Vesak Day 2025: celebrations of Buddha
Visitors watch as hot air balloons are launched at Ngawen Temple complex in Muntilan, Central Java, Indonesia Photograph: Devi Rahman/AFP/Getty Images
Dancers perform in the Progo River in Magelang, Central Java, as others release fish in a traditional life-release ritual held on the eve of Vesak Day, in Magelang, Central Java Photograph: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images
Buddhist monks take part in a ritual on Vesak Day in Magelang, Central Java. Photograph: Dwi Oblo/Reuters
A giant thangka, a canvas painting of Buddha, is held up for people to walk under to receive blessings from the Buddha for the coming year, in Ipoh, Malaysia Photograph: Fazry Ismail/EPA
People visit a Pandal, a temporary platform decorated with illuminated panels illustrating episodes from the life of Buddha, in Colombo, Sri Lanka Photograph: Thilina Kaluthotage/Reuters
People pour fragrant water over a statue of Buddha to symbolise inner purification and act as a reminder to clear their minds of negative thoughts, at Tunjungan Plaza in Surabaya, Indonesia Photograph:Thousands of lanterns are released in front of Borobudur Temple, the world's largest Buddhist monument and a Unesco World Heritage Site, in Magelang Photograph: ZUMA Press/Alamy Live News
A monk prays during celebrations organised by the Maha Bodhi Society in Bangalore, India Photograph: Jagadeesh Nv/EPA
Devotees with lotus flowers offer prayers at the Kelaniya Temple Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
A man holds a giant incense stick during celebrations at the Enlightened Heart Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Ipoh, Malaysia Photograph: Fazry Ismail/EPA
Devotees visit the Kelaniya Temple at a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
People light oil lamps as part of their prayers at the Kelaniya Temple Photograph: Thilina Kaluthotage/Reuters
A Buddhist monk walks around the Wat Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani, north of Bangkok Photograph: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images
People gather around a lantern installation in Colombo, Sri Lanka Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
Buddhist monks carry candle lights at a ceremony at the Wat Saket Temple in Bangkok, Thailand Photograph: Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters
A Buddha bathing ritual at the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Singapore Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters
People visit the statue of Gautama Buddha to offer prayers at the Global Vipassana Pagoda, in Mumbai, India Photograph: Divyakant Solanki/EPA
Temples are decorated with flowers, and offerings of food and flowers are given to the monks Photograph: ZUMA Press/Alamy Live News
A woman lights candles at a temple in Denpasar, Bali Photograph: Made Nagi/EPA
A temple volunteer lays out candle offerings at the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Singapore Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters
Buddhist monks pose for a photo after praying at Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java Photograph: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images
A depiction of a reclining Buddha made from electric candles at Wat Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani
Photograph: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images
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The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
For young and Buddhist-curious, a moment of modern mindfulness
New York Zendo Shobo-ji was quiet on a Saturday morning in late June, far removed from the muted hum and chatter that lingers in Lenox Hill, in Upper Manhattan, even on rainy summer days. Inside, a small group of young adults sat zazen as an ordained member of the Triratna order led them through a mindfulness meditation. 'Be aware of the sounds around you, the quality of the air,' the practice leader said. As if on cue, a bird began cooing in the temple's garden. The fact that everyone in attendance was on the younger side was by design: The practice is part of the Young Buddhist Initiative, a program designed to help those age 35 and underexplore Buddhist teachings and meditation — no experience needed. Previous sessions have covered topics such as mindfulness, the three poisons (greed, hatred and delusion, the root mental states that Buddhists say cause human suffering) and the meaning of enlightenment. The initiative is run by the Triratna Buddhist Community of New York and New Jersey, part of the international Triratna Buddhist Community founded in 1967 by Sangharakshita, the British spiritual teacher born as Dennis Lingwood. 'Triratna' refers to the Three Jewels or Three Refuges of Buddhism: the Buddha, Dharma (the Buddha's teachings) and Sangha (the Buddhist community). The fellowship describes itself as bringing Buddhist traditions into the modern world in a way that suits contemporary lives. ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ In the United Kingdom, young people's retreats can attract more than 100 attendees; in the United States, it's just getting started. While the New York-area branch doesn't have a permanent headquarters, it runs regular Zoom events as well as in-person meetings and retreats at various locations, such as New York Zendo Shobo-ji. Ananta, who goes by a single name and is CEO of the nonprofit Karuna USA, led the recent day's practice, guiding the meditation from awareness of one's breath, body and surroundings to a reflection and discussion on recent actions that participants felt either proud of or guilty about — not to be deemed morally good or bad but to reflect on and let go. 'Experiences are preceded by mind, led by mind, and produced by mind,' he read from the Dhammapada, a collection of the Buddha's sayings. 'If one speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows even as the cart wheel follows the hoof of the ox … If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow that never departs.' The Young Buddhist Initiative began out of a desire to create a nurturing space where young people could support each other in their spiritual practice. Ananta came across Buddhism at age 18 through a meditation group at his university in London and knows the value of having a cohort of like-minded peers. 'There are people like you who also have spiritual aspirations andare interested in leading a particular lifestyle. That can be very supportive.' Tamojyoti, an ordained member of the Triratna community who goes by a single name, agreed. 'We just have a different consciousness than young people. And I think maybe why those young people groups work so well is because that consciousness can flourish,' she said. One of the attendees at the session, Kizzy Joseph, a 28-year-old therapist from Brooklyn, was seeking to have conversations about spirituality with people in her age group and had been looking for Buddhist spaces across the city. Most groups she found took a too-intellectual approach to Buddhism, skewed older or were predominantly white. Headed to her first meeting with the Young Buddhist Initiative, Joseph feared she would be the only Black person in the room. 'To my happy surprise, there were three other women of color and another person of color — I think they identify as nonbinary. I was really surprised by how diverse the space was.' According to the 2023 PRRI Census of American Religion, the average age of a U.S. Buddhist is 52, but survey numbers come with the caveat that gathering statistics about Buddhists is difficult, as many people, like Joseph, engage in Buddhist beliefs and practices without formally identifying as Buddhist. Protestant by birth, Joseph became unhappy with the rigid religious structure she was raised in and began exploring different approaches to spirituality in her teens. She feels a 'gentle calling'toward Buddhism and finds it less forceful than the faith of her childhood, but doesn't defineherself as a Buddhist. In her personal life, she also practices ancestor veneration and Reiki. Still, the Young Buddhist Initiative provides something that she hadn't found in other spaces: a feeling of connectedness and emotional safety. 'It's first and foremost about creating an environment where people of all ages, including younger people, feel comfortable and welcome. One of the things I'm noticing is that we have a number of transgender people that are young, and so I think it feels almost like the environment is open and welcoming for everyone,' said Michael King, a 58-year-old New Yorker who has been attending Triratna meetings and practices for four years. (Despite its name, New York's Triratna practice attendee ages typically range from 40 to 60, hewing closely to PRRIs national average.) The group tries its best to cultivate that environment. Those in attendance at the late June session spoke quietly but frankly about fights in personal relationships or embarrassing moments at work, receiving acceptance, not judgement, in return. A break for tea and cookies in the temple's kitchen made room for casual conversation. When it was time to discuss karma and hypothetical moral situations, we were reminded that it's not about a strict binary of 'good' or 'bad,' but 'skilled' or 'unskilled': that is, aligned with Buddhist precepts and leading to either happy or unhappy results. The five precepts of Buddhism — abstaining from killing living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication — were also interpreted through a modern lens. Alcohol, for example, was considered not to be bad if used moderately; on the other hand, mindlessly scrolling through social media could become a form of intoxication. The group discussed white lies, supporting friends and power dynamics, never landing on an answer that was considered universally correct. For Tamojyoti, Buddhism can provide a way to transform the anxiety that many young people feel in response to the state of the world into action. 'Young people want to stand for something, and Buddhism is all about your truth, your values, interconnection, compassion.' 'If we're going to change the way this world is operating, it's going to happen through young people,' King said, expressing a desire for young people to come to the Dharma and make an impact. 'I think a lot of people in my generation have wanted to live more of a Dharmic life, meaning that we're pulling away from those structures. But those structures can't change unless we're in there changing them.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Meera Sodha's recipe for Malaysian eggs
One of my daily pleasures is to take some eggs and transform them into dinner. My knee-jerk reaction is an omelette, egg fried rice, the occasional okonomiyaki but not usually fried eggs, which are still working on their acceptance into my dinner canon. Recently, they made a bid for my affection via these Malaysian eggs, or telur masak kicap, in which they are doused in an onion, sweet soy, garlic and chilli sauce that works splendidly over rice. Welcome to the party, fried eggs. Kecap manis is a dark and rich, thick and sweet Indonesian soy sauce that can easily be found online and in most south-east Asian supermarkets. Prep 10 minCook 20 minServes 2 4 tbsp neutral oil, such as rapeseed4 large eggs 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced1-2 bird's eye chillies, stalks discarded, flesh finely sliced2 tbsp kecap manis ¼ tsp ground white pepper 1 tbsp light soy sauce Cooked short-grain or jasmine rice, to serve Measure 120ml water into a jug and put to one side. Put two tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick pan on a medium-high heat – test it's hot enough by putting a wooden spoon in the pan: if bubbles form around it, the oil is ready. Crack in the eggs one at a time and fry for four or five minutes, until the whites are set and the edges are golden and crisp. Transfer the eggs to a plate. Pour the remaining two tablespoons of oil into the same pan and turn down the heat to medium. Add the onion, fry, stirring, for seven minutes, then add the garlic and chilli, and fry for another three minutes. Stir in the kecap manis, white pepper, soy sauce and the measured-out water, then leave to cook for a minute, just until the sauce bubbles. Slide the eggs back into the pan, cook for another minute or two, then turn off the heat. Serve the eggs hot over steamed rice with plenty of the sauce spooned over the top.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Meera Sodha's recipe for Malaysian eggs
One of my daily pleasures is to take some eggs and transform them into dinner. My knee-jerk reaction is an omelette, egg fried rice, the occasional okonomiyaki but not usually fried eggs, which are still working on their acceptance into my dinner canon. Recently, they made a bid for my affection via these Malaysian eggs, or telur masak kicap, in which they are doused in an onion, sweet soy, garlic and chilli sauce that works splendidly over rice. Welcome to the party, fried eggs. Kecap manis is a dark and rich, thick and sweet Indonesian soy sauce that can easily be found online and in most south-east Asian supermarkets. Prep 10 minCook 20 minServes 2 4 tbsp neutral oil, such as rapeseed4 large eggs 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced1-2 bird's eye chillies, stalks discarded, flesh finely sliced2 tbsp kecap manis ¼ tsp ground white pepper 1 tbsp light soy sauce Cooked short-grain or jasmine rice, to serve Measure 120ml water into a jug and put to one side. Put two tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick pan on a medium-high heat – test it's hot enough by putting a wooden spoon in the pan: if bubbles form around it, the oil is ready. Crack in the eggs one at a time and fry for four or five minutes, until the whites are set and the edges are golden and crisp. Transfer the eggs to a plate. Pour the remaining two tablespoons of oil into the same pan and turn down the heat to medium. Add the onion, fry, stirring, for seven minutes, then add the garlic and chilli, and fry for another three minutes. Stir in the kecap manis, white pepper, soy sauce and the measured-out water, then leave to cook for a minute, just until the sauce bubbles. Slide the eggs back into the pan, cook for another minute or two, then turn off the heat. Serve the eggs hot over steamed rice with plenty of the sauce spooned over the top.
