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Reposted by Some Random Monk

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d

Myanmar’s military junta bombed a Buddhist festival this week, killing at least two dozen people and injuring dozens more, according to a witness and the country’s civilian government in exile. A manned paraglider with a motor dropped a bomb on the festival, they said.

Myanmar Military Paraglider Bombs Buddhist Festival, Killing Dozens

The junta targeted a festival in the Sagaing region where people were also protesting army rule, according to witnesses and the civilian government in exile.

nyti.ms

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 1d

On #NationalForgivenessAndHappinessDay, a Substack scribble to help dispel the Stoicism and pushback against the accusation that Buddhism is allergic to hope... 😇https://open.substack.com/pub/phranicholas/p/is-buddhism-pessimistic?r=6lw3lh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Is Buddhism Pessimistic?

Originally published in Challenging Religious Issues, Issue 21, 2024

open.substack.com

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 1d

Happy End of #Buddhist Lent Day! 🕯️Monks are free to roam again! 😊Yesterday I had the chance to conclude a🌜 #fullmoon #meditation 🧘‍♀️for the good folks of #Azusa highlight #HunterMoon significance and shoutout for #WorldMentalHealthDay #NagaFireballs #SuperMoon #MekongMagic youtu.be/GtiiEYBFCpY?...

Full Moon Meditation of October 2025: "World Mental Health Day"

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

youtu.be

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 3d

If you can't beat 'em join 'em ... started a free #Substack to gauge demand for my lengthier scribblings #Buddhist #mindfulness substack.com/@phranichola...

Mindfulness and McMindfulness

Originally published in Challenging Religious Issues

substack.com

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 8d

Happy #OrangeShirtDay (from those who celebrate every day) My latest (gringo) Spanish #bereavement #meditation youtu.be/Omf177neuw4?... para hispanohablantes que busca transformar el vacío que queda por la #pérdida de un ser querido🧘‍♂️
#meditacion #dhammakaya #30minutemeditation #duelo #bondadamorosa

MA 63es Phra Nicholas Thanissaro - Meditación sobre la pérdida y el duelo

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

youtu.be

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 12d

Happy #NationalBRAVEDay. For additional feminine empowerment, catch up with my latest #dharma (-lite) vlog in intro - #meditation 🧘‍♂️- #inspiration talk on the topic of #SpiritualIntelligence and its applications worldwide starting with #interreligious #Harmony #sdg17 #SQ youtu.be/7hwrRTSlQKk?...

A043 Spiritual Intelligence (IPE5)

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

youtu.be

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 16d

💯

Ethan Nichtern @ethannichtern.com · 17d

Meditate today, even for just five minutes.

You have the time to ground yourself. You have the time to make friends with your own mind.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 18d

Thank you everyone who took part in #CoastalCleanup Day today, especially here in #SoCal where more than 30 Long Beachers were able to join a Candlelight #meditation with myself & colleagues at #sunset

Candlelight meditation at Long Beach, CA with Buddhist monks on September 20, 2025

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 21d

Beware 👀 meditation may improve your attitude toward #Buddhism 🫣 Thanissaro's 2016, TSAB-R boxplot shows mean attitudes were significantly more positive [t(453)=10.67, p< 0.001] in those who had practiced Dhammakāya #meditation for more than 6 weeks, compared to those who had never meditated 🧘‍♂️

TSAB-R shows significantly enhanced mindfulness for those who have done Dhammakaya meditation for six weeks or more on a boxplot of 500 meditators

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 23d

...on the elusive happiness of being 'without thoughts' #meditation #Buddhism 🧘‍♂️

Cartoon of monk speaking to meditating dog with a wagging tail and saying it can't possibly be thinking about nothing of its tail is wagging

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 23d

From Walach et al.'s 2006, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, today's boxplot shows mean #mindfulness scores were significantly HIGHER [t(453)=8.27, p< 0.001] in those who had practiced Dhammakāya #meditation for more than 6 weeks, compared to those who had never meditated 🧘‍♂️ #SelfCare #MentalWellness😇

Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory shows significantly enhanced mindfulness for those who have done Dhammakaya meditation for six weeks or more on a boxplot of 500 meditators

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 25d

Joined the Srilankan monks of the Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara Dhamma School in #Covina CA to guide discussion with 19 Buddhist teenagers as part of 'Mindful Horizons Youth Dharma Retreat'. #BuddhistKids #Buddhism

Guided discussion at Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara Dhamma School in Covina, CA on September 13th 2025, with 19 Buddhist teenagers as part of 'Mindful Horizons Youth Dharma Retreat'

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 26d

From Waterman et al.'s 2010 QEWB, today's boxplot shows mean Eudaimonic ##Wellbeing scores were significantly HIGHER [t(453)=6.21, p< 0.001] in those who had practiced Dhammakāya #meditation for more than 6 weeks, compared to those who had never meditated 🧘‍♂️ #SelfCare #MentalWellness😇

QEWB scale shows enhanced Eudaimonic Wellbeing for those who have done Dhammakaya meditation for six weeks or more on a boxplot of 500 meditators

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 27d

From Lovibond & Lovibond's 1995 DASS-21, today's boxplot shows COMBINED mean #stress #depression and #anxiety scores were significantly LOWER [t(453)=7.48, p< 0.001] in those who had practiced Dhammakāya #meditation for more than 6 weeks, compared to those who had never meditated 🧘‍♂️ #MentalWellness😇

DASS scale shows combined statistics for reduced stress, anxiety and depression for those who have done Dhammakaya meditation for six weeks or more on a boxplot of 500 meditators

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 28d

So, again from Lovibond & Lovibond's 1995 DASS-21, today's boxplot shows mean #stress scores were significantly LOWER [t(453)=7.80, p< 0.001] in those who had practiced Dhammakāya #meditation for more than 6 weeks, compared to those who had never meditated 🧘‍♂️ #SelfCare #MentalWellness #StressRelief😇

DASS scale shows reduced stress for those who have done Dhammakaya meditation for six weeks or more on a boxplot of 500 meditators

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 29d

So, I used Lovibond & Lovibond's 1995 DASS-21 instrument. Today's boxplot shows mean #depression scores were significantly lower [t(453)=6.50, p< 0.001] in those who had practiced Dhammakāya #meditation for more than 6 weeks, compared to those who had never meditated 🧘‍♂️ #SelfCare #MentalWellness 😇

DASS scale shows reduced depression for those who have done Dhammakaya meditation for six weeks or more on a boxplot of 500 meditators

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · Sep 9

Finally got round to number-crunching on my evidence-based research and this is the boxplot that shows mean #anxiety scores were significantly lower [t(453)=5.27, p< 0.001] in those who had practiced Dhammakāya #meditation for more than six weeks, compared to those who had never meditated

DASS scale shows reduced anxiety for those who have done Dhammakaya meditation for six weeks or more on a boxplot of 500 meditators.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · Sep 7

Just finished reading an uplifting recently published read about the sacrifices of resisters fighting future totalitarianism - in this case AI. Spoiler alert, it has a happy ending 😀. #booksky

Book cover of Where the Axe is Buried by Ray Nayler

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · Sep 5

No lies detected...

Petra Michaela @petramichaela.bsky.social · Sep 5

In this world, hatred has never driven out hatred. Only love drives out hatred. This is the law, ancient and inexhaustible.
- Buddha -

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · Sep 1

#buddhist humor... 😉

Cartoon of cows commenting that by chanting 'Oooom' a monk has got it all backwards

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Reposted by Some Random Monk

Foreign Affairs @foreignaffairs.com · Sep 1

“Any blatant move by Beijing to try to control the process of selecting the next Dalai Lama may backfire by driving Tibetan resentment into rage,” write Tenzin Dorjee and Gyal Lo. “For the Chinese, the issue is strategic; for Tibetans, it is existential.”

Beijing’s Dangerous Game in Tibet

How controlling the Dalai Lama’s succession could backfire.

www.foreignaffairs.com

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · Aug 31

Happy Labor Day Weekend. Fun thought: One day maybe we'll see an American Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation like the one in Paris? #AbolishICE

Plaque from the Paris Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation

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Reposted by Some Random Monk

Bookshelfie @bookshelfie.bsky.social · Aug 29

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · Aug 25

Beating the #heatwave at #longbeach for a candlelit #meditation at sunset yesterday. 🌇 30 #socal 🧘‍♂️ evaded the purported #hellscape to join us. If you look carefully at the silhouette, you will see (checks notes) NO cargo vessels unloading at #lbc port

Meditators at sunset at longbeach on August 23rd 2025

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · Aug 22

Huge validation for this random monk, thanks to all 20,000 of you incredible followers! 🎉 So grateful for the Bluesky community. I appreciate every like, comment, and share. Let's keep connecting! 😊

#20K #20000Followers #Milestone #ThankYou #FollowBack #FollowForFollow #Connect #Followers

Thank you on occasion of reaching 20,000 followers

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