Down and Out in Bodh Gaya, India

Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, is the site of the Bodhi Tree beneath which Buddha attained enlightenment

It started with a single shiver. In the 90 degree temperatures of Bodh Gaya, India, I suddenly felt chilled. I pulled my sweatshirt jacket close and snuggled into it. A few moments later, my whole body was wracked by a second shiver. My teeth began to chatter and my skin grew cold and clammy. First … Read more

PHOTO: Archeological Excavations of Ancient Buddhist Monasteries in Sarnath, India

Archeological excavations of ancient Buddhist monasteries in Sarnath, India. Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma here. The three structures in the distance, from left to right, are the Main Temple, the Dhamekh Stupa, and the Jain Temple

After his enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha traveled to Sarnath, a village near Varanasi, India. There he shared the Dharma (teaching) with his closest disciples for the first time. He explained the four noble truths that became the foundation for the philosophy we now know as Buddhism. By the seventh century AD, more than 3,000 monks … Read more