Charity (IEN) : 87-2033348
November 12 2021
Dear Sangha member & friend,
I’m reaching out to seek your kind support for the newly established Karuna USA, and ask you to consider making a donation towards our urgent launch Appeal (and if you’ve already donated, thank you so much!!).
Buddhist Life Hacks for Your 20s is a new initiative led by young Triratna Buddhists! We offer classes by young people for young people. Beginners are welcome!
If you're in your 20s or early 30s, this is a great way to discover meditation and find out more about the teaching of the Buddha in a way that's relevant to your life, right here and now. Join us every first Saturday of the month over zoom. Our classes start with meditation and are followed by a talk from an experienced Buddhist and breakout groups to foster conversation and friendship building.
Update: You can join Kavyadrishti's memorial service on Zoom by clicking here, Dec 4th, 2pm.
I am writing in memory of my friend, Kavyadrishti, who died on November 4, 2021, at the age of 86. She first came to Aryaloka in 1989 and was ordained in 2012 into the Triratna Buddhist Order. Her Preceptor, Karunadevi, gave her the name Kavyadrishti, Sanskrit words meaning she who has the vision of a sage or poet.
Kavyadrishti was a thoughtful and kind friend. She made her famous strawberry pie for my birthday, often sent me pictures of flowers and shared her amazing poems and writings. She invited friends to her home for discussion and viewing videos of Buddhist topics, concerts and social issues. And, of course, there was The Pie.
I am pleased to announce that Denise Martin of Vermont USA had her Public Ordination at Aryaloka Retreat Center in New Hampshire on Saturday, October 9, 2021, after a small 8 day retreat.
She becomes Shantimukta, “She who is freed through peace.”
Her private preceptor is Sunada and her public is Karunadevi.
Sanskrit Pronunciation:
The ś as in “sharp”
Each ā as in “father”
The i is short as in “hit”
The u is short as in “put”
This is the last of 5 ordinations that have taken place in the USA since April.
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!
With metta,
Karunadevi
We did it! Our first in-person (and hybrid!) retreat since March of 2020! 17 of us gathered in person, with 2 more on Zoom. We were able to confidently do this, knowing that all participants had been vaccinated, and enjoying the added security of our air purifiers, which we received a grant from Future Dharma to purchase.
It felt great to be on retreat again; it truly felt like coming home. More events will be posted soon on our website!
As Aryaloka begins to hold in-person events again, we will be providing an online Zoom option for those who cannot attend in-person. This will apply to most retreats and classes, including our weekly Tuesday Friends’ Evening (which is not in-person yet). Our community has been enriched by the people who found us online for the first time during the pandemic, and our culture of how we gather has become multi-faceted.
We appear to have some new guardians that enjoy the rocks near the stupa. We have seen two eastern milksnakes sunning themselves near the stone steps on multiple occasions. Milksnakes are shy and not venomous, but please give them space if you see them. They will most likely move away from you if approached, but they can create a rattling sound and lunge if cornered/provoked. You can learn more about these beautiful creatures here.
It is not lost on us that serpents or dragons — nagas in Indian mythology, are protectors of wisdom treasures. Let's live in harmony and peace with our beautiful neighbors!
Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of over 45 Sangha friends, Aryaloka raised more than $6,700 during these 24 hours of giving! That puts us that much closer to raising the $15,000 to cover the gap in revenue since we had to close our doors this past year.
NH Gives, New Hampshire’s annual day of giving for nonprofits ended Wednesday, but you can still click here to give.
If you have given, thank you! If not, there’s still time. Your gift – any size – makes a difference! Thank you so much for your support!
With thanks and metta,
Suddhayu
Aryaloka Center manager
Hello Aryaloka friends,
On behalf of the Aryaloka Spiritual Vitality Council I’m happy to announce that Saddhavasini will be the new women's mitra convenor for Aryaloka Buddhist Center. Saddhavasini will chair a mitra convening team that will support and guide women mitras associated with Aryaloka. The team includes Saddhavasini, Khemavassika, Kamalasiri and myself.
Saddhavasini was ordained in 2018 in Spain and has a great depth of experience working in communication and with teams of people. We know her as the editor of the Vajra Bell, and we are delighted that she is taking up this new area of service to our sangha.
Dear friend in the sangha,
As we know the situation in India is truly desperate.
This second wave of Covid-19 is spreading like fire. Even the most conservative estimates report over 230,000 people have died, and 4,000 more deaths each day. Health facilities are overwhelmed. Night curfews and local lockdowns are paralysing many states, with devastating consequences for the most poor. It is the most vulnerable and marginalised people who suffer the most; not just from Covid itself but through the lack of access to income, food and sanitation that the crisis makes worse. Nepal is also seeing a deadly wave of Covid-19 hit and this is expected to be devastating.
