A message from Suryagupta:

Bodhilila’s presence, teaching and leadership impacted people from all backgrounds. She had a unique way of including people in her love of the dharma and helping them find their own relationship to the Three Jewels.

Inspired by Bodhilila’s own experience of becoming a Buddhist within Triratna as well as our conversations as the first two women of colour centre chairs in the UK and Europe, the Triratna Racial Diversity Project was born in 2023. Its vision seemed big at first: to foster racial diversity in centres across the UK and Europe. It’s been a great success, gaining steadily and surely over the last few years. Bodhilila’s presence and care has been pivotal throughout.

In one of the last conversations I had with Bodhilila, she asked how people she has supported through the project were getting on. She then expressed a wish that a memorial fund be created to build on the project’s achievements, ensuring that people of colour continue to be supported to make contact with the dharma and deepen their practice within Triratna.

This memorial fund will support her ongoing legacy and enable many more people of colour to go for refuge to the Three Jewels. Your gift will make a difference, ensuring that the events that Bodhilila felt so passionate about can continue to take place.

It would be fitting to announce the contribution total to date at Bodhilila’s memorial on Thursday 30th October. Please share this page so we can raise funds by 30th October.

To view more photos of Bodhilila please click on View gallery if you're on your computer, or on the little photo icon if you're on your phone.

With love, Suryagupta