Showing posts with label Singapore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Singapore. Show all posts

Sunday, November 1, 2026

Thai Buddhist teen Nene Royal wins (A7x)


How did metal guitarist-singer win AGT?

(America's Got Talent) 15-year-old Thai Buddhist rockstar Nene Royal (now 16) is shy...until she starts rocking a heavy metal version of the ditty "Zombie" by the easy listening Irish rockers The Cranberries

(Ake Dalmans) Nene Royal and Avenged Sevenfold perform "Bat Country" and "Unholy Confessions" live in Singapore, Oct. 23, 2026, as Asian mosh pit forms | multi-camera fan edit
Who is 16-year-old rockstar Nene Royal?
Best new rock guitarist and singer of 2026, 16-year-old child Thai Buddhist Nene Royal
. 
Nene Royal opens for A7x, 2026
Nene Royal [b] (born Rattikarn Amloy [a] on March 14, 2010 [1]), nickname Praew [c], is a Thai rock musician and singer who became world famous on America's Got Talent (AGT).

She is best known for winning the 21st season of America's Got Talent in 2026.

Biography
Phuket province (map)
Nene was born on a small island in the Thai province of Phuket [2, 3] in the southern Thailand, which is not pronounced with any F sound whatsoever.

It is pronounced /pooh-kett/, home of infamous Patong Beach and the massive Taoist gorefest of self-torture to show supernatural endurance, a bloody display called the Vegetarian Festival or the Nine Emperor Gods Festival.
  • Self-purification: In addition to eating pure vegan food, festival participants keep their thoughts pure, wearing white as a symbol of purity. Devout festival participants also abstain from sex, alcohol, and stimulants during the festival. More

Palm tree at dawn, Patong Beach, Phuket province, Thailand (Rene Ehrhardt/flickr)
Taoist vegfest fire-walking, rite of cosmic renewal, washing away sins, bad luck, misfortune
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I won? I beat everyone in America?
Her parents are Narong Amloy and Chuanpit "Oom" Poonkerd [4, 5, 6]. Known by the nickname Praew [7], she has a brother 12 years her junior [6].

She began playing guitar at six or seven years old and, according to her bio, is largely self-taught through YouTube videos [8, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12].


Nene Royal live in Singapore
I've been playing since I was a child of 6 or 7.
Her parents had hoped she would take up a career in business [13]. She wanted to study computing as a co-curricular subject. However, she learned that there were no more spaces in the computer class, so she enrolled in music instead [14]. When she played her first chord, she was hooked, she claims.

She adopted the stage name "Nene Royal" when she began playing in public at age 12 [8]. In 2022, she participated at the Thai talent program Super 10, performing with Thai rock artist PooH Anchalee [7].

In 2023, she competed in the Overdrive Guitar Contest and won second prize, being named "Best Musician" and "Best Vocalist." That same year, she received the Trang Music Award [15].

In 2025, she appeared at the King Power Band Competition and given an "Outstanding Player" award [16, 17]. More


Theravada Buddhism in Thailand
Ancient gold covered Buddha statue in Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand
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Thailand is next to Cambodia and Laos.
Theravada Buddhism is the largest religion in Thailand, followed by around 92.5% of the country's population as per 2021 [2].

By sheer numbers, it has the world's largest Buddhist population followed by China [which has 1,000,000,00 (one billion) uncounted Buddhists, who are all officially "communist atheists," even though nearly everyone in China follows the Three Teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, which blend seamlessly] and Burma, which has more than 67 million Buddhists [1].

Religion in China: Three Teachings
The Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Confucius (China's Three Teachings)
 
Confucius hands Lao Tzu the baby Buddha
The Theravada tradition is practiced by most Buddhists and shares many similarities with Sri Lankan Buddhism [3, 4].

Buddhism in Thailand has also become integrated with Hinduism from millennia of Indian influence [5, 6], and other Chinese religions (folk, animism, pantheism, polytheism, Taoism, Confucianism) from the large Thai Chinese population [7, 8].

Buddhist temples in Thailand are characterized by tall golden stupas (reliquary mounds), and the Buddhist architecture of Thailand is similar to that of other Southeast Asian Buddhist countries, particularly Cambodia and Laos, with which Thailand shares cultural and historical heritages.

性命圭旨 三聖圖: Three Sages
Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Laos are five countries with Theravada Buddhist majorities.

Buddhism is believed to have arrived in what is now "Thailand" (formerly Siam) as early as the 3rd century BCE [9], in the time of the Indian Buddhist Emperor Ashoka (who built the empire of "India" by amalgamating many South Asian territories and republics on the subcontinent), two centuries after the life of the Buddha.

Since then, Buddhism has played a significant role in Thai culture and society. Buddhism and the Thai monarchy have often been intertwined, with universally beloved Thai kings historically seen as the main patrons of Buddhism in Thailand.

Nene Royal's 15 best guitar solos

Thai Forest Tradition Dhamma Wheel
Although politics and religion were generally separated for most of Thai history, Buddhism's connection to the Thai state would increase in the middle of the 19th century following the reforms of King Mongkut that would lead to the development of a royally-backed sect of Buddhism (Dhammayuttika Nikaya of which the Thai Forest Tradition is a part) and increased centralization of the Thai monastic community (sangha) under the state, with state control over Buddhism increasing further after the 2014 coup d'état.

Playing Phuket's Naka Night Market

Thai Buddhism is distinguished for its emphasis on short-term ordination for every Thai male and its close interconnection with the Thai state and Thai culture.

The two official branches (nikayas) of Thai Buddhism are the royally backed Dhammayuttika Nikaya and the larger Maha Nikaya. More

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Tuesday, December 23, 2025

How one woman changed Buddhism


Sanghamitta Day Celebrations

Sanghamitta and the Bodhi Tree
Saṅghamittā (Sanskrit Saṅghamitrā, "Friend of the Sangha") with the nun's name Ven. Ayapali Theri [1], who lived from 282 BC–203 BC [1].
 
She was a fully enlightened (arhat, arahant) Indian Buddhist nun and the eldest daughter (as recounted in Sri Lankan tradition as recorded in the Dīpavaṃsa) of Indian Buddhist Emperor Ashoka (304 BC–232 BC) with his first wife Queen Devi (302 BCE–242 BCE).

Together with her monastic brother, Ven. Mahinda Thero, she entered the order of Buddhist monastics. The two siblings later went as Buddhist missionaries to the island of Sri Lanka to spread the Dhamma, the teachings of the Buddha, at the request of Sri Lankan King Devanampiya Tissa (250 BC–210 BC), who was a contemporary of King Ashoka.
From Emperor Ashoka's India to Sri Lanka
Ashoka was initially reluctant to send his daughter (according to the Sri Lankan tradition) on an overseas mission, even one of only 35 miles, the distance between the subcontinent (India) and the island (dipa or dvipa).

However, because of the insistence of Ven. Sangamitta herself, he finally agreed. She was sent to Sri Lanka together with several other nuns to start the Buddhist nun's lineage of (Bhikkhuni Sangha or order of fully ordained female Buddhist monastics) at the request of King Tissa.
  • Sangha incomplete without women
    THERE ARE MANY GREAT WOMEN IN BUDDHISM    : Many come to mind like the Buddha's enlightened wife (Bimba Devi, Yasodhara, Rāhulamātā, Bhadda Kaccana, Subhaddakā, and called by many other names to dilute her magnificence and prominence in the Bhikkhuni Sangha, as if she were the "Mary" so often mentioned in Christianity); Ven. Mahā Pajāpatī Gotami, the Buddha's mother and history's first Buddhist nun; Western German Jewish Buddhist nun Ayya Khema, who restarted full ordination in Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka; Khema Theri, foremost in wisdom; Uppalavanna, foremost in psychic powers; Ven. Sundarī Nanda, the Buddha's fully enlightened sister (possibly the same as the "Belle of the Land," the most beautiful Janapada Kalyani); Kwan Yin Bodhisattva, Goddess of Compassion; Prajnaparamita, Goddess of Wisdom (Buddhism's Sophia); the various colored Taras; Ambapali the Wise Courtesan; Ven. Kisa Gotami; Dipa Ma; modern American greats like Tara Brach, Ven. Tathālokā Bhikkhunī, Sharon Salzberg, Sylvia Boorstein, Shaila Catherine, Tina Rasmussen; and the many advanced ones like Beth Upton, Sayalay Susila, Sayalay Dipankara, and so on.
There she ordained Queen Anulā and other women in King Tissa's court at Anuradhapura who desired to be ordained as nuns after Mahinda converted them to Buddhism [2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

After Sanghamittā’s contribution to the propagation of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and her establishing the Bhikkhunī Sangha or Meheini Sasna ("Order of Buddhist Nuns") there, her name became synonymous with "Buddhist Female Monastic Order of Theravāda Buddhism" that was established Sri Lanka, Burma, China, and Thailand, in particular.

The day she brought the most revered Bodhi tree as a sapling to Sri Lanka and planted it in Anuradhapura, where it still survives, is still celebrated annually on the Full Moon Day of December as Uduvapa Poya or Uposatha Poya and "Sanghamittā Day" by Sri Lankan Theravāda Buddhists [3, 5, 7]. More
  • Venerable Gotami (video), Dec. 22, 2025; Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit
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Tuesday, October 14, 2025

31-y.o. techie chooses a monk's life


Why a 31-year old Singaporean techie chose the monk's life
(Handful of Leaves) Oct. 14, 2025: Handful of Leaves Podcast. Rich in Buddhist Singapore, from dating girls to reading about Elon Musk to thinking about politics, he was in search of meaning in his early 20s. All that changed when he read about the Buddha and his monastic followers.

Handful of Leaves had the awesome opportunity to speak with novice Samanera/Anagarika Phra Ryan before he took full ordination. Here’s his story of becoming a Buddhist monk at the prime of his career in Singapore's tech industry.

This is also how young only son Ryan, with family members of a different religious faith, arrived at this path of Buddhist monasticism. #BuddhistWisdom #MindfulLiving #FaithAndPractice

ABOUT: Halfway through his university studies, Ryan embarked on a spiritual journey into the deeper meaning of life and found himself drawn towards Buddhism. It was during a silent retreat in the Australian bush at a Theravada monastery, which marked the beginning of an eight-year journey into monkhood. This is his story.
⏱ TIMESTAMPS
  • (00:00) – First week as a Buddhist novice (monk-to-be): nervous then relief
  • (01:30) – Meeting Ajahn Dhammasiha and first retreats
  • (03:00) – Life as an anagarika and his family’s reaction
  • (05:00) – Growing up privileged and searching for meaning
  • (07:05) – Parents’ and friends’ response to his ordination
  • (09:10) – Luang Por’s [Senior Monk's] teaching: life without mindfulness is crazy
  • (10:00) – Goal of practice: freeing the mind from clinging/attachment
  • (11:15) – Wearing the robe [Banner of the Arahants] and facing “imposter syndrome”
  • (12:09) – Choosing Wat Marp Jan [Monastery] under Luang Por [Ven.] Anan
Special thanks to Handful of Leaves' sponsors: Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña, Shuo Mei, Arif, Bernice, Wee Teck, Andrew Yam, Kan Rong Hui, Wei Li Quek, Shirley Shen, Ezra, Joanne Chan, Hsien Li Siaw, Gillian Ang, Wang Shiow Mei, Ong Chye Chye, Melvin, Yoke Kuen, Nai Kai Lee, Amelia Toh, Hannah Law, Shin Hui Chong, Dennis Lee
🎬 Editor: Hong Jiayi. ✍️ Transcribers: Cheryl Cheah, Tan Si Jing, Bernice Bay. 🎨 Visuals and Sound: Anton Thorne, Tan Pei Shan, Ang You Shan.
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Saturday, September 6, 2025

LA Chinatown Hungry Ghost Festival


Burning "hell money"!?!

A burnt offering to benefit the deceased
"Hell money" (Chinese 冥鈔, Pinyin míngchāo) is a modernized form of joss paper printed to resemble legal tender bank notes. The notes are not an official form of recognized currency or legal tender [except among greedy ghosts] as their sole intended purpose is to be offered as burnt offerings to the deceased as a solution to resolve their assumed monetary problems in the afterlife. This ritual has been practiced by modern Chinese and across East Asia since the late 19th century, and some Wicca-based pagan traditions in recent years have adopted this practice [1]. Early 20th century examples bore resemblance to minor commercial currency of the type issued by businesses across China until the mid-1940s [2]. The identification of this type of joss paper as "hell bank notes" or "hell money" is largely a Western construct, since these items are simply regarded as yet another form of joss paper (冥幣, 陰司紙, 紙錢, or 金紙) in East Asian cultures and have no special name or status. More: Hell money

FREE: The Los Angeles Hungry Ghost Festival: Sunday, Sept. 7, 4:00 pm

They're hungry. Will there be food?
This is the second annual festival. Through performance, ritual altars, and community celebration, we honor our departed ancestors and appease hungry ghosts. Building on last year’s success, this year’s festival features lion dance and Zodiac play by The East Wind Foundation for Youth, live music by Micah Huang and Annie Zhou, dance performances by The Sunset Light Dance Team, and martial arts demonstrations by Misako. Activities for youth include cultural crafts tables, face paint station, bouncy house, and a scavenger hunt. The festival is FREE and open to the public. More
The REAL Hungry Ghost Festival is on September 5 or 6, 2025. Here's why
Gods of Death across mythology and folklore | Watch
Are hungry ghosts evil demons? No, those are hellions. Ghosts are the departed.

The dearly departed are still here.
(The Blue Cats by Goody Feed) Many people often confuse the Hungry Ghost Festival with the start of the seventh month in the lunisolar calendar, but they’re not the same.

The seventh month, beginning on August 23, 2025, is known as Ghost Month. During this period, it is believed that the Gates of Hell and Heaven open, allowing restless spirits to enter the human world.

However, not all of these spirits are “hungry ghosts” (petas or pretas). The term usually refers to those who passed away tragically or without proper funerary rituals, while many others are thought to simply visit their loved ones.

Hungry Ghost Festival: A Guide to exploring cultural riches

Addiction is entrance to Realm of Hungry Ghosts
Tradition holds that offerings are made to appease these spirits, but most people only make offerings on the first day of Ghost Month and then forget.
As the days pass, the neglected spirits are said to grow hungrier and angrier. By the 15th day, their hunger supposedly reaches its peak, which is why this day is considered the Hungry Ghost Festival.

This explains why offerings on the 15th day are so important. The Hungry Ghost Festival, then, is not the entire month but just that one crucial day.

For 2025, this falls on September 6, the 15th day of Ghost Month. Some groups, particularly Chinese Cantonese-speaking communities, choose to make offerings on the 14th instead.

Are WE in the Hungry Ghost Realm?
Due to karma, we are all reborn

This is partly because the number four sounds like “death” in Cantonese and Mandarin, making the 14th symbolically significant. Another explanation comes from old timekeeping systems where the hours from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am spanned two days, meaning some regarded the 14th as the proper day.

Business enquiries: business.thebluecats.com.sg. The Blue Cats' Instagram: singaporethebluecats

How can I transfer merit to benefit the dead?
The possibility of merit transfer became widely known by the story Mulian Rescues His Mother
.
There are many Buddhist hells.
Transferring a gift of merit (Sanskrit pariṇāmanā, Pali pattidāna or pattānumodanā) is a standard part of Theravada Buddhist spiritual discipline.

The Buddhist practitioner's merit, resulting from wholesome deeds, is transferred to deceased relatives (the grateful dead), to deities (devas), or to ALL sentient beings.

Such a "transfer" is done ritually and mentally, and it is believed that the recipient (the ghost, the deceased person) can often receive this merit, if that recipient rejoices in the meritorious acts of the person doing the transferring.

In Buddhism, merit transfer (sending beneficial karma) is seen as a much better alternative to mourning.

Pouring overflowing water in ceremony
Scholars have discussed how the doctrine of transfer of merit can be reconciled with the individual nature of karma in Buddhism.

[How can it work? Everyone's karma is one's own. The giver generates skillful karma by giving with the intention to give, which gives the recipient the chance to share in that good karma by rejoicing (pattanumo) over such kindness, compassion, and giving (dana).] More: Transfer of merit
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Thursday, September 12, 2024

Pope visits Buddhist Asia, Singapore


Isn't it time for a change, Singapore?
Why would the Vatican CEO, the King of the Holy See, the ruler of the Catholic Church pontiff visit a tiny minority of Catholics in Buddhist Singapore and Asia in general? Just as when he visited a tiny community in Mongolia, it's strategic, sticking it to neighboring China, which the Church craves to enter and dominate. (The Han Chinese rulers caught on and will not allow a church organization in unless they can join in the ruling of the population, and Rome does not share power).
The BBC provided great reportage about the Holy Father's visit to Singapore's National Stadium to give a mass to an audience of 50,000, noting the "rock concert" atmosphere of the event as if Pope Swift, aka Holy Taylor, were coming to town to play a show and driving everyone kray-kray, full loco. It's a boring mass, for God's sakes. Even the Lord drifts off when the officiant goes long. But average earthlings (basic people) love ritual, love ceremony, love pomp and circumstance. It's the way to rule an empire. Ask Hitler and his PR team, the Nazis. No one threw a better parade and rally, try as MAGA might.

This may go long, but it will help your devotional feel to have some patience and awe.
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