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Two books authored by Pashupati Ghimire, “Wandering Words” and “Three Dimensions of Buddhism,” have been officially launched. The event was held recently in Richmond, Virginia, USA, where Senator Schuyler T. VanValkenburg, author Ghimire, President of the Nepali Community in Richmond Chandra Mall, Vice President Aseem Rajbhandari, Treasurer Rukesh Pokhrel, NYAC member Ghanendra Lamichhane, and social worker Roshan Ghimire jointly unveiled the books.
According to author Ghimire, “Wandering Words” is a collection of 18 travel essays that take readers through ten diverse countries across Asia, Europe, and North America. The subtitle “Ripples from Three Continents” offers readers a journey across nearly half of the world’s geography. It’s not only a geographical exploration but also intricately weaves together history, traditions, languages, religions, cultures, civilizations, arts, and literature.
The book references figures from Devkota and Ghimire to Sophocles, Socrates, and Shakespeare. “Readers may encounter the mysterious smile of Mona Lisa and feel the struggles of a taxi driver,” Ghimire adds. “Wandering Words” is available worldwide through Amazon.
After working in journalism and writing in Nepal for about a decade, Ghimire first published “Three Dimensions of Buddhism” in Nepali in 2013. The current English edition is its translated version.
According to the author, the book offers an in-depth exploration of Buddhism, including its philosophy, history, and literature. It presents a comprehensive study of Buddhist principles, historical background, and the religion’s spread across Asia.
The book clearly explains the origin and core doctrines of Buddhism, pre-Buddha philosophers, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the concept of Dependent Origination, as well as meditation techniques such as Samatha and Vipassana, the Four Brahmaviharas, the Ten Recollections, and the Arūpya (formless) meditations.
It also provides a detailed analysis of various Buddhist philosophical schools including Vaibhashika, Sautrantika, Madhyamaka (emptiness), and Yogacara (idealism). The Mahayana ideal of the Bodhisattva and teachings from Vajrayana Buddhism are deeply explored. Additionally, the book offers a broad overview of Buddhist literature including the Pali Tripitaka and significant Mahayana sutras.
The historical section of the book presents a comprehensive analysis of Buddhism’s development through the ages, documenting the four major Buddhist councils and tracing the spread of Buddhism across Asia through verified historical accounts. It also highlights ancient Buddhist universities such as Nalanda, Valabhi, Vikramashila, Jagaddala, and Odantapuri.
Guest Senator VanValkenburg expressed gratitude to author Ghimire for writing such thoughtful and insightful works. During the event, he also presented a letter of appreciation from the State Government recognizing the contributions and active role of the Nepali Community of Richmond, Virginia.
