iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Honored to be included in the latest Stoic starter pack from @wctayloe.bsky.social although I will attempt 'cheery and uplifting' given the chance and prevailing vibe...😉 go.bsky.app/NDCPB7y

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RNS @rns.org · 20/09/2026

(RNS) — The practice of sitting in silence, paying attention to the breath and focusing on the present moment has become pervasive across all the Jewish religious movements.

religionnews.com

How Jewish mindfulness meditation became a mainstay in High Holiday services and beyond

(RNS) — The practice of sitting in silence, paying attention to the breath and focusing on the present moment has become pervasive across all the Jewish religious movements.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Shana Tova! Wishing all celebrating a sweet, healthy, and joyous New Year ahead. 🍎🍯 For Buddhists interested in the Jewish New Year, Emily Stern offers a powerful parallel through a mindfulness-Inspired #RoshHashanah Seder ritualwell.org/ritual/buddh...

Happy Rosh Hashanah greetings with apples and honey

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Joined Hundreds of Buddhist monks at University of the West #losangeles celebrating 50 years of Dhamma service by Venerables Piyananda and Seelawimala #SoCal ☸️

Hundreds of Buddhist monks at University of the West los angeles celebrating 50 years of Dhamma service by Venerables Piyananda and Seelawimala

Venerable Piyananda and Seelawimala on stage with VIP invitees on 7 September 2026

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Sorry for the rather fanciful AI picture that reimagines hungry ghosts [preta] as floating fish with long tongues ☸️Nonetheless my latest livestream examines various events connected with the #Sturgeon #fullmoon -this one being #UllambanaFestival Enjoy! #SturgeonMoon youtu.be/gXJz_7_9-9E?...

youtu.be

Full moon meditation of August 2026 "Ullambana"

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Happy National Park Service #NPSFoundersDay 🏞️ In other news I have uploaded the #IBAA Dharma Study Circle panel lectures from credentialed ☸️teachers (interspersed with #Buddhist chanting in various ancient languages) from 3 denominations held at #Azusa #SoCal on August 22 youtu.be/36o3luhOqes?...

youtu.be

Interdenominational Dharma Study Circle DMCCA

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Brooke Schedneck of Rhodes College repatriates some of her Thai Buddhist research to the U.S.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

For #SoCal #Buddhists the rare free chance to hear teachings from credentialed speakers from 3 different ☸️ 'yānas' @Main Chapel DMCCA, 865 E Monrovia Pl, #Azusa CA 91702 between 3.00 and 5.00pm on Saturday August 22nd 2026. I'll be the moderator 😉 www.eventbrite.com/e/ibaa-month...

eventbrite.com

IBAA Monthly Dharma Meeting: Interdenominational Study Circle

Come and discover the richness and diversity of Buddhist traditions through an inspiring interdenominational study and discussion.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Thanks Charles Rock @charlesrock.bsky.social for inclusion in your latest eclectic #StarterPack! 💚 go.bsky.app/REaZYNq

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Happy #InternationalYouthDay May the #UN and #YouthPower have a bright future! Please enjoy my latest #meditation track which helps meditators to unlock their inner space 😌 to allow the mind to go deeper🧘‍♂️ #wellbeing #guidedmeditation #30minutemeditation #lovingkindness youtu.be/RlXPjx5qFFg?...

youtu.be

MA 79 Phra Nicholas Thanissaro - Unlocking the Inner Space

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Happy #PresidentialJokeDay 😵‍💫 Don't get me started! On a less serious note, please enjoy my latest #meditation track which helps meditators settle their mind toward 😌 inner silence at the center🧘‍♂️ #wellbeing #guidedmeditation #30minutemeditation #relaxation #dhammakaya youtu.be/4lcHxCHEdqk?...

youtu.be

MA 78 Phra Nicholas Thanissaro - Letting the mind settle

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

In the spirit of #InternationalVloggingDay please enjoy the upload of my latest #meditation track which helps meditators find their cozy, soft spot 😌by letting the mind rest naturally in lightness at the center🧘‍♂️ #wellbeing #guidedmeditation #30minutemeditation #relaxation youtu.be/W7OPYCe-8sA?...

youtu.be

MA 77 Phra Nicholas Thanissaro - Resting in Inner Light

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Happy #NationalWellnessMonth! My latest #meditation track offers a sparse and loosely-structured style of guidance. It helps meditators find seamless continuity between the inner and outer worlds, engaging with #kindness from within🧘‍♂️ #wellbeing #guidedmeditation #dhammakaya youtu.be/WykxoaEpTvE?...

youtu.be

MA 76 Phra Nicholas Thanissaro - Inner Oasis of Kindness

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

PreChristian Buddhism in Europe…suggested reading for the KS3 kids

Donald Mackenzie’s (1928) Buddhism in PreChristian Britain 1st edition. from personal library

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Happy #HappinessHappens month 😀 Sharing a #meditation I led for the Grounds Dedication Ceremony before an audience of 200 at the open-air Grounds Dedication of the new #Dhammakaya Meditation Hall 🧘‍♂️ at #Azusa #SoCal on 2 August 2026. Pictured scattering jewels with brethen! youtu.be/NAJBoDG5D2U?...

youtu.be

Meditation for Dedicating the Grounds of the New Dhammakaya Meditation Hall

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Fun fact for #Buddhists: Abhijeet Dipke, leader of the successful Cockroach 🪳 Janta protests apparently drew inspiration from B.R. Ambedkhar's (1891-1956) biography and caste struggle www.dw.com/en/india-new...

Cockroach Janta protest leader showcases Ambedkhar biography

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Thanks Donald @watchingevil.bsky.social for the inclusion! 💚 go.bsky.app/4oeLb8T

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Happy National #BeSomeoneDay an invitation to take ten seconds to make a (positive) difference in a child's life 🧘‍♂️ I'm dropping an unreleased scriptural teaching with #meditation summarizing #Buddhist monastic training principles #Buddhism #dharmatalk #dhammakaya #tipitaka ☸️ youtu.be/91ASs9FOu-s?...

youtu.be

B 069 Illuminated Texts 16: The Gaṇaka-Moggallāna Sutta

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Can’t find the scriptural reference for that one…anyone? 🤷‍♀️

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Apart from meditation 🧘‍♀️ perhaps...

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Reposted by Some Random Monk

Jon Hawke @archaeohawke.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

This head of the #Buddha was created over 1,500 years ago, in Gandhara, a region centred in parts of ancient India, primarily located in what is now northwestern Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan. Head of the Buddha, Gandhara (Asia), 4th – 5th century (301 – 500 CE). See Alt. 👀

Gandhara was an important artistic gateway between ancient India and the West and some Gandharan artisans were inspired by Greek and Roman sculpture. There’s evidence that, like many Indian and Western Classical sculptures, this head of the Buddha was originally coloured. It has black pigment marking half of the pupil on the left, traces of red pigment on the lips, chin and neck, and faint shades of red throughout.

18cm (height), 14cm (width) 14cm (depth). EAOS.40

Ashmolean Museum

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Well, Happy #4thOfJuly for those who celebrate. Personally not a fan of fireworks 🎉or flag-waving 🚩... however, I did drop a Spanish version of my 'refuge in times of uncertainty' #meditation for those who might require #solace #wellbeing #InnerPeace or all of the above 🧘‍♂️ youtu.be/OkQ1EuSpBp4?...

youtu.be

MA75es Phra Nicholas Thanissaro - Nuestro refugio en tiempos de incertidumbre

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Before June ends, Happy #ImmigrantHeritageMonth! - celebrating the resourcefulness, vibrant cultures, and rich histories immigrant families bring to our communities.

Globe made up of international flags on which stands people of many colors holding hands, with the message "international heritage month"

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Happy Summer #Solstice to those who celebrate. Happy #FathersDay to all the father-figures in your life!

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

The famous "Take My Hand" mural honoring abolitionist Harriet Tubman @ her Museum & Education Center in Cambridge, MD. Happy Juneteenth everyone!

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Reposted by Some Random Monk

Kate Lingley 龍梅若 @klingley.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Not sure this is a MBOTD because the donors are unknown, but let's give them credit nonetheless for sponsoring one of the most beautiful sculptures of (I'm guessing) the 530s. I'm writing about it because the Buddha, carved nearly in the round, is accompanied by two bodhisattvas in intaglio:

Figure of a standing Buddha in flared robes, carved from pale gray stone in China in the first third of the 6th century. The figure is backed with a mandorla shaped like a pointed leaf, on which are carved his attendant bodhisattvas, a host of apsaras playing musical instruments, decorative patterns, an apotropaic monster mask, and a seated Buddha.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Joined the Nordic Conference on Religious Education from 8-11 June 2026 in #Helsinki 🇫🇮 120 delegates here seen resting from paper presentations on #superdiversity and #existential #resilience by visiting the National #OrthodoxChistian ☦️ Cathedral #NCRE #AcademicSky

NCRE Delegates visit helsinki orthodox Christian ☦️ Cathedral on 10 June 2026

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NPR @npr.org · 11/06/2026

The National Museum of Korea is home to the Room of Quiet Contemplation, which features two of South Korea's most treasured artworks: gilt-bronze bodhisattva statues from the 6th and 7th centuries. n.pr/4eeEGBZ

n.pr

Greetings from a Seoul museum, where Buddhist masterpieces offer calm away from city bustle

The National Museum of Korea is home to the Room of Quiet Contemplation, which features two of South Korea's most treasured artworks: gilt-bronze bodhisattva statues from the 6th and 7th centuries.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Thank you to Prof. Neal Golub for 'understanding the assignment' while presenting the connection between #meditation and #worldpeace at a public talk recently on Vesak Day 2026 at #Azusa #SoCal before an audience of 460 including more than 100 monks and nuns #wellbeing youtu.be/8068DlXdGvE?...

youtu.be

How does meditation help today's world?

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Happy Vesak Day for Buddhist celebrants around the world 😊Our temple had a good turnout of 460 for an outdoor ceremony last night from which I share the #meditation segment #vesak2026 #wesak #buddhism #unitednations #vesak #guidedmeditation #10minutemeditation youtu.be/2fCsxn1HzYY?...

youtu.be

MA 50L Vesak Day meditation 2026

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Happy #Fakesgiving for those who celebrate🧘‍♂️Just dropped a sparse & gentle #SarahBlondinStyle version of #guidedmeditation to help reconnect with our 'immovable center' as an #innerrefuge in times of uncertainty😊 #wellbeing #lovingkindness #deeprelaxation #emotionalhealing youtu.be/aD7hov_IiDo?...

youtu.be

MA 75 Phra Nicholas Thanissaro - Our refuge in times of uncertainty

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Unless you can't sleep, in which case meditate before going to bed... #wellbeing #insomnia

Beautiful photo of a starry sky at night over mountains in the lake. There is a quote “Sleep is the best meditation.” — Dalai Lama

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

A reference to strength in numbers, rather than a tip for hoarding weapons ☸️ #Buddhist #wisdom #unity #resistance

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Eid Mubarak for those celebrating Eid Al-Adha! ☪️ Just dropped video presentation of my NCRE Finland paper as insurance against flight unpredictability ☸️ Meanwhile I'll be presenting on a panel including Jewish superdiversity 🔯 and young muslims #religiouseducation #teens youtu.be/JxeIUnMGS6Q?...

youtu.be

Identity, values & worldview of heritage Buddhist teens in the U.S.

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Reposted by Some Random Monk

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 21/05/2026

Reikado Hall, the sacred site of a flame that has been continuously lit for more than 1,200 years, according to Buddhist spiritual leaders, burned down on Wednesday in southwestern Japan. The flame itself was salvaged after the blaze and moved to a different site.

nyti.ms

Fire Destroys Sacred Buddhist Hall in Japan that Housed ‘Eternal Flame’

The flame, which spiritual leaders say has been continuously lit for more 1,200 years, was salvaged after the blaze and moved to a different site.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Unless it is an erupting volcano, in which case run very quickly, shouting loudly to warn others, with a calm spirit.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms and mother figures. You are loved and oh so needed. 🪽Special love to those who have recently lost their Mom🤰Hadn’t given this filial piety talk for a while but revisited it with a live audience again today in honor of #MothersDay youtu.be/eo-VfaRqHx4?...

youtu.be

B023 Blessing 11: Cherishing one's parents

YouTube video by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Just submitted my paper on Buddhist teenagers in the U.S., for the Nordic Conference on Religious Education taking place in Helsinki next month. Hopefully will receive some constructive criticism to flesh it out into a publishable article. #AcademicSky #Academia ☸️ www.academia.edu/166880855/Id...

Screenshot of Academia.edu upload page for Thanissaro's (2026) conference paper at the Helsinki Nordic Conference on Religious Education entitled 'Identity, values and worldview of heritage Buddhist teens in the U.S.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Hmm... In the Theravāda denomination, preceptors have the precondition of asking the ordinand if they are human. If they can't answer truthfully in the affirmative, the ordination may not go through. It appears my job is safe for now... 🤭

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

And possibly act from that place of stillness…

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Happy Vesak Day for Buddhists celebrating THIS full moon rather than the next ✌️ Here we see @antonioguterres.bsky.social focusing this year on 'being embroiled in geopolitical tensions etc (underlined) to which peaceful ☮️Buddhists 🧘 can perhaps bring some harmony? 🕊️ #Buddhism #Wesak #Vesak #Buddha

Message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the Day of Vesak observed on May 1, 2026 - On the Day of Vesak, Buddhists around the world commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha. This year, Vesak comes at a moment when the human family is embroiled in geopolitical tensions, division, and conflict. In 2023, I had the honour of visiting the Buddha’s birthplace in Lumbini, Nepal. It reinforced my conviction that the antidote to this turmoil can be found in his timeless teachings of non-violence, compassion, and service to others. Guided by the Buddha’s example, let us summon our shared humanity and build the more peaceful and sustainable world all people need and deserve.

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Finally, my evidence-based study on Dhammakaya meditation was published by an Indonesian Buddhist Education journal. They have some problems with the link to the open-source PDF, but I’ll add the link as soon as that becomes available. #meditation #wellbeing journal.smaratungga.ac.id/index.php/sj...

Screenshot of recently pubished Smaratungga Journal article on Dhammakaya meditation

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Some Random Monk @phranicholas.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Happy Earth Day! 🌍 Excuse my Spanish ...Take care of each other and our planet. 🌐 Just as you care for the earth, 🌱 Care for your mind. 🌿 Connect with nature. 🚶‍♀️ Go for a walk. Breathe fresh air. Give yourself permission to stop. 🧘‍♂️ Your well-being matters. #earthday #meditation #wellbeing

Así como cuidas la tierra, cuida tu mente. Conéctate con la naturaleza. Sal a caminar. Respira aire fresco. Date permiso de parar. Tue bienestar importa. Dia de la Tierra.

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