The Walk For Peace in North Carolina On January 17th, Dr. Lye and members of Urban Dharma joined many others in Salisbury & Spencer, North Carolina, to pay respects to the monks undertaking the Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, DC. Dr. Lye shares some explanations of the tradition these monks are practicing: “Thudong” is Thai/Lao for “dhutanga” – a set of 13 ascetic practices that the historical Buddha recommended and allowed for his disciples. Dhutanga practices include...

Happy 2026! We had a full house during our "Endings, Beginnings" New Year's event, preparing for the end of 2025 by chanting the Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra to clear and leave behind all that we do not wish to take with us into 2026. In Asian Buddhist traditions, cleaning and clearing the negatives of the year coming to a close is a more common emphasis than making new resolutions for the new year per se. Thus, every year on New Year’s Eve, Urban Dharma hosts and karmic cleansing...

Endings, Beginnings: A Candlelight Vigil of Release & Renewal Mark your calendars for our annual New Year's Eve service, "Endings, Beginnings." As the year comes to an end, let us gather to purify the past year's negativities through chanting the Vajrasattva purification mantra. The Buddhist tradition recognizes the power of examining our past actions. Recalling those which brought happiness to us and others can help us to repeat those beneficial activities, and conversely reflecting on our...