On Sunday, June 28th, 2020, friends and families gathered online to celebrate Portland Friends of the Dhamma’s anniversary-fundraiser. Appropriately, Luang Por Pasanno (the inspiration for the arising of this community) anchored the event. Themes throughout the day included comments on the rarity and beauty of drawing close to good people, encouragement to wisely reflect on the teachings and the benefits of practicing Dhamma within community.
“To have a center, a community that one can give oneself to is really important…It is something that is of tremendous benefit, it is something to appreciate and delight in.”
Luang Por went on to encourage us to take care of that which makes all of this possible.
“Attending carefully so there’s a real discernment and wise attention we’re applying, there’s a freedom in that. To give that gift to ourselves and give that gift to others through the resources of Portland Friends of the Dhamma is a wonderful, wonderful thing to do.”
The dana for this event totaled $30,500. We are confident this generosity has secured our operating budget and cash reserves through at least April of 2021 and gets us within striking distance of fully funding our capital reserves ($7,500 to go). With a measure of relief, we anticipate (hope) this will get us through the pandemic.
A treasured highlight of the event was a video featuring messages from our monastic teachers over the years, interspersed with a photo history of Portland Friends of the Dhamma. A full version, that includes Luang Por’s Dhamma contributions, can be found here, minus the fundraising portion. Donations can be made here.
And finally, this event could not have happened without the huge contributions of time and efforts from numerous volunteers. Anumodana to all the planners, speakers, and producers. The generosity of our supporters around this event, and the ongoing strength of monthly giving, shows a deep faith in our teachers and our Center. May we all delight in the trust offered Portland Friends of the Dhamma as a place to meditate, train, and build a community of kalyanamitta.