The US-based socially engaged Buddhist organization Buddhist Global Relief (BGR), founded by the renowned American monk and scholar Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, has announced a series of online retreat events for the New Year under the theme “Meeting the New Year: Clarity, Compassion, and Courage.”
The retreat events include guided meditations and Dhamma talks given by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Ven. Ayya Dhammadipa, Ven. Jin Chuan, and Ven. Jin Wei.
Friday, 7 January
Welcome, chanting, and guided metta meditation
4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET / 12:30am UTC, 8 Jan. / 8:30am, 8 Jan. Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore
Saturday, 8 January
Introduction, Dhamma talk by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, meditation, and Q&A
7am PT / 10am ET / 3pm UTC / 11pm Beijing, Hong Kong, SingaporeDhamma talk by Ven. Ayyā Dhammadīpā, meditation, and Q&A
12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UTC / 4am, 9 Jan. Beijing, Hong Kong, SingaporeDhamma talk by Ven. Jin Chuan and Ven. Jin Wei, meditation, chanting, and Q&A
4pm PT / 7pm ET / 12am, 9 Jan. UTC / 8am, 9 Jan. Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore
Sunday, 9 January
Dhamma talk by Ven. Ayyā Dhammadīpā, meditation, and Q&A
7am PT / 10am ET / 3pm UTC / 11pm Beijing, Hong Kong, SingaporeDhamma talk by Ven. Jin Chuan and Ven. Jin Wei, meditation, and Q&A
12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UTC / 4am, 10 Jan. Beijing, Hong Kong, SingaporeDhamma talk by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, meditation, Q&A, chanting, and sharing of merits
1:40pm PT / 4:40pm ET / 9:40pm UTC / 5:40am, 10 Jan. Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore
Click here to register for the retreat events
Although Buddhist Global Relief does not charge for any of its events, registration offers participants the opportunity to donate in support of BGR’s work to feed the hungry, to educate children in need, to support sustainable agriculture, and to empower vulnerable women.
Buddhist Global Relief was founded in 2009 by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi and a group of students in response “to the cries of those afflicted with chronic hunger” and “inspired by the vision of a world in which debilitating poverty has finally been banished.” (Buddhist Global Relief)
On its website, Buddhist Global relief states:
Our mission is to combat chronic hunger and malnutrition. Bearing in mind the Buddha’s statements that “hunger is the worst kind of illness” and “the gift of food is the gift of life,” we sponsor projects that promote hunger relief for poor communities around the world. We pursue our mission by:
• providing food assistance to people afflicted by hunger and malnutrition
• helping develop better long-term methods of sustainable food production and management appropriate to the cultures and traditions of the beneficiaries
• promoting the education of girls and women, so essential in the struggle against poverty and malnutrition
• giving women an opportunity to start right livelihood projects to support their families
Each year since 2010, one of Buddhist Global Relief’s main sources of funding has been its annual “Walk to Feed the Hungry.” Traditionally, the walks have taken place across the US, with satellite walks taking place around the world, including in India, Uganda, and the UK. The Walks to Feed the Hungry have raised more than US$500,000 since they began in 2010, with over 1,000 people raising funds in that time and in excess of 7,000 donating.*
“The human community today faces two momentous challenges that will loom ever larger in the years ahead,” Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, who received full ordination in the Sri Lanka Theravada tradition in 1973, wrote in a recent essay. “One is to establish the social and economic conditions necessary for everyone on this planet to flourish: to live with dignity and purpose and fulfill their life’s potentials. The other is to safeguard the natural environment on which we depend from the harm caused by an economy dependent on unrestrained extraction and consumption. These challenges to our collective well-being are bound to grow in severity and urgency over the coming decades. To meet them successfully calls for a transformation in the vectors that drive the economy both nationally and globally.” (Buddhist Global Relief)
* Buddhist Global Relief Continues Efforts Toward the Eradication of Hunger and Poverty (BDG); Fundraising Continues after NYC Buddhist Global Relief Hunger Walk Canceled (BDG)
See more
Buddhist Global Relief
New Year’s Retreat: Detailed Schedule (Buddhist Global Relief)
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