Varun Soni

During the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles, the Rev. Dr. Cecil "Chip" Murray became a household name as the city's most visible and effective peacemaker. As the pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME), Rev. Murray spearheaded FAME's efforts to end the theft and arson, and his parishioners...

Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar legend, recently performed at his twice-postponed 90th Birthday Concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. The 91-year-old maestro took to the stage with a walking cane and (relatively) flowing white beard, looking more like the mystic Sri Aurobindo than the young...

For Hindus around the world, Holi is a boisterous holy day, celebrated by playfully throwing colored powder and water on friends and family. Traditionally observed during the full moon, Holi is also known as the festival of colors, a springtime celebration of the harvest season associated with abundance and renewal....

In 2007 the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing Mahatma Gandhi's birthday (October 2) as the "International Day of Non-Violence." The resolution highlights "the holistic nature and the continued relevance of the Mahatma's message for our times, indeed for all times to come. It encompasses the rejection of violence...

If soccer is indeed a religion and the World Cup its church, then the U.S. has finally taken its seat at the pew. Wednesday's game in Pretoria was replete with scenes of religious devotion, collective chanting, mystical intoxication, hypnotic trances, passionate praying, unwavering faith, and ultimately, salvation and redemption. And...

In July, India and Pakistan will begin a new round of talks in hopes of reviving their diplomatic efforts and renewing their peace process. While there are many pressing political issues to discuss, these talks could also be a remarkable opportunity for an innovative public diplomacy initiative between the nuclear...

I was excited to be able to address Lafayette College's Class of 2010 on the topic of "Awakening the Buddha Within." This very well might be the first time in Lafayette's history that the Baccalaureate Sermon was rendered from a Buddhist perspective, so I was thankful for this unique opportunity.

At the University of Southern California, we recently started a program called Spirituality and Sports that explores the spiritual dimensions of sports - from the mysticism of the "the zone" to the development of extraordinary human potential; from the transformative powers of organized sports to the ritual, pilgrimage, and community...

February 6 would have been Bob Marley's 65th birthday - a day marked by tribute concerts, exhibitions, and celebrations across the world. As a testament to his ongoing commercial appeal, the Marley family recently teamed up with Hilco Consumer Capital in order to capitalize on Bob Marley as a billion...