THE APPEAL FOR 2012 IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE GIVEN. AND WHY NOT SEE MY APPEAL FOR 2013:

https://www.justgiving.com/suvannavira-2013

This is an appeal for Suvannavira's work for the Dharma in his native Russia.

At present Suvannavira is fully self-financing, but he can afford to live in Moscow only by living in a hostel, and sharing a room with up to four other people. We would like to help him to rent a room in an apartment or a small flat where he can invite people and hold small meditation classes and Dharma study groups. Moscow is an expensive city.

Ideally in 2012 we would like to raise £500 per month, or £6,000 per year, to help him get established and move things on to another level. Standing orders that guarantee a regular income are the most helpful, but any donation, large or small will be much appreciated. Details of how you can set up a standing order are available on request.

Whether or not you are able to help, thank you for reading this, and if you would like to read more about the Russia Project, and maybe look at our Russian language web-site, you can read more below.

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RUSSIA PROJECT

Order members have been visiting Russia since the days of Glasnost, even before the fall of the Soviet Union. Visitors have included Kamalshila, Nagabodhi, Sarvamitra, Nagadakini and Saddhaloka. 

Saddhaloka has continued to make occasional visits to St Petersburg over the last ten years or so, and has also visited Odessa in the Ukraine, where we have three Mitras. 

Out of contacts made through these visits we have set up a translation project that has seen four books published in Russia, “The Guide to the Buddhist Path“, “Who is the Buddha?”, Kamalashila’s “Meditation” and “The Noble Eightfold Path”.

We now also have an excellent Russian language web-site at:

http://buddhayana.ru

that includes the first year of the Mitra Study Course, Pujas and readings, articles, several of Bhante’s poems, paintings by Aloka and Chintamani, along with all the books that have been translated. “What is the Dharma?” was translated last year and is now also available on the website and “What is the Sangha?” is currently being translated. 

There has been a very significant development in the last two years.

After being a very regular visitor to Moscow over this time, Suvannavira, has now started living there almost permanently.

Suvannavira writes:

“Dharma activities continue at Open World, the Centre for Spiritual Development, where we hire a room. Whilst the Centre itself is quite chic, I only get access to the room a few minutes before each class starts, with each time it being a lottery as to how much noise the activity next door makes.

My goal is having an apartment where 6-8 people, or maybe even 10, can come and meditate and study together with a shrine and a meditative atmosphere. Holding classes in a borrowed apartment in August clearly showed me that people were more deeply drawn in when they were invited to activities in my 'home'.

I also would like to have enough resources to allow me to continue participating in the collective life of the Order, which of course means having funds for travelling and paying for Order gatherings and retreats.