buddhism

Essays
Voltaire and the Buddha

Voltaire and the Buddha

Donald S. Lopez, Jr. looks at Voltaire's early reflections on Buddhism and how, in his desire to separate the Buddha's teachings from the trappings of religion, the French Enlightenment thinker prefigured an approach now familiar in the West. more

A Mongolian Manual of Astrology and Divination

A Mongolian Manual of Astrology and Divination

US NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE - Michael J. North, Head of Rare Books and Early Manuscripts, takes a look at one the highlights of the Library's Turning the Pages project, a Mongolian manuscript concerned with interpreting the heavens. more

The Emperor’s New Clothes: Fashion, Politics, and Identity in Mughal South Asia

The Emperor’s New Clothes: Fashion, Politics, and Identity in Mughal South Asia

The Mughal emperors in India faced a sartorial quandary: continue wearing their traditional Central Asian attire, or adopt the lighter cotton clothing of this warmer clime? Simran Agarwal considers the cultural, political, and theological implications of embracing Indic fashion, arguing that — by donning the clothing of their subjects — the Mughal emperors fashioned themselves anew. more