I have always enjoyed reading Tricycle since I discovered the magazine piling up at a friend's place in Kathmandu. It embodies a modern, Western discourse on Buddhism and looks at unusual angles and issues. The current online version portrays 'non typical' Western Buddhists who share their experience of the practice that best suits them. And one of them remarks that: "The experiences I’ve had of connection and of disconnection have demonstrated to me the importance of the sangha. They have led me to contemplate the meaning of that word in 21stcentury America, where most Buddhist practitioners are householders. With technology, sangha can be something global and inclusive, something that embraces but also reaches beyond groups whose accessibility is determined by location. Sangha today can connect the able-bodied with the chronically ill, monastics with householders, those who live in cities with those in rural areas, members of one tradition with those of another, those who are affluent with those who are struggling to get by. All that is required to join this community is Internet access and the aspiration to embrace and engage with others who share the same aspiration"More here.

Before we enter 龙年  - the Year of the Dragon – I made yet another resolution. Practice technology and the Dharma together. A very fitting mix if you ask me: an ocean of knowledge requiring a daily practice allowing surprising discoveries and immediate connection to life. So why the name KarmaTalk –Tintin? Well I hope to learn, share, reflect and investigate just like Tintin did across various countries. This journey starts in Beijing my current residence and will focus mostly on three countries that made Buddhism part of their own image at very different stages of their history: China, Russia and the US.  One more bowl of tea and I am ready to explore the landscape.