A Letter from BGR Founder and Chair Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
Vesak: When spring is in its glory, and when a friendly sun illuminates the sky, gentle winds blow, and fragrant blossoms adorn the plum trees and apple trees.
Vesak: a time to celebrate.
Vesak: a time to venerate.
Vesak: a time to commemorate—to show our gratitude to our guide through the labyrinth of life; our lamp in the darkness of delusion; our peerless refuge, mentor, and model—the Buddha.
Tradition tells us that, over countless lives, the Bodhisattva—the aspirant to Buddhahood—fulfilled all the virtues necessary to take a seat beneath the Bodhi Tree and attain supreme enlightenment. His long quest, extending over eons, had an overriding purpose: it was driven by great compassion, by his heartfelt wish to liberate beings from suffering. The teaching that sprang from his realization that auspicious night has echoed down the centuries, offering generation after generation the gift of the noble Dharma, the path to the highest happiness and peace.
Buddhist Global Relief seeks to heed the Buddha’s message of compassion by offering people throughout the world an outlet from the terrible suffering born of poverty, chronic hunger, and persistent malnutrition. We started small eighteen years ago, but from humble beginnings we have gradually become a major global charity with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.
Our projects, in over twenty countries, work in four ways: providing direct food aid to the hungry; sponsoring the education of poor girls; helping women start right livelihood projects to feed their families; and supporting eco-friendly agriculture. In recent years, we’ve also been partnering with major relief organizations like World Food Program USA (WFP) and UNICEF to address massive crisis levels of hunger.
This Vesak season, we invite you to participate in our mission, to share the gift of love and compassion with those in need. A generous donation will be one of the most fitting ways you can benefit sentient beings and show your gratitude toward the Buddha. Your generosity will literally save lives and uplift your own heart with joy.
To see what your donation can do, here are a few examples of our recent work:
In Sri Lanka, a project with Child Action Lanka supports a meal program serving 250 preschool-age children, a breakfast program for 30 children with special needs, and essential school supplies for 325 children at risk of expulsion or dropping out of school because of a lack of these necessities.
At Mahabodhi Maitri Mandala Arunachal Branch, Diyun, in Arunachal Pradesh, India, a BGR project provides meals, health screenings, and necessary supplies for 206 children at a school for children in need.
In conflict-impacted regions of Burkina Faso, a WFP-BGR partnership with schools serves large numbers of displaced families, providing nutritious school meals for the students and distributing food rations to their parents. © WFP/Desire Joseph OUEDRAOGO
I thank you deeply for your generosity.
With blessings,
Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
