Author: Graeme Morton

Source: The Buddhist Channel/Calgary Herald

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=66,8165,0,0,1,0

A beautiful piece of southern Alberta spiritual history has found a new, permanent home.

The shrine from the former Japanese Buddhist temple in Raymond, the first and largest of its kind in Western Canada, was officially welcomed into the Glenbow Museum's Art of Asia gallery during a blessing ceremony last...

Author: Kirsty Johnson

Source: The Buddhist Channel/Taranaki Daily News

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=50,8169,0,0,1,0

An influx of young Sri Lankan families has re-kindled the community's Buddhist culture in New Plymouth.

Around 30 families met last night in Lynmouth Park to celebrate Vesak, the biggest event on the Buddhist calendar, marked by a lantern festival held each year on the first full moon in May.

...

Author: Charlie Butts

Source: OneNewsNow

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=520928

A Buddhist prison inmate in Texas has won a lawsuit over rules for religious practice.

The prison system requires religious services to be performed by a chaplain or approved religious volunteers. Muslims were allowed to hold religious meetings, but chaplains had declined to lead Buddhist services because of lack of knowledge or because it...

Author: Janaka Alahapperuma

Source: The Buddhist Channel/Asian Tribune

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=3,8141,0,0,1,0

While Buddhists are getting ready to celebrate Wesak (Vesak) festival all over the world, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has sent a very rare Wesak message to Buddhists in Britain saying that everyone could learn from the Buddhist philosophy and should reflect on the contribution the religion has made to society....

Author: Staff Writer

Source: The Buddhist Channel/The Peninsula

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=71,8150,0,0,1,0

Hundreds of people gathered at the Sri Lankan Embassy yesterday to mark Vesak, which is celebrated as a religious and a cultural festival in Sri Lanka. The day, observed by practicing Buddhists in many Asian countries, marks the birth, enlightenment and passing away of Gautama Buddha.

“The embassy hosts...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: The Buddhist Channel/VNA

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=3,8098,0,0,1,0

A grand ceremony to celebrate the 2,553rd birthday of Buddha was held at the Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow on May 3 under the chairmanship of Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang.

Thich Gia Quang is leading a delegation of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Central Committee on a tour to propagate Dharma in Eastern Europe.

...

Author: Steve Morris

Source: The Stillwater Gazette

http://www.stillwatergazette.com/articles/2009/05/08/news/news130.txt

Through a grant from the Partnership Plan for Stillwater Area Public Schools, three Buddhist monks visited Stillwater's Lily Lake Elementary this week to share a sliver of their culture with students.

The students participated in an artist in residence project dubbed "The Mandala: A Project in Art and...

Author: Kate Linthicum

Source: The Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs4-2009may04,0,5633757.story

Except for his bald head, there isn't much monkish about Noah Levine. His body is covered with tattoos, his speech is spiked with profanities, and his style (T-shirts devoted to his favorite bands, lots of black) is a throwback to his days as a hard-core punk rocker.

So it looked a bit...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Asian Tribune

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=3,8096,0,0,1,0

The Sri Lanka-based German Dharmadutha Society (GDS) which manages the Berlin Vihara - Europe’s oldest Theravada Buddhist temple – elected new office bearers at the GDS Annual General Meeting held in Colombo last week.

They were Dr. Manel Lakdivdas (President) and (Vice Presidents) H.A.V. Soysa, Tissa Weeraratna, J.H.P...

Author: Zen T.C. Zheng

Source: The Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/6406762.html

Amid echoes of drums, bells and Buddhist chants, a monk donning a red and yellow robe raised a golden ceremonial key and led two followers to slowly open the door of the meditation hall in front of a crowd of 1,200.

The hall, a hybrid of Eastern and Western architectural conceptions, is one of numerous structures...

Author: Eric Moskowitz

Source: The Buddhist Channel/The Boston Globe

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=60,8083,0,0,1,0

After a drizzly and overcast morning, the sun broke through the clouds over Gillette Stadium yesterday moments before the Dalai Lama stepped onto the turf, as if on cue.

People rose from their seats, greeting the 73-year-old spiritual and political leader with a mix of reverent silence and cheers. "You rock...

Author: Dana Clark Felty

Source: The Buddhist Channel/Savannah Now

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=61,8095,0,0,1,0

Six-year-old Cayden Somers was rolling on the floor, jumping across the room and bouncing off the walls on Sunday as his Sunday school teacher prepared her lesson in the next room.

The energy soon transferred to 5-year-old Savana Kaufman and 6-year-old Dorothy Neal who jumped from side to side giggling...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Thaindian News

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/laws-discriminatory-to-minorities-to-be-repealed-bangladesh_100186458.html

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her government will repeal all laws and rules discriminatory to minority communities, including indigenous people.

“Our government believes in freedom...

Author: Han Sang-hee

Source: The Buddhist Channel/The Korea Times

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=45,8071,0,0,1,0

People no longer have to visit temples hidden among serene mountaintops to learn about the Buddhist faith. Just across from the Jogye Temple, the headquarters of the biggest Jogye Order in Korea, there is a small, yet lively library called the Buddhist English Library of Seoul (BELS). Here, you can learn, read and talk...

Author: Deirdre Fernandes

Source: The Virginian-Pilot

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/04/beach-council-allows-monks-hold-services-home

The City Council voted unanimously to let a group of Buddhist monks hold religious services at their home in Pungo.

The monks can hold mediation services on Sundays with no more than 20 people, and festivals must be held elsewhere. The monks cannot put more statues in their yard, and...