Tag Archives: India

Embracing Death with the Jain Ritual of Santhara

A look at the spiritually liberating Jain ritual of fasting to death at the end of life

For most of us, learning to embrace death is the most difficult challenge of our lives. We all die, whether we want to or not. Many of us may find out more about ourselves in our final moments than we … Continue reading

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In Living Color: India’s Holi Festival

The "Festival of Colors" in India teaches us about life, death and letting go.

When the moon waxes full in the first days of March, it’s an sign for Indians that Springtime is coming. And the days following this first full moon mark the arrival of one the India’s most colorful festivals: Holi. Otherwise … Continue reading

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The Darjeeling Limited directed by Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson's tragicomic tale of three brothers dealing with grief and family dysfunction in India

Francis (Owen Wilson), Jack (Jason Schwartzman), and Peter (Adrien Brody) Whitman are brothers meeting on a train in India. They have not seen or spoken to each other in a year, since the day of their father’s funeral. When we … Continue reading

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Dying Woman Paddles Until Death

With 6 months to live, Michele Baldwin embarks on a month-long voyage down the Ganges

Michele Baldwin, at 45 and a mother of three, has come up with a unique way to spend what may be her final days. “I”m going out with a bang.” Baldwin discovered early in the summer that she had cervical … Continue reading

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The End-of-Life and Death in India

Cultural and Religious Traditions Across the Vast Country

India, home to over a billion people, is also home to a plethora of cultural and religious traditions. The birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, India also hosts a large number of followers of other major religions, including large … Continue reading

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“In Salutation to the Eternal Peace” by Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu's poem emphasizes an enjoyment of life

In devoting a week to India here at SevenPonds, we thought we’d take a look at Indian literature for this week’s “The Next Chapter.” The poem I’ve selected is “In Salutation to the Eternal Peace,” by Sarojini Naidu. Naidu is … Continue reading

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