Dear friends,
We hope to find you well and that you have had a safe and relaxing summer. In a little over a month, Karuṇā Sevena will restart its regular activities. We are excited to meet you all again after the holidays.
You can already secure yourself a spot for the upcoming meditation courses by filling up the form online. Furthermore, from October, you will be able to join the weekly protective recitations and bring your younger ones to the Dhamma classes for children. Please feel free to read through our calendar at the link below, and to send us an email for further inquiries. https://www.karunasevena.cz/calendar
At the moment our Venerable Bhikkhunī Visuddhi is still practicing in seclusion, and we all wish her to be strong and in good health. Although we are aware of the difficult global situation, the support for Bhikkhunī Visuddhi is one of our priorities. If you wish, you can donate food either in person at the ārāma Karuṇā Sevena, or online, using a local delivery service. Thank you for your understanding and your kindness. Bhikkhunī Visuddhi and all of us will be greatly appreciative of your generosity, especially during this period of Vassa.
On a side note, on the website, you will find two different donation options. Please note that one is solely for the support of Bhikkhunī Visuddhi, and the other one is dedicated to Suriya Lamai Project.
We kindly invite you to pay special attention to this matter in order to avoid confusion.
https://www.karunasevena.cz/donation-options
Last but not least, SOS Help for Sri Lanka updates.
Over the past couple of months, the situation in Sri Lanka has drastically worsened. The country has been fighting against another colossal outbreak of COVID. With over 3000 new cases a day, hospitals are overburdened. In addition to COVID casualties, the Sri Lankan population is suffering an increase in deaths due to other medical reasons. Not only hospitals are running out of available beds, but also the threat of COVID prevents locals to seek appropriate medical treatment.
"[...]thousands more patients lie on mats on hospital floors. Patients are breathing their last on beds shared by two more patients." (https://www.dailymirror.lk/latest_news/SLs-war-on-delta-only-to-worsen/342-217801)
Statistics predict a growth in the number of infections over the next weeks. Hospitals urgently need extra support, and oxygen, beds, ventilators, and protective equipment are just some of the compelling needs.
Furthermore, the COVID restrictions have been enormously affecting the population's financial stability, and countless families, often with young children, can barely have one meal a day. Nunneries are also in a precarious condition. Despite receiving little or no support for themselves, nuns have never given up on helping their neighboring communities. Where possible, they provide food supplies, medicines, and basic needs to local families. However, due to the latest worsening of the pandemic, many nunneries were forced to close their gates to protect the local communities as well as themselves from the spreading of the virus.
Last July thanks to the immeasurable kindness of our donors, we were able to send 1500 Euros to Sri Lanka and help a number of families and nunneries in the country. Any donation will be enormously appreciated. With a joint effort, we are hoping to ease the sorrow of the Sri Lankan population in the face of the pandemic. Thank you for your invaluable support. Bhikkhunī Visuddhi and Karuṇā Sevena staff are looking forward to seeing you in October. Kindest regards, Karuṇā Sevena
