Narrow is a Fragile Heart: Western nun

Episode 62: A Narrow Heart is a Fragile Heart | How to Stop Feeling So Alone

 

(Handful OfLeaves) Handful of Leaves Podcast. Support British Bhutanese Vajrayana Buddhist nun Ani Pema Deki's charity fundraiser: openingyourhearttobhutan.com.

• Buddhism in Bhutan

"Opening Your Heart to Bhutan" is a registered UK charity, whose work is providing education, medicine, and shelter to children facing the greatest challenges in Bhutan.

In this episode, Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade) — a former London investment banker who left after a near-death experience in Jakarta (Indonesia) to ordain as a Buddhist nun high in the Himalayas of Bhutan — explores what it means to widen the heart and become truly unbreakable.

She contrasts fleeting, manufactured happiness with the effortless joy that arises from practice, explains how small acts of kindness build resilience, and reflects on faith, karma, and why some people in Bhutan seem less vulnerable to life's ups and downs.

Perfect for listeners curious about practical spirituality, courage, and living with greater purpose.

Key Takeaways:

• 🧭 Choose Liberation, Not Comfort — Why training the mind matters, and how practice aims for freedom from samsara rather than temporary ease.
• 💫 Real Joy vs. Manufactured Bliss — The difference between practice-born joy (stable, effortless) and short-lived worldly pleasures.
• 🤝 Small Acts, Big Heart — Two-minute kindnesses, widening our circle of care, and the role of faith/teacher in sustaining practice.

⏱Timestamps:

• (00:00) – Introduction to Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade), former banker turned Buddhist nun
• (01:00) – The challenge of practicing Dharma in a busy modern life
• (02:31) – Are we seeking comfort in samsara or liberation?
• (02:51) – What happiness really means from a Buddhist perspective
• (03:40) – Joy and bliss: natural results of Dharma practice vs. worldly joy
• (05:28) – Reflections on Bhutan and why happiness can’t be measured easily
• (06:20) – Mental resilience and faith in Bhutanese life
• (07:17) – Small daily acts of kindness in a busy life
• (07:53) – Expanding motivation beyond yourself and loved ones
• (08:52) – Why bother about anyone else besides your loved ones?
• (09:20) – Why widening your heart supports resilience
• (10:24) – The Bodhisattva path: stretching beyond your comfort zone
• (11:14) – How British Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade) became a Buddhist and later a Buddhist nun
• (11:40) – Meeting her teacher in Bhutan
• (12:24) – Moments of clarity and deep spiritual connection
• (14:27) – Karma and how Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade)’s path ripened in Bhutan
• (15:18) – Sneak preview of Part 2

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: 👤 Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Venerable Emma Slade) was born in Kent, England, and was educated at Cambridge University and the University of London, where she gained a First-Class degree. She is a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and worked in Fund Management in London, New York, and Hong Kong. A deep-seated yearning to enquire into the deeper aspects of humanity arose following a life-changing business trip to Jakarta, where she was held hostage at gunpoint. She resigned from her financial career and began exploring yoga and meditation and methods of wellbeing with the ultimate aim of turning a traumatic episode into wisdom and conditions for thriving. She qualified as a British Wheel of Yoga teacher in 2003 and, over the last 19 years, has run numerous yoga workshops and retreats. ​ Her interest in Buddhism as a science of the mind strengthened after meeting a Buddhist lama (teacher) on her first visit to Bhutan in 2011.

This crucial chance meeting led to her studying Buddhism with this lama and, eventually, led to her becoming the first and only Western woman to be ordained in the last Himalayan [Buddhist] Kingdom of Bhutan as a Buddhist nun. #OpeningYourHeart #BuddhistWisdom #MindfulLiving #FaithAndPractice

• 📄 Transcript: bit.ly/hol-ep-62

Resources:

• Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade) website: emmaslade.com
• Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade) charity fundraiser: openingyourhearttobhutan.com

Special thanks to 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

• 🙏 Become a sponsor: handfulofleaves.life/support

🎬 Editor: Hong Jiayi ✍️ Transcribers: Cheryl Cheah, Tan Si Jing, Bernice Bay 🎨 Visuals and Sound: Anton Thorne, Tan Pei Shan, Ang You Shan 📱 Get connected: Telegram: bit.ly/hol-telegram. Instagram: bit.ly/hol-instagram-podcast. Facebook bit.ly/hol-facebook-podcast. Spotify spoti.fi/3w2jfQ1.

• Handful OfLeaves, Sept. 23, 2025; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen B. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly, orig. 12/19/25

The Buddhist Dark Night of the 'Soul'

(Buddha's Wisdom) Breakdown or breakthrough.

• Catholic/Christian mystics understand, “To get your breakthrough, sometimes God needs to break you.”
• Dark Night of the Soul: What it is and how to move through it

Dark Night of the Soul

The Dark Night of the Soul (Spanish La noche oscura del alma) is a phase of passive purification in the mystical development of an individual's spirit, according to the 16th-century Spanish mystic and Catholic poet St. John of the Cross.

St. John describes the concept in his treatise Dark Night (Noche Oscura), commenting on his poem of the same name.

John of the Cross, 1656

It follows after the second phase, the illumination in which God's presence is felt, but this presence is not yet stable.

The author himself did not give any title to his poem, which together with this commentary and the Ascent of Mount Carmel (Subida del Monte Carmelo) forms a treatise on the active and passive purification of the senses and the spirit, leading to mystical union [1] or "yoga" through samadhi.

El Greco "View of Toledo" (Google Art Project)

In modern times, the phrase "dark night of the soul" has become a popular phrase to describe a crisis of faith or a difficult and painful period in one's life.

The poem

Dating and subject: The poem of St. John of the Cross, in eight stanzas of five lines each, narrates the journey of the individual (soul, personality, persona, ego, self, spirit) to mystical union with God or the Godhead (Brahman). More

The Dark Night of the Soul

By St. John of the Cross

Dark Night of the Soul (by ogipavkovic on DeviantArt)

I. In a dark night,

With anxious love inflamed,

O, happy lot!

Forth unobserved I went,

My house being now at rest.

II. In darkness and in safety,

By the secret ladder, disguised,

O, happy lot!

In darkness and concealment,

My house being now at rest.

III. In that happy night,

In secret, seen of none,

Seeing nought myself,

Without other light or guide

Save that which in my heart was burning.

IV. That light guided me

More surely than the noonday sun

To the place where He was waiting for me,

Whom I knew well,

And where none appeared.

V. O, guiding night;

O, night more lovely than the dawn;

O, night that hast united

The lover with His beloved,

And changed her into her love.

VI. On my flowery bosom,

Kept whole for Him alone,

There He reposed and slept;

And I cherished Him, and the waving

Of the cedars fanned Him.

VII. As His hair floated in the breeze

That from the turret blew,

He struck me on the neck

With His gentle hand,

And all sensation left me.

VIII. I continued in oblivion lost,

My head was resting on my love;

Lost to all things and myself,

And, amid the lilies forgotten,

Threw all my cares away. Source

• The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (Douglas Adams)

Why Zen monks never "fight" bad habits

Why Japanese monks never fight bad habits

You seem so happy. Do you have any problems?

(KODEN OBSCURE) May 26, 2026: Zen Wisdom: Been struggling to break a bad habit for years and feel like it's losing battle using willpower?

Many of us are fighting a war we were never meant to wage. In this video, we explore a profound piece of wisdom from the Japanese monastic tradition: Zen monks never fight their habits.

Instead of using force, they use intelligent design. Discover the five unusual and quiet methods used in Zen monasteries to redirect energy, change environments, design time, and observe urges without judgment.

Learn why treating our mind with patience rather than going to war with it is the ultimate secret to lasting freedom. What this video covers: 

• Why willpower almost always fails in the long run
• The "replacement gesture" and how to redirect energy
• How breaking the spatial anchor of a room can instantly stop an urge
• The danger of "empty time" and how monks structure their day
• Why harsh self-judgment actually feeds our bad habits.

CHAPTERS

• 0:00 The monk who couldn't break a habit
• 1:29 The secret monastic view of habits
• 3:01 Method 1: The replacement gesture
• 4:10 Method 2: Breaking the spatial anchor
• 5:29 Method 3: Eliminating undesigned time
• 6:50 Method 4: The practice of conscious permission
• 8:15 Method 5: Escaping the loop of self-judgment
• 9:37 - Why fighting keeps the habit alive
• 10:29 - Wrestling the shadow (a Zen metaphor)
• 11:37 - How to finally become free.

Make sure to subscribe for more insights on Eastern philosophy, mindfulness, and personal mastery. #zenwisdom #breakbadhabits #japanesephilosophy #mindfulness #selfimprovement how to break bad habits, Japanese philosophy, Zen monk teachings, habit replacement, stop using willpower, Zen monastery secrets, overcome bad habits, personal growth, self improvement, mindfulness practices, replace bad habits, Zen habits, Eastern philosophy, mental health, how to stop overthinking, discipline, atomic habits, dopamine detox, Buddhist philosophy, master the mind

COLD: Walk for Peace (Buddha's Wisdom)

(WRAL) Walk for Peace in NC: Raliegh residents brave cold to see monks

Why millions crying watching Aloka and 19 monks | Truth moves America

As protests [against Dictator Trump] turn violent, Buddhist monks walk together for peace

120 DAYS. 2,300 MILES. ONE MEAL. BUDDHIST MONKS' WALK FOR PEACE changing AMERICA

(Buddha's Wisdom) Jan. 22, 2026: 🙏 THEY WALK PEACEFULLY WHILE THE WORLD KEEPS FIGHTING.

In October 2025, twenty Theravada Buddhist monks began the Walk for Peace, a 120-day barefoot pilgrimage from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, DC.

Buddhist 'Walk for Peace': Doctor of anthropology shares insights

Jesus was Buddhist monk

Walking in noble silence, carrying nothing but robes and alms bowls, depending entirely on strangers for food and shelter, these Theravāda monks (bhikkhus) are practicing a 2,600-year-old tradition on modern American highways.

As of January 2026, they're passing through the Carolinas, approaching their destination at the U.S. Capitol on February 13th, 2026.

This is not a protest, not a march, but an ancient Buddhist practice brought into the modern world.

DISCOVER

• Why Buddhist monks are walking 2,300 miles in silence while the world keeps fighting
• How this pilgrimage traces back to the historical Buddha’s original way of life
• The ancient sane ascetic practices (dhutaṅgas) these monks follow (one meal per day, sleeping outdoors, walking barefoot)
• How Aloka, their rescue dog, became a viral symbol when he needed surgery in Charlotte, NC
• The deeper meaning of dāna (sharing, non-clinging, letting go, generosity) in a divided society
• Why this walk matters now as U.S. war, political tension, and global unrest escalate

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 Two Symbols of Peace
• 01:49 The Monastery That Moves
• 08:37 The Teacher Who Never Stopped Moving
• 12:23 Walking Through Fire
• 16:13 Two Symbols
• 19:30 What Peace Becomes

FOLLOW, SUPPORT WALK FOR PEACE 🌍

• Social media:
• Facebook (walkforpeaceusa)
• Instagram (Walk): walkforpeace.usa
• Instagram (Aloka): alokathepeacedog
• Track The Journey:
• Overview map: walkforpeace.short.gy/overview...
• Live tracker: walkforpeace.short.gy/live-map
• Updates and info (official blog): dhammacetiya.com

☕ Support channel: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom 🙏 First time here? Buddha’s Wisdom explores timeless Buddhist teachings and their relevance to modern life but in this case makes an exception for an extraordinary current event. This is happening now.

📱 Join community: Instagram (buddhaswizdom), Facebook (buddhaswizdom), X (x.com/BuddhasWizdom), Spotify (open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5...), TikTok (buddhas.wisdom). Subscribe for weekly videos on mindfulness, meditation, and conscious living grounded in authentic sources.

#WalkForPeace, #BuddhistMonks, #TheravadaBuddhism, #Pilgrimage, #PeaceWalk, #BuddhistTeachings, #NobleEightfoldPath, #Mindfulness, #Compassion, #ModernBuddhism, #America2026, #SpiritualJourney, #Dhutanga, #buddhistpractices

Hiking far from the maddening crowd

Mindful Breathing, Four Elements

Sometimes it's enough. Sometimes one needs to get away, faraway, far from the maddening crowd, Dharma Bums in search of enlightenment. On return to the U.S., it's straight to Dharma Bum Temple in Southern California.

Imagine wandering in ancient India (Buddhist Emperor Ashoka's Great Bharat) in search of peace and a permanent end to ALL further suffering (disappointment, lack of fulfillment, ill, woe, misery).

Wandering like one lost, suddenly one is not lost. One is a wandering ascetic, a shramana (shaman), on a spiritual quest for stillness and wisdom (samadhi and panna). Going about from village to village in search of alms, like a deer that lists where it may, one stumbles on Thimmappana Betta Twin rocks.

• The ultimate origin of Sanskrit sramana (Buddhist Pali samaṇa) may be the Evenki language word сама̄н (samān) "shaman," possibly via Middle Chinese or Tocharian B; however, the etymology of this word, which is also found in other Tungusic languages, is controversial (see Shamanism § Etymology).
• A wandering ascetic (Buddhist monastic) has three pursuits: training in the higher virtue, higher thought, and higher insight. One must follow these pursuits keenly, otherwise, it is said, one's presence in the Buddha's Monastic Order (Sangha) will be like that of an ass in a herd of cattle (A.i.229).
• A samana (or shramana) is a person "who labors, toils, or exerts...for some higher or religious purpose" [1][2], "seeker, or ascetic, one who performs acts of austerity" [3][4][5][6]. The term in early Vedic literature is predominantly used as an epithet for seers (rishis) with reference to śrama associated with ritual exertion.
• The term in [pre-Hindu] Vedic (and subsequently Hindu) texts does not express non-Vedic connotations found in post-Vedic Buddhist and Jain canonical texts [7].
• During its later semantic development, the term came to refer to non-Brahmanical ascetic movements parallel to but separate from the old Vedic religion [4][5][8].
• The śramaṇa tradition includes Buddhism [10], Jainism [9], and others.
• In this Noble Sangha (attained spiritual community) four kinds of monastic are to be found: stream-enterers (sotāpannas), once-returners (sakadāgāmins), non-returners (anāgāmins), and full-enlightened ones (arahants). These are not to be found among the followers of other dharmas, contrary teachings (Samana Sutta, A.ii.238).
• The Samana Sutta (A.iv.340) covers the different names by which a Tathāgata ("Wayfarer," the word the Buddha chose in referring to himself) is known.
• (Descriptions derived from the Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, Samana Sutta, by G. P. Malalasekera, Pali Text Society, London edited for Wisdom Quarterly by Dhr. Seven)

(All Trails) It's an easy hike to Thimmappana Betta Twin rocks in Ramanagara, Karnataka, India.

DIRECTIONS

The trail to Thimmappana Betta Twin rocks is only 0.6 miles long with a 91-foot elevation gain. It will take 30 to 60 minutes to arrive. The Twin Rocks near it are one of the popular tourist destinations in Kuttagallu.

Spectacular views make up the landscapes of this location, which are green with a bit of a rocky outcrop. Along with being green, this location is diverse as well and is home to various species of flora and fauna.

The trailhead rests by Bettada Kalyani at Kuttagallu and can be reached via various transportation options, such as taxi, cab, private vehicle, or foot.

TOP SIGHTS

Thimmappana Betta peak, Chakrateertha Pond. Twin Rocks. Expect some pesky mosquitos along the trail. It may even rain. It is not crowded. The best time to go is after summer and before monsoon season. Parking: Free, small lot. More

How shall we meditate when we get there?

Standing in the face of adversity

"Meditators, there are five types of warriors found existing in the world. What are these five?

"There is a warrior who, on seeing a cloud of dust [stirred up by an enemy army], falters, faints, does not steel oneself, cannot engage in battle. This is the first type of warrior found existing in the world. More

• SUTRA: How the Buddha's 'warriors' practice

'Buddhist Lent' ends w/ Kathina (10/25-26)

FREE. All welcome. (N. Hollywood)

For the entire month following the Rains Retreat or Vassa, the super meritorious Kathina ceremony is performed at Theravada Buddhist temples (viharas) across Buddhist countries. Los Angeles has countless Buddhist temples from all parts of the world -- on par with the most concentrated number of different Buddhist temples on earth, Bodh Gaya ("Enlightenment Grove"), Bihar, India. But that is an anomaly with spiritual embassies sent from around the Buddhist world (Buddhadom) and only tiny communities to look after them or receive visitors during the high season when weather allows. Los Angeles, however, has Buddhist communities from all over the world and not all of them with their own temples yet built. This week, beginning Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, the Sarathchandra Buddhist Vihara of North Hollywood, has all night paritta chanting. This is with its Mexican American monk (bhikkhu), Ven. Los Angeles Sanatha Vihari Bhikkhu. Their larger Kathina ceremony is on Sunday, with hundreds in attendance, providing free food and dana (charitable support) to the resident and visiting Theravada Buddhist monks. FREE. Wear white as is the Sri Lankan island custom. Lunch and refreshments served. There is also a big Burmese celebration in the San Gabriel Valley on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025:

Burmese Theravada tradition: Pa Auk Tawya, L.A.

The most meritorious giving for lay Buddhists

Buddhism and dana made it to ancient Greece in Gandhara, Bactria, and other outposts.

.

Kathina is a Theravada Buddhist festival that comes at the end of the Rains Retreat or "Buddhist Lent" (Vas or Vassa), the three-month rainy season intensive practice period for Theravada Buddhists in South and Southeast Asia:

• Burma (Myanmar)
• Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
• Thailand (Siam)
• India
• Bangladesh (where it is known as Kaṭhina Cībar Dān)
• Cambodia
• Laos
• Vietnam
• Malaysia
• Singapore [2][3].

The Rainy Season during which a monastery may hold its culminating Kathina ceremony is one month long, beginning after the full moon of the 11th month on the Lunar calendar (usually October).

(DIMC) Kathina Chairperson Joy Muriel, Dhammakaya, Thailand

It is a time of practicing letting go, generosity, giving, sharing (dana, donating), a time for lay Buddhists to express gratitude and support to Buddhist monastics (bhikkhus and bhikkhunis) [4][5].

Lay practitioners bring donations (requisites such as robes, food, medicines, necessities) to Buddhist monasteries, nunneries, and temples, especially premade new robes or cotton cloth and dyes for monastics to sew new patchwork robes.

(Global Buddhist Stories) Kathina: A Story About Buddhist Robes

The gift of the Eight Requisites [6] (aṭṭha parikkhārā or atapirikara in Sri Lanka) is also part of the offerings [2][4][5].

Origins at the time of the Buddha

Kaṭhina (also Kaṭina) is a Pali word referring to the sturdy wooden frame used to measure the length and width by which Buddhist monastic robes are cut [7].

(Sravasti Abbey) The significance of the Kathina ceremony, 2016

As the legend goes, 30 monks were journeying with the intention of spending the Rains (Vassa) with the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) [2]. However, the Rains began before they reached their destination and they had to stop at Saketa [2][8].

According to the Buddha's guidelines for Vassa, mendicant (wandering ascetic) monastics should not travel during the rainy season, as this may cause unintentionally harm to crops and insects during the journey [9]. This is an ancient custom that preceded the Buddha but to which the Buddha agreed.

(Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary) Westerner Ven. Ariyadhammika

SBS: Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia

Rains Retreat schedule 2025 (LABV)

As such, wandering Buddhist monastics had to stop [2][8]. They passed their time together without conflict, intensively practicing the Dhamma (the Buddha's Teachings). So afterwards, the Buddha rewarded them by demonstrating a way to practice sharing and generosity.

A lay Buddhist disciple had previously donated pieces of cotton cloth to the Buddha, so he gave these pieces to the group of monks and told them to make it into a sturdy outer robe then offer it as a gift to the one of them who had practiced most in line with the monastic rules.

The frame, called the Kathina, was used to hold those pieces while they were being made into one robe [2][8]. This ancient tradition continues to this day in Theravada monasteries and nunneries around the world. More

• Kathina Ceremony Oct. 18-19, 2025
• All-night paritta chanting on 18th
• Food, festivities, and procession on 19th
• Mindfulness Meditation Center
• (626) 731-8105
• Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara (LABV)
• 1023 N. Glendora Ave., Covina, CA 91724

• The Kathina Ceremony 2010: Scoop (DMC TV, Thailand)
• Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Bangkok, Thailand
• Lễ đón nhận y Kathina do Nhà vua Thái Lan dâng cúng| Giác Ngộ Online (Vietnam)
• Buddhism Reflections; DIMC; Buddhist Global Stories; Sravasti Abbey; Bhante, Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen B. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Secret to Happiness: 48-hr Buddhist monk

48 hours with the Theravada Buddhist monks who guard the secret of happiness 🇱🇦

(Project Happiness) Sept. 15, 2025: What if happiness weren’t something to chase…but something to let go of?

What do SE Asian Theravada monastics do?

For two days I lived closely with the Laotian Theravada Buddhist monks of Luang Prabang—following them at dawn barefoot through the city streets, sharing mindfully silent meals, listening to their chants and prayers, and trying to understand what being truly happy means for those who have chosen a life of very little yet full of meaning.

I spoke with the novices (samaneras), meditated in the temple, and met Obee, a young monk (bhikkhu) who speaks English and has chosen to open up to the world to share, with simplicity and kindness, the essence of the Buddha’s Theravada Teachings (Dhamma).

This isn’t just a spiritual reportage. It’s a journey into another way of living, where every gesture is a choice and every moment of silence is rich with meaning.

• The Earthing Movie: barefoot grounding

🙏 Thanks to all the monks of Luang Prabang for welcoming us, to Brother Obee for words that linger, and to Oliviero Rusconi who, with discretion and heart, opened every door and allowed us to hear these rare, delicate, and wonderful stories.

✨ Subscribe to the channel and travel with us in search of the “formula for happiness” around the world. 📲 Follow on Instagram: progettohappiness. 💌 For collaborations: info@progettohappiness.com. ✪ Members first on Sept. 12, 2025. SPONSOR ☞ Click this link to try NordVPN: nordvpn.com/progettohappiness. Enjoy the video ♥︎

⚡️PROGETTO HAPPINESS TEAM⚡️

• AUTHOR and HOST: Giuseppe Bertuccio D'Angelo • DIRECTORS: Nicola Guaita, Davide Fantuzzi • PRODUCER: Stefano Reposi • EDITING: Gianmarco Garimberti, Sara Pollone • SOUND DESIGN and MIX: Lorenzo Sattin • SOUND DESIGN: Riccardo De Cillis • TRANSLATIONS: Fabrizio Chia • Multilingual dubbing: youdubstudio.com. TRANSCRIPT: Follow along using the transcript. 

ABOUT: Project Happiness INSTAGRAM TIK TOK PATREON LINKEDIN FACEBOOK Grow Worldwide with Multilingual Dubbing Get a Custom Quote Today Grow Worldwide with Multilingual Dubbing Get a Custom Quote Today Secure Every Device You Own with NordVPN 🔐 Get 4 extra months today

Thai monks have sex, get extorted (BBC)

Thai police have arrested a woman who allegedly had sexual relations with monks and then used photos and videos of the acts to extort money from them.

• Buddhist monks have vowed to give up sex while in robes (while ordained) and such a transgression is called a "defeat" offense or parajika, for which there is no remedy. They are disgraced and immediately excommunicated from the Monastic Sangha and can never become monks again in this lifetime. To continue pretending to be a monk is a drastic error -- incredibly bad karma, stealing from donors and shortening the life of the Order on Earth. Having been defeating may be embarrassing or nothing to be proud of, but so long as one immediately disrobes and confesses the offense, one simply returns to lay life. It is because one lingers on in robes, fails to confess, and receives the benefits of monkhood that makes it grave and heavy karma causing one trouble for a long, long time.

The woman, who police are calling "Ms. Golf," had sex with at least nine monks, police said at a press conference on Tuesday. They believe she received around 385 million baht ($11.9m or £8.8m) over the past three years.

Investigators who searched her house found more than 80,000 photos and videos used to blackmail the monks, the police spokesman said.

This scandal is the latest to rock Thailand's much revered Buddhist institution, which in recent years has been plagued with allegations of monks engaging in sex offences and drug trafficking. More:

Thai woman arrested for blackmailing monks after sex with thousands of videos

Invite: Peace Mandala (4/19-20)

INVITATION TO THE PEACE MANDALA

But Jesus stressed inclusiveness and compassion!

The Compassionate Service Society hosts the World Peace Gathering and Peace Mandala on [Hitler's birthday and International Weed Day 4:20] April 20th, 2025, with the goal of bringing comfort and empathy to those suffering. How?

The practice of inner peace unfolds kindness and compassion (metta and karuna) in every heart that participates. California Buddhist monks and nuns are joining in the:

• 

  11 faces of Avalokiteśvara (Tibet)

  Peace Mandala
• Sunday, April 20, 2025
• 4:00 pm-9:00 pm
• Anaheim Convention Center
• 800 W. Katella Avenue
• Anaheim, Orange County 92802
• Registration World Peace
• Discover Peace and Joy | Compassionate Service Society
• Registration to become a temporary Left-Home Monk or Nun – World Peace Gathering (April 10-21, 2025)

White Avalokiteshvara

Participation brings about grace and faith (blessings and confidence) to the community and solace to the untold suffering the world is currently witnessing. Help us bring blessings to ALL.

[We can be the Buddhist Goddess of Compassion Kwan Yin that hears the cries of the world.]

Mandala Program

• 
  4:00-5:00 pm - Purification ceremony
• 5:00-5:30 pm - Refreshments and light dinner
• 5:30-6:00 pm - Line up to enter Mandala
• 6:00-8:00 pm - Peace Mandala
• 8:00-8:59 pm - Monastics receive offerings
• 9:00-9:01 pm - Program ends

Upcoming Events

April 10-April 21 (compassheart.com)

Discover Peace & Joy | Compassionate Service Society | Prayer Plaques and Urns

.

The goddess who hears the cries of the world

Ulan Bator's Gandan Monastery Avalokiteśvara

Tibetan Chenrezig (Kwan Yin), Pelling, Sikkim

In Mahayana Buddhism, the term Ishvara is used as part of the compound Avalokiteśvara ("lord who hears the cries of the world"), the name of a bodhisattva revered for his compassion (who transformed into Goddess Kwan Yin). When referring to the divine feminine, particularly in Shaktism, Ishvari is often used. More

• 300 volunteers needed to help:
• Compassionate Service Society
• (714) 625-8966
• 420 South Brookhurst Street
• Anaheim, Orange County, CA 92804

MandyKahn.com via PRS.org

• Ven. Heng Der, Ven. Heng Chang (compassheart.com); Ven. Karunananda, Bodhi Mission Vihara, LBC; Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly