The Khao Phansa Festival: The “Buddhist Lent” of Thailand
Thailand’s Khao Phansa festival marks the beginning of the annual, three-month rains retreat for monastics (Pali: vassavasa), beginning the day after the full moon of the
Thailand’s Khao Phansa festival marks the beginning of the annual, three-month rains retreat for monastics (Pali: vassavasa), beginning the day after the full moon of the
This article forms part of the “Buddhist Voices from the Land of Rivers” series, which is based on visits by the authors to Buddhist sites
There are many exciting aspects to Chinese president Xi Jinping’s ambitious development framework known as “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR).* A Eurasian economic resurgence could
A group of students wallows in a pool of mud; not far away, another group is dumping dung into a dugout to make organic fertilizer—hardly what
Spiritual materialism is perhaps one of the most powerful spiritual dangers. An easy trap to fall into, spiritual materialism operates at two basic levels: the
Ani Zamba Chozom was one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Buddhist nun. Born in England in 1948, a serious illness as
The Southeast Asian countries Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar are known for their many colorful and enjoyable festivals. One of the most popular is Magha
The Buddhist sangha is perhaps the longest-lived institution in world history. It has diffused across time and space over a period of more than 2,500
On 29 November, 8 bhikkhunis and 47 novices were ordained at Thippayasathandhamma Bhikkhuni Arama, a nunnery located on the islet of Koh Yor in Thailand’s
First-time travelers to Bangkok like myself surely won’t miss the opportunity to visit treasures like Wat Pho (The Temple of the Reclining Buddha), Wat Arun
This summer, I was fortunate to have made a short visit to Thailand, a country that is home to thousands of Buddhist temples of wondrous
As I climbed up the stairs leading towards the summit of Temple of the Golden Mount at Wat Saket on that hot sunny May morning