Would you like to hear more about our Movement in India?

Over the next few weeks Indian Order members will be visiting UK Centres and talking about their lives and work. This is a great opportunity to get a different perspective on our Movement and the Dharma.

One of the benefits of experiencing the internationality of our Movement is seeing what of Buddhism is cultural. Throughout it's history the Dharma has adapted as it encounters different situations; so what is central and what varies? It is the recognition that we can take direction of our own lives and through changing how we relate to a situation change the way it unfolds that is the essence of the Dharma. In hearing about our work in India we see that principle played out in a more direct and socio-politically active fashion than we are familiar with in the West; but it is the same Dharma.

To hear more about this work; and especially the work of some of those responsible for training men and women for ordination in the Triratna Buddhist Order the come along to one of the following;

Sunday 28th August - Sheffield Buddhist Centre
Monday 29th August - Bristol Buddhist Centre or the London Buddhist Centre
Tuesday 30th August – Birmingham Buddhist Centre or the West London Buddhist Centre or Norwich Buddhist Centre
Thursday 1st September – Nottingham Buddhist Centre or Colchester Buddhist Centre
Saturday 3rd September – Croydon Buddhist Centre
Monday 5th September – North London Buddhist Centre or Manchester Buddhist Centre

(They haven't achieved the psychic power of being in more than place at once, unfortunately, there's more than one group!)

This tour is being organised by the India Dhamma Trust (indiadhammatrust.org), in association with Golden Rainbow. If you feel inspired to give to either of these causes please contact manjusiha@indiadhmmatrust.org. You can also donate on our website.

Akasabhadra arrives in Wolverhampton

Ashvajit writes from Birmingham, UK with news of the recent arrival of Dharmachari Anagarika Akashabhadra, an Order Member from India and here to become one of the ordained residents at the Wolverhampton Buddhist Vihara. He says -

“I was approached by six members of the Committee of the Vihara a year or so ago, when they were without a Bhikkhu (their resident Thai Bhikkhu was about to leave) and they asked me if I knew of any Hindi-speaking Dhammachari, preferably robe-wearing, who would be interested in coming over to the UK for six months to be their resident monk. So it was that Akashabhadra came over a month or so ago.

“He’s a very friendly and quite lively 60-year old who I’m sure will benefit very much from more contact with the Order over here - and the Order from his presence too!”

Akashabhadra was ordained in 1993 and has until recently been part of the small Triratna sangha in Agra, north India.  The photographs show the Vihara and its shrine room.

Ordinations in India

Triratna News is delighted to report that the following men were ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order on June 19th at Bhaja Retreat Centre, India:

Public preceptor Chandrashil
Private preceptor Amoghasiddhi:
Rangrao Rangari becomes Shraddhapriya, one who loves faith 
Subhas Pudke becomes Alokvajra, Luminous diamond
Shilvant Nagarale becomes Kumarvajra, Prince diamond
Satyam becomes Asangavajra, unattached diamond
Nagvajra becomes Dhammasen, leader of dhamma
Utpal becomes Ratnakumar, Jewel Prince
Dilip Shende becomes Sugatpriya, beloved of Buddha
Vinod Dighade becomes Asangapriya, one who loves detachment
Dhruva Gajbhiye becomes Buddharatna, Buddha Jewel
Prajnavant Shende becomes Akshayamitra, indestructible friend

Private preceptor Lokamitra:
C.N.Nandeswar becomes Dhammanaga (meaning of name not yet given)
 Trinath becomes Maitreyaratna (meaning of name not yet given)

Public preceptor Amoghasiddhi
Private preceptor Adityabodhi
Sikandar Ughade becomes Karunaditya, Sun of Compassion
Chandanshive becomes Shakyaditya, Sun in the shakya clan

Private preceptor Ratnashila:
Sunil Ghodke becomes Jinaratna, the Victorious Jewel
Ajay Patre becomes Nagdeep, the Luminous Buddha

Private preceptor Jutindhar:
Tulanand Barsagade becomes Jinasagar, Ocean of Conqueror

Private preceptor Yashosagar:
Jagdish Parmar becomes Vajradhvaja, banner of determination
Narendra Masaram becomes Vimaldassi, one who has pure vision

Private preceptor Amrutdeep:
Chandrakant Dhoble becomes Amrutsur, bravely striving for Nirvana

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

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

India and Sri Lanka exchange Dharma teachers

Ujukarin, from Sri Lanka

Prajnajit, from India

Ujukarin, a Dutch Order Member who’s a regular visitor and Dharma teacher in Sri Lanka, writes with news of an ongoing India - Sri Lanka collaboration. He says - “Some years back myself and my friend Prajnajit from India made a vow: we each would spend 25% of our annual Dharmaduta (Dharma teaching) time to assist one another in the neighbouring country. Prajnajit did his part during three months in Autumn 2009, which was described in detail in this blog http://fwbo-news.blogspot.com/2009/09/ujukarin-dutch-order-member-who-is.html . And now, I who am only able to give part-time to my Dharma teaching work, spent 10 days in India to ‘pay back the debt’.

“Our tour was mainly around Umarga town, with a population of 30,000 in the south-eastern tip of Maharashtra state; it has a Bahujan Hitay boys hostel and a Buddhist meeting hall (vihara) in town. Basically what we were aiming to do during my visit was to enhance the regular Dhamma talk schedule of Prajnajit, plus those of visiting Order Members like Abhayabhadra from Pune. We visited two rural towns nearby, the larger city of Osmanabad 100 km to the west and of course Umarga vihara; overall attendance over five nights must have been in the range of 500-700 people. Also during transit in Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), 200 km to the east, we had an inspiring evening with the local sangha in their vihara. The talks were successful, and made it on to the pages of at least four local newspapers; the topics we spoke on often linked Buddhism to practical family life in Asia, e.g. parenting, politics, and how to avoid astrology and the dowry system!

Chanting mantras at the start of the Osmanabad event,
with Prajnajit and Ujukarin upfront

“What impressed me most, as well as the usual exemplary hospitality of the Indian Buddhists and the dedication of Order Members and Dhammamitras of course, were the more and more varying circumstances in which we were working, compared to Holland and Sri Lanka. The traditional pattern of oppressed ex-untouchables certainly still exists, as we found for instance in Betjawalaga village close to Umarga. Not only did we need to hold a small ‘procession’ prior to the meeting to demonstrate that all parts of town, including the high-caste ones, weren’t off-limits to the Dalits; we were also told it was better to avoid directly attacking Hindu gods and goddesses in the talk (though this was something Buddha often did) as this could lead to future repercussions on our friends. One very interesting occurrence, on the other hand, was that when we held Triratna day in Umarga we had a smaller audience than we expected. On making enquiries, we found a main reason was that on the same day a popular Hindu temple had held a festival which also attracted quite a few Dalits. That situation sounds positive to me: not so much in terms of ‘more spiritual competition’ but in terms of a new generation of Hindu temples starting to arise which don’t care anymore about the caste of a visitor, or even whether they call themselves Hindu at all!

“Overall it was a very inspiring trip; the Umarga sangha hopes for many more volunteer visitors from the West, whether Order Members or groups of mitras!'

Kerala Buddhists visit Nagaloka

Following yesterday’s story from the students on the six-month Dharma Training Course at Madhyamaloka, in Birmingham UK, today’s picks up a similar theme - but from a very different part of the world. For the last eight years at Nagaloka, Triratna’s study centre in central India they’ve been intensively training young Buddhist men and women in the basics of Dharma and social work; the graduates have returned home and worked in many ways to create Sanghas all across India - including Kerala, in the far South. Now Vivekaratna writes with news of some fruits of this work, saying -

“On 12th April evening at Nagaloka we welcomed a party of 22 female, 30 male and 12 children, all visitors from Kerala. Most of them were the relatives and friends of our graduates Rejimon and Binojbabu, ex-trainees of our first & second batches of students. They had encouraged them to visit Nagpur to experience the celebrations of the birth anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. These are always a special celebration in Nagpur, almost as much as the anniversary of the Dhamma Revolution.

“We had a day retreat with them on 13th April, with meditation teaching in the Malayalam language of Kerala, plus a lecture by me on the ‘Importance of Buddhism’ specifically related to the needs of Dalit communities as suggested by Dr. Ambedkar. Since I cannot speak in Malayalam it was translated by Rejimon. The retreat concluded with Puja in the evening.

“On the morning of 14th April they all participated in revering Dr. Ambedkar in by offering flowers and  candles to his statue in the Nagaloka gardens. That evening they visited localities and the Deekshabhoomi (where Dr. Ambedkar converted with 300,000 followers in 1956) to experience the enthusiasm and joy of Ambedkarites in Nagpur. Rejimon took them to our Ven. Hsuan Tsang Retreat centre at Bor Dharan on 15th April.

“They were very happy to visit and to stay at Nagaloka. In fact it is an achievement that through the work of NTI graduates we are able to spread Dr. Ambedkar's message and Buddhism in Kerala state”.

With Metta, Vivekaratna

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

Two awards for Triratna social projects in India

Milind Shakya, an Indian Order Member from Triratna’s Bahujan Hitay social project in Pune, writes with news of two major awards recently awarded to their women's projects.  He says - “We are pleased to inform you that our Bahujan Hitay Girls Hostel in Latur and our Jeevak Women’s Project  in Pune have been honoured with two valuable awards in memory of “Ahilayabai Holkar” by the Government of Maharashtra, Child and Welfare Dept.

"The awards were  presented by the hands of Mr. Prithviraj Chawan, Chief Minister of the Govt of Maharashtra,  on this occasion many dignitaries were present, including  Mr. Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister, and Mrs Varsha Gaikwad, Minister for Woman and Child Welfare, plus. Mr. Laxman Jagtap, MLA.  This award contains Rs. 25000/- a Trophy, and a Certificate".

Karunaprabha, who works for the projects concerned,  adds - “The Award is given in memory of Ahilayabai Holkar wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahilyabai_Holkar. a social reformer who worked for the welfare of the Indian Women and fought for the women rights, in the 18th Century.  This Award is for doing Best Work in the Pune Division and also for the Best NGO in the Pune Division". 

Sadhu!

Travels in Orissa, birthplace of the first Dhamma Revolution

Shakyajata writes with news of her recent expedition to Orissa, in the remote north-east of India, where she’s been meeting graduates from Nagaloka, Triratna’s Buddhist social work training institute in central India, and exploring with them opportunities for livelihood and activism. She says -

“In January of this year, Priyadaka, Helen Sullivan, and I travelled to Odisha (Orissa, recently renamed) in the company of Trinath, and Utpal and Nagavajra. The last mentioned are three impressive young Orissan dhammamitras, who arranged our tour and guided and cared for us with great efficiency.

“We did many things there; meetings for mitras and young people to discuss livelihood opportunites; Dhamma programmes; swimming in the Bay of Bengal at sunrise; visiting remote and ancient villages; and visiting a number of fascinating Buddhist archaeological sites.

“ Orissa is actually one most 'fundamentalist' states in India, where foreigners are regarded with suspicion, as mlechhas or Untouchables, and our young Buddhist friends put themselves in danger of violence by being public about their religion. It was very stirring to see the evidence that once it was so different, over a huge area that may even have reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee, 250 years before the birth of Christ. I have heard Indian Buddhist friends talk of the influence of Buddhism on Christianity, and been rather dismissive of this 'wishful thinking', but having seen the evidence of Ashoka's influence, I am not so sure.

“Orissa is full of paradoxes. Despite the reserve of some of the locals, it is a lovely place to visit, with a beautiful coastline and nature reserves; a delightful climate, in January the days warm and balmy, the nights fresh and cool; an amazing cultural heritage, especially of dance; a thriving tradition of skilled stone-carving; the countryside mostly lush and unspoiled, not (yet!) devastated by industrialisation. The Buddhist sites have some wonderful things; huge drum stupas skilfully carved from curving blocks, without mortar, fitting perfectly together; a broken fragment on the ground with a perfectly clear frieze of vajras; the Vajrayana was here! Exquisite Mahayana carvings of bodhisattvas, often damaged, to the grief of our young Buddhist friends; heads of Buddha statues which must have been of colossal size.....so much to see.

“We hope to help these very idealistic young people to set up a livelihood in tourism and pilgrimage, to support their Dhamma work. For more information, see www.justgiving.com/youngindianfutures ... and consider coming to Orissa!

“To give you a flavour of what you might find if you did come, for me, the most stunning sight was at Dhauli, where there stands a modest monument, virtually unknown, marking the spot where the Buddhist Emperor Ashoka began the revolution of peace that was to spread throughout India, into (modern) Pakistan and Afghanistan and beyond. Here there took place the terrible massacre of the Kalingas, a sight of such dreadful carnage and suffering, that witnessing it, Ashoka resolved to abandon his career of kingly conquest and embrace the teachings of the Buddha - to rule his huge empire as a Dhammaraja, a compassionate monarch.

“There is a huge white marble 'Peace Pagoda' at Dhauli, built recently by Nichiren Buddhists, which can be seen for miles around, and is a popular picnic spot. The day we visited, it was pretty busy! But even Hindu 'pujaris' (priests who are fond of telling Buddhists how to worship at their own monuments, for a fee) and crowds of people taking snaps of each other, could not distract from the peaceful sunset view of the river Daya among its green fields; the river said to have run red with the blood of the piled corpses of the Kalingas, in those terrible days. There are many carved plaques on the pagoda. An especially moving one appeared to depict a man in aristocratic dress, gazing in horror at corpses lying on the ground, with other people being taken into captivity; surely Ashoka at his 'moment of truth.'

“Tucked away at a little distance from the Pagoda however, is something even more impressive. A huge rock, bearing eleven of the fourteen Edicts of Ashoka, with an excellent translation, shows clearly the way that his peaceful and compassionate reign was established. In summary, the first 3 Edicts are 'Prohibited killing of animals in the royal kitchen' ; 'Arrangements were made for medical treatment and the provision of medicinal herbs throughout his dominion'; 'Ordered his officials to set out on tour every five years, to propagate moral codes throughout his kingdom' and so on.

On top of the Rock, an beautifully carved elephant is cut from the stone, emerging from it, which represents the Buddha. Amazingly, the Rock Edicts and the elephant are in beautiful condition, not defaced or neglected as so often happens in Hindu India, where non-Hindu history is often crudely assimilated.

“With metta, Shakyajata”

Shakyajata’s fundraising website is at www.justgiving.com/youngindianfutures

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!

Adventures in Orissa

Shakyajata, well known to readers of Triratna News as an intrepid traveller, fundraiser and organiser, writes with news of her latest adventures - in Orissa, far north-eastern India, where there are a number of small Triratna groups run by graduates of the Nagaloka training institute in Nagpur. She says -

“Orissa (now Odisha, more in line with the way it is pronounced) is an extraordinary place. We were there for 12 days in January. It’s very old-fashioned and underdeveloped, and quite a stronghold of Hinduism, with many famous temples. It is the first place in India in which I have felt like a mleccha, an outcaste from across the Black Water (i.e. outside India) whose touch pollutes; people seemed actually a bit afraid of contact with us; apart from our 'own people' of course, who were overjoyed to see us. They are would-be Buddhists or political followers of Dr Ambedkar, great leader of the Scheduled Castes, now known as Dalits (oppressed people.)

“At one point we visited a remote village and had a meal with the local group, and they were so delighted that they came to meet us with traditional instruments and dancing, and processed us through the village. They had never seen a white person before, except on TV...it was like going back 1000 years into India's history - until our hostess, sister of one of our friends there, pulled a mobile phone out of her blouse! They were so hospitable and kind, and Helen, who is rather Indian-looking apart from her colouring, was a great hit with the younger women (and men!) especially.

“In another village, we were treated to a programme of traditional dancing by young people, women and men. It was terrific - wild and energetic and beautifully done, with costumes just like the ones we had viewed earlier in the State Museum at Bhubaneshwar, great chunky barbaric-looking jewellery and short skirts to free the dancers' strong and lively legs. So different from the traditional Hindu image of women, demure and retiring!

“The museum is very good indeed, with lots of Buddhist stuff and excellent displays of the way of life of 'tribal' people; again we were given some amazing insights by Trinath, who comes from a similar background. His descriptions of instruments were especially good, through them I recognised the ones in the villages, later.

“There is loads more to say about Odisha, but I am running out of time. Today may be the last time I can get on the internet before going to Chhattisgarh, where I am attending a big retreat run by Saddharaja. So this is a sort of half-blog, with a second instalment to follow, after which I will be back to chilly England - but at least the air may be fresh!

best wishes
Shakyajata

Death of Dhammachari Dhammaratna in India

Karmavajra,  an Indian Order Member working in Triratna’s Order Office in Pune, writes with news of the unexpected death of Dhammachari Dhammaratna.  He says -

“We regret to inform you that Dh. Dhammaratna died suddenly at his residence at Ulhasnagar (near Mumbai) at 4.00 am on the morning of Thursday February 3rd.

“Dhammaratna was ordained in 1987 and his Public and Private Preceptor was Kamalashila. He was 71 years old.  The funeral and cremation were held on the same day.

“Yours in the Sangha, Karmavajra (Maitrijal - Indian Order Office)”.

Names for 15 women recently ordained in India

We’re finally able to bring Triratna News readers the names of the following 15 women ordained at Bordharan Retreat Centre, central India on Sunday 9 January 2011. Their ordinations brought the number of Indian women ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order over the 100 mark for the first time - to a total of 103!

Nirmala Jadhav from south-west Nagpur becomes Amalachandra – She who has the moon of purity and peace.

Sunita Patil from south-west Nagpur becomes Jayachandra - She who has the moon of victory.

Tarabai Lohkar from Hinganghat (first Dhammacharini from there) becomes Sanghasakhi - She who is the friend of the Sangha.

Chaya Tamgadge from Yavatmal becomes Samyaka - She who is trying to be perfect (one of the first two Dhammacharinis from here).

Nanda Meshram from Wardha becomes Dipamala - She who has a line of lamps - her light is very powerful.

Jaya Mhatre from Yavatmal becomes Jayakirti - She who has a famous victory (one of the first two Dhammacharinis from here).

Jnanasuri was the Private Preceptor for all the above.

Vaishali Wasnik from north Nagpur becomes Vidyadharini – She who keeps in mind the understanding of the wisdom of the Buddhadhamma.

Nina Uke from north Nagpur becomes Kalyanadharini - She who keeps in mind the beauty of the Dhamma life - especially friendship.

Sunita Ramteke from north Nagpur becomes Sugatadharini - She who keeps in mind the Sugata (the Buddha).

Vajrasuri was the Private Preceptor for all the above.

Vaishali Patil from north Nagpur becomes Bodhimodani - She who delights in Awakening

Dwarka Tembhurne from Phulgaon becomes Buddhadassini (Pali) - She who has the vision of the Buddha.

Shobha Gedam from north Nagpur becomes Danaratna - She who has the jewel of generosity.

Ratnamala Tembhurniker from north Nagpur becomes Jnanavajri - She who has the Diamond/Thunderbolt of wisdom.

Chandha Chinchkhede from north Nagpur becomes Suddhahadaya (Pali) - She who has a pure heart.

Mala Jawade from Wardha becomes Vidyadarshini - She who has wise vision.

Karunamaya (shown left) was the Private Preceptor for all the above, also functioning as the Public Preceptor for all the new order members.

Sadhu! Sadhu! 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!

Kerala Triratna purchases land for Buddhist Centre

Triratna's new land and hut at Mynagapally in Kerala 

Vivekaratna, Director of the Nagarjuna Training Institute, Triratna’s training centre at Nagaloka in central India, writes with a report on his recent visit to South India - historic because as part of it he was able to complete the purchase of a small piece of land at Mynagapally in Kerala where the local Sangha will be able to use as a Triratna Buddhist Centre.

After beginning his tour in Chennai, he writes -

“I made a further journey to Mynagapally in Kerala to get the sale deed of piece of land together with a hut constructed on it, registered in favour of the Nagarjuna Training Institute, Nagpur. I stayed in Subhasa’s house. His house is being used as a temporary Dhamma-centre. We were performing daily evening Puja and the ex-trainees were participating.

Accompanying this report is the photo of Land (25.2m x 11.3m) and the hut (6.15m x 6.5m) that we purchased at Mynagapally. Dhamma and Social activities will be run by ex-trainees from this place henceforth. Now we have a small asset in the name of NTI for spreading the Dhamma in Kerala with the help of our ex-trainees. I am attaching my visit report, please publish same on Triratna News”.

“At NTI we had our third Alumni Conference from 1st Jan to 9th Jan 2011. This was for graduates of NTI’s training programme. It was possible because Ven Quang -Shin from Taiwan supported us financially. I will send the report of the alumni conference soon.

With Metta.
Vivekaratna

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

Travels in Kerala: the 'Young Indian Futures' team reports

Today we follow Shakyajata’s report from Bodh Gaya with another by her, this time from the other end of India - almost 2,000 miles south, where she has been visiting the small Triratna groups in Kerala. We’ve included it in full to give you the full flavour of her experiences - enjoy...

For more information on the projects mentions please see www.justgiving.com/youngindianfutures. She writes -

“Dear friends,

“Here is the first proper 'report' I have been able to put together since arriving in India this time. I hope you will find it enjoyable, and I apologise if you would rather not receive it, please let me know if that is the case.

“I am writing this while sitting in an almost unbearably hot internet shop, in Trivandrum, the main city of the South Indian state of Kerala. Trying to imagine the freezing UK my friends are writing about - it seems like an alien world. Trivandrum is steamy and humid (it has rained a lot), coconut palms grow between the concrete buildings. and most men wear the short lunghi, a kind of folded-up skirt...Priyadaka wearing his, is a sight to behold. In a crowd, the air is filled with the rapid-fire burr and bubble of Malayalam, which sometimes hardly sounds like language at all. A different world.

“I am travelling with two of the best companions in the good life, that you could imagine. Helen Sullivan is from Sheffield, lives in Manchester, and decided to come here on the basis of a couple of meetings - she is just great to be with, resourceful, patient, kind and honest, and highly idealistic. I enjoy her company more by the day. She has a strong response to the spiritual aspects of life in India, and became a mitra (a more committed Buddhist) at Bodh Gaya, the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment, a couple of weeks ago. A hugely special occasion which she shared with 19 of the students we are supporting at Aryaloka Computer Institute, Nagpur. She is teaching English to those students and others, together with our fellow-traveller Priyadaka....the nicest guy ever to put the wind up me by swimming out to sea in the dark, and disappearing for what seemed like an age...I am glad to report that he reappeared, after several minutes of running up and down in utter panic....this is the way Priyadaka is, I'm afraid.

“He has many other qualities too. Typically, when I twisted my knee in a slick puddle and was hobbling for some days (not easy in India, where the ground is rough and the lighting unpredictable) he was just unfailingly aware and helpful, step by painful step...and his English classes produce gales of laughter, howls of glee, and a lot of English...he is a thoroughly compassionate man. For the last few days we have been thoroughly enjoying the natural beauty of Kerala, the backwaters and the beaches, the cormorants and sea-eagles, the fishermen and coconut sellers, the unspoiled loveliness of it all, as well as meeting good friends.

“The first month in Nagpur, was quite hard work for all of us. The students we are supporting are studying Animation (both 2D and 3D) - ten of them, fully supported, or Hardware and Networking, 4 of them fully supported, plus 2 part-timers. The Animation students especially, are finding the course tough. A lot is being expected of them (would-be animators in the UK usually study for 3 years) and maybe not all of them will make it, they will have to be guided into other career channels, eg photo studio work. However, to the delight of everyone, 3 of our last intake of Animation trainees are now on their way to very good jobs in the industry, having been offered training with a view to full employment in a big company in Delhi, at salary levels undreamed of by young people from their poor background, doing enjoyable, creative work. Their experience will open up a career path to the graduates who follow. In fact, all but 1 of last year's intake are now employed, with good prospects. Very encouraging, even though to continue to support them stretches our resources to the limit, giving them this capacity for self-sufficiency for themselves, their families and their communities, makes all the effort completely worthwhile. It is the most satisfying thing I have done in my life.

“In a few hours, Priyadaka and I will board the fast (if rather expensive) Rajdhani Express, for a 41-hour journey all the length of the country to Delhi. It is cold up there, which will be a shock after Kerala. We are going to attend the wedding of Tarun's brother - we have known Tarun a long time, he is one of the 3 animators who are breaking ground in the industry, and it will be a delight to see him, Nagaratna and Syambabu when we arrive. I have bought myself a rather splendid new sari for the occasion. Yesterday Helen and I went to a tiny tailor's shop to get me a choli blouse made, and the number of measurements was amazing (Helen measuring me, of course he could not do that) which made us suspect that he was rather fascinated with the process of these 2 crazy white women wielding a tape measure in his shop...

“It has been raining very heavily in Trivandrum, the night before last there was a spectacular thunderstorm and torrential rain. Yesterday we hoped to go to Kanyakumari, at the very tip of India, but there were no trains as a landslide on the line.....disappointing, but on the other hand I think we are all 3 getting a bit fed up with being tourists, and want to get back to being more directly useful. The wonderfully persuasive Chandrabodhi has somehow got me to lead a retreat for women at the Urgyen Sangharakshita retreat centre in Maharashtra (on Xmas weekend!)....Helen is keen too, and we will have a couple of days after the retreat to ourselves in this remote, wild place (think wolves and bears, hope not too close!). I feel really inspired by this request, as well as wondering how on earth he managed it, and what I am going to do....

“Healthwise, we all seem pretty well, though Helen is extremely attractive to insects and Priyadaka gets an allergic swelling at times, and I need to keep off the spicy food (not easy in South India, place of heavenly masala dosai). But we are in good spirits, and meditating regularly which keeps us on an even keel, in the friendly chaos of India. I will send some photos too if I can, but you can see them on Triratna News soon, anyway (just google it)

“May you all be well and happy, life going well for you, well wrapped and healthy.
“With love, Shakyajata

Aryaloka Computer Education Students on pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya

 Shakyajata writes from India with news of a recent pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya by students of Triratna’s Aryaloka Computer Education Centre in India. She says -

“Thanks to the generosity of donors, a group of 19 students from Aryaloka Computer Education Centre, in Nagpur, central India, (www.aryalokaeducation.org) were able to attend the November 2010 convention of Triratna's National Network of Buddhist Youth, held at Bodh Gaya, historic site of the Buddha;s Enlightenment.  This was held from 16th-21st November, and was chaired by Kumarjeev with Subhuti as guest speaker. The students, from a number of different marginalised communities in India, are doing courses in Computer Animation skills and Hardware and Networking, supported by the online Young Indian Futures fundraising campaign.

“These young people are especially interested in social development work in their communities, and the courses are intended to give them financial security and independence. They are followers of the great leader of 'Scheduled Castes' Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who was himself a Buddhist, seeing his conversion to Buddhism as a means of giving dignity and self-reliance to his people, and freeing them from 'the hell of caste'. So we thought it would be great to give them the opportunity to visit Bodh Gaya, the heart centre of Buddhism, the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment, to hear inspiring talks and make connections with young people from all over India, of similar ideals and background.

“As you can see from the photos, they threw themselves into the trip with their usual enthusiasm. The rail journey there, was pretty gruelling, with a fast change of trains in the middle of the night at Allahabad, a rather scary place at the best of times....but it all went smoothly. They were accompanied by Aryaketu, director of the institute, and Helen Sullivan, a friend and supporter who had a special part to play.....

“The students just look delighted with everything - the Maha Bodhi Temple, the meditation, the talks and workshops, the fishpond, the shrines, the gardens, the company of Buddhists from all over the world, each other's company....one day they visited the family home of Ramesh, in a village near Bodh Gaya - his father is a potter, and the family made them wonderfully welcome. Ramesh was smiling all over his face, the whole trip!

“On their final day there, they organised themselves to take a trip to the famous site of the ancient Buddhist University of Nalanda, and Vulture's Peak, a very beautiful spot which dominates the Bihari countryside for miles around. Tradition has it that the Buddha taught the White Lotus Sutra from there, and the villages and the countryside have hardly changed since the Buddha's day. They loved the chairlift, and stood there very exhilarated, on top of the world...

“The high point of the whole week, though, was Saturday evening, when six people, four from Aryaloka including Helen, and two others, committed themselves to their Buddhist ideals by becoming Dhammamitras, ' friends of truth'. Subhuti presided over the event, he is a very senior member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, and his presence made it very special for everyone. For Helen, Praveen, Sheetal, and Ramesh, it was an unforgettable event... In Helen's own words -

"The mitra ceremony was the perfect end to an inspiring and moving week. The day started with meditation at the Maha Bodhi temple and ended with the ceremony under the bodhi tree. The Burmese monks had kindly allowed us use of their shrine at the Maha Bodhi temple which sits directly under the bodhi tree; so with the full moon and starlit sky as the backdrop, Subhuti led the ceremony. After lots of flowers and Sadhus we finished with a candlelit walk around the temple then back to the monastery to continue the celebrations".

Shakyajata

There's more photos of the pilgrimage available on Triratna Photos or via the FlickRiver feed below.

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!”