Sojun Mel Weitsman, founder of Berkeley Zen Center, dies at 91. Sojun Mel Weitsman, founder and abbot of Berkeley Zen Center, passed away on Thursday, January 7. He was 91.

Dalai Lama’s reincarnation included in Congress’ $900 billion COVID relief bill. New legislation passed by the U.S. Congress reaffirms the rights of Tibetans to choose a successor to their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, imposing sanctions on Chinese Communist Party officials if they attempt to intercede in the process.

Set Your Intention & Rejoice in Your Day. Thupten Jinpa teaches us two great practices to start and end every day.

Madhya Pradesh: Buddha Jambudweep at Sanchi: Park themed on life and works of Buddha, Ashoka. The first park themed on the life and works of Gautama Buddha and Emperor Ashoka at Sanchi will open to the public on Thursday. The Park, Buddha Jambudweep, is located in front of the Archeological Survey of India’s Sanchi Museum.

Japan to Open Ancient Buddhist Pagoda to the Public for the First Time in a Decade. Yakushi-ji, a Buddhist Temple in the former Japanese capital Nara, plans to offer the public access to its ancient East Pagoda for the first time in over 10 years, following the conclusion of the first major restoration program for the historic monument in more than a century.

Sanskrit as a Sacred Language by Fabian Sanders. he talk will briefly mention some core doctrines concerning sound as a fundamental cosmogonic factor and its repercussions on the theory of language in ancient India. Many of these concepts are also found in Buddhism, particularly in Mahāyāna and tantrism. An online talk from The Buddhist Society, London SW1V on 13th January.

A Medieval Nun Led This Newly Unearthed Buddhist Monastery in Eastern India. The religious center, located on a hillside away from densely populated areas, may have had all-female or mixed-gender renunciates