Buddhism

Experiences

Thai New Year returns this month with water fights and parties

Here's where to celebrate Songkran this April.

08/04/2024

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WATCH: Buddha statues at Japan's Horyuji Temple get their yearly clean

The annual cleaning ritual began about 30 years ago after the temple received the UNESCO World Heritage stamp of approval.

08/12/2023

Myanmar

Swiss man arrested in Myanmar for allegedly insulting Buddhism in film

The military-ruled state is known for sometimes violent religious and ethnic intolerance, as well as restrictions on freedom of press and speech.

19/08/2023

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Thai Monks welcomed in Indonesia for Vesak celebrations

Thousands of people from across the archipelago are expected to attend at the historic site in Magelang, Central Java, where the annual Vesak celebration has also become a tourist attraction.

01/06/2023

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Buddhists around the world celebrate Vesak day

Hundreds of Buddhists gathered at a temple in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, to celebrate Vesak day which commemorates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death.

07/05/2023

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Buddhist celebration in Kathmandu

Worshippers celebrate Buddha's birthday in Nepal.

05/05/2023

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Traditional Taoist festival returns to Thailand.

Thailand resumes its vegetarian body piercing festival after a hiatus due to the covid-19 pandemic.

27/09/2022

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Dalai Lama marks 87th birthday by opening library

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama marked his 87th birthday on Wednesday by inaugurating a library and museum in his hillside Indian headquarters. He was cheered by a large number of followers, including American actor Richard Gere, a longtime disciple.

06/07/2022

Culture news

Monk, LGBTQ+ activist and celebrity makeup artist: meet Kodo Nishimura

Kodo Nishimura is a Buddhist monk, celebrity makeup artist and LGBTQ+ advocate. To mark the start of Pride month, we sat down with him to discuss his journey to self-acceptance.

07/06/2022

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Indonesians celebrate Vesak at world's largest Buddhist temple

Indonesian Buddhists released hundreds of lanterns to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha Siddharta Gautama.

17/05/2022

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A thousand candles lit up in Bangkok to mark Buddha's birthday

Thailand commemorates Visakha Bucha Day, Buddhism's most sacred day of the year which marks Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, held on the full moon of the third lunar month in the Buddhist calendar.

15/05/2022

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Singapore temple offers pet blessings for Buddhist festival

Hundreds of Buddhists brought their pet dogs, cats, rabbits and even crustaceans to a temple in Singapore on Saturday to receive blessings from monks and nuns.

15/05/2022

Green News

Euroviews. How can we make sense of Wynn Alan Bruce's self-immolation?

In the wake of the climate activist's death, Rupert Read explores the historical and religious context asking what the rest of us should do now.

10/05/2022

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Lantern parade takes place in Seoul to celebrate Buddha's birthday

The lantern parade celebrating Buddha’s birthday returns to the streets of Seoul after three years, as previous ones had been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

30/04/2022

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Buddhist priests bathe in cold river in annual purification ritual

Buddhist priests and their followers have performed a purification rite by bathing in a cold stream in western Japan's Koyasan. They also prayed for the end of the pandemic.

31/01/2022

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Thousands in Vietnam mourn Buddhist monk who brought mindfulness to West

Thousands of mourners pay tribute to the late Vietnamese monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh who was credited with bringing mindfulness to the West

23/01/2022

Food and Drink

Spicy delights shared at South Korea's annual kimchi making festival

More than 150 people joined Buddhist monks to prepare the traditional dish to give to South Korean families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

02/12/2021

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South Koreans pitch in to make fiery kimchi food dish at mass event

In Seoul, Buddhist monks joined about 150 others to prepare kimchi, a hot national dish made with chili and salted cabbage.

02/12/2021

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Buddhist monks receive AstraZeneca vaccine in Thailand

Some 1,000 Buddhist monks and temple staff recieve AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine at Wat Si Sudaram Worawihan, a temple in the western part of Bangkok.

30/07/2021

Japan

Watch: Worshippers dust the statue of Buddha ahead of festival

On Wednesday morning, priests conducted a ceremony to temporarily remove the Buddha's soul from the statue

07/08/2019