The current situation in Sri Lanka is deteriorating due to political unrest following several
anti-government protests. The demonstrations intensified after the Russian invasion to Ukraine as the event has caused worldwide oil and food shortage. In May the Prime Minister resigned, and protests continued.
At the moment, the country is facing the worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948, which is harshly affecting Sri Lankan people, who have been facing food shortage and financial instability.
The nuns have also been harshly affected by the situation as they do not receive as much support as monks. Nonetheless, the bhikkhunī saṅgha in Sri Lanka is striving to survive and to provide as much help as possible to the local community. Nuns at Sakyadhita monastery, in the outskirt of Colombo have provided food, milk, school supplies, and other basic needs to local families and especially to children. The nuns have also provided some food to street dogs and other animals that have been suffering hunger and are often sick. Lots of these donations come from Karuṇā Sevena and Venerable Bhikkhunī Visuddhi’s Suriya Lamai project. In fact, Venerable Bhikkhunī Visuddhi has a very close relations with nuns at Sakyadhita monastery. She spent many years with them, and they are her saṅgha family.
The center is not only a nuns’ monastery, but it also operates as a charity in the area, and it is one of the main nun ordination centers worldwide. Besides charity activities, nuns from Sakyadhita monastery organize and are involved in educational programs with the local community. For instance, they organized a cleaning activity in early May, they also teach children the importance of taking care of the environment and how both environment and animals are also suffering. Local kids engaged several times in planting activities with the nuns. They gather together and plant trees and flowers.
That’s not all. The nuns organized an interreligious dialogue at Sakyadhita monastery by inviting Muslim, Hindu, and Christian leaders to join a dāna ceremony.
Which was then followed by Muslim leaders inviting the nuns to their religious venues.
If you wish to donate or make any dāna, this is the right time. Your donation could also be brought directly to Sri Lanka, without any bank transfer, by the students of Venerable Bhikkhunī Visuddhi who is going to visit her Saṅgha in Sri Lanka with them in July to help people in need. Your donations could also be transferred to other areas in the country as nuns at Sakyadhita monastery have strong ties with other centers across the country. That means that our support will be able to reach a very high number of people across Sri Lanka.
“For the one who gives merit is increased,
From restraint hatred is not accumulated.
The skilful one gives up what is bad,
Through the destruction of passion, hatred,
and delusion, he is emancipated.” - DN 16
Here you can find more information about the Donation options:
https://www.karunasevena.cz/donation-options