The Power of Small Acts: How to Do More Good in a Fractured World In a world overflowing with hashtags and hot takes, it’s easy to feel paralyzed by the scale of suffering or swept up in performative activism that seldom moves beyond the screen. But I’ve come to believe something quite radical: empathy is not a soft virtue. It is a source of power. And when practiced with consistency, courage, and small action, it can change systems, starting with... Read more
Dharma, Dialogue, and Democracy: A Hindu Reflection on Political Authority “I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.” — Swami Vivekananda When Swami Vivekananda stood before the Parliament of the World’s Religions in 1893 and greeted the crowd with “Sisters and Brothers of America,” it was more than a powerful opening—it expressed Hinduism’s timeless ideals. He... Read more
The closest I came to Pope Francis was during my visit to Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires in 2024. I also see echoes of Mother Teresa—whom I had the privilege of meeting in 1996—in the life and legacy of Pope Francis. As a non-Catholic, I have long admired his unwavering focus on helping the poor, promoting interfaith dialogue, and amplifying the voices of the Global South. Both Mother Teresa and Pope Francis belonged to religious orders and were utterly... Read more
Saving Our Democracy: 5 Things You Can Do to Catch Misinformation I met Nadia, a young woman from Tunisia, in May 2015 during a conference in Marrakech, Morocco. She shared a chilling story about her past—one that has stayed with me. At a time when she felt deeply isolated from her parents, teachers, and friends, Nadia became vulnerable to manipulation. She began receiving short video clips from unknown sources—messages that appeared empathetic but were, in fact, laced with extremist propaganda.... Read more
As immigrants, we must also do our part in integrating and assimilating, contributing the best of our cultures of origin to the country we now call home. Breaking the Cycle of Fear: How Immigrants Can Win Over America During our most recent inauguration, I witnessed a critical moment for immigrants in the United States, as Usha Vance, an Indian American, became Second Lady alongside her husband, Vice President J.D. Vance. Standing nearby on the dais was Melania Trump, the first... Read more
Beyond the Headlines: Finding Humanity at Wind River Reservation. In 2012, five years before the film Wind River brought attention to the stark realities of Native American life on the big screen, my son, Ryan, and I visited the Wind River Reservation. Among the things that have made my life so fulfilling are the people I have met and built relationships with on six continents. As an Indian American, I felt an affinity with the Native American people—the original inhabitants of... Read more
In the past few days, you’ve likely heard the song “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson on the radio or TV—a fitting tribute to music legend Quincy Jones, who passed away Sunday night at the age of 91. Celebrated for his monumental contributions to music and entertainment, Jones was the mastermind behind Jackson’s iconic Thriller album (1982), organized the star-studded charity single We Are the World (1985), and produced the acclaimed film The Color Purple (1985), as well as the beloved... Read more
How Do We Create More Jobs? This is India’s central economic challenge—not building more temples! In my Patheos article from October 2, I wrote about my whirlwind tour of India with my son, Ryan Ghosh, in January 2024. We experienced the richness of India’s spiritual diversity firsthand as we traveled across the country, visiting temples, mosques, synagogues, gurudwaras, and many other religious sites, including a glimpse of the Ram Mandir, the controversial Hindu temple in Ayodhya, built on the ruins... Read more
Seeking Religious Harmony in a Divided World Growing up, we were taught that the fundamental principle of Hinduism is that God is in everyone, that everyone is divine, and that all human beings are fundamentally equal. I have been deeply concerned about the increasing religious polarization in recent years. So, earlier this year, my 28-year-old son Ryan and I embarked on a whirlwind tour of India, the country of our birth. We wanted to experience the country’s incredibly rich variety... Read more
The events of August 12, 2017, shook the nation. They also left a deep impression on me. So deep that I first went there to speak with residents on August 13. Seven years later, in June 2024, I returned to Charlottesville, this time with my son, Ryan Ghosh, who represents the same generation as Heather Heyer. It is their generation, just now emerging into positions of leadership and making its voice heard, that will dispel the hatred that breeds such... Read more
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