Ideas that travel across borders of community, written for careful readers who want context, not slogans.
Why Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh traditions avoid meat for different reasons, what Manu, the Pali canon, Jain lay codes, and Guru Nanak actually say, and where each tradition still argues.
A reader's guide to the 1,430 angs of Sikh scripture, its compilation in 1604, its organization by 31 ragas, the six Gurus and the Bhagats whose voices it holds, and how to begin reading it in English.
A reader's guide to the Dhammapada, 423 verses in 26 chapters, its famous opening lines, which English translation to choose, how to read it slowly, and how to spot the fake Buddha quotes that circulate in its name.
A reader's guide to Umasvati's Tattvartha Sutra, why both Digambara and Svetambara Jains accept it, how its ten chapters are organized, and which English translations to read.
A reader's guide to the principal Upanishads, what they are, which ones to read first, the passages everyone quotes, and which translations serve beginners best.
The guru of the Upanishads, the Buddha's 'admirable friend,' and the Sikh decision to end human guruship, what four traditions teach about trusting a teacher, and the concrete warning signs of control.
Buddhist sangha, Hindu satsang, Sikh sangat and pangat, the Jain fourfold community, what each tradition actually means by spiritual companionship, and why it matters in an age of loneliness.
From the langar halls of Amritsar to the Gita's karma yoga, Buddhist dana, and Jain animal shelters, how four traditions treat service as spiritual training, and how to practice it without turning help into performance.
Genre awareness, commentary traditions, translation pitfalls, and a concrete four-week starter plan using free, legitimate sources, a practical guide to reading sacred texts from Dharma traditions.
From its first appearance in the Chandogya Upanishad to Jain vows, the Buddhist first precept, Patanjali's yamas, and Gandhi's politics, how one principle of non-harm runs through four traditions.
Dhyana became jhana, chan, and zen; Patanjali mapped concentration into absorption; Jains practice 48 minutes of equanimity; Sikhs remember the Name. One English word, four distinct disciplines.
Karma literally means 'action', but Buddhists center it on intention, Jains describe it as subtle matter, Hindu schools debate how it binds, and Sikh teaching pairs it with grace. A comparative guide.
Dharma can mean cosmic order, duty, the Buddha's teaching, or even a Jain category of substance. A guided tour of one word's remarkable range across Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh traditions.
Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh traditions grew up in conversation, and sometimes in argument, with one another. They share much of their vocabulary but often mean different things by the same word. These essays take one idea at a time and compare how each tradition uses it, without pretending the differences away.
If you are unsure where to begin, start with What Is Dharma?, then follow the links at the end of each essay. Unfamiliar terms are defined in the glossary.
