One day isn’t enough to honor the Enlightened One. While Vesak Day falls on May 31, 2026, we’re celebrating at Buddhism.net all month long, with 5 special episodes of Vibe with Venerables.
Join our global community throughout May to commemorate the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana, featuring five special Vibe with Venerables episodes. Three leading masters-Bhante Buddharakkhita, Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche, and Roshi Joan Halifax-will host sessions on the Buddha, alongside a session with sutta expert Venerable Canda.
TL;DR
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Bhante Buddharakkhita
🇺🇸 USA: May 8 (Fri)
5pm Pacific
8pm Eastern
🌏 Global: May 9 (Sat)
8am Singapore
10am Sydney
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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.
What does an African Buddhist monk have to say about generosity? In this episode of Meng & Friends, Meng talks to the Very Venerable Bhante Buddharakkhita, one of the greatest leaders of Buddhism in Africa. Bhante reveals why generosity is more than just giving—it’s the foundation of true spiritual growth.
Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche
🇺🇸 USA: May 16 (Sat)
5pm Pacific
8pm Eastern
🌏 Global: May 17 (Sun)
8am Singapore
10am Sydney
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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.
Venerable Canda
New timing!
🇺🇸 USA/UK: May 20 (Wed)
8am US Pacific
11am US Eastern
4pm London
🌏 Global: May 20 (Wed)
11pm Singapore
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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 teacher you may make a donation to Venerable Canda at anukampaproject.org.
Roshi Joan Halifax
🇺🇸 USA: May 23 (Sat)
5pm US Pacific
8pm US Eastern
🌏 Global: May 24 (Sun)
8am Singapore
10am Sydney
Timezone Converter
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.
In “Was Buddha a Social Activist?” – Vibe with Venerables Ep 07, Roshi Joan Halifax explores the intersection of Buddhism and social activism. Drawing from her experiences with teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh and Bernie Glassman, she reveals how the Buddha and historical Buddhist figures were deeply engaged in social reform.
In “Bodhisattvas in the Charnel Grounds” – Vibe with Venerables Ep 08, Roshi Joan Halifax explores what it means to be a bodhisattva in today’s world of suffering, injustice, and environmental crisis. Drawing on teachings from Buddhism and neuroscience, she speaks on “charnel ground practice”—turning toward suffering with compassion and courage.
Others Events
Cannot make it for this event? Check out the full list of upcoming events here.
