Reaching There

Introduction A few days ago I wrote on how a contemporary Dharmic mind is enslaved with various narratives meant to degrade the tradition of Dharmic spiritualism (or Hinduism) and relegate the spiritual path as non-sensical, patriarchal, and regressive (i.e. against modernity). I've three examples below that show the eagerness in contemporary conversations to push this narrative. Since free speech and vaad (Sanskrit: वाद, discussion) are two-way streets so it's well within my right to share my opinion based on sound reasoning and well-established examples. And my opinion doesn't rely on the play of words (Sanskrit: सामान्य छल, quibble)) or a mere attack on the opposition (Sanskrit: वितंडा, cavil/sophistry). Just a side note, these categorizations are based on the ancient  Nyaya philosophy composed by Akṣapāda Gautama between the 6th century BCE and the 2nd century CE. Example 1 -  वितंडा / Sophistry Buddhism and Sanatana Dharma have a long history of coexistence and assim...

I am finding it very difficult to write in a single post about Ladakh. It is a land blessed with immense natural and spiritual beauty. So to make my job easier and in doing so spend more time with the topic, I have decided to break this journey into a series of articles. Lamayuru On the third day of our trip, driving back to Leh after a night stay at Alchi, we made a detour to Lamayuru . This is a small Tibetan Buddhist monastery situated on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road in the western part of Ladakh region. It is located at an altitude of about 3,510 meters. As our car made our way into the vicinity of the Gompa the place seemed "touristy" but I had a feeling I was in for something special. A lot of building material was scattered around the narrow roads leading to the monastery. "Oye, that way", pointed a monk with a prayer wheel in his hand. Murals on the Wall I made my way up the stairs leading to the entrance of the courtyard. It was decora...