Vesak Month 2026: A Month-Long Celebration of the Buddha

Bhante Buddharakkhita

Venerable Bhante Buddharakkhita, born in Uganda, discovered Buddhism in 1990 while studying in India and was ordained as a monk in 2002 at the Tathagata Meditation Center in California. After years of training under Bhante Henepola Gunaratana in West Virginia, he founded and now serves as Abbot of the Uganda Buddhist Center. A global mindfulness teacher since 2005, he also teaches at Union Theological Seminary in New York, holds an honorary doctorate from MCU Thailand, and serves on the advisory council of Global Buddhist Relief. His book Planting Dhamma Seeds chronicles the spread of Buddhism in Africa.

This event is freely offered by Buddhism.net. If you’d like to show your appreciation and gratitude to our teachers you may make a donation to Venerable Bhante Buddharakkhita at ugandabuddhistcenter.org.

Bhante Sujato and Venerable Canda (2 sessions)

Bhante Sujato is a senior Buddhist monk based at Lokanta Vihara, the “Monastery at the End of the World,” located on the Burramattagal lands of the Darug nation in Parramatta, Sydney. He honors the Darug elders – past, present, and emerging -and is known for his leadership in early Buddhist studies. Bhante Sujato currently leads the team behind SuttaCentral, a global platform dedicated to preserving and sharing early Buddhist texts and their translations.

Ajahn Canda discovered the Dhamma in India in 1996 and the life-changing benefits of an integrated practice led her to ordain as a Buddhist nun in Myanmar in 2006. In 2012 she moved to Perth to continue her monastic training with the guidance of Ajahn Brahm, subsequently receiving full bhikkhuni ordination. In 2024, she established Anukampa Grove near Oxford, as Britain’s first bhikkhuni residence. Ajahn Canda is passionate about helping make the teachings and practices of Early Buddhism accessible to all and delights in spending three months a year in solitude. 

This event is freely offered by Buddhism.net. If you’d like to show your appreciation and gratitude to our teachers you may make a donation to Bhante Sujato at suttacentral.net and Venerable Canda at anukampaproject.org.

Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche

H.E. Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche is a distinguished Buddhist scholar and meditation master, serving as founder and spiritual director of the Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing. Head of the Trungram lineage and one of the highest tulkus of the Kagyu tradition, he has established monasteries and dharma centers worldwide. As the first incarnate lama to earn a Ph.D. in the West, with doctoral studies in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism at Harvard University, Rinpoche bridges Eastern insight with Western scholarship. His teachings, grounded in Sanskrit and Tibetan study, emphasize the Skills of Awareness—a path uniting deep meditation and practical Dharma wisdom.

This event is freely offered by Buddhism.net. If you’d like to show your appreciation and gratitude to our teachers you may make a donation to H.E. Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche at dharmakayacenter.org.

Roshi Joan Halifax

Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D., is a Buddhist teacher, social activist, and founder of the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A pioneer in end-of-life care, she has trained caregivers worldwide in the spiritual and ethical dimensions of dying. Her humanitarian projects include the Project on Being with Dying, the Upaya Prison Project, and the Nomads Clinic in Nepal. Widely honored for her work, she is also author of books such as Being with Dying and Standing at the Edge, and a founding member of the Mind and Life Institute.

This event is freely offered by Buddhism.net. If you’d like to show your appreciation and gratitude to our teachers you may make a donation to Roshi Joan Halifax at www.upaya.org.