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in the old days I remember the May altar. White lace, feminine deity in the form of Mary, and lots of flowers. Now I go to the buddhist centre and there it is again; the altar/shrine, white lace, feminine deity, and lots of flowers.

Something about this month that just gets me all gushing with a kind of gratitude. It's a month to prepare the garden. To talk with the bees, and the birds and watch the wild flowers the foxglove emerging and the blossom on the apple tree. It's as if the entire world were the shrine, a constant praise rising to the divine presence.

And there is no naming it. We do it as Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Hindu or as the community of Islam. We don't get it right. We sometimes empower the darkest forces in our psyche. But as they say in Nigeria, we try.

Yes we try. We all do. And sometimes it's worth reminding yourself of your own innate goodness. As we say in Buddhist tradition you are already enlightened, you are already carrying in you the buddha light. it's just some of us haven't quite realised it. But on the first of may I think it's always good to consider this; how the light is already in us. How the peace is already ours. How heaven is just outside the door in the garden. So I hope you enjoy the podcast, the ramblings of a writer and storyteller, the song of the heart I would call my podcast. Enjoy and have a great weekend and I'll be back very soon.

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May 2 @ 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Jampa Ling Centre Owendoon House, Bawnboy, County Cavan, Ireland

Saga Dawa (Vesak) is the celebration of the Buddha’s birthday, enlightenment and Parinirvana. We invite you to share this special day at Jampa Ling. We celebrate with a smoke puja in the [...]

Saga Dawa is one of the most important periods in Tibetan Buddhism, marking the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing (Parinirvana). It usually falls in late spring or early summer, aligned with the full moon of the fourth lunar month. Rather than a single day, it is often observed as an entire sacred month, with the full moon day seen as the most spiritually powerful.

During Saga Dawa, practitioners focus on accumulating merit through positive actions. This includes acts of generosity, prayer, meditation, and compassion toward all living beings. Many people avoid harming animals, adopt vegetarian practices, release animals as a symbolic act of compassion, and engage in pilgrimages or ritual offerings. It is believed that the effects of both positive and negative actions are multiplied during this time.

At a deeper level, Saga Dawa is about reflection on impermanence, compassion, and the path to awakening. It invites people to align their everyday actions with Buddhist values, not just through ritual but through intention and awareness. Whether in monasteries or community spaces like Jampa Ling, the emphasis is on shared practice, connection, and cultivating a more mindful and compassionate way of living.

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