RIP Johnny Cash

Stupas at Erdene Zuu, founded in 1578 by Avtai Khan, great-grandfather of Zanabazar

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Madame Blavatsky superimposed on a Shambhala thangka in the City Museum in Graz, Austria, the Dharma Wear capital of the World.

Just reread Madame Blavatsky: The Woman Behind the Myth. Great "Truth is Stranger than Fiction" book. No one could have ever dreamed up Madame Blavatsky but Madame Blavatsky herself.


Madame Blavatsky

Riders of the Purple Sage (Khangai Mountains, Mongolia. August 18, 2003)

That's it. I have had it. My patience is completely exhausted. Smithers, release the Hounds.

Whatever turns you on: Giant Dino Feces Excites Researchers.

Zanabazar's Sitasamvara in the Choijin Lama Museum

Wandered up to the Gandan Monastery this morning and ended up in the Kalachakra Temple. Much to my surprise the Kalachakra Thangkas Which Were Once At Shankh Monastery are now here in the Gandan Kalachakra Temple. These seven thangkas, which depict the 722 Kalachakra deities and much else, are to my knowledge unique. I have not even seen such thangkas in Tibet, although the 722 Kalachakra deities and associated images are depicted in wall paintings at the Kalachakra Temple in Dharamsala, India, where I saw them a few years ago.


Chenresig Temple at Gandan

Statue of Amitabha, by Zanabazar, the First Bogd Gegen of Mongolia.

For the best blog from Iraq see Baghdad Burning.

Brouhaha in Nepal: see Dispute Sends Goddess Into Hiding.

Just got an email from Rahila, who I met while in Urumchi, Xinjiang, a few years ago. We spent a weekend at Heavenly Lake, in the Tian Shan Mountains outside of Urumchi. It was truly heavenly.


Gorgeous Rahila (right). Honey, Nefertiti can't hold a candle to you!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back outside: Asteroid Heading for Earth, May Hit in 2014. (But see When To Cancel Armageddon for an update on the downgrade.)