Before giving, glad; while giving, the mind is bright & clear; having given, one is gratified: This is the consummation of the sacrifice.
–From the Dana Sutta, translated by Thanissaro Bhikku

Please join me in raising funds for Buddhist Global Relief to help relieve the suffering of chronic hunger and poverty worldwide.

Buddhist Global Relief (BGR) was founded in 2008 by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi and a group of his students. Grounded in the Dharma, BGR sponsors projects that relieve hunger, educate children, provide vocational opportunities and training for vulnerable women, and support sustainable agriculture among smallholder farmers. Learn more about BGR’s work at buddhistglobalrelief.org.

Bhikkhu Bodhi will turn 81 on December 10. Born Jeffrey Block in Brooklyn, New York, he obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate University before traveling to Sri Lanka, where he was fully ordained as a Theravada monk in 1973. He  returned to the United States in 2002, residing at Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, New York, where he continues to write, translate, teach, and lead events at the monastery and online. 

I benefit regularly from his respected translations of the Pali Canon. His work bridges classical Buddhist scholarship and contemporary ethical engagement, helping to make the Buddha’s teachings both deeply authentic and directly applicable to modern life. Please join me in honoring him and donating to reduce suffering here and now.

All donors will receive an invitation to the Buddhist Action to Feed the Hungry Online Gathering, BGR’s annual fundraising and community-building event. It will run from 1 to 3 p.m., East Coast U.S. time, on October 25. Please join and participate!