Raised: 88%
Target: £4,000.00
Raised so far: £3,509.14
Donate now

My story

 

KSHITIGARBHA APPEAL

In January 2009, Saddharaja, Karunasura and Adityabodhi led a week-long retreat for Maharashtran Buddhist agricultural workers at Bordharan retreat centre (please see the eight photos on this site). This was the second Kshitigarbha retreat at Bordharan. It was very successful with 700+ people attending: (approx. 400 +women and 300+ men). The age range was 14 years to 85 years. The theme of the retreat was ‘The 5 Spiritual Faculties', and we taught meditation, gave talks on the Faculties, had communication exercises, study groups and 7-fold puja. We had an excellent order team of 18 (13 Dharmacharis and 4 Dharmacharinis). All of these Order Members are Indians, except Saddharaja, who is from the UK.

On the last day of the retreat, we had the mitra ceremonies of 50 new men and women mitras, who were all present on the retreat. It was a joyous occasion. Indeed, the whole retreat was deemed a success by everyone who intended. More and more Dalit Indians would like to attend future dana-funded retreats like this.

The funds were raised by Saddharaja and Karunasura from within the UK and other parts of the FWBO world. Each retreatant cost £5. This £5 covered everything: food, travel and retreat fees. These are very poor people who cannot afford to come on retreat, but want to have a deeper experience of the Dharma.

In  January 2008, we ran a similar retreat, with 540 attending. In January 2010, we think we could have a larger retreat for 1000 people. We intend to use a property near to Bordharan whioch can accomodate these numbers. More Westerners are intending to join the reteat to help: Shakyajata from Manchester, Dharmasiddhi from Cambridge and Vipulakirti from Birmingham. We are also looking for some more Western Dharmacharinis to join us.

In 2010, we anticipate that our retreat costs will DECREASE rather than increase, because we are intending to use a more inexpensive venue near Wardha city. This should mean that each individual will cost £4 for the retreat rather than the £5 last year. This means more people on retreat for every £1 donated.

Aside from the annual retreat, we also plan an annual 5 day period of touring villages conducting day retreats for all-comers, whether newcomer or experienced Sayaks (Friends) or mitras. Karunasura began this work this year - very successfully. We can effectively introduce the Dharma to possibly thousands of people this way. It's only a day, but it is something. Our week's tour of villages this year (2009) went very well, with 400 people an average attendence for day retreats and evening programmes.

We're calling this evolving project The Kshitigarbha project. Kshitigarbha is the bodhisattva who reaches down into the hellish realms to teach beings the Dharma.

Can you give? Just giving £4 could completely change someone’s life. If you give more then more people can benefit: £4 is one person on a week's retreat, £8 = two people, £40 = ten people.

Karunasura and Saddharaja are paying their own expenses so all dana goes directly to helping Indian men and women to go more deeply into the Dharma.

Please donate using this website. It is completely safe and convenient, and we recieve Gift Aid from the Government on top of your donation.

Thankyou so much.

Saddharaja and Karunasura.

Donation by Anonymous 19/11/09  

£10.00

Donation for Kshitigarbha retreat Donation by ADINATH JAGTAP 17/11/09  

£1,040.00 + £293.33 Gift Aid

Donation by Grant Hogg 14/11/09  

£30.00

Donation by Padmakumara 14/11/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Glad to see the fundraising is going so well. Donation by Tarakanta 12/11/09  

£4.00 + £1.13 Gift Aid

Further donations from generous friends to Margaret's 'open house' day as were previous donations of 30 and 40 by Stuart Pickford's name Donation by Margaret's friends 10/11/09  

£30.00

The power of a heartfelt moving talk! Donation by anonymous 09/11/09  

£250.00 + £70.51 Gift Aid

Donation by Lucie Brown 30/10/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation by Roy Peters 28/10/09  

£10.00

Donation by Stuart Pickford 28/10/09  

£40.00

Donation by Stuart Pickford 27/10/09  

£30.00

Great work! Donation by Vipulakirti 27/10/09  

£40.00 + £11.28 Gift Aid

The proceeds of Margaret's 'Open House' day donated by many generous friends. We are very happy to support this great work. Donation by Margaret Pickford 27/10/09  

£500.00

Donation by Bernard Murphy 26/10/09  

£20.00

Best wishes to all involved for a wonderful retreat Donation by Karunika 26/10/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Great work! Donation by Dh. Jayamuni 16/10/09  

£80.00

You're very welcome. Donation by Dh. Sanghasiha 13/10/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation by clare moore 07/10/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation by Akasapriya 06/10/09  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck with the retreat! Donation by Roger Bygott 30/09/09  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Great work! Keep it up! Donation by Kalyanavaca 28/09/09  

£15.00

great idea. some day i'd love to attend. meanwhile - good luck with the fundraising. Donation by Parami 23/09/09  

£8.00

Best wishes for this great work Donation by Bodhiketu 23/09/09  

£5.00

keep going Donation by Padmaketu 21/09/09  

£10.00

Sadhu, great to support your work, in my small way. Donation by Viryabodhi 21/09/09  

£10.00

great work thanks for the opportunity to give Donation by khemin 18/09/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

It feels great to give to a something that I KNOW will make a huge difference! Donation by Vidyasiddhi 18/09/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Sadhu! This is great Dharma work and I am very pleased to be able to make a contribution. Donation by Satyaraja 16/09/09  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Donation by karunadaka 13/09/09  

£40.00

Donation by Rod Mulvey 13/09/09  

£40.00 + £11.28 Gift Aid
Donate now
 
* Total raised online: £3,412.00
  Offline donations: £97.14
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £647.03

* Charities pay a small fee for our service.
Find out how much it is and what we do for it.