Bangkok, Thailand -- Practising Vipassana is becoming more popular among professionals eager to improve both their business and personal lives.

Bylakuppe, India -- The tranquility of any monastery, mingled with the comforting sight of friendly faces around you is, almost always, enough to make one forget the problems and the hatred of the world outside. All my life I have been to innumerous number of monasteries on various occasions. And, each time I have always felt at peace with myself- the kind of feeling that no other place has managed to replace.

Leh, Ladakh (India) -- They are trekkers and seekers, backpackers and Buddhist followers, and they come here for both spiritual sustenance and for rugged hikes amid ancient monasteries and snowcapped mountains.

Leh, Ladakh (India) -- With the holding of the Second Buddhist Council by Monks of Vaisali, known as Vajjaputtakas, the Maha Sangha came to be divided into twelve sects. Vajrayana and Mahayana were two of such sects. In Ladakh, Vajrayana persisted even after the Buddhist missions of Emperor Asoka.

Midnapore, India -- Tamluk, or Tamralipta of ancient India, will be developed as a Buddhist tourism destination to attract the thousands of devout from several countries who pass through Bengal to the circuit in Bihar.

Time flies like and arrow, so do not waste energy on trivial matters. Be attentive. Be attentive! -- Zen Master Daito, 1337

Kyoto, Japan -- I am from Canada but I now live in Tokyo, Japan. In a megalopolis of such gargantuan proportions, time, like Master Daito said, really does fly by without recognition. Monday morning, a crammed subway on my way to work, then somehow it's Friday night and I am in an izakaya (Japanese pub), drinking sake trying to recall where the week went. This is why when I read Zen Master Daito's pertinent words I was inspired to make a move.

Isan, Thailand -- THE north-eastern region of Thailand isn?t a favoured holiday destination as it does not have the regular attractions like beach resorts, exotic hill tribes and grand ancient ruins. 

Gaya, India -- A look of disgust passes over Nahalika Tilakaratna's face as she settles into a lunch of rice and mixed vegetables. We are spending the night at a Sri Lankan monastery in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Holiest of Buddhist religious sites. The chief abbot is our host. We are getting along fine, him and I.

Seoul, South Korea -- Life is certainly not easy for many of us. Having to make our way through packed streets in polluted air, doing repetitive work in an endlessly competitive environment can easily make us lose our temper and feel overwhelmed. If this sounds like your life, why not take a little break from your routine and experience the life of a monk in the nearest temple, refreshing both body and soul?

Shanggantang, Hunan (China) -- A 1,200-year-old village lies complete in the mountains of Central China. Shanggantang Village, 25 kilometres south of Jiangyong Town, Hunan Province, is home to 433 households, 1,865 people, almost all of whom belong to one ancestral family.