From the author of The Last Mughal (“A compulsively readable masterpiece” —The New York Review of Books), an exquisite, mesmerizing book that illuminates the remarkable ways in which traditional forms of religious life in India have been transformed in the vortex of the region’s rapid change—a book that distills the author’s twenty-five years of travel in India, taking us deep into ways of life that...

In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about Buddhism with Hyon Gak Sunim, guiding teacher of the Seoul International Zen Center at Hwa Gye Sah Temple in Seoul, South Korea. Topics of discussion include the principle of nowness; the meaning of dukkha; the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path; Buddhist resonances with the teachings of Jesus and Socrates; the Buddhist temple experience; how Hyon Gak Sunim, raised a Roman Catholic...

Filmed in Allahabad, this captivating program captures the 2001 Maha Kumbh festival, a 43-day event that drew tens of millions of devotees to the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythic Saraswati Rivers to honor the creation story of Hinduism and to pray for release from the cycle of reincarnation. The program provides a kaleidoscopic view of the pageants, rituals, and ceremonies that make up the festival, as well as the sadhus and sadhvis, pandits,...

In India, religious observances weave countless golden threads into the homespun fabric of daily life. This program provides an overview of four of India's prominent religions: Jainism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Stunning footage from all around the subcontinent displays these jewels of India's religious heritage-along with their monuments, shrines, temples, festivals, and sacred rituals-against the backdrop of the nation's intricate history,...

In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about Hinduism with Sadhvi Vrnda Chaitanya of Arsha Vijnana Mandiram. Topics of discussion include the history of Hinduism; the Vedas, which are typically committed to memory; the meaning of the words karma, samsara, and moksha and their relationship to one other; the concept that everything is God and that secular and sacred therefore are one; and the individual rather than congregational nature of...

In Indonesia, activists seek to return their country to its traditional moral values after a period of rapid economic growth that resulted in rampant nepotism and corruption under President Suharto. As Muslim students and Hindu priests work to revitalize Indonesia while preserving a democratic ideal, this thought-provoking program provides an in-depth portrait of a country seeking to redefine itself within a historical context of religious tradition...

As the number of immigrants from southeast Asia increases, more and more Americans will come into contact with believers in Theravada Buddhism. This program, filmed in Thailand, looks at the life of the Buddha and traces the development of Buddhism in various countries. The program also describes the day-to-day lives of Buddhist priests as they counsel, teach, beg for alms, and meditate. The Buddhist emphasis upon compassion based on meditation offers...

From ritual ablutions to ceremonial cremation, the religious life of a Hindu is intimately associated with the spiritual properties of water and fire. This program steps off the beaten path for a journey with two sadhus as they visit holy locales, witness religious rites, and, in general, immerse themselves in Hindu culture as it is exists in the religion's motherland, India. The Festival of Shivaratri, in Benares, and the Festival of Holi, in Mathura,...

In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about the Baha'i Faith with Randolph Dobbs, director of the Los Angeles Baha'i Center in Los Angeles, California. Topics of discussion include the meaning of Baha'i; the history of the Faith and its founder, the divine messenger Bahaullah; the concept of religion as an ongoing revelation, with the prophet of each age bringing an additional piece of God's message to the world; unity-the oneness of God,...

The imaginative and artistic achievements of ancient India with breathtaking photographs of the ancient monuments and artifacts of its culture. Myths of deities and heroes, stories of imperial power and the history of the culture in painting, architecture, philosophy, and poetry are highlighted. Includes full-color art.