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On a mid December evening, near Christmas time when the Delmar Loop was decorated in snowflakes and slush, a middle aged woman walked into the store two hours before closing time.

Most folks, even if they don't realize it, are familiar with Eastern incense. Present Nag Champa (arguably the most popular type of Indian incense) to someone and more often than not, they'll have an "ah-ha" moment after taking in the scent.

What is fair trade?

Out of the many mantras (sacred prayers) that have permeated world culture, Om Mani Padme Hum has arguably become the most well known. It is both a spiritual vocalization for meditation and sacred symbol for many Asian cultures. The mantra touches many aspects of Buddhism, from the conceptually to the cultural.

Recently, singing bowls have gained popularity and interest as they've moved from esoteric items once kept from the knowledge of Westerners to instruments with both spiritual and secular uses.

The vibrant culture of the island of Bali has produced some of the richest and most exquisite art forms the world has known.  The arts in Bali are, as Margaret Mead has said, "imbedded deep in the form of the simplest acts of everyday living."  From earliest childhood, all Balinese are exposed to the traditional dance, music, visual arts, and elaborate and highly symbolic religious rituals, and virtually all Balinese are performers or artists at some level, from field hands to shop owners.

Ganesha is the elephant-headed Hindu deity who is the Protector and Defender, Remover of Obstacles, Bringer of Good Beginnings. In India, his statue (and thus his presence) is typically found near the entrance of a home or business.

Prajwal Vajracharya, one of the premier Buddhist ritual dancers of Nepal, has worked tirelessly to keep alive the traditional arts and dance of Nepal, now seriously endangered due to the impacts of industry, economic and political hardships, and tourism.

Traditional Nepalese Dance

Nanda Kulu is a true "sister of the spirit" to MacroSun. She is very engaging, with a broad smile, infectious laughter and vibrant energy, all present in a five-foot frame. Gil, the owner of MacroSun International, first met Nanda in 1993 while walking along the back roads near Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal. Nanda and her husband Ganesh own two musical instrument shops, one in the heart of Kathmandu's business district and the other in the popular tourist area of Thamel.

Welcome to MacroSun International. I’m Gil Williams, owner and founder, of MacroSun, an international marketplace for South Asian arts and crafts. I started MacroSun International after volunteer work in Tibet, Nepal, and India in 1990 – and the store grew out of a great respect and love for the cultures and people of South Asia.

This clip introduces the Mitrata-Nepal Foundation for Children, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide shelter, medical care and educational opportunities for underprivileged children in Nepal through direct donor support. Because all USA board members and staff are volunteers, the donations go directly to the support of the children, not to administrative costs.

The handmade paper used in making this stationery is both fair trade and environmentally sound. Made from the bark of the regenerating Lokta, the bark grows back and the plant is not destroyed. The process involves three separate co-ops in Nepal, all knowledgeable in the ancient art of traditional Nepalese paper-making. While standardized, the paper has character and personality, with flecks of bark and fiber in each cream-colored sheet.

The art of the thanka and the paubha is inseparable from the spiritual background of Tantric Buddhism. Tantric (or Vajrayana) Buddhism emphasizes understanding humanity's true nature and embracing compassion through symbols, mantras, and meditation. Tantric ritual evolved with paintings, sculptures, dance, and music as mediums of expression to symbolize the ideal manifestation of Tantric deities.

The kris is a special type of dagger, wavy or straight bladed, painstakingly worked and hammered from meteor metal. Originating in central Java around the fourteenth century it was much more than a physical weapon. The kris is said to have a mystic spiritual or ritual power of its own. A high quality kris blade would take 3 to 5 months of consistent, committed devotion, including a week or more of silent meditation on the spirit to be reflected in the blade.

Borneo is one of the largest and most mysterious islands in the world. It has dense, often impenetrable forests and jungles, abounding with wildlife, many species of which are not found anywhere else in the world. Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian part of Borneo, the southern two-thirds of the island.