June News 2023
An Appeal for Bodhipaksa!
Taradakini writes: Dear friends, Bodhipaksa needs our help. This may surprise you. He’s a well-known figure in the Triratna and wider meditation world, leading retreats, and teaching courses from his Wildmind.org platform since 2001. But he has been living close to the financial edge for the past few years and now something has tipped that balance.
Living in the USA as he does has a major drawback: Healthcare costs. His recent trip to an emergency room in New Hampshire cost $18,000, without even an overnight stay. His insurance covered most of that and the excellent Obamacare scheme some, but he has still been left with a bill of $3,000 that he cannot afford, in addition to a previous physiotherapy bill of $900.
Bodhipaksa has been totally open with Abhayaratna Trust about his finances and he fits our appeal hardship criteria. So we are launching this appeal to raise $3900 (£3,300) to cover this bill for him.
Bodhipaksa has done an amazing job introducing, guiding and supporting millions of people to mindfulness of breathing, metta bhavana and other practices. Some of his articles on Wildmind.org have been read by over 600,000 people. His Insight Timer app guided meditations have been listened to by more than 4.5 million people, but guess what, the income from all that Insight Timer work is around $100 a month.
Let’s help Bodhipaksa today. Donate here if you bank in the UK; here to donate in US dollars; and here to donate in euros. For bank transfer details, please email jinavamsa@abhayaratnatrust.org; If you have any questions about the appeal, email me, Taradakini@abhayaratnatrust.org. Thank you very much.
Meditate with Bodhipaksa
If you click this link you will hear an 18 minute guided metta practice that Bodhipaksa has just recorded for our newsletter subscribers, and led with great kindness.
Bodhipaksa wants to offer his meditation expertise as an additional way you can choose to support him. So he has created a 75 session meditation email course on Letting Go Into Joy. (Register at here at letting go into joy to participate by donation.) And you can also help Bodhipaksa ongoingly by subscribing to his online meditation community ($6 a month), https://www.wildmind.org/the-initiative, and by passing on these links to friends.
Quick quiz!
Okay, it’s a survey really! Very short and doable in a couple of minutes with mostly multi choice questions about things we do that we will value your input on. Please do us this favour and click Fill in using Google Forms to answer 5 quick questions in under 5 minutes! Thank you very much.
Amogahvajra has been empowered by your generosity
The Abhayaratna Trust appeal for Amoghavajra to buy a powerpack to attach to his wheelchair was so successful that the target was exceeded, which means there is enough to help him buy a new wheelchair, which he will need to do in the next year or two.
Here is Amoghavajra’s response to your generosity: ‘I'm very happy and relieved that the Abhayaratna Appeal has been so successful. Getting older and less able to do things is worrying - not knowing how to carry on with the richness of an Order life had been really concerning me. The SmartDrive will power me around and I'll be able to attend retreats etc as I used to, powered by your generosity. I have been overwhelmed by your kindness, generosity and messages. It's quite something to be on the receiving end of all your metta. With much appreciation and gratitude.’ Amoghavajra
Much of what we do is hidden
Taradakini recently co-led a women’s Area Order Weekend at Taraloka and also made an appeal there for monthly donations to our Order Health Fund and Worldwide Support Fund. Women at the weekend responded very heartily so she’s just made a 3 minute video to let more people know what she said - explaining something very important about our work that you likely don’t know. Click on the video image to watch and to donate to the Order Health Fund click here.
Here is our Annual Review for 2022
Jinavamsa writes: Please have look at our Annual Review for 2022, which tells you in detail about our work on behalf of the Order, which continues to grow.
Let me know what you think. And if you are not already doing so, I hope you will feel moved to support our work either by a regular donation and/or by getting involved in our work by, for example, helping to set up a Local Care Network at your Centre or becoming an Abhayaratna Trust rep. Click here or on the image to read the Annual Review now.
Help support Garava by donating for his beautiful artwork
Follow this link to view a galley of paintings by Garava, who is an Order member living in Sheffield experiencing financial hardship. This gallery is part of an initiative by the Abhayaratna Trust to help Order members support themselves through their creative work. On the gallery page, scroll down to see details of each painting, along with a suggested donation for it.
Please contact jinavamsa@abhayaratnatrust.org if you are interested in donating for one of these works. Thank you.
Only if you bank outside the UK chose option 3 direct PayPal, or email jinavamsa@abhayaratnatrust.org for other ways to give.
Communications Support: jinavamsa@abhayaratnatrust.org - Send your ideas, reflections and feedback - we love to hear from you.