didn’t realise it was meant to […]  Dancing on the wind, dispersing prayers, mantras, and general good will across the landscape, strings of prayer flags hang to the four corners of Boudhanath Stupa. Somewhere, amongst them, were mine! Prayer flags are said to date back to the battle flags used by the Gautama Buddha in the fight against the asuras – malevolent divine beings considered by Indian mythology […]  It’s easy to fall in love with Bali. The beaches are beautiful, the food is wonderful, the people are friendly, and the culture is unique and richly rewarding. This little Indonesian island was doubly blessed: firstly, with abundantly productive fields, and secondly, with people who were cooperative, rather than overly competitive, and who therefore shared […]  Bangkok is one of those incredible places where – no matter how much time you have spent there – there is something wild and unexpected around the corner. After years of living in this amazing city, and more years of visiting, I feel pretty comfortable in my own little corner, but I haven’t really even […] |
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