Of the millions of viewers expected to watch Game of Thrones when it returns for its final season on April 14, few, if any, will be tuning in because they think it is a particularly Buddhist show. Yet a new tour at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City makes the case that the fantasy series and Buddhism have more in common than we might think. Take, for example, this line spoken by the dragon-riding queen Daenerys Targaryen about the noble families: “Lannister, Targaryen, Baratheon, Stark, Tyrell. They’

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A long-running legal dispute over a proposed Buddhist meditation center in Mobile appears to be near the end of one round in federal court -- and probably at the beginning of another. "She has spent over $300,000," attorney John Lawler said of his client, Sivaport Nimityongskul. "The city, on my humble estimate, has spent half a million … Is it reasonable for the city to be involved in this kind of carrying on?" Several years ago, the Thai Meditation Center of Alabama Inc. filed suit against the city and

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The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the execution of a Buddhist inmate in Texas whose request that his spiritual adviser be present in the execution chamber had been denied. In a brief, unsigned order, the court said that Texas may not execute the inmate, Patrick H. Murphy, “unless the state permits Murphy’s Buddhist spiritual adviser or another Buddhist reverend of the state’s choosing to accompany Murphy in the execution chamber during the execution.” Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch said t

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The Venerable Priya Sraman is Tufts’ first Buddhist chaplain, one of the few Buddhist chaplains employed by universities in the U.S. Originally from Chittagong, Bangladesh, Sraman was eleven years

Source: Bringing Mindfulness to Campus | Tufts Now

WASHINGTON (RNS) — The incoming class of lawmakers is predominantly Christian, but several newcomers are expected to take the oath of office while placing their hands on books other than the Christian Bible.

Source: Study: New Congress showcases religious diversity but is still mostly Christian - Religion News Service

“The SZBA conference we just completed represents a deep and significant shift in North American Soto Zen Buddhism,” writes SZBA board president Tenku Ruff.

Source: Soto Zen priests discuss diversity and privilege at biennial gathering - Lion's Roar

PEOPLE OF FAITH STOOD IN UNITY AT WOMEN’S MARCH IN WASHINGTON D.C. The early morning hours of January 21 saw large gatherings of women and men in Washington D.C. carrying around signs stating “Love Trumps Hate” and “I’m With Her.” The gathering was part of the much-awaited Women’s March on Washington 2017.

Source: Religious Crowd Gathers in Support of Women’s March - World Religion News

Wappingers Falls, New York (USA) -- Hundreds of Buddhist teachers, monastics, and practitioners from the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America and Asia have come to the village this week to call for world peace.

Source: US Northeast | Buddhists from around the world meet to call for peace

Rituals and traditions of the Buddhist Obon Festival. Obon or Bon is the Japanese festival celebrated to honor the dead and spirits of their ancestors. It is the equivalent of the Western or Christian’s All Soul’s Day except that Obon is a 3 day celebration and is marked by numerous religious and festive activities. Based on tradition, the festivity falls on the 13th to 15th day of the lunar calendar (August 13-15) but other regions, particularly those using the modern Gregorian calendar like Tokyo, will observe Obon on July 13-15. Though it’s not an official national holiday,...

Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka signed the Paris Agreement in April, the culmination of negotiations held among member states who agreed on the landmark climate deal during COP21 held in Paris in December 2015. According to United Nations Framework on Climate Change, as May 20, 2016, there are 177 signatories to the Paris Agreement.

Source: Dharma Dew | Equity and equality the Buddhist way

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of Tibet. Since 1959, he has lived in exile in Dharamsala in northern India. Almost six decades have passed since I left my homeland, Tibet, and became a refugee. Thanks to the kindness of the government and people of India, we Tibetans found a second home where we could live in dignity and freedom, able to keep our language, culture and Buddhist traditions alive.

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The Buddhist Channel (BC) is a global news platform that provides non-sectarian news and features on Buddhism. The BC is the world's final word on Buddha Dharma related development, covering all major traditions of Buddhism such as Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana and Zen.

Source: Europe | Berlin celebrates Vesak