Turtle Power
“Slow and steady wins the race,” according to Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare. It’s also a good way to describe the evolution of the turtle, which outlasted the dinosaurs and proliferated across every continent but Antarctica. Turtles can range in size from more than 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) to 4 inches (10 cm), and some species surpass humans in longevity: The oldest living tortoise was born in the 1830s. On this World Turtle Day, take a moment to learn more about these incredible reptiles.
The Long and Varied Natural History of Turtles
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What’s the Difference Between a Turtle and a Tortoise?
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5 Amazing Facts About Turtles
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Celebrating the Buddha
Today marks Vesak, a festival in Buddhism honoring the Buddha’s birth, attainment of nirvana, and death. Falling on the full-moon day of the month of Vesakha, Buddhists around the world will be participating in various religious observances. Vesak is primarily a Theravada Buddhist holiday observed in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, and Buddha’s birthday is also celebrated in East Asia on different dates where Mahayana Buddhism predominates.
Life of the Buddha
The Buddha’s life story is a fascinating read retold in literature from the ancient Buddhacarita by Ashvaghosha to Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha. His past lives have been recounted in the entertaining Jataka tales.
Buddhist Compassion
A visually striking ritual on Vesak is the release of captive animals such as birds. Although ecologically problematic, and some have discontinued the practice, it is considered an act of compassion. The Dalai Lama, leader of Tibetan Buddhism, wrote an article about compassion for Encyclopaedia Britannica. The epic life of the 14th Dalai Lama is spellbinding, from early years in Tibet to exile in Dharmsala, to now a global stage.
© Made Nagi–EPA/Shutterstock.com, © 360b/Shutterstock.com
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