Vesak in Los Angeles at Lankarama (5/9)

Visit Lankarama Buddhist Temple for Vesak

Dhammakaya in Azusa will hold Vesak on 5/31

🙏 INVITATION: CELEBRATE PEACE AND MINDFULNESS AT LANKARAMA BUDDHIST TEMPLE: The Los Angeles Sri Lankan Theravada monks of Lankarama are honored to invite everyone to join in a profound Vesak celebration, marking the birth, great enlightenment, and final passing of the Buddha Siddhattha Gotama (Shakyamuni).

This sacred event is an opportunity for community, introspection, and spiritual growth.

• 🗓️ Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
• 🕔 Time: Starts at 5:00 pm (PT)
• Who? Everyone is welcome!

All participants are encouraged to observe the Eight Precepts and join us for a meditation retreat throughout the Vesak program. It is a wonderful chance to deepen practice and find inner tranquility.

La Puente is a suburb in the SGV of LA County

How to join: 📍 ON SITE (in-person): Experience the celebration firsthand at Lankarama Buddhist Temple, 398 Giano Ave., La Puente, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

💻 ONLINE (virtual): If unable to attend in person, join live on: Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok.

Follow and subscribe to @BhanteDevananda for livestreams and updates. For more information or inquiries: 📞 Phone: (626) 913-0775 📧 Email: LankaramaUSA@gmail.com. May all beings be well and happy!

• "Buddhist Christmas," VESAK 2026, in Los Angeles
• Vesak with Texas Peace Walk monks to Washington DC
• 2026 Los Angeles Vaisakhi Celebration in Los Angeles
• Visakha (Vesak) Day 2026, Dhammakaya, Azusa: A Celebration of the Buddha, Sunday, May 31  •  6:00 PM-8:45 PM | Eventbrite
• 🌺 Preparing for Vesak 2026: Sacred Gathering for Peace

#Vesak #Vesak2026 #LankaramaBuddhistTemple #BhanteDevananda #MeditationRetreat #EightPrecepts #Buddhism #BuddhistCelebration #LaPuente #CaliforniaBuddhism #Mindfulness #Peace

Monterey Park Resiliency Day (1/17)

Together We Heal. Together We Grow Stronger.

Together, we heal... | Facebook

Community members are invited to gather at Barnes Park in Monterey Park, California on Saturday, January 17 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm for Resiliency Day, a day of community renewal, remembrance and hope.

Resiliency Day commemorates that January incident (2023 Monterey Park shooting) while promoting strength and healing through community connection.

At this FREE event, attendees of all ages can enjoy music and live performances and connect with other community members through activities, including:

• meditative poetry,
• taiko drumming,
• tai chi, and
• karaoke.

 

突发事件英文新闻解析——洛杉矶华裔社区枪击案 - 知乎

Programs like the meditative poetry writing and music therapy offer opportunities for contemplation and creativity.

For those seeking information and support, the Resiliency Fair allows attendees to talk one-on-one with community organizations working in mental health, physical health, and social services.

The day also offers a range of engaging activities for children including crafts, bubbles, and sensory play.

Over 30 community organizations will be in attendance to provide activities and information.

Resiliency Day is hosted by the City of Monterey Park with the support of Chinatown Service Center. For more information, please contact: Recreation and Community Services at (626) 307-1388. More: montereypark.ca.gov/1709/Monterey-Park-Resiliency-Day

• Barnes Park
• Monterey Park | Facebook
• 350 S. McPherrin Ave.,
• Monterey Park, CA 91754
• For Monterey Park’s Shooting Survivors, A Place To Mend The Mind And Spirit | LAist
• MontereyPark.ca.gov; CC Liu, Crystal Quintero, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Thai Buddhist Temple Tour, LA (5/17)

Azusa Thai Buddhist Temple Tour

What used to be rural became suburban: DIMC

Explore the Los Angeles County City of Azusa's history through the historic MacNeil House. Visit the Thai temple and meditation center preserving its cultural heritage.

The Buddhist temple is called the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center (USA), and the tour is:

• Saturday, May 17, 3:00-4:00 pm (PDT)
• Dhammakaya Int'l Meditation Center
• 865 E. Monrovia Place
• Azusa, Los Angeles, California 91702
• By donation.

This exists in Los Angeles, in the United States?

ABOUT: The Azusa Thai Temple Tour lasts one hour. Dhammakaya is a Thai Theravada Buddhist temple and meditation center in Azusa, nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Come immerse in the serene atmosphere of this retreat from the city and explore the preserved 20th century architecture of Old Azusa, back when the city used to be a citrus grove.

The meditation center sits on the property of The MacNeil House, a beautiful historic landmark built in 1932 by Louise Slauson MacNeil, the daughter of Azusa Founder Jonathan Sayre Slauson.

Dhammakaya meditation is a special technique near the navel

Dhammakaya main hall, Azusa, SGV, LA

From this home, Slauson operated the Azusa Foothill Ranch, a citrus farm that was a key regional orange producer from 1910-1946. The building is designed in the Italian Renaissance style with ornate upper roof balustrades.

Quoins on the edge of the building’s adjacent wings mimic stone building techniques that were used in ancient Rome. The multi-paned grille windows in the middle of the mansion are designed in the Colonial Revival style popular in 1932.

In 1947, the Jesuit Order of the Society of Jesus took ownership of the estate and established the Manresa Retreat center on the grounds.

Since 1997, the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center has been honored to play a role in preserving this cultural and historical landmark of Azusa, California.

Secular Peace Point Meditation at DIMC

During the tour, participants will have the opportunity to learn about Dhammakaya's meditation technique, which promotes inner peace and tranquility. Get to experience its relaxing benefits in a short meditation session.

Friendly guides will share fascinating insights into Thai culture and Theravada Buddhism, providing a unique cultural experience.

Stroll through the peaceful gardens and enjoy the tranquil ambiance.

Schedule

• 3:00 pm - Introduction to the history of the Center
• 3:15 pm - Walking tour of the historical MacNeil House building
• 3:25 pm - Visit the main meditation hall, rose garden, retreat grounds
• 3:40 pm - Short meditation session in the MacNeil House Library
• 3:50 pm - Refreshments in the dining hall
• 4:00 pm - Departure to return again soon

Questions? Contact DIMC at (626) 334-2160. For more information, check out website at dimc.info. For secular meditation classes, visit Peace Point Meditation. More: Eventbrite

• Azusa Thai Temple Tour Tickets, Sat, May 17, 2025 at 3:00 PM | Eventbrite; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

LA County (SEIU Union) workers on strike

Meet the DOGE layoff victims that Elon Musk deemed wasteful | Desi Lydic | The Daily Show

(KTLA 5 News, Los Angeles, 4/29/25) Over 55,000 L.A. County workers go on strike

Over 55,000 L.A. County workers go on strike

(KTLA 5) April 29, 2025: It's not just federal workers being booted into unemployment. Los Angeles COUNTY employees aren't making enough to keep up with inflation (or Trumpflation as one might call it). So they are on strike, as LA pays $4 billion in child rape and sexual abuse settlement costs from abusing so many children in its care Tens of thousands of workers employed by Los Angeles County continued striking Tuesday, consequently disrupting some public services. The members of labor union SEIU 721 walked off their jobs after 7:00 pm Monday in an effort to negotiate for a new and fairer contract with the county. KTLA's Rachel Menitoff reports on April 29, 2025. Details: ktla.com/news/local-news/abou...

LA's Tongva Tribe and the Eaton Fire

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(lafirejustice.com)

A community conversation featuring prominent Tongva (Kizh, Gabrieleno) tribal members will take place on April 23, 2025, to foster understanding and solidarity with indigenous communities in Altadena, a burned-out community in the foothills of Los Angeles County.

• Panel was live streamed, but event is not listed in the Altadena Library Calendar of Events; it will be posted if available.
• Tongva leaders to share cultural knowledge at community dialogue (Altadena-Now)

The “Let’s Talk, Let’s Listen Community Series: Conversation with Tongva Women” event will bring together indigenous leaders to discuss tribal history, land rights, and recovery efforts following the Eaton Fire.

The dialogue is on Wednesday, April 23, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Altadena Library, located at 600 E. Mariposa St. in Altadena. It is free to attend.

The event features two distinguished panelists from the Gabrieleno Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, daughter Samantha MJ Yang, an indigenous scientist and cultural preservationist, and mother Kimberly Morales Johnson, tribal secretary and Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian commissioner.

From the Ground Up: How Tongva traditions utilize California native plants

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Tongva Joan of Arc of California: Toypurina

John Williams, executive director of The Center for Restorative Justice (formerly the Center for Racial Reconciliation), moderates the discussion. Williams brings decades of experience creating what he describes as “a soft place for hard conversations” where individuals and communities can explore “the multifaceted and destructive narratives of race and racism within the American context with the hope of authentic reconciliation.” More:

• Tongva Leaders to Share Cultural Knowledge at Community Dialogue (Pasadena Now)
  

(Altadena Now) ...The event is organized by several community organizations, including Pasadenans Organizing for Progress (POP!), the Pasadena Community Job Center, the Clergy Community Coalition, and The Center for Restorative Justice.

This conversation continues the work of addressing historical injustices while building more equitable futures for indigenous communities in Southern California, particularly in light of recent challenges like the Eaton Fire. More

• 2025 Eaton Fire Emergency Resources — Altadena Library District
• Tongva.land
• POP PASADENANS - Home
• Pasadena Community Job Center
• Altadena Library on YouTube
• Altadena Revealed: Reflections of People & Place (#2 The History and Legacy of Altadena's Black Community with speakers Steven McCall, Carrie Chasteen, and Veronica Jones, Friday, April 25, 7:00-9:00 pm, Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St., $10 donation requested)
• Gabrielino/Tongva Nation: First Aboriginal People of Los Angeles
• Tongva at Altadena Library
• California Trial Lawyers | Bridgford Law
• Pasadena Now, April 18, 2025; Dhr. Seven, Xochitl, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly