Latest news and developments from The Karuna Trust

Andrea from The Karuna Trust writes:-

Dear Readers of Triratna News

Last week on Triratna News, Bodhiketu wrote about his experience of being on the pioneering Karuna ‘One Year Appeal’, known as Viramandala.  They're a team of 5 men (Bodhiketu, Priyadaka, Silajala, Sanghanath and Jayaraja) who have been door-knocking in London since September 2010 to raise money for Karuna’s projects in India. In that time they have raised £400,000 to help India’s Dalit community. Here’s just some of the ways we spend the money raised on the doors.

Education - giving Indian children a good start in life
In India, as in many developing countries around the world, education is one of the key ways to reduce poverty and inequality. We're funding early childhood projects in Maharashtra, which teach parents how to interact with their child through touch and play. Through this we’re reaching 5000 parents and children aged from birth to 3-years.

Human Rights - placing forgotten people on the map
Nomadic and 'de-notified' tribes live in extreme poverty, have low levels of education and face extreme discrimination. With money raised on the doors, we’re about to fund a new partner, the New Initiative for Reclamation of Mankind (NIRMAN) who work with these forgotten people in the state of Maharashtra. NIRMAN's main aim is getting these people included in the India census. This means they'll be able to claim their state entitlements such as school places.

Women's Empowerment - creating a network of connection and support across India
The 2nd Karuna Women's Conference took place in India in February. It was attended by 24 female delegates from 12 of Karuna's partners. It's a unique event because it's specifically for Indian women working in NGOs.

The main outcome of the conference was the strengthening of 'Maitri for Development', a network of organisations addressing women's issues across India. Maitri will be a platform for women working in NGOs to share their skills and experience through a mentoring programme.

Karunadeepa, an Indian Order Member & NGO worker who works for Jeevak (a Karuna project partner based in Pune) was at the conference. She says "For me seeing so many projects do such good work and making a difference to people's lives was a learning experience."

Leadership development - encouraging Dalit women to become leaders
Dalit women especially lack self-confidence and access to proper information. This means, for example, they're often unwilling to meet with government officials to claim their state entitlements. This is especially the case in North Indian states such as Bihar where Dalits live in extreme poverty.

In response to this, we're initiating a leadership development programme for Dalit women in Northern India. This network will give Dalit women a supportive platform to voice their concerns and share their issues. Through this we'll be able to identify other women-led NGOs to join the 'Maitri' network.

Mind Change - reaching out to young Dalit and Tribal people
Young people from 'low-caste' backgrounds in India rarely have the opportunity to become community leaders. They often feel they have limited opportunity to influence change.

We're changing this by reaching out to 3000 young Dalit and Tribal people through our partner, the National Network of Buddhist Youth (NNBY).

The NNBY organise programmes & events across India specifically for young people enabling them to come together in large numbers to discuss the issues concerning them.

Award winning work
Jeevak, a long-standing Karuna partner, recently won an award in recognition of many years work in the Dapodi slums of Pune. This was the starting place for Karuna's work in India over 30 years ago. Sadhu to the Jeevak team!

If you’d like to know more about our work in India, please visit www.karuna.org

More than anything we rely on the generosity of Friends, Mitras and Order Members from The Triratna Buddhist Community who give their time to join 6-week door-to-door appeals or phone campaigns.

If you feel inspired by our work in India and would like a taste of fundraising as a spiritual practice we have plenty of opportunities. Click here for more information.

You can always call us on 0207 700 3434 or email appeals@karuna.org

Warm Regards

The Karuna Team

Angels in the morning, Dragons in the evening: fund-raising for Karuna

Bodhiketu writes from London with news of Karuna's 'One-Year Appeal', now over half way though.  He says - "In September 2010 Triratna's Karuna Trust started an ambitious project to establish a year-long men's door-knocking community in London Buddhist centre mandala, which Bhante named Viramandala, 'Circle of Heroes'. The team was led by Jayaraja and included Priyadaka, Silajala, Sanghanath, Paul Crosland and Bodhiketu.  So how has it been going?

"Those who have done appeals will know that the cocktail of spiritual practice and door-knocking is a particularly potent mix and we quickly formed very strong friendships between us, astonishingly fast in fact, through this intensity.  The first two appeals from September into December took us from delightful, balmy Autumn evenings into dark, freezing nights. That was hard – Sanghanath would often head out with three fleeces and two pairs of thermal long johns under his normal clothes.

"The thing that really surprised me was quite how willing many, many people were to stand at the door and chat with you though, about anything, really intimately. Someone you had never met before wanting to connect with you. I remember one mum pulling a face as she slipped out of the door to confide how she had one very grouchy teenager in the house ... then we talked for half an hour.

"For three weeks over Christmas we headed out to India to see some of the projects for ourselves. For me, many highlights - meeting my old friend Ratnadeep again after many years, the wonderful Ajanta caves, watching Jayaraja take on the Maharashtran boxing team at arm wrestling on an overnight train, seeing Sanghanath in his homeland, realising the revolutionary effect of micro-finance groups in the Pune slums, and then returning to an incredibly peaceful, clean and spacious sense of Bethnal Green!

"Beyond that was a real spirit of brotherhood that existed between us, real community.  On our return we were soon into door-knocking again. Still cold in January but Spring came, with more light in the evenings. There was always someone in the team who was on fire – bringing in lots of direct debits – always someone in a rut. It was never the same. The practice was to try and rejoice in the overall success.

"In March Paul decided to leave us – he felt he'd gone as far as he could this time. In May my own door-knocking ground to a halt, but I'm staying on to support the others and work at Karuna until August. Hey, it was always going to be a tough call ... so no regrets ... proudly we bear the scars of great battles.

"Anyway, despite this it has been a great success, raising over £400,000 so far for Karuna’s work in India. So much so that we decided to extend it into a second year and are currently looking for men to join us for six weeks, three months or longer, from now onwards.

"It's a great community and we'd make you very welcome. Door-knocking is a way of making a real difference in the world as well as a powerful means of self-awareness and personal transformation. You don't need any prior experience of fund-raising to give it a go, just a willingness to learn and engage with the process. If you're interested there's an advert in the jobs section (click here). Why not give us a call and find out more?

With metta, Bodhiketu"

Padayatra - “WALKING THROUGH THE CURTAIN OF FIRE”

Manidhamma in Sarnath

Manidhamma sends us this dispatch from Sarnath in India, historic site of the Buddha’s first teaching.  Triratna has for some years owned a beautiful piece of land there,  managed by a small team headed by Manidhamma.  They are currently fundraising for a beautiful stone Buddha statue, now being sculpted by a mitra in Bodh Gaya.  In aid of this, he’s about to begin an epic hundred-mile walk, tracing one made by Sangharakshita over 60 years ago.  He says -

“I am writing now about a walking tour from 9th to 14th May from Sarnath to Kusinara.  We have organised a 'Padayatra: a Walking Tour through the Curtain of Fire' to recreate the experience Bhante had according to his memoirs 'The Rainbow Road' . We are a bunch of ten inspired Order Members and Mitras from Vidharbha.  Right now I am at Sarnath and we are all set to begin our walk tomorrow (10th May) morning.  Like Sangharakshita, we intend to reach Kusinara on the full moon of Wesak.

We are undertaking this journey partly to practice walking and using the traditional robe and bowl of the Anagarika to deepen our going for refuge and partly to raise funds for the installation of a Buddha statue on our land at Sarnath.   Also, on our way we will benefit people by studying and teaching the Dhamma. We would like to take the vows of anagarikas for our journey. We would very much appreciate your thoughts and good wishes to accompany us for this journey.

Sangharakshita after his ordination

Here is a little of Sangharakshita’s story - In May 1949, two young wanderers wearing ragged robes, Dharmapriya and Satyapriya, set out on foot to cover the 180km from Sarnath to Kusinara in order to meet the Burmese monk U Chandramani. It was the hottest time of year with temperatures rising relentlessly every day and scorching hot winds gusting across the plains. Despite the dangers, the two young men were not to be dissuaded.  “So great was our desire for ordination that if necessary we would have prostrated ourselves the whole distance”. Following the railway tracks, wearing wet towels as turbans, sheltering in mango groves and ashrams and depending on the generosity of those they encountered, the wanderers completed the epic journey in 8 days. Shortly after arriving in Kusinara, Dharmapriya was ordained as the novice called Sangharakshita.

For more information on Bhante’s original journey, read the chapter called “Through the Curtain of Fire” in The Rainbow Road.  To contact Manidhamma email him here; to contact the Dhammaloka Trust, Sarnath please visit www.dhammaloka.com or  www.dhammayatra.in.

For our fundraising, any contributions are welcome from you or your friends.  We have created a special JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/padayatra .  Thanking you, and we are looking forward to hearing from you.

With metta,

Manidhamma

San Francisco Buddhist Center purchase Retreat House, helpers needed!

Suvarnaprabha writes from Triratna’s San Francisco Buddhist Center http://www.sfbuddhistcenter.org/  with news of their new retreat house.  She says - “The SFBC has purchased a modest two bedroom house on five acres of land in the mountains of Lake County, California, a two and a half hour drive north from San Francisco. We've had two weekend work parties so far (one with a snow storm and a power outage!) and have made an amazing amount progress on getting it ready for use.

“The house is rustic and basic. It is manifesting simplicity in a lovely setting.  Our first small retreat will happen in mid-April. After that it will be available beginning mid-May for solitary retreats, small retreats, and mindful vacations - we welcome inquiries from friends in the broader Triratna community who would like to come and do a solitary here.  It’s very affordable!

“For us there is still a lot of work to be done, for example adding another bathroom (so there will be two.) We are aiming to raise $9,000 US from donations from friends, Mitras, and Order Members  in the broader worldwide Triratna community who are inspired to create retreat spaces for our community.  Dana (no amount too small or too big!) is appreciated and can be offered by clicking 'Payments/Donations' at sfbuddhistcenter.org (specify it's for "the land").

You will be hearing more about this in the coming months!  In the mean time we have a blog on which we regularly post updates - check it out: sfbcnorth.blogspot.com.  There you’ll find their beautiful piece ‘Spirit of the Land Project’, where  they say -

With open handed generosity

As a community of spiritual practitioners and friends,

we practice in many ways.

This land project is a wonderful opportunity

to develop in our practice

and

in our spiritual friendships with one another.

What is paramount

in all we do as a community

is to support each other

to Awaken

for the benefit of all beings.

One way we can do this is

through the practice of Dana.

The generosity that is needed to make this project a reality

is given by all the members of the sangha,

in one form or another.

Regardless of the level of generosity

any one member provides,

access and utilization of the facilities

will be equal

for

all sangha members.

Barcelona sees first Triratna community

Rijumati writes from Barcelona with news of the first Triratna community there. He says - "Dear Friends, no bed, no tables, no pots, no spoons ... empty and rather zen. Sinhendra, Bernard and I just signed the contract for a lovely "piso" (apartment) in Barcelona. The first Triratna Buddhist community in the city. Wow, it's a new beginning for us.

“It’s a wonderful apartment on the Calle Tapioles in the Poble Sec district of Barcelona - between the Montjuic mount, the harbour and the old city. Check it out on Google Maps! As you can see the flat is unfurnished, in an elegant art nouveau style, built about 1902. We haven't yet got a landline there. I hope you will come and visit, please bring your own bed!

“Lots of love, Rijumati

The new community is part of a wider plan to develop Triratna Buddhist activities in the city, building on the classes established some years ago by Order Members commuting from Valencia. Rijumati explains - “First off we plan to establish a regulars group in addition to the beginners drop-in so that we can build more depth with the existing Sangha. We don't think of trying to get a Centre at first, but rather to build up a series of classes all around the different barrios many of which have quite different cultures. Perhaps we would also do an english language dharma class since there are many foreigners living and working in Barcelona. We also intend to set up frequent (perhaps monthly) weekend retreats to help build sangha and because apparently the Catalans love getting away on weekend workshops”.

They’ve already got a spanish-language website - budismo-barcelona.com - and a fundraising page, where they’re appealing for donations to support the new community and their activities as they get established. You’ll find it at www.justgiving.com/triratna-barcelona. 

16 Vajrasattvas seek homes throughout the world

Samudradaka writes from his home in Saudi Arabia with news of a fund-raising appeal he's initiated for Sahaja, an Order Member and artist from the North of England - well-known up there for his bold welded sculptures at Padmaloka, Birmingham and Manchester, among other places. He says -

"You may already know who Sahaja is, as for many years he created powerful and dramatic sculptures from scrap metal, some of which live in Triratna centres such as the Manchester Buddhist Centre.  Recently he's begun painting vibrant and expressive paintings including a new series of 16 Vajrasattvas – one for each of the 16 lines of the Vajrasattva mantra that he chants as part of his Buddhist practice.

"Sahaja is currently in a very difficult financial situation and to help him these 16 paintings are for sale as part of a fund-raising appeal.  The appeal target is to raise £7000. You can buy one of these paintings for £432 – but please consider paying more!

"This is a unique opportunity for you to buy one of these exciting new paintings and to give a home to one or more of this unique family of Vajrasattvas.

For more info and to buy visit: www.sahajaart.com/vajrasattva.  And here's the Vajrasattva Mantra itself -

om vajrasattva samaya
manupālaya
vajrasattvatvenopatiṣṭha
dṛḍho me bhava
sutoṣyo me bhava
supoṣyo me bhava
anurakto me bhava
sarva siddhiṃ me prayaccha
sarvakarmasu ca me
cittaṃ śreyaḥ kuru hūṃ
ha ha ha ha hoḥ
bhagavan sarvatathāgata
vajra mā me muñca
vajrī bhava
mahāsamayasattva
āḥ hum phat!

Do you have 6 weeks to spare this Spring?

 Andrea writes from Triratna’s Karuna Trust (www.karuna.org), where she works as Communications Officer. Karuna raise and send well over £1million a year to India for social and Dhamma projects - most of which is raised by volunteer fundraisers from the Triratna Buddhist Community. And they’d love to hear from you! She says -

"Hello readers of Triratna News

"Do you have 6 weeks to spare this spring?
In addition to our legendary door-to-door appeals, Karuna are now running Telephone Fundraising Campaigns. This is when a team of Sangha fundraisers come together in the afternoons and evenings over a 6-week period to phone Karuna supporters. The task is to ask them if they’d consider increasing their donation to fund projects supporting the Dalit community in India.

• You’ll need to be available full-time from 30 May to 8 July
• Phone campaigns are non-residential
• You’ll be based in the Karuna offices in North London
• Training is from 3pm and then calling Karuna donors until 9.30pm
• Financial support is offered

The experience is less challenging than cold calling people on the doorstep - existing or former donors almost universally have a positive response to the charity. However, you will still have the challenge of re-connecting them to their heart response to the Dalit cause in the midst of their busy lives, and of course the challenge of asking them for money!

Karuna was formed in 1980 in response to the suffering of India’s Dalit community. For 30-years Karuna has worked with some of India’s most disadvantaged people. We send over £1million every to year supporting hundreds of thousands of men, women and children through projects that build dignity and challenge discrimination.

Investing in education
Dalit children often experience shame from being made to sit separately in class and during mealtimes for fear of polluting higher caste children. Many suffer the humiliation of having to carry out their ‘caste duty’ of cleaning school toilets. Girls in particular may not be considered worthy of an education or extreme poverty forces their parents to put them to work. Dalit girls often don’t even make it to school, and over 83% drop out before they complete their secondary education. Yet a girl with 7 years or more of education will have fewer & healthier children and contribute more money to her household.

Karuna is investing in girls’ futures through an organization called Nishta, which is working with 250 low-caste girls living in villages near Kolkatta. Through posters & door-to-door awareness work they are encouraging parents to keep their daughters in schools. Sumita is one girl who has stayed in school. She says, “My mother is striving hard to keep the family. Often we have to manage without two meals. But with the support of Nishta, I have been going to school regularly.”

A positive challenge
On a phone campaign you’ll be asked to bring a story like Sumita’s alive to our supporters. Leigh Smith, a mitra from the Croydon Sangha who fundraised on a telephone campaign last year says, “I found fundraising for Karuna an engaging, effective and highly beneficial practice; it was a positive challenge, a wonderful way to practice and refine skillful communication.”

If you feel inspired by Karuna’s work in Asia, would like to put your practice to the test over the telephone, and have 6-weeks spare this spring, please get in touch with Jo Goldsmid who will be leading the spring campaign. Phone 0207 700 3434 or email jo@karuna.org

Inauguration of Dhammavijay Retreat Centre in India

Jnanaratna writes with news of the upcoming inauguration of Dhammavijay, the new Triratna retreat centre located on the border of the Melghat Tiger Reserve some 100 miles west of Nagpur. He’s an Indian member of the Triratna Buddhist Order based in nearby Amaravati, and says -

“Dear Brothers / Sisters, We invite you to attend the auspicious occasion of the opening ceremony of our Dhammavijay Retreat Center. The first phase of the work was completed and Dhammachari Chandrasheel will perform the Inauguration with chief guest Mr. Dinesh Khonde. Our president Dhammachari Manayu will preside and the date is 23rd March 2011 at 3pm.

“The Venue is the Dhammavijay Retreat Center, at Bihali, Chikhaldara, Amravati, Maharashtra, India”.

There’s photographs of the project and construction work available on Flickr; and their fundraising page is still welcoming donations at www.justgiving.com/achalbhumivihara

Achalabhumi joins Bhaja, Bor Dharan, and the Urgyen Sangharakshita Meditation Centre, the Triratna Buddhist Community's three other retreat centres in India.

Sadhu!

15 women ordained in India, women's Order in India now over 100

Today's story on Triratna News comes also from India , this time from Satyajyoti and Manjusiha. They are two fundraisers for the India Dhamma Trust which is a new UK charity dedicated to raising awareness of - and funds for - Triratna’s ordination process for men and women in India. They are on their first visit to India at the moment, and write from Nagpur to say:

"On Sunday we were privileged to go to the Public Ordination of 15 new Dhammacharinis at Triratna’s Bor Dharan Retreat Centre near Nagpur. Many hundreds of people attended (maybe over 700?) and witnessed the new Dhammacharinis making their commitments publicly. It was a particularly historic event as it took the number of women order members in India to over 100!

“Karunamaya (shown left) was the Public Preceptor conducting the ceremony and talked about how the Triratna Buddhist Community is a truly international sangha. She was delighted that there was also a Public Ordination in Finland on the same day and she asked us all to shout our Sadhus so loudly that they could be heard in Finland and also by Sangharakshita. We did!

“ The atmosphere was joyful with many family members, friends and sangha packed into the stupa to celebrate the ordinations, followed by multiple shared picnic lunches outside.

“Many of the women have faced many struggles on their way to ordination, so it was a great pleasure to see them looking so radiant and delighted, and also to see the pride and respect of their friends and families. Many people had travelled long distances on over-night trains to be at the Public Ordinations and we had a very tangible feeling of the strength and commitment of the Indian Sangha."

We’ll bring you the names of the new Dhammacharinis as soon as we have them.

Some 1,500 men and women in India have asked for Ordination. Helping so many towards ordination is a massive task, as each person prepares individually, the process typically taking several years. The Indian men’s and women’s ordination teams therefore include over a dozen people - hence the need for the India Dhamma Trust. For more information see their website - http://indiadhammatrust.org


SADHU!

On Retreat in Rural India - and back to the City

Here's a report from two intrepid women Dharma-farers in India. Shakyajata, the writer, will be familiar to readers of Triratna News from her work with students at Nagaloka and Aryaloka in Nagpur - not to mention Kerala, Bodh Gaya, and beyond! She says -

"Helen Sullivan and I (Shakyajata) have just returned to Nagpur, from one of the most beautiful places we have seen since arriving in India, 8 weeks ago. This is the Urgyen Sangharakshita Meditation Centre, in Warakwadi, near the large city of Nanded, in Maharashtra, central India.

"We were looked after by Chandrabodhi, one of the founder members of the Triratna Buddhist Order in India, who has worked for about 10 years to establish a simple but extensive retreat centre in a remote and quiet spot, a place of refuge from the din and chaos of Indian city life. Nanded itself has a very vibrant sangha, and a lot of money was raised by Chandrabodhi and others, to provide this facility for them and the whole Triratna Movement in India, especially for meditation.

"Helen recently became a Dhammamitra at Bodh Gaya (see last report), and she and I were both keen to spend some quiet time on retreat. Somehow this was converted (through the persuasive means at Chandrabodhi's disposal - they are irresistible!) into a weekend retreat for about 40 women from Nanded, plus a couple of days for just the two of us - it was wonderful.

"We travelled to Nanded by sleeper coach, as the only train from Nagpur is the kind of train where the driver stops and goes off for a sleep - it takes 24 hours. So we booked on to this big luxurious-looking vehicle, equipped with (slightly grubby) beds. The ride was far from smooth! Only a hovercraft could give a smooth ride on India's winding, potholed roads. We were also told firmly that there would be no toilet stop (on an 8-hour journey) which gave rise to just the kind of anxiety you don't need in such a situation. In fact there WAS a 'comfort stop' in the middle of nowhere, necessitating hiding behind a lorry. (On the return journey, the driver was moving off while Helen was still out of sight - useful Hindi word: RUKH! RUKH! Stop! Stop!)

"But as soon as we arrived, it was non-stop Nanded hospitality, surely the best in the world. People were so kind, nothing was too much trouble for them (provided that impromptu talks/pujas and hundreds of photos, were taken for granted). Not just lovely food and accommodation, but presents as well, quite overwhelming.

"The weekend for women went well, I think, they expressed very genuine-seeming satisfaction. Our youngest retreatant was Sujata, about 8 and wonderfully familiar with the 5 Precepts, and our oldest a redoubtable lady probably in her 80s, who was also a powerful singer. Between there were a number of young girls, good to see, who seemed to have been sent there by their families, but who really got into it and were inspired.

"Most impressive of all were a group of about 6 Dhammamitras, a feisty bunch of ladies with a formidable array of talents and energy. We had a cultural celebration at the end, and one of them did an amazing singing act where she acted the part of a beautiful young woman combing out her long hair, and looking for her lover....who turns out to be a louse!! Much beautiful singing and poetry, and talks - in fact after seeing them in action, I wished we had handed over a big chunk of the retreat to them.....will know better next time, because yes, we have made promises....Helen was very much appreciated, especially by the younger women who find us oldies a bit daunting. We had a fantastic translator, Maya, who had come hundreds of kilometres to make our retreat possible, she felt a great affinity with Helen too.

"Eventually, they all left, except Helen and I, and Chandrabodhi, and Chandrakant the caretaker (who has maintained the Centre virtually single-handed for 9 years). Peace and silence descended, with melodious birdcalls, shrilling cicadas, a sky full of stars and bright moonlight, warmth by day and coolness by night. We meditated and performed puja in the beautiful shrine hall, ate Chandrakant's lovely food, walked up the hill opposite the Centre to view the shaggy, verdant countryside all around, and absorbed many other delights. The natural beauty of the place, the ringing silence, the sweet air...hard to describe how lovely it is. We stayed in small, simple and beautiful rooms, with a peaceful monastic feel.

"This Centre is a fantastic resource, under-used because only half finished - the initial funding raised by Chandrabodhi has now run out. Initially it was for men only, but it’s now open to both men and women. We were very inspired to continue raising funds to finish the buildings, and to communicate to Western friends in search of solitary retreat places, or retreat venues, how little it will take to make this a thriving, well-equipped meditation centre. Do come, and see for yourself!

This can be organised through Chandrabodhi. The foundations of the buildings have been laid, and the Centre can be extended stage by stage; for example, it would take only about 3,000GBP to finish another toilet block, and en-suite solitary accommodation. Then more bedrooms, a dining hall, a kitchen.....if you would like to help, go to www.justgiving.com/urgyensangharakshitameditationcentre

"So now, we are back in noisy, dusty, vibrant Nagpur, working on the projects we have set up to give employment opportunities to young people from poor backgrounds; (see www.justgiving.com/youngindianfutures) The Animation students are working hard at their drawing, getting over the hard slog and starting to enjoy this most essential skill. Three of last year's graduates are now in Delhi, either working or on the verge of employment; and one of this year's Hardware and Networking students has already had a good job offer. Tonight we shall all be celebrating the New Year together, up on the community rooftop, with much singing and dancing and general alcohol-free joy! A Happy New Year to you all".

Dhammacharini Shakyajata
Helen Sullivan

Karuna joins the Big Give - all donations made tomorrow (starting 10am) will be doubled to reach £20k target!

Stephen writes from Triratna’s Karuna Trust with news of their latest fundraising appeal - to help 10,000 Indian children out of child labour and poverty.

Tomorrow - Tuesday December 6th - is very special in that they’ve teamed up with the Big Give so that from 10am onwards ALL DONATIONS MADE TO KARUNA ONLINE WILL BE DOUBLED.

Click here if you want to be part of this and help them reach their £20,000 target.

He says - “Up to 60% of the children living in villages around Sangamner, Maharashtra are scavenging on streets, or labouring in factories or fields, rather than going to school. We want to turn this disgraceful statistic around and allow all children to access their rights to education and liberty.

“Education for all children is the only viable and sustainable long term path to escaping poverty. That is why our goal is to achieve 100% school attendance in each of the 150 villages we are working within. The solution must involve everyone: parents, communities, local government and schools. The aim will be achieved by providing a comprehensive, holistic Child Rights programme to organise, educate, train and empower all stakeholders.

“We’ve come up with a £20,000 project that will give every child of these 150 villages their liberty and education, allowing them to escape poverty and participate fully in society. We will demonstrate the success of this project by monitoring the number of children completing their education. Success will be 95% of children completing their education to age 16 and 65% completing their education to age 18.

“We’ll be working with The National Institute For Sustainable Development (NISD), who work within displaced, socially and economically disadvantaged communities focusing mainly on children and women.

“Click here if you’d like to donate and have your donation doubled!

Lines open at 10am sharp on 6/12 and the Big Give will remain active until its daily budget has been reached. Better be prompt - this may happen within an hour!”

Compassion in Action: Karuna Women's Appeal in February 2011

At a loose end or between things in the New Year?

Want an experience of intensive Dharma practice, living and working with a team of other women?

You could raise £16,000 in six weeks to help Dalit women, children and men in India to free themselves from the prison of caste. Children like Vidhya.

Vidhya Salgare attends one of Karuna's education hostels in Latur, Western India. A delightful family atmosphere is created by its 65 girls and 3 wardens; a mixture of exuberance, intelligence and care. At the village school she attended, Vidhya was made to sit at the back of the class because she was considered to be low caste. She says, "It's not like that here at Latur. I am very happy here." Vidhya is one of many thousands of children who have benefitted from the generosity of members of the UK public, who gave to Triratna volunteers on the doorstep.

We are putting together a women's appeal team to fundraise door-to-door in Brighton from the 5th February to 19th March 2011. Sanghadevi (author of Living Together) will be on the team. We are looking for 3 or 4 women to join her. All of your costs -both in Brighton and back at home - will be covered.

To learn more about how Karuna is helping children like Vidhya visit www.karuna.org/.

If you are interested in joining this appeal, please contact Amalavajra by Friday 10th December 2010 on 0207 700 3434 or amalavajra@karuna.org.

Keep the Three Jewels Shining: Part III - Sangha

Keep the Red Jewel Shining!

21st November is the full-moon night when we celebrate Sangha Day. Traditionally the time when the monks gathered for the start of the rainy season retreat, it is also when our Centres hold gatherings of their sanghas to celebrate the support and inspiration to be gained from spiritual community.

So, as we approach Sangha day, Triratna News brings you the third in a series of short, six-minute films celebrating spiritual community. In each, Triratna practitioners have talked about their relationship to each of the Three Jewels – Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. In this last film, they talk about what they love and appreciate about our Triratna Sangha.

The three films are part of a campaign "Keep the Three Jewels Shining" which is about encouraging people to make a will, and also asking them to consider leaving a gift in their will to the Triratna Buddhist Community. Watch it in the embedded player below or watch it direct on Vimeo

As Vajragupta, one of those behind the campaign, explains: "There are lots of ways to support the sangha and help it to thrive in the future. A gift in your will could be one way of doing this. You may have family and friends who are going to be foremost in your mind when you make your will. But you could, if you wished, also leave a gift to your local centre, your favourite retreat centre, or project. Any gift will make a difference, be really appreciated, and help ensure that others can experience the help and support of sangha after you."

"Quite a number of our centres have received gifts in wills in recent years. At the Krakov Centre - our first centre in Poland - a gift has helped pay for translations of Dharma texts. At Taraloka, a surprise gift helped buy badly needed new furniture that the retreat centre hadn't expected to be able to afford. There are lots of other similar stories of generosity that help keep the Three Jewels shining."

There is a brochure with a easy, ten-step guide to making a will, available at all UK Centres soon. Alternatively, you can download it at www.triratnadevelopment.org

Keep the Three Jewels Shining: the tour continues

"I know quite a few people who've recently made wills and who've found thinking through the issues involved quite uplifting and liberating, not at all morbid or depressing."

So says Vajragupta, director of the Triratna Development Team. Members of the team are one-third of their way into a tour of UK Centres during which they are launching and promoting a campaign called "Keep the Three Jewels Shining". Vajragupta explains:

"We are giving out a free brochure with a ten-step guide to making a will, and also a short DVD film. The aim is to encourage people to make a will, and also to encourage them to think about leaving a gift in their will to the Triratna Buddhist Community.

"Making a will is an act of generosity. Firstly, it is generous in that you are making sure your affairs are in order so that you're not leaving difficult issues to be sorted out by your loved ones after you've died and they are grieving. Secondly, it's an act of generosity because in making a will you have to think about how you can make use of what you own after you've gone. It is an opportunity to give to family, friends, and communities and causes you care about.

"Making a will can be inspiring and satisfying; it is a chance to think through what really matters to you, and a small way of reflecting on the Buddha's teaching of impermanence.

"We've also made a film to go with the will-making campaign. It’s a short and simple, 20 minute film, in which various members of our community reflect on what the Three Jewels mean to them, and why we need to keep the Three Jewels shining.

"In the second film, available here, people talk about how their practice of the Dharma has deepened over time, and also on their attitudes to death and dying. There are a few moments in the film in which you sense people's practice has gone deep. This is my favourite of the three sections of the film".

Brochures and DVD's will be available at all UK Centres soon. Alternatively, you can download the films and ten-step guide to making a will at www.triratnadevelopment.org/wills


Padmavajra introduces the second part of 'Keep the Three Jewels Shining'

Keep the Three Jewels Shining: new Triratna campaign launches across UK

This month sees the start of a new Triratna campaign in the UK.  Called "Keep the Three Jewels Shining", it's about raising awareness of  the importance of making your will - and asking people in the Triratna Buddhist Community to consider leaving a gift to Triratna in their will.

Vajragupta, one of those behind the campaign says, "It is obviously important to have your affairs sorted out, so that the family and friends you want to benefit in your will do so. Making a will is also an opportunity to make a difference to causes you care about, or communities you want to support."

"It is a lot easier and quicker to make a will than people sometimes think. We've produced a website and brochure that have a clear, 10-step guide to making a will. We are now touring UK Centres to promote these and a short, inspirational film made for us by Clear Vision."

The 10-step guide can be found at www.triratnadevelopment.org/making-a-will . The brochure and film will soon be available at UK Centres, as Vajragupta and other members of the Development Team visit almost every Triratna centre in the UK through October and November.

And here's the first part of the new Clear Vision film: "Keeping the Three Jewels Shining". It’s a short, 20 minute film, in which Triratna practitioners reflect on their relationship to each of the Three Jewels. In the first part of the film (6 minutes), they reflect on what inspires them about the Buddha, and why his message is needed today.



http://player.vimeo.com/video/15470699

Amogharatna completes fundraising Berlin marathon

Amogharatna has just completed the Berlin marathon as a fundraiser for the new Berlin Buddhist Centre - of which he’s the Chairman. He says - “big thanks again to all who sponsored me and helped me to raise money for the new Buddhist centre. (It is still of course possible, just click here!).

“Two days after the event I feel surprisingly fit and well. It rained during virtually the whole time... apart from the super sense of satisfaction of having fulfilled this goal and of having helped raise money for the new centre, I am really impressed by the accuracy of the training plan that I followed.

“One of the more bizarre memories is of being massaged after the race in the rain on the lawn in front of the Reichstag!”

the rhubarb crumble
that gave him that extra energy! 

Sadhu Amogharatna!

And check his fundraising website www.justgiving.com/Amogharatna if you’d like to donate - the race may be over but the fundraising isn't!

Karuna celebrates 30 years of compassion in action

“Karuna is like a bridge.
The beneficiaries are that side of the river,
and we are on this side.
Previously we couldn’t reach them.
But now, because of Karuna, we can help.”
Karunaprabha

Triratna's Karuna Trust is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special Newsletter.  Karuna was formed in 1980, in response to the suffering of India’s Dalit population. In the 30 years since that time, Karuna has sent over £16,000,000 in funds to India and south Asia. The majority of these funds have been raised by 400 Triratna volunteer fundraisers who have given their time to do a Karuna Appeal.

Of the £1.8 million that we raised in 2009, £1.4 million, or 80% came from nearly 8,000 individual regular donors who have been recruited one-by-one on the doorstep by Triratna volunteers over the past 30 years.

Karuna’s fundraising, and therefore its vital social and Dharma work, is almost entirely dependent upon volunteer fundraisers from the Triratna Buddhist Community.

Vajrapushpa, Chair of Karuna Trustees, says -
“The 2010 Karuna newsletter (sent to 8000 Karuna supporters) celebrates Karuna’s 30th anniversary. The personal experiences described inside it's covers illustrate some of the reasons why Karuna has been so successful over the past 30 years in helping to transform the lives of thousands of people in south Asia.

The three people interviewed in the newsletter come from some of the poorest communities in India. Having struggled against the odds to fulfill their own dreams, they’re now dedicating their lives to helping others. For them, this commitment is not an interesting career choice; it is an integral part of how they see the world and their place in it. Karuna is fortunate to be able to work with such dedicated people.


To all those in the Triratna Buddhist community - past and present - who have supported Karuna and our work in south Asia, please accept our heartfelt thanks.”

get involved
If you feel strongly about helping India’s Dalit community to escape the hell of caste, then please do consider giving some of your time in 2011 to fundraise for Karuna, or encourage your friends to do so. In 2011, we will be running door-to-door appeals, telephone fundraising campaigns and a new one-year-long men’s fundraising community. We offer full training and financial support.

To see a full version of the Karuna 2010 newsletter and the personal stories of Karunaprabha, Maitreyanath and Yashosagar please visit www.karuna.org

To enquire about helping out on a Karuna fundraising appeal in 2011 contact us on 0207 700 3434 or email appeals@karuna.org

Amogharatna runs Berlin marathon

Amogharatna writes from Berlin, where they’re engaged in the development of a major new Buddhist Centre. Besides being the Centre’s chairman, he’s busy fundraising, and writes to say -

“As you may already know, I am marking my tenth anniversary of living in Berlin by participating in this year's Berlin marathon on September 26th. At the same time I am raising funds for the renovation of the recently purchased new Triratna centre in the city.

“If you would like to contribute, I invite you to sponsor me by visiting my JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/Amogharatna

“To stay up to date with my training as I prepare for the big day, you might also like to visit my blog.

“For more information about our new centre project, you can visit our website - or buddhistisches-tor-berlin.de for the German version.

"Thanks for taking the time to read this.
With Metta,
Amogharatna

Buddhafield Appeal - be one of the 150!

Triratna’s Buddhafield sangha are nearing the end of a packed summer program of retreats, festivals, cafes, and children’s events.  Along the way they’ve been concocting a great fundraising scheme to help them pay off the £35,000 they still own on their new land at Frog Mill, 17 acres of gorgeous land in Dartmoor National Park.  Simple really - get 150 people to do something they’ve never done before and fundraise £200 each.  So they’ve been asking everyone they meet  “Could you be 1 of the 150?”

And now they write to say - “Dear friends, it's happening!  All of the below have committed themselves -

Dhiramati raised £800 on an all night puja at this year’s Buddhafield Festival

 Paul Chauncy raised £400 cycling from London to Frog Mill, recording an album on his travels

K. has run a half marathon and raised £200

H.D. has raffled a bushcraft course and raised £475 | P.V. donated the proceeds of his massages on the family friendly retreat | S. donated £8,000 (wow!) | K. (and seven others) each donated £200 | L.B. and  V.  are running a half marathons

S. is knitting | D. And S.T. are abseiling

K.,K., C. and N. are swimming, running, making cakes and felt

H.P. and  L.S. are walking 40 miles between Buddhafield's 2 pieces of land

S. is cycling the South Downs way

K. is donating the royalties from his book on meditation

and more - 

R.H. is massaging | M. is selling his computer and donating the proceeds | V. is stilt walking on Dartmoor | Z.H. is making, then auctioning a beaded bodhisattva | A.S. is doing a painting | C.B. is doing a slack rope walk | VJ and J. are doing a triathlon | G.C. is doing acupuncture | K. is busking | J.J. and R.R. are holding a musical evening | Padmapani is doing a disco | C.T., J.H. and family are sending a toy bear and diary around to friends | V. is holding a musical evening in West London | A.M. is doing a 24 hour piano D.S. is doing extra midwifery shifts | J.H. is holding a dance night | L. and R. are having a 24 hour cake bake and sale | V. is doing an all night reading of The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava | T.M.  won’t buy anything for three months | L. D. has pledged to do something with food | A. (and 16 other people!) have pledged to raise £200.

Hannah from Buddhafield writes to say - “They are doing this to raise money for the Buddhafield Frog Mill land appeal. Are you looking for an excuse to do something you’ve never done before? Could you be one of those people sharing your skills, passions, creativity and talent to help Buddhafield? You can join the above in their heroic tasks by setting up your own JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/buddhafield 

“Suggestions for activities include walks, runs, silences, gigs, meditations, hair cutting/shaving, pilgrimages, dances, comedy nights, plays, frog hopping (for kids!), marathons/ half marathons, fashion shows, cake sales, jumble sales- ANYTHING- as long as it’s ethical!  

"Once you’ve made a page, let your friends on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Bebo know what you’re up to and get them involved too.  If you're not computer literate, do it the old fashioned way getting sponsors with pencil and paper!”

Buddhafield hold their big family friendly and open summer retreats on Frog Mill. It cost £85,000 and they’ve done very well to pay off over £50,000 - but that still leaves £35,000 to go. It has a salmon spawning river, the Blackaton Brook flowing through it and is home to kingfishers, dippers and a host of other wildlife. They have plans to let natural regeneration create more woodland and to clean and tidy up the mill area this winter.　

Karuna launch 2011 'Fundraising as Spiritual Practice' campaign

Andrea writes from Triratna's Karuna Trust with news of their 2011 fundraising campaign.  Next year more than ever they're seeking to weave into their fundraising one of Karuna and Triratna's greatest strengths - the fact that most if not all Karuna volunteers come from the Triratna Buddhist Community and are practicing Buddhists.  This makes their appeals a uniquely powerful spiritual practice as well as very effective fundraisers.   She says -

"Karuna was formed in 1980, in response to the suffering of India’s Dalit population. In that time, Karuna has sent over £16,000,000 in funds to India and Asia. The majority of these funds have been raised by 400 Triratna volunteer fundraisers who have given their time to do a Karuna Appeal.  A Karuna Appeal has a daily programme similar to being on retreat, but living in the city makes it ‘retreat-like’. The structure of the Appeal supports a ‘going deeper’ experience, as this is what creates successful fundraising.

“Sangharakshita has commented on the effectiveness of this approach, saying 'Karuna door-to-door appeals are a very effective spiritual practice. Over the years I have seen many people change significantly as a result of taking part in them. I would therefore urge all those who have our work in India at heart to support Karuna in this way.' 

"There are about 300 million children, women and men in South Asia who are known as Dalits and under the Hindu caste system are called ‘untouchables’. According to Hindu scriptures this places them at the very bottom of the hierarchical caste system. This means their lives are dominated by the caste attitudes of others higher up in the hierarchy. As a result they have severe restrictions places on their lives, creating a relentless cycle of suffering that has persisted for thousands of years.

Karuna sends over £1 million each year to fund projects in South Asia which support hundreds of thousands of people by lifting them out of poverty, building dignity and challenging discrimination.

"You can help raise India’s Dalit community out of poverty and discrimination
How? By giving your time in 2011 in one of three ways:
1. Help out on a non-residential, telephone fundraising campaign in London
2. Join a Karuna residential door to door fundraising Appeal
3. Live in a pioneering men’s fundraising community for a year

"To find out more, contact myself, Jo, or Amalavajra on 0207 700 3434 or email us on appeals@karuna.org. We're also on the web at www.appeals.karuna.org

"Check out the booklets and posters which are due to arrive at Triratna centres across the UK very soon. I attach the poster for those who'd like a sneak preview!"

"Bye for now.

"Andrea