Latest Buddhism News
What is Bodhi Day? And when do Buddhists celebrate it?
Buddhists around the world are celebrating Bodhi Day. Also called Buddha’s Enlightenment Day, it commemorates when Siddhartha Gautama attained awakening — or enlightenment — some 2,600 years ago, becoming the Buddha. When is Bodhi Day celebrated? ...
China denies accusations of forced assimilation and curbs on religious freedom in Tibet
BEIJING (AP) — A government official from China's Tibetan region on Friday rejected allegations of forced assimilation and curbs on religious freedom, while stressing that Tibetan Buddhism should adapt to the Chinese context. Xu Zhitao, vice chairman of the Tibet region government,...
What is Diwali, the Festival of Lights, and how is it celebrated in India and the diaspora?
Diwali is the most important festival of the year in India — and for Hindus in particular. It is celebrated across faiths by more than a billion people in the world’s most populous nation and the diaspora. Over five days, people take part in festive gatherings, fireworks...
In secular Japan, what draws so many to temples and shrines? Stamp collecting and tradition
TOKYO (AP) — Almost weekly Momo Nomura makes time to visit Shinto shrines. She performs the prescribed rituals — cleansing her hands, ringing a bell, bowing and clapping. But her main purpose is getting a Goshuin, a stamp with elegant calligraphy that shrines provide for a fee to certify the...
A modest Buddhist ceremony marks the anniversary of a day care center massacre in Thailand
UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand (AP) — About 200 people gathered in the small northeastern town of Uthai Sawan on Friday for a quiet ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of Thailand’s deadliest mass killing. On Oct. 6, 2022, a fired police sergeant killed 36 people, including two...
