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The Friends of Sravasti Abbey have a 5-point motivation for launching this capital campaign.
Teaching peace, sharing the Dharma
Sravasti Abbey hosted well over 300 visits last year. Retreats and courses fill to capacity, with 20 or more people living in facilities built for six. Residents and guests eat, sleep, and work all under one roof. The Abbey augments the limited bathroom facilities with rented portable toilets. More space is needed to fulfill our aim of teaching peace and sharing the Dharma.
Housing the resident Sangha
Today, four resident monastics and three lay people in training live full-time at Sravasti Abbey. Two more trainees intend to come in 2008, and more are on the way. Sravasti Abbey must be ready when these students arrive. The present housing situation cannot accommodate all who want to come.
Sustaining the Dharma
The wisdom and compassion at the core of the Buddha's Dharma can cut through the ills of modern society. But to do that, the teachings must be practiced deeply, not at a superficial level. The 2600-year history of Buddhism shows that Dharma only really begins to thrive in a society when there is a vibrant monastic tradition.
Benefiting all sentient beings
In the long term, Sravasti Abbey's most basic reason for being is to help people cultivate the wisdom, compassion, and skill to be of the greatest benefit to all living beings and to lead them all to enlightenment.
Sharing the positive energy
The Friends of Sravasti Abbey offer the opportunity for you to reap the tremendous positive energy (merit) that comes from joining others to create something valuable and meaningful.
Your generosity takes a step for peace.
Your involvement helps build a home for the Sangha to sustain the Dharma.
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