Author: Mandy Locke

Source: The News and Observer

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1116305.html

Hundreds of bait-shop crickets and earthworms escaped death by fishhook Saturday.

At an animal blessing and release ceremony in Cary, well-meaning Triangle Buddhists rescued them from a fate as bait for bass or bream.

One by one, crickets hopped out of a cage and into the cover of pine needles at Cary's Ritter Park. The...

Author: Melissa Weaver

Source: The Buddhist Channel/San Jose Mercury

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=65,6682,0,0,1,0

Tzu Chi disaster relief volunteers always bow in respect when handing blankets to disaster victims, who "teach us to appreciate what we have," said volunteer Sherry Shih.

The Buddhist nonprofit group has grown to more than 5 million supporters worldwide with chapters in 30 countries since its inception in...

Author: Valentino Lucio

Source: MySA/Express-News

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/religion/stories/MYSA062108.10B.Rel_Zen_Center.EN.3e359f6.html

Nearly a dozen people sit cross-legged with their hands clasped on black cushions. With tranquil faces, they're situated side-by-side staring at a white wall. The subtle scent of incense lingers in the sitting area. The room is quiet except for the faint sound of...

Author: Michael den Hoet and Chris McMahon

Source: The Buddhist Channel

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=3,6666,0,0,1,0

Bathed in glorious sunshine, tens of thousands of fans recently crowded the Heiligengeist fairgrounds, not far from the centre of Germany's harbour city Hamburg.

They were there to cheer the opening games of the 2008 European Football Championships, broadcast live on a giant screen from Austria and...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Examiner.com

Wire Service: AP

http://www.examiner.com/a-1448820~Prisons_system_ordered_to_provide_vegan_meals_to_inmate.html

A federal judge has ruled that the state's prison system violated a convicted child killer's civil rights by denying him a vegan diet.

U.S. Chief District Judge Mark Wolf ruled this week that the Department of...

Author: Janaka Perera

Source: Asian Tribune

http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/11832

Today (Poson full moon day June 18) Sri Lankan Buddhists commemorate the arrival in this country of Arahat Mahinda with the message of the Dhamma. Yet Gandhara – the pinnacle of Buddhist Civilization at the time Venerable Mahinda's father, Emperor Ashoka, ruled a greater part of the Indian sub-continent – seems to have received little attention among the majority...

Author: Dan Anderson

Source: The Buddhist Channel

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=61,6658,0,0,1,0

There are over 500 Christian churches in the Mobile area, according to usachurch.com. The South has a reputation for being heavily Christian, so this number should come as a surprise to no one.

But take a drive through Irvington, down Murray Heights Drive where the pavement ends and the dirt road begins and where the trailers...

Author: David Smith

Source: The Boston Examiner

http://www.examiner.com/a-1445001~Religious_leaders_open_their_arms__altars_for_ceremonies_to_continue.html

Much of the attention about this week’s same-sex weddings is focused on City Hall, but churches and other religious centers are also gearing up for the festivities.

On Friday, Congregation Sherith Israel on California Street...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Interfax

Author: Staff Writer

Original Source: Colombo Page

https://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=62,6640,0,0,1,0

The familiar beat of rhythmic drums could be heard from afar. Children and adult devotees dressed in white carrying flowers and traditional flags walked in place....

Author: Lucy Hornby

Source: The Gazette

Wire Service: Reuters

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=83fe3acd-6120-4913-93b8-37c865116acf

Three months after demonstrations flared up in Tibetan towns and monasteries across China, monks say they now have to pass a patriotic test, possibly in September, to be allowed to remain as monks.

Tension runs high in...

Author: Staff Writer

SOriginal ource: AFP

https://mgronline.com/general/detail/9510000064657

Suspected separatists killed five people in Thailand's Muslim-majority south, police said Tuesday, as the death toll in the region soared to 3,300 in more than four years of violence.

A spree of...

Author: Judy H. Fitzpatrick and Hazel Durand

Source: The Daily Herald

http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/l010/faith010.html

St. Maarten may be only sixteen square miles, but its varied facilities, natural Caribbean setting, strategic location and cultural and religious diversity make it a prime candidate for faith tourism, a multibillion-dollar industry beckoning to be exploited.

With the pressure to find new niche markets to...

Author: Jessica Marcy

Source: The Roanoke Times

https://roanoke.com/archive/buddha-for-kids-dharmapala-...

Author: Rosa Salter Rodriguez

Source: The Buddhist Channel/The Journal Gazette

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=62,6562,0,0,1,0

Buddhists hailing from far-away countries and nearby states will gather today in Hoagland for a joyous celebration that some compare with Christmas and Easter wrapped into one.

The event is called Wesak. Pronounced vay-sack, Wesak is marked annually with large gatherings featuring devotional music...