Climb Mt. Kailash to see the 'Bird People'

The avians, bird people: garuda

Tibet Travel (Tibet Visa) I brought departed souls [photos of the departed] to Shiva and kissed holy Mount Kailash once again [and visited Kyunglung, the home of the Garudas or avian beings]: a very personal documentary

• Garuda: The Myth and The Symbol (NOW! Bali)
• Tibetan Tantric Buddhists prostrate countless times on spiritual pilgrimages in devotional Vajrayana Buddhism, particularly at stupas (reliquary mounds called chortens in Tibet)
• When birds attack watch out
• The inner kora? See Gongkar Chö Monastery, where we find:

Mandala of Vajradhatu (Gongkar Chö)

...There is also gilt [gold] on black painted mural of Mahakala represented as Pranjaranatha (Gonpo Gur), the Sakyapa Protector, in the inner hall of the main shrine and also a few spectacular spirit traps. The inner sanctum of the monastery has frescos of the Sakyapa founders, painted in Kyenri-style of art and an inner kora (nang-khor). The paintings have been influenced by traditional Chinese art. The chapel is located to the right of the Assembly Hall and has statues of the past, present, and future buddhas. One floor above the main hall, paintings of the original monastery layout can be seen. The monastery shrine is flanked by the Khyedor Lhakhang and the Kangyur Lhakhang; the Khyedor Lhakhang has frescos of Hevajra, and Yab-Yum (tantric depiction of the sexual union) [2, 4, 5, 8]. Along the circumambulatory path around the inner sanctum... More

• Garudas (suparnas) are the Avians or "Bird People" (Greco-Roman Harpies) in Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain cosmologies
• In Greek and Roman mythology, a Harpy (plural Harpies, Ancient Greek ἅρπυια, Romanized hárpyia [1,2], Latin harpȳia [3]) is a mythical half-human and half-bird creature, often believed to be a personification of storm winds [4]. They feature in Homeric poems [5].

Garuda (mount) of God Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi

Garuda (Sanskrit गरुड, Romanized Garuḍa, Pali गरुळ, Romanized Garuḷa) is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount (vahana) of the Hindu God Vishnu (the Preserver or Sustainer). This divine creature is mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religions [1, 5, 6].

Garuda is also the half-brother of the Devas (light beings, deities), Gandharvas (divine messengers, angels), Daityas (Asuras), Danavas, Nāgas (snakes, serpents, dragons, reptilians), Vanara and Yakshas (ogres). He is the son of the sage Kashyapa and Vinata. He is the younger brother of Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun (Surya).

Garuda is mentioned in several other [Brahminical and Hindu] texts such as the Puranas and the Vedas.

Garuda is described as the king of the birds and a kite-like figure [7, 8]. He is shown either in a zoomorphic form (a giant bird with partially open wings) or an anthropomorphic form (a man with wings and some bird-like features).

Garuda is generally portrayed as a protector with the power to swiftly travel anywhere, ever vigilant and an enemy of every serpent [1, 8, 9]. He is also known as Tarkshya and Vainateya. More

• Tibet Travel (Tibet Visa), Jan. 9, 2026; CC Liu, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Priceless relics of the Buddha found

Dr. Ranajit Pal, Ph.D.

Bones of the Buddha is a documentary about the British excavation of one of the eight stupas (Buddhist burial mound and reliquary found in Piprahwa, now India, near the border with Nepal) where the historical Buddha's cremation remains (sarira or relics) were placed after the Buddha's final nirvana (parinibbana). More

• Ranajit Pal's Non-Jonesian Indology and Alexander makes sense of the ancient history of proto-India and India and sheds light on the real motives of Alexander the Great in his Gedrosian expedition.

What treasure was in the stupa?

(Doug's Dhamma) William Claxton Peppe excavates on his land in India

Bones of the Buddha: full documentary puts this monumental find in context

• Charles Allen; Bones of the Buddha (documentary); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Stones, Ancient Angel Aliens, ET Hindu Math

The most mysterious theories in mathematics | Ancient Aliens

(HISTORY) Highly advanced mathematical theories are discussed in this Ancient Aliens compilation such as Ancient Alien angels and astronauts (Buddhist celestial devas). Watch all new episodes Fridays 9/8c; stream the next day, and stay up to date on all favorite shows on The HISTORY Channel website at history.com/schedule. #AncientAliens

• Gavrinis passage grave, Brittany, France
• Hindu goddess devotee and math genius Srinivasa Ramanujan
• Caracol, Maya site in Belize, next to Mexico

ABOUT: "Ancient Aliens" explores the controversial theory that extraterrestrials have [been with us all along and have] visited Earth for millions of years.

Subscribe for more from Ancient Aliens and other great The HISTORY Channel shows: histv.co/SubscribeHistoryYT. Find out more about the show and watch full episodes on website: histv.co/AncientAliens. Check out exclusive The HISTORY Channel content: History Newsletter (histv.co/newsletter). Website: histv.co/History. Facebook (histv.co/Facebook), Instagram (history), TikTok (bit.ly/4kZKjXi).

• HISTORY, March 6, 2025; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Burma's Shwedagon Pagoda (full doc)

Shwedagon Pagoda: 2,500 years of Burma’s Buddhist legacy | full documentary

(SLICE Full Doc) According to legend, Shwedagon Pagoda was built 2,500 years ago at the top of the Burmese capital Rangoon (Yangon), and its aura still protects the former capital city today. The stupa (reliquary burial mound), which contains eight strands of the Buddha's hair, is the most symbolic and sacred site in the country, 90% of the population of which is Theravada Buddhist.

The Nine Wonders of the Shwedagon Pagoda

Its architecture is made up of circles and squares (a mandala), which in Buddhist cosmology represents heavenly planes and earth respectively and is further evidence of how sacred it is. The pagoda's vibrant atmosphere is created by the 20,000 gold plates that cover the building and the precious stones that adorn it. Workers and volunteers spend every day at the site continually restoring it and keeping the stupa beautiful. They do this in expectation that their dedication will cultivate good karma (merit) for their future rebirths. #freedocumentary #shwedagonpagoda #myanmar #burma

• VIDEO: Golden Temple: Shwedagon Pagoda, Burma

Documentary: Wonders of Men EP1: Myanmar, The Shwedagon Pagoda (2018). Directed by: Véronique Legendre and Alexis Barbier-Bouvet. Production: ZED & ARTE #documentary #freedocumentary #wondersofmen #shwedagonpagoda #myanmar #monument #yangon #buddhism

• SLICE Full Doc, Nov. 25, 2024; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Treasure trove beneath 1,300-y-o Buddha

 

The Buddha reclining into final nirvana (Unsplash/Sam Szuchan)

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Digging crew surprised to find ‘treasure trove’ beneath 1,300-year-old reclining Buddha statue in Thailand

พระพุทธไสยาสวัดพระเชตุพน (Wat Pho)

The discovery of treasure troves always makes for interesting stories. One such incident comes from Thailand, where workers found a massive collection of gold, silver, and bronze while digging a drainage system, states Popular Mechanics.

The workers were digging four feet below the famous reclining Buddha statue in the Wat Thammachak Sema Ram Temple complex in Northeastern Thailand when they came across the mind-blowing collection.

• Wat Pho, Bangkok's giant reclining Buddha

The community was stunned that the Buddha statue they had been venerating for years was lying on such a valuable treasure. 

The crew spotted the treasure inside a container. In total, the collection had 33 ancient ornaments, made from gold, silver, and bronze, according to Thailand’s Fine Arts Department. There were several kinds of jewelry pieces inside the container, ranging from rings, earrings, to hoops.

Researchers believe that the ornaments were 1,300 years old, based on their designs. The style of the found jewelry was very similar to what was popular in the Dvaravati period, which lasted from the 6th to the 11th century in Thailand.

Researchers think that the collection could be offerings to the Buddha Shakyamuni, as the temple was massively popular during the Dvaravati period, according to Interesting Engineering.

The work on the jewelry pieces is clearly indicative of the exceptional artistic talent within the community back then. Similar collections have been spotted in places like Phu Khao Thong in Ranong Province and Tha Chana in Surat Thani.

This implies that in the past, there was an extensive network of cultural exchange throughout the Southeast Asian country. More

• Somdatta Maity, Front Page Detectives via MSN.com, May 16, 2025; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Golden Temple: Shwedagon Pagoda, Burma

Bagan (Pagan) and Shwedagon Pagoda: The Cosmic Geometry of Burma’s Buddhist Temples | SLICE

(SLICE) Across the vast Asian continent, temples and sanctuaries stretch out in harmony with the land, their horizontal lines reflecting a deep connection to nature and the living world.

At their core lies an intricate sacred geometry inspired by the cosmos, the elements, and the human form — a fusion of spirituality and design that transcends time.

In Burma (Myanmar), this connection reaches its zenith. The Shwedagon Pagoda, gilded with nearly 60 tons of gold, rises as a beacon of faith (saddha, confidence in the Buddha) and devotion, shimmering under the sun.

Its spire points to the heavens (sagga), yet its base remains firmly rooted in the earth (Bhumi) — a symbol of the link between the divine and humanity.

Meanwhile, the plains of Bagan (formerly Pagan), with their breathtaking expanse of over 2,000 ancient temples, monuments, and stupas, showcase an unparalleled architectural legacy.

These temples, born of devotion and ambition, reflect a civilization’s desire to immortalize its beliefs in stone and art.

This profound bond between humanity and the cosmos, visible in Asia’s sacred structures, invites us to marvel not only at the beauty of these monuments but also at the resilience and creativity of the civilizations that built them.

From the serene plains of Bagan to the golden splendor of Shwedagon, these sacred spaces stand as timeless testaments to the spiritual quest for harmony with the universe.

Documentary: Sacred Spaces – Asian Temples: Humans, Nature, and Gods directed by Véronique Legendre. Production: ZED, ARTE FRANCE, CuriosityStream.

SLICE fully owns the rights to the use of the published content. Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action. SLICE wants to fill up curiosity! Accessible to anyone from anywhere at any time, this channel is a weekly dose of short docs about curious facts, discoveries, astounding info, unusual stories, weird, fun and instructive. Be smart, have a slice! Subscribe now ► @slicedocumentary. Become a fan: @slicedocumentary. Follow: 👇 In French: slicefr. Facebook: slicedocs. Instagram: slicedocs. #documentary #slice #fulldocumentary #freedocumentary #myanmar #bagan #shwedagon #plains #buddism #buddha #gold #temple #pagoda #religion #asia #amazing #heritage #prayer #pray #nature #god #geometry #relics

• SLICE in Burma, Dec. 12, 2024; Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Trekking Pyrenees and an underworld

Buddhist pyramid found in Central Asia

Pyramids in Peru: CARAL Supe

Deep in the vast steppes of [formerly Buddhist] Central Asia, archeologists have uncovered a remarkable ancient structure — a (stupa) pyramid over 3,000 years old.

Hidden along the Taldy River in Central Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region, this monument, known as the Pyramid of Karazhartas (Begazy Dandybai Mausolea) sheds light on a civilization that once thrived in the Late Bronze Age.

• Buddhism in Kazakhstan
• Buddhism in Afghanistan
• Buddhas of Bamiyan
• Buddhists don't build pyramids, except this one in Indonesia, the largest excavated Buddhist temple in the world called Borobudur
• It looks more like a Buddhist mandala than a stupa

The Begazy-Dandibay People

The vast Eurasian Steppe separates Asia from Europe in frigid Central Asia (wiki)

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Buddhist stupa, burial mound reliquary = Śarīra

The Begazy-Dandibay culture, which built this structure, flourished in central Kazakhstan during this period.

These semi-sedentary people mastered metallurgy and relied on animal husbandry. Their ability to trade metals across Eurasia fueled economic prosperity and gave rise to a powerful aristocratic class.

Historians and archeologists leading the excavation believe the pyramid was a mausoleum for one of these elite figures.

"This is one of the most remarkable monuments of the Begazy-Dandibay culture," said historian Serhan Cinar, who co-leads the project with archaeologist Aybar Kasenali. Archeologists discover 3,000-year-old pyramid from the Late Bronze Age

Stupas might be built by hand but not Egypt's pyramids - Machining marks all over Eyptian site

• Pyramid hidden for millennia discovered in Antarctica (The Brighter Side of News)
• Joseph Shavit, Brighterside of News via MSN.com, March 5, 2025; Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Buddhist stupas atop Hindu temples?

Buddhist stupas originated as burial mounds with statues of person inside, Central/North Asia

Eventually, the massive mounds covered treasure and funerary remains with no statues.

Kurgan and stupa, tumulus of Bourgon, France, neolithic period: spread to Europe

World-famous Buddhist stupa at Sanchi, India, revered by circumambulation (msn.com)

Buddhist Afghanistan, ancient Gandhara, land of the Scythians/Shakyian, rock cut stupa

Some stupas are hollow by design, serving as extraordinary temples and tombs, which gave rise to ever fancier pagodas in East Asia. This is an ancient vault in icy Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia

Theravada Buddhist monks admire magnificent stupa, Sanchi, India (robertharding.com)

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What are Buddhist stupas? It is clear that temple structures throughout Indonesia and Cambodia have Buddhist and Hindu elements because kings and dynasties who built them were honoring the Dharma and mythology of various blended traditions. Some temples became completely Buddhist but may have begun as Hindu or a syncretic mix of both with Jain elements as well. These three are the Dharmic religions, which were blended as Brahmins/Hindus subsumed the radical breakaway "wandering ascetic" (shramana) Buddhist and Jain movements into their staid, Brahmin priest, post-Vedic umbrella religion. Now both historical figures are categorized as avatars (incarnations) of Lord Vishnu, which is a nice way of dismissing them and anything they said against the Vedas or the views of Brahmins. Both the Buddha and Mahavira were aware of the ancient Vedas and rejected them as a source of ultimate spiritual knowledge, advocating instead direct experience of the Truth. What is the Sanatan Dharma (Eternal Doctrine), the books or the Truth those books attempt to convey? The Buddha and Mahavira were shamans and seers who could directly see the Truth and taught doctrines for others to directly see it.

Buddhist stupas found in Hindu temple of Prambanan? Indonesia’s earthquake

Modern Buddhist stupa in Sedona, Arizona, also houses relics.

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Super-ancient stupa ruins in the US? (CDA)

(PraveenMohan) Oct. 3, 2024: In the ancient Prambanan temple, a Buddhist stupa-like structure is seen on top of temple towers. One is now found lying on the ground after a strong quake brought it down to the ground. Rather than placing back, it is protected by a fence and a plaque was placed next to it. What is it doing there?

An interesting event happened in 2006. An earthquake struck Prambanan temple, and this structure, the temple's capstone, broke off and fell. Prambanan is adorned with similar structures that look like stupas (reliquaries).

However, the Javanese call them ratnas (ratanas in Pali, “gems, jewels, treasures”). What is inside them -- precious funerary relics (sharira) or common gemstones? Let's investigate.

Whatsapp Channel: whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9U... Instagram: praveenet. Facebook: praveenmohanfans. Twitter: iampraveenmohan. Email ID: info.praveenmohan@gmail.com. Patreon account for support: praveenmohan. Join the channel to get access to perks: @realpraveenmohan #praveenmohan #indonesia #prambanantemple

Walk like Mayan in Mexico: ET pyramids?

Mexican pyramids in Teotihuacan, the Pyramid of the Sun (MSN)

Pyramids but not as we know them (©J.Enrique Molina/Alamy)

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The UMS is an ancient civilization and empire.

The pyramids of Mexico take the basic principles of the traditional pyramidal structure to the next level. Some are stepped. Others are covered with niches. Most are topped by temples. One in Chichen Itza was built so that the shadow of a giant reptilian serpent appears to be slithering up its staircase during equinoxes.

Mexican History (B. Wellman)

Click through this gallery to see the incredible feats of ancient engineering to learn the extraordinary stories behind them:

• Walk like a Mayan: Mexico's most incredible pyramids
• Cholula (Mexican site of the world's largest pyramid)
• Spanish is not the language of Mexico, for that is the tongue of imperial conquerors from Spain. The language of Mexico is Nahautl (Aztec) and other Native American languages
• WARNING: Strange storm (hurricane) heading from Gulf of Mexico west-northwest toward Mexican coast; usually the move north to USA

We didn't have sex with ETs; they had sex...

Archaeologists discover what no one was supposed to see

Mexican who plays an alien (Lynda Carter Cordova)

Miscegenation is a kind of sex, one that is often forbidden. The uncovering of new artifacts does not always lead to a clearer understanding of the past. They often deepen the mystery. Some discoveries raise more questions than they answer. Each new find adds to the complexity of our historical narrative. MSN

DISCLAIMER: The content presented in is intended solely for entertainment purposes. Information draws on facts, rumors, and fiction, so viewers should not interpret any part of this content as factual or definitive. Enjoy responsibly. For copyright matters, please contact via email.

The USA never invaded Mexico but did invade Spain's empire and steal land for itself.

I'm La Mexican Barbie with a bullied brain, searching for a future but I'm just a game.

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Who built this empire and civilization?

Even when mummified space alien extraterrestrial bodies are on display, we turn away.

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Most "Mexicans" today are a blend of DNA

Could one of the oldest Mexican pyramids, the Great Pyramid of La Venta in Tabasco be a Buddhist-style stupa or burial mound (barrow, tumulus, kurgan)? The pyramid is on the island of La Venta, and while it may be the least spectacular of Mexico’s great pyramids, it is probably the most ancient. 

Just across the Gulf from Louisiana, USA, is Mexico's Yucatan and El Castillo pyramid

Ethnic Realities of Mexican Americans

It seems like nothing more than a 100-foot-high mound of earth and clay, but it is the focal point of La Venta's ceremonial plaza, an ancient Olmec Empire city that flourished on the island between 800 and 400 BC. Archaeologists have speculated that it may well house the tomb of a great Olmec ruler, possibly not fully human. More

The Buddhist Connection

How the Swans Came to the Lake: A Narrative History of Buddhism in America

How the Swans Came to the Lake (Rick Fields)

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Priestess cross-legged, 300-600 AD, Veracruz, Mexico

(Feb. 8, 2022) Americans Rick Fields and Benjamin Bogin have earned 4.7 out of 5 stars with 9 ratings (4.8 stars with 44 ratings in previous edition). A modern classic unparalleled in scope, this sweeping history unfolds the story of Buddhism's spread to the West.

How the Swans Came to the Lake opens with the story of Asian Buddhism, including the life of the historical Buddha and the spread of his teachings, or Dharma, from proto-India to Southeast Asia, Afghanistan (Gandhara), China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, and elsewhere.

Mayan statue in meditation (dreamstime.com)

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

Coming to the modern era, the book tracks how Western colonialism in Asia served as the catalyst for the first large-scale interactions between Buddhists and Westerners.

Author Rick Fields discusses the development of Buddhism in the West through key moments such as Transcendentalist fascination with Eastern religions; immigration of Chinese and Japanese people to the United States; the writings of D. T. Suzuki, British Californian Alan Watts, and members of the Beat movement; the publication of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki; the arrival of Tibetan lamas in America and Europe; and the influence of Western feminist and social justice movements on Buddhist practice.

Xōchipilli (Aztec God of art, games, dance...) Mayan art

FREE: An inglorious Columbus

This fortieth anniversary edition features both new and enhanced photographs as well as a new introduction by Fields’s nephew, Buddhist Studies scholar Benjamin Bogin, who reflects on the impact of this book since its initial publication and addresses the significant changes in Western Buddhist practice in recent decades. More

• BUDDHISTS IN MEXICO: An Inglorious Columbus: Or Evidence that [Chinese] Hwui Shan and a Party of Buddhist Monks from Afghanistan Discovered America in the Fifth Century, A.D. (by Edward Payson Vining)
• Dhr. Seven, Crystal Quintero, Pfc. Sandoval, Pat Macpherson (eds.), June 18, 2924, Wisdom Quarterly