Halockhani
Monastery
After the
mon refugees were forced back into a new camp at Halockhani inside
Burma, Buddhist Relief Mission received a request for assistance
in building a monastery, and we were able to send a donation.
Here is the letter we received from the refugees.
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17th
June, 1997
Dear friends in the Dhamma,
With the sum of 30,000 baht, we ordered wood and started the construction
in February. People come to work for free with their cetana. And
everybody is very happy to know that the friends in Japan also
participated in this work, even not with their hands but with
their mind and donation.
The Burmese soldiers had come to the camp last month but they
didn't disturb anything to the construction, just brought a little
bit of fear to the people. We hope that one day you, our friends,
can come to visit us in Halockhani and bring a good hope for our
future.
With
Metta,
The Halockhani Monastery Committee
Halockhani Camp, Thai-Burma Border
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Kamoorah
Monastery
Buddhist
Relief Mission is supporting the monastery in Umpien Refugee
Camp for Karen refugees, on the Thai/Burma border south
of Mae Sot. This camp was established in 1999 when about
5000 refugees were moved from Huay Kalok Camp.
The
abbot of the temple Ven. Nyanawara has organized a school
to teach Pwo Karen literacy. Each year there are also classes
in Dhamma for young people. Each August the temple organizes
a cultural program which includes a traditional wrist-tying
ceremony to honor the elders of the community.
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1998
brought happy changes to Gong Pa Am, the temple-hermitage
of our old friend and teacher, Gong Pa Sunim in Korea. The
lovely new building was finished and dedicated. Set in the
midst of rice fields, it is a welcome retreat, a quiet haven
far from the noise and bustle of Pusan City. Sunim wrote
that he is still busy, studying, meditating, working, worshiping,
preaching, and translating in his new temple. Ken and Visakha
had hoped to be able to attend the dedication in October,
since they have long felt a part of Gong Pa Am. Even though
that wasn't possible, we rejoiced when we saw the beautiful
Gong Pa Am Buddha image enshrined in such a wonderful setting
and to know that this dedicated Korean monk continues his
work for the Sasana.
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Gong
Pa Am

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Burmese
Monastery in Calcutta, India
In
October 2000, Buddhist Relief Mission received a letter
from Ven. Nandobatha of the Young Buddhist Student Literacy
Mission in Calcutta, detailing the horrendous floods that
had hit Bengal, causing great devastation. At least two
million people had lost their homes, property, livestock,
and livelihood. The death toll had reached 1500. There were
already displaced families sheltering in the temple. A donation
from BRM provided dry rations and medicine
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Street
scenes in Calcutta near the Monastery in October 2000
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Registered address:
7414 Kenrob Drive SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546, U.S.A..
Office:
152/1 Riverdale Road
Anniwatte, Kandy 20000
Sri Lanka
Tel: 94-77-964-9292
E-mail: buddhist@brelief.org
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