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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Dear friend in the sangha,
As we know the situation in India is truly desperate.
We are very fortunate to have received a generous grant from Future Dharma Fund to purchase air purifiers for the center! We purchased twelve purifiers to clean the air in common areas of the center. This will allow for a safer transition to in-person events, and cleaner air in the center generally. Thank you Future Dharma! Please consider making a donation to the Future Dharma Fund here.
We are grateful to Karunashanti who left Aryaloka a generous bequest at the end of 2020. The photo above is from his ordination in 2019. Karunashanti visited Aryaloka on several ocassions to attend retreats in preparation to be ordained. The Board has put his bequest aside and will earmark it for a special project.
