YOUTH BUDDHIST SOCIETY OF INDIA (YBS)
Office ? Vivek Vihar Colony, Mainpuri, UP, India-cont +9937393526-www.ybsindia.org
The Report on 2nd women Empowerment program
2nd -4th March 2012, YBS Center Sankisa ? India
Ven. Bhikkhuni Dhammananda
Bhikkhuni Dhammananda is the first Thai woman to be fully ordained as a Bhikkhuni in Theravada tradition in Thailand. After high school, she received her B.A. in Philosophy from Visva Bharati University, India, her M.A. in Religion from McMaster University in Canada, and her Ph.D. in Buddhism from Magadh University in India. She taught for over thirty years at Thammasat University in Bangkok,Thailand, in the Department of Buddhist Philosophy and Religion. She is a well-known author of many books on contemporary issues in Asian Buddhism, including Buddhism and Ecology and Women in Buddhism.
Welcome at YBS Center Sankisa –
It was our great honor to receive her twice at YBS, Sankisa. We were very much honored to receive Venerable the 1st time on 2-4th Nov 2011 after the INEB conference in Buddha Gaya. She was very pleased to deliver Dharma to the people of Shakya clan specially to the young women around Sankisa. The students of YBS School have welcomed her warmly at Sankisa . Afternoon on 2nd March venerable has started deliver the Dharma to the young students at YBS School where she taught about our responsibilities. The students have answered venerable?s all questions freely whatever they were asked.
Meeting with YBS Executives
On 2nd March 2012 we had a meeting with venerable at YBS center Sankisa at 4:00pm. She was very serious to listen to President Mr. Suresh Bauddha. Mr. President explained 26 years history of YBS. She was surprised to listen to the efforts we have done so far. After meeting venerable went to Cambodian temple where she was accommodated. So far YBS do not have such a place to accommodate their Gurus or facilitators.
Dharma Teaching –
There were total 200 people came to attend this training. 155 women, 9 monks and 36 male participants were present in the training. Venerable has taught women about their responsibilities, how to run the family with Buddhist way and how to make a happy family, how to pay the respect to Buddha and venerable monks and nuns? Also, venerable has delivered the 4 noble truths. She committed herself to provide scholarship to the 10 girls from Shakya families for their schools fees (3000.00Rs annually) because these girls have been working for YBS as a volunteer for a long time and very keen to do something positive for their society but due to the poverty they been absolutely unable to continue their study further.
Sponsorship for Girls study –
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Venerable has decided to support 10 promising girls from the Shakya families for their study. It is the firs time in YBS history that somebody from abroad came to Sankissa and saw the situation of the people and decided to support both spiritually and financial.
Sramadana for Mud House –
During the training venerable had tried to teach people the importance of service (sramadana) how to help people without material or money. Many people have been thinking that they don?t have enough money that?s why they can not help others. She said this is not Buddha?s teaching, Buddha taught us that we can support people by many other different ways. ?Sawwadanag dhamma danang jinati? people were given exercise to move mud bricks from one to another place for constructing a mud house. Venerable was kind enough to sponsored 50,000.00Rs for the construction of this mud house so that in the future we could accommodate our teachers in our own accommodation. She appreciated YBS activities and the effort we have done so far.
YBS Education Fund ?
?YBS Education fund? Project was launched by Venerable?s holy hands, the project manager Mr. Kailash Chandra Bauddha was also present at that time. The members of this project will donate one Rupee per day. The fund will go to YBS education activities.
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There are so many members in YBS who can not study well because of poverty so this fund will go to the needy people. Some of the members of this project have started donating one Rupee per day. The Project manager Mr. kailash is responsible for all kinds of documentation and networking.