Latest News August 2021
The result of our appeal for India
Our appeal to help Order members and their families in India through the effects of the recent covid pandemic has been a great success and it is with much gratitude that we are closing the appeal, having raised £191,900, or approximately 198 lakh rupees. Thank you to everyone that gave.
The Order convenors in India have been meeting regularly to organise distribution of support where it has been most needed. They are forming a plan to respond to the longer term effects of the pandemic, in particular how to help Order members who have lost their livelihoods get back into work.
If you have been planning to donate to this appeal and still wish to, you can still do so here until the end of this month.
A new development in the local care network
Cambridge pilot scheme
In 2019, the Abhayaratna Trust launched its Local Care Network project, designed to help local sanghas develop more explicit and organised frameworks of care for older and unwell Order members. The project is being developed to help meet an expected increase in care needs because of the ageing demographic of the Order, and also to further develop the culture of care implicit to any healthy spiritual community.
The project has been developed in collaboration with Age UK, which has provided the Abhayaratna Trust with access to Compass, a thorough and holistic assessment of an individual’s physical and psychological needs. To this has been added a Practice questionnaire which helps identify conditions needed to help an individual’s practice.
Pilots of the project are up and running in the UK in Manchester and Sheffield and the latest Centre to join the pilot phase of the project is Cambridge, which is being run by a very competent team of three Order members: Saddharaja, Tejasvini and Vilosini.
Tejasvini writes:
“The Local Care Network project that Abhayaratna Trust has set up is a way we can look out for all Order members who wish to take part. It’s having a conversation to find out if there is anything that could improve their life and helping to get that put in place.”
Cycling for the local care network
Between Friday 16th and Sunday 18th July, Mahasraddha and his younger brother (pictured) completed a sponsored 142-mile coast-to-coast bike ride from Whitehaven to Sunderland, to raise money for the Local Care Network initiative. Thank you to all those who sponsored Mahasraddha. The ride was due to take place in 2020 but had to be postponed due to COVID-19.
If you haven’t already sponsored Mahasraddha, you can still do so by clicking here.
Mahasraddha writes:
“It was a very tough ride with frequent climbs up hills as long as four miles through ever changing, and often spectacular, landscape. Would I do it again? Yes, body permitting and with more training, especially hill cycling!
The route passes many abandoned lead mines where people had worked 12 hour days, 6 days-per-week, including children as young as six. I felt so fortunate to be living in these times when I can practice the Dharma.”
If you are interested in finding out more about what running a pilot scheme involves and how your Centre/Group/region could be involved, email Mahasraddha at: mahasraddha@abhayaratnatrust.org.
Let’s talk about mental health - Part 3
Prasadu on REBT and kalyana mitrata
Continuing the conversation on mental health and the Order, this month we have a video offering of a conversation between Prasadu, a consultant psychologist who is passionate about the Dhammapada, and friendship; and Mahasraddha, director of the Abhayaratna Trust.
Prasadu was ordained in 1994 - his name can be translated as faith, clarity, brightness - and started using mindfulness-based practices in the NHS back in the early 90s. His favourite text is the Dhammapada, and ‘Mind precedes all mental states, mind is their chief, they are all mind wrought’ sums up how his clinical psychology work and Buddhist practice complement each other. Prasadu is a practitioner and advocate of REBT (Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy) and also the value of kalyana mitrata for mental health. Click on the video above to hear what he has to say.
An appeal for Amoghavamsa
Amoghavamsa has worked exclusively for the Dharma and Triratna Community for more than 35 years, and has been very involved in building our sangha. He would love to go on the three-month Uttaraloka Order retreat this autumn in Spain. It costs £2400 and Amoghavamsa doesnt have that sort of money. Together we can thank him for his big hearted and tireless contribution to our community by raising the £2400 this month, so he can book a place on that retreat.
Please donate securely any amount today here if you have a UK bank account, or use PayPal (email address finance@abhayaratnatrust.org, ref. Amoghavamsa), or send a cheque payable to The Abhayaratna Trust, to Jinavamsa, 0/3, 37 Amisfield Street, Glasgow G20 8LB. If your donation is eligible for Gift Aid, this will be used for other Order members with limited financial resources, and to support our Trust team costs. Thank you.
Taking Care of yourself
We can help with all sorts of financial costs. Here are some reasons why people hesitate to ask the Abhayaratna Trust for financial support:
‘It’s embarrassing’; ‘Things aren’t THAT bad;’ ‘Surely others need the money more than me – I’m not homeless after all’; ‘I thought I might get turned down and that would be REALLY depressing’; ‘I’ve got some savings so shouldn’t I have to use those first?’; ‘It’s probably okay for other people, not my situation’.
Well, chances are, Abhayaratna Trust support IS for you, even if you have a certain amount of savings. We make it easy to ask for up to £1,000 at a time and give you an answer within a week, or 48 hours if it’s urgent. You can also ask on behalf of an Order friend. Don’t struggle, get in touch with Taradakini on (+44) (0) 7857 351818 by phone or text, or email taradakini@abhayaratnatrust.org or click the button below. Just ask!
Communications Support: jinavamsa@abhayaratnatrust.org - Send your ideas, reflections and feedback - we love to hear from you.