meditation – SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR)

Happy Chinese New Year of the Double (Red) Fire Horse!

UK: ICBI Chinese New Year Message – Lunar Spring Festival – 4724! (17.2.2026)

17/02/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

As compassion and loving kindness grows and is magnified through the more people it is shared with – these statements act as “ripples” of positive energy emanating that traverse through the portals of the past, present, and future – excluding none and embracing all! Of course, the Buddha defined the human mind as being that capacity which can perceive the present, recall the past, and plan for the future. This is a remarkable observation. What the Ch’an School offers, infused as it is with the thinking associated with Confucianism – and the far older “Book of Change” – is that the mind should a) be “stilled” (realising a relative emptiness), b) a product of purifying all vestiges of greed, hatred, and delusion, and c) and in so-doing experiencing the expansion of this “emptiness” realisation into an “all-embracing” reality.

Laos Buddhist-Socialist Republic: Using Inner & Outer Culture to Construct Socialism! (4.2.2026)

04/02/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

Supplies arrived on the back of walking peasants – and/or soldiers, guerrillas, and volunteers riding bicycles, etc. These supplies came from the USSR and China, as well as other places. The Laotian people achieved their Revolution in 1975 – following the North Vietnamese victory other the US-derived South Vietnam regime. Indeed, it has been written that Laos has been the most bombed nation on earth – with the landscape full of bomb-craters and dangerous unexploded ordnance. Simce then, Laos Communist Party has been navigating the vaguaries and peculiarities of the political and cultural climate. Laos is a Buddhist-Socialist Republic which preserves a strong Theravada Buddhist tradition. As a consequence, Marxist-Leninism and Dhamma overlap and intersect seamlessly. By clicking the above link you will find a translated article on the BMA-UK site regarding how Laos is using inner and outer cultivation to build Socialism!

Fire Boat Festival (Lai Heua Fai), marking the End of Buddhist Lent on October 7, 2025. Coinciding with the full moon of the 11th lunar month

Laos: Rainy Season Retreat Comes to an End for Buddhist Monks! (13.11.2025)

13/11/2025 Adrian (釋大道)

Beyond the spiritual rituals, the festival grounds came alive with vibrant activity as local vendors showcased a wide array of goods, ranging from traditional foods and drinks to handmade crafts, clothing, and household items. The lively marketplace added a festive touch, transforming the event into not just a religious celebration, but also a vibrant community gathering.

Well-organized and secure, the event provided a safe and joyful environment for all attendees. It stood as a testament to Laos’ rich cultural heritage, while also promoting environmental consciousness and community unity.

As the glowing boats drifted peacefully down the Mekong and candlelight danced in the night breeze, the Fire Boat Festival once again proved to be a captivating blend of faith, folklore, and festivity—a timeless tradition that continues to illuminate the hearts of those who take part, year after year.

Becoming Aware of the Mind - Moment To Moment!

BMA-UK: Uprooting the Delusion that Underlies Racism! (21.9.2025)

21/09/2025 Adrian (釋大道)

Racism is learned on the outside of the body – and imported into the interior of the mind – where it becomes a habit of interpretation regarding other objects in the world. Perpetuating racism is one manifestation of racism – as is being a victim of racism – or the recipient of racism. In Asia, the Buddhist answer is to remove all klesa (defilements) – greed, hatred, and delusion – so that the conditions that allow racism to exist cannot function. Laws can be changed outlawing racism in the external world – this only deals with the superficiality that is racism – the tip of the iceberg so-to-speak.

Zen of Galmpton! (24.8.2035)

24/08/2025 Adrian (釋大道)

Here we are. Zen is Ch’an in reverse – which is good as perception is the wrong way around. Turn it the right way around – and Zen becomes Ch’an the right way around. Not always an easy task – like catching a steam train whilst it is obscured by it’s own smoke. What a joy such contradictions are. They exist to test our perception and determination. As such, nothing else matters. We all look up – and we all look down – just like every koan (gong-an) you may have viewed. Still, none of it matters if you cannot lay it all down. None of it matters at all.

Shi Yongxin, the abbot of Shaolin Temple. (File photo/China Daily)

China: Shaolin Head Monk – Shi Yongxin – Under Investigation for Alleged Criminal Offenses! (28.7.2025)

28/07/2025 Adrian (釋大道)

In Japan, a Buddhist monk or nun can get married, produce children, eat meat, and drink alcohol. In other words, these people are lay-people in robes – but are practicing dishonesty. A group of Chinese Ch’an monks had been following the Vinaya Discipline when they travelled to Japan to spread the Ch’an Dharma – but returned with Japanese wives and children – and wearing lay-clothing – eating meat and drinking alcohol. In front of Xu Yun – these “monks” petitioned the post-1949 government of China to permanently abolish the Ch’an requirement for monks and nuns to be celibate and vegetarian. Xu Yun is said to have loudly slapped the table – stating that the Chinese government should do the exact opposite – that is, integrate the Vinaya Discipline into the fabric of China’s secular law. If a man or woman wants to be an ordained Buddhist monk or nun, then it should be a legal requirement – punishable by secular law – if they fail to uphold the rules and regulations of the lifestyle they have chosen to follow. Being a Buddhist monastic is a “job” that requires a strict form of lifestyle.

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