Aryaloka News

Volunteer Opportunities at Aryaloka: Help Others and Make Friends

Posted on Sun, 01/07/2024 - 16:24

It takes a community to run a place as big as Aryaloka! Aryaloka has always been a grassroots situation, funded and facilitated locally by the sangha (spiritual community). In the spirit of sangha, we practice generosity in relation to each other and the world around us. Generosity can be practiced in many ways, including the helping of our friends. Volunteering at Aryaloka can be a great way to build community and friendship with others. Volunteers learn that their participation really has an impact on the overall life of the community, and a visible difference to the quality of our beloved facility.

Memorial for Dh Vihanasari, Dec 16th at 3pm

Posted on Tue, 12/05/2023 - 14:46

Dear friends,

This is an invitation to come together as friends of Vihanasari who passed away on August 18th.  We will share our stories, our memories and rejoice in her many qualities. 

Please join us at Aryaloka on Saturday, December 16th at 3 pm. 

Vihanasari requested her family donate a bench that could be located in a peaceful place at Aryaloka.  In November they placed a beautiful teak bench at the stupa and scattered her ashes in the Memorial Garden along with ashes of Nikki, her dog and faithful companion. 

We plan to meet inside at 3 pm. If you would like to spend a few peaceful moments of remembrance at the stupa or Memorial Garden you can arrive a bit early or stay on after we conclude. 

If you will be attending in person please let me know by sending an email to me. 
(dayalocana@comcast.net)

Aryaloka Gift Certificates — Give the Gift of Personal Transformation!

Posted on Sat, 11/11/2023 - 13:42

What do you give someone who is looking for deeper meaning in their life? What do you give someone who is interested in learning how to meditate, or to practice mindfulness more fully? What do you give someone who intentionally has few possessions and would rather not acquire more? 

Give them a means of personal transformation! Give them opportunity for meditation practice, yoga, Dharma study, or the arts! Aryaloka has a full program of events that would make ideal gifts for practicing Buddhists, yogins or for those that are curious about Buddhism, meditation and yoga.

Standard gift certificate amounts are listed below, though any amount is possible!

Half-day workshop $60
Full-day workshop or retreat $95
Weekend retreat $320
Long-weekend retreat $360

If you’d like to give a specific event, you may look at our full program here.

Celebration of Life for Francesca Latawiec Oct. 29, 1pm

Posted on Tue, 10/10/2023 - 08:21

There will be a Celebration of Life for Francesca Latawiec at Aryaloka Buddhist Center at 1:00 on Sunday, October 29, 2023.  Francesca lived in Exeter, NH and died unexpectedly at home on Oct. 1, 2022.  She was a devoted member of the Aryaloka sangha and became a mitra in 2020.     

Throughout her life Francesca was an avid environmentalist.  She graduated from Salem State College with a Bachelor of Science in Geography.  She earned a Master’s degree in Geology from the University of Illinois in Macomb and obtained a second Master’s degree in Soil Science at the University of New Hampshire.  Her decades-long career in the environmental sciences involved both state and local government postings and her passing is deeply felt by her friends and the environmental community.  

 

Ordinations of Shantibhakta and Silasiddhi

Posted on Tue, 10/03/2023 - 11:43

We're so pleased to announce that two men were privately ordained at Aryaloka on Wednesday 27th October and publicly ordained on Sunday 1st October. The ordinations took place within the context of a ten-day Going for Refuge retreat that was preceded by a six-day pre-ordination retreat with the ordinands and Private Preceptors. Our new installment that houses the Dakini rupa was used as the ordination khuti. The khuti is a secret place so we can't show any photos of how it was prepared, but we can tell you that it was a transformed and magical space. We had the blessings of the full moon and the local barred owls on the evening of the Private Ordination. Over sixty people attended the Public Ordination in-person, and 30 more attended on Zoom.

Mark Ludak becomes Sīlasiddhi
'He who is accomplished in virtuous conduct'

Private preceptor: Dharmachari Paramānanda
Public preceptor: Dharmachari Viradhamma

The Passing of Dh Vihanasari

Posted on Tue, 08/22/2023 - 15:56

Our dear friend Dharmacharini Vihanasari (Sandra Bonin) died on August 18, 2023 at age 79 following a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.  We remember her as a long time member of the Aryaloka sangha. First as a friend, then a mitra and in July, 2008, she was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order and given the Buddhist name Vihanasari by Dayalocana her Private Preceptor.  Vihanasari had a strong connection with 1000 armed Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. He represented her desire and willingness to solve whatever problem came her way and her compassionate nature. 

Vihanasari was my good friend, as well as a friend to all. She was kind hearted, caring, gracious and was always willing to be helpful. She will continue to be remembered for her warmth, sincerity and friendliness.  We all will miss her cheerful smile and positive energy. As someone said, her smile reflected her gentle soul.

Celebration of Life for Bob Montgomery

Posted on Mon, 08/07/2023 - 16:01

A Celebration of Life will be held for Bob Montgomery at Aryaloka Buddhist Center, 14 Heartwood Circle, Newmarket NH, on August 19th, 2-5pm.
The family will be providing light refreshments. 

Our driveway: Driving around Heartwood Circle you'll see a sign for Aryaloka; take a right at the sign and then bear right, following the long driveway that goes into the woods. Please do not bear left into our neighbor's driveway (their house is also a dome and sometimes people get them mixed up). Also please drive around the circle slowly, as there are often walkers in the neighborhood.  The main entrance to the center is between the two attached domes.

Obituary
Robert (Bob) Lane Montgomery, 77, passed away January 11, 2023 peacefully and sur- rounded by love at Ports- mouth Regional Hospi- tal. He was born August 29, 1945 in Rochester NH, the son of Ralph Montgomery and The- resa Brown.