Vesak Month 2026: A Month-Long Celebration of the Buddha | Buddhism.net One day isn’t enough to honor the Enlightened One. While Vesak Day falls on May 31, 2026 [the second full moon of the month on the Gregorian calendar], we’re celebrating at Buddhism.net all month long, with five special episodes of "Vibe with Venerables." Join our global community throughout May to commemorate the Buddha’s birth, great enlightenment, and final nirvana, featuring five special "Vibe with Venerables" episodes. Three leading Buddhist masters -- Bhante Buddharakkhita (Theravada), Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche (Vajrayana), and Roshi Joan Halifax (Zen) -- will host sessions on the Buddha, alongside two joint sessions with Pali canon sutra experts Bhante Sujato and Venerable Canda. Register
Vesak (Mahamevnawa Meditation Center, North of England)Namo Buddhaya! Commemorating the sacred threefold anniversary of our Great Teacher, the Supremely Enlightened Buddha, Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery, Liverpool, proudly presents a Glorious Vesak Festival 2026 for the 4th consecutive year. We warmly invite all to witness the splendor of Vesak and gather merit. The festival will be held with great devotion at the Liverpool Mahamevnawa Monastery premises on: May 15, 16, and 17, 2026.
Get ready for change! The Vesak (Wesak) Full Moon Festival of Lights 2026 ignites
(WTC) As we are now experiencing the Full Moon of Scorpio on May 1, 2026, it brings with it the ability to step into a transformative energy that allows us to expand more deeply into a new phase of a divine plan. Self comes into focus.
This means that the alignment of Cosmic energies are opening up so that each individual can enter more deeply into the shadow of self and allow for deeper healing to occur within the body's full system (physical-etheric-emotional-mental).
While that may seem like so much “esoteric verbiage,” it carries with it a very real-world shift in what is occurring in terms of our spiritual potential.
The moon in Scorpio can be intensely emotionally challenging each year, as it is a time of deep reflection that allows for an opening of the subconscious mind into a state of purity. This is a rare occasion for humanity to allow for reflection. Doing so can cause emotional upheavals and challenges to occur.
For most of us it is difficult to realize that there are elements in our reality that no longer are working... More: walkingterrachrista.com
Man is supreme—One is one's refuge—Responsibility—Doubt—Freedom of Thought—Tolerance—Is Buddhism Religion or Philosophy?—Truth has no label—No blind faith or belief, but seeing and understanding—No attachment even to Truth—Parable of the raft—Imaginary speculations useless—Practical attitude—Parable of the wounded man 1
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
CHAPTER II
The First Noble Truth: Dukkha
Buddhism neither pessimistic nor optimistic, but realistic—Meaning of 'Dukkha'—Three aspects of experience—Three aspects of 'Dukkha'—What is a 'being'?—Five Aggregates—No spirit opposed to matter—Flux—Thinker and Thought—Has life a beginning? 16
CHAPTER III
The Second Noble Truth: Samudaya: 'The Arising of Dukkha'—Definition—Four Nutriments—Root cause of suffering and continuity Nature of arising and cessation—Karma and Rebirth—What is death?—What is rebirth? 29
CHAPTER IV
The Third Noble Truth: Nirodha: 'The Cessation of Dukkha'—What is Nirvana?—Language and Absolute Truth—Definitions of Nirvana Nirvana not negative—Nirvana as Absolute Truth—What is Absolute Truth?—Truth is not negative—Nirvana and Samsara—Nirvana not a result—What is there after Nirvana?—Incorrect expressions—What happens to an Arahant after death?—If no Self, who realizes Nirvana?—Nirvana in this life 35
CHAPTER V
The Fourth Noble Truth: Magga: 'The Path'
Middle Path or Noble Eightfold Path—Compassion and Wisdom—Ethical Conduct—Mental Discipline—Wisdom—Two sorts of Understanding—Four Functions regarding the Four Noble Truths 45
CHAPTER VI
The Doctrine of No-Soul: Anatta
What is Soul or Self?—God and Soul: Self protection and Self-preservation—Teaching 'Against the Current'—Analytical and Synthetical methods—Conditioned Genesis—Question of Free-will—Two kinds of Truths—Some erroneous views—The Buddha definitely denies 'Atman'—The Buddha's silence—The idea of Self a vague impression—Correct attitude—If no Self, who gets the result of Karma?—Doctrine of Anatta not negative 51
CHAPTER VII
'Meditation' or Mental Culture: Bhavana
Erroneous views—Meditation is no escape from life—Two forms of Meditation—The Setting-up of Mindfulness—'Meditation' on breathing—Mindfulness of activities—Living in the present moment—'Meditation' on Sensations—on Mind—on Ethical, Spiritual and Intellectual subjects 67
CHAPTER VIII
What the Buddha Taught and the World Today
Erroneous views—Buddhism for all—In daily life—Family and social life—Lay life held in high esteem—How to become a Buddhist—Social and economic problems—Poverty: cause of crime—Material and spiritual progress—Four kinds of happiness for laymen—On politics, war and peace—Non-violence—The ten duties of a ruler—The Buddha's Message—Is it practical?—Asoka's Example-The Aim of Buddhism 76
SELECTED TEXTS
Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta) 92
The Fire Sermon (Adittapariyaya Sutta) 95
Universal Love (Metta Sutta) 97
Blessings (Mangala Sutta) 98
Getting rid of All Cares and Troubles (Sabbasava Sutta) 99
The Parable of the Piece of Cloth (Vatthupama Sutta) 106
The Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta) 109
Advice to Sigala (Sigalovada Sutta) 119
The Words of Truth (Dhammapada) 125
The Last Words of the Buddha (from the Mahaparinibbana Sutta) 136
John D. Ireland, § 106. "With Brahma" (Itivuttaka 4.7; Iti 109); Wisdom Quarterly
Perhaps the average American family falls short of the ideal explained to Sigala below.
Rahula, Yasodhara, and Siddhartha
This was said by the Buddha... "Living with Brahma [the supreme] are those families where, within the home, mother
and father are respected by their children. Living with the early devas
are those families where, within the home, mother and father are
respected by their children.
"Living with the early teachers are those
families where, within the home, mother and father are respected by
their children. Living with those worthy of veneration are those families
where, within the home, mother and father are respected by their
children.
"'Brahma,' disciples, is a term for mother and father. 'Early
devas' and 'early teachers' and 'those worthy of veneration' are terms
for mother and father. For what reason?
"It is because mother and father are
very helpful to their children; they take care of them, bring them up,
and teach them about the world."
Mother and father are called
"Brahma,"
"Early teachers," and "worthy of veneration,"
Being compassionate towards
Their family of children.
Thus the wise venerate them,
Pay them due honor,
Provide them with food and drink,
Give them clothing and a bed,
Anoint and bathe them
And also wash their feet.
When one performs such service
For mother and father,
They praise that wise person even here
And hereafter that person rejoices in heaven.
The East: Life Begins with Parents' Care
Excerpt, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly translation (Sigalovada Sutta, DN 31)
I. "In five ways, young householder [Sigala], should a child minister to mother and father as the east:
I shall support them, having formerly been supported by them.
I shall fulfill their obligations when they are no longer able to.
I shall keep up the family tradition.
I shall make myself worthy of my inheritance.
I shall, when they depart, make charitable offerings to benefit them.
"In five ways, young householder, do the parents thus ministered to as the east by their child show their compassion:
They restrain you from doing harm.
They encourage you in what is wholesome.
They provide for your education enabling you to become independent.
They offer you appropriate help in selecting the best marriage possible.
They, at the appropriate time, hand over your inheritance.
"In
these five ways does a child minister to one’s parents as the east, and
the parents show their compassion to that child. Thus is the east
honored and upheld by householders and made safe and secure in the way
of the nobles." More
Thomas (ContemporaryNomad.com) Raised in Alberta, Canada and a Buddhist for many years, she wanted to become a Tibetan nun, renouncing the household life, a life-altering decision made with confidence.
[Ani] Christine is only the second Western Buddhist nun I have ever met. The first nun, whom we met a couple of weeks ago at Dargye Gompa (monastery), was an ascetic, standoffish German woman who had no interest in talking to us.
Ani Christine is different. She would always have a smile on her face and say hi when we passed each other in the hostel. This was my chance to talk to her and satisfy my curiosity about who she was, so I approached her to find out.
I think she was surprised that I came up to her because many people, as she told me later, shied away from talking to her maybe out of fear of asking the wrong questions. I wasn’t afraid and asked all the wrong questions anyway:
She patiently answered my questions with a great deal of humor and did not seem to be insulted at all.
Ani Christine became a nun only two weeks ago. Her excitement about becoming a nun is so contagious that we can’t help but feel completely happy for her. While talking about her past, she eagerly showed us some “before pictures” of herself with long hair and Western clothes taken only a few weeks ago and admitted that she had never had short hair.
She looks totally cute, though, with her buzz cut and her red [Tibetan] nun outfit, which she recently bought in a clothes store catering to nuns and monks. More
Thomas has kept the color confidential. But Wisdom Quarterly posed the same question to Theravada Buddhist monks who follow the ancient monastic tradition. We Americans are uptight Puritans when it comes to asking anything that might be embarassing. But the monks were very relaxed and amused (bemused?) We posed the question this way: "If we ordain, what underwear will we wear, what color?" They smiled, not understanding. "Westerners ask the strangest things," they confided. But we wanted a complete "spirtual makeover." So we pressed on until they laughed and assured us -- "Any kind you want, any color, whatever you need!" We were sad, of course. We were hoping to gird our loins with, I don't know, something that would make us part of the Brotherhood of the traveling robes. You know, ancient saffron wraps that aid meditation and reduce lust. A Hindu yogi later showed us an interesting orange adjustable girding. It looks like a headband. But he laughed when we tried to put it on our heads. It ties like a bikini wrap and can be used for zazen but probably not yoga due to shifting and loosening. Monastics are human and kinder than average folk.
Elephant School (0:2:10) - Assignment Earth Wild elephants in India are still captured and trained just as they were in the time of the Buddha for working in state forests. VIDEO
Image: Thangka of the Jataka Tales, Phajoding Gonpa, Bhutan
The Birth of a Banyan Tree Once upon a time, there was a big banyan tree in the forest beneath the mighty Himalayas. Living near this banyan tree were three very good friends. They were a quail, a monkey, and an elephant. Each of them was quite smart.
But occasionally the three friends got into a disagreement. When this happened, they did not consider the opinion of any one of them to be more valuable. No matter how much experience one had, opinions were treated the same by the others. Having to start from the beginning to reach a solution took them a long time to reach an agreement.
After a while they realized it would save time, and help their friendship, if they could shorten their disagreements. So they decided to consider the most valuable opinion first. Then if they could agree, they would not have to waste time, and possibly become less friendly, by arguing about the other two opinions.
Fortunately, they thought the most valuable opinion was the one based on the most experience. Therefore, they could live together even more peacefully if they gave higher respect to the oldest among them. Only if that one's opinion were clearly wrong, would they need to consider others.
Unfortunately, the elephant and the monkey and the quail had no idea which one was the oldest, because this was a time before age was respected. So they had had no reason to remember their birthdays or record their ages. Then one day, while they were relaxing in the shade of the big banyan tree, the quail and the monkey asked the elephant, "As far back as you can remember, what was the size of this banyan tree?"
The elephant replied, "I remember this tree for a very long time. When I was just a little baby, I used to scratch my belly by rubbing it over the tender shoots on top of this banyan tree."
Then the monkey said, "When I was a curious baby monkey, I used to sit and examine the little seedling banyan. Sometimes I used to bend over and nibble its top tender leaves."
The monkey and the elephant asked the quail, "As far back as you can remember, what was the size of this banyan tree?"
The quail said, "When I was young, I was looking for food in a nearby forest. In that forest, there was a big old banyan tree, which was full of ripe berries. I ate some of those berries, and the next day I was standing right here. This was where I let my droppings fall, and the seeds they contained grew up to be this very tree!"
The monkey and the elephant said, "Aha! Sir quail, you must be the oldest! You deserve our respect and honor. From now on we will pay close attention to your words. Based on your wisdom and experience, advise us when we make mistakes. When there are disagreements, we will give the highest place to your opinion. We ask only that you be honest and just."
The quail replied, "I thank you for your respect, and I promise to always do my best to deserve it." Then the Buddha revealed the characters in this story. He himself, as the Bodhisatta, was the wise quail striving through rebirth for perfect enlightenment. And the moral to the story is: "Respect for the wisdom of elders leads to harmony."
Bhikkhu Buddharakkhita was born in Uganda (East Africa). He learned from various masters in India, Burma, and the US and was ordained in 2002 by the late Burmese master Sayadaw U Silananda. In 2005, he founded the first Buddhist Center in Uganda in Kampala, Uganda. He has been a resident monk at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia. Ven. Buddharakkhita is the first African monk to open a temple on the continent of Africa. There are other temples in Africa, but all of them were opened by Asian, European, and American teachers.
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While that may seem like so much “esoteric verbiage,” it carries with it a very real-world shift in what is occurring in terms of our spiritual potential.
