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Spreading the Gift
of Dhamma
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Year-End Fundraising Campaign
Dear friends,
We are coming to the end of another challenging year. As always, here at Pariyatti we dedicated ourselves to providing valuable and inspirational resources related to the teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha’s teaching is a precious jewel, and we are so fortunate to have access to it in our lives, not in the least during a year like 2021. In addition to publishing print books, our focus this year was to provide extra online events, services, and digital resources as ongoing inspiration for those on the path of Dhamma.
As a non-profit organization, Pariyatti relies on the generosity of donors and volunteers to supplement the revenue received from sales. Once a year we run a fundraiser and today we are kicking off our 2021 campaign. This year's goal is $55,000.
Venerable Ledi Sayādaw mentions in the Manuals of Dhamma:
"The pariyatti Sāsana consisting of the Tipiṭaka is the base—the foundation—of the paṭipatti (practice of the Dhamma) and the paṭivedha (realisation) Sāsanas. Only when the pariyatti Sāsana stands firmly established can the other two Sāsanas be also firmly established. The burden of preserving the pariyatti Sāsana for 5000 years is indeed great, since these are times of a waning kappa (world‐cycle) when the life-span of men is also on the wane."
Since 1985 we have been striving to bolster this pariyatti sāsana through our wide-ranging and unique offerings. Pariyatti imports books from around the world, reprints books, publishes new titles, and converts existing material to digital formats. We protect and provide an enormous catalog of Dhamma resources in many languages and formats that otherwise wouldn't be as easily available.
We offer free services such as the Pariyatti Learning Center, the Treasures of Pariyatti, Pariyatti Presents..., Dhamma Story Time, the Pariyatti Journal, and the Daily Words for inspiration via email, RSS feeds and mobile app. We offer most audio and video material as well as many eBooks and audiobooks free of charge, including a large number of resources for students of S.N. Goenka.
We usually also organize donation-based residential Pāli workshops and facilitate pilgrimages for Vipassana meditators. Unfortunately just as in 2020 these all had to be cancelled this year due to the pandemic. Our pilgrimage program is the only part of our operations that runs at a small surplus, and this helps us partially cover the deficits generated by the other aspects of our operations. The balance of our annual deficit is always met by voluntary donations from our supporters. This year without income from our pilgrimage program, and ongoing uncertainty about next year, we are even more reliant on donations.
Pariyatti operates with a small team, accomplishing all the above mentioned operations on a shoestring budget. We stretch your hard-earned donations to operate a warehouse that contains more than 1,400 products with over 45,000 items in inventory and from where we shipped almost 1,500 orders this year. We strive to make wise use of the amount we receive and we continually look for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs as we move forward.
Learn more about Pariyatti's finances.
Your support will make it possible for us to keep disseminating the Words of the Buddha and make additional materials freely available. Donations of all amounts are appreciated. Like the imperceptible change created by a butterfly's wings, your contribution, however small, can have a great impact when given with a pure volition.
Many employers in the U.S. will match donations to nonprofit organizations; if yours does, please take advantage of this to double the value of your gift!
You are welcome to make a one-time donation or may consider making a monthly recurring donation. Donations of any amount can be made online, by check, or by phone. For U.S. residents the most profitable way to donate is via PayPal Giving Fund, as there are no fees on donations given via the PayPal Giving Fund; we receive the full 100%. To make a donation in Euros or Pounds please contact us at eu-uk-donations@pariyatti.org.
We will send a receipt for your records; donations are tax-deductible in accordance with U.S. tax regulations.
We wish you a Dhamma-filled December,
Pariyatti
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Ever Grateful to Our Dhamma Father
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Goenkaji and Mataji in Bodhgaya, 1970
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Maiṇ bhī dukhiyā nā rahūṅ,
jagata dukhī nā hoya.
Jīvana jīne kī kalā,
satya Dharama hai soya.
Maiṇ bhī dukhiyā nā rahūṅ,
jagata dukhī nā hoya.
Sukha se jīne kī kalā,
Dharama satya hai soya.
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May I and may the world
be without suffering;
this is the art of living,
this is true Dhamma.
May I and may the world
be without suffering;
this is the art of living peacefully,
this is true Dhamma.
–S.N. Goenka
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One feels so sorry when one looks at what is happening in the world. Man has become the enemy of man. There is no personal enmity; people are being killed only because they belong to a particular sect or community, a particular ethnic group or country. Such is the level of cruelty that a person kills other human beings even if they are innocent, even if they are helpless women and children. Modern technology makes this tragic violence terrifyingly devastating—perhaps worse than ever before in human history. Therefore, more than ever before a basic change is needed today to protect humanity from these inhuman, heinous crimes arising out of negative emotions.
The world is afflicted with the malady of hatred, anxiety and fear. It needs a remedy from an extraordinary physician. The Buddha was such an extraordinary physician, a great physician of peace and happiness. His teaching of peace and harmony is as relevant today as twenty-six centuries back, when he set in motion the Wheel of Dhamma, the Wheel of Peace. Indeed, it is more relevant today.
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Excerpt from the final discourse given in all long Vipassana courses, in The Art of Dying.
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Kamma—the Real Inheritance
Experiential wisdom that comes from meditation practice confirms that we alone are solely responsible for who and what we are. We cannot escape this law of nature. This understanding strengthens our desire to practice and serve Dhamma. It has a strong driving power that supports us in the dark moments of meditation or at times when we are tired and the mundane world seems to be winning us over.
As plants from sprouted seeds eventually bear more such seeds in future, in our daily lives momentary thoughts, words, and deeds sooner or later give their results accordingly. That future might be bright or dark. If in the present we make right efforts toward wholesomeness, awareness, and equanimity, the future becomes brighter. If through ignorance we react with craving and aversion, the future will be fraught with darkness.
The teachings of the Buddha show us how to develop the awareness of anicca and the habit pattern of equanimity in the face of both pleasant and unpleasant sensations. Knowing that this and only this is what dissolves the old habit patterns that make life so hard for us and for those around us is a supreme wisdom. This is what draws us out of misery and towards nibbāna. This is why we practice. If in the present we are watchful, prudent and diligent, we can bring to our futures a profound change for the better.
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The Pariyatti Treasures section is a depository for hard-to-find and commemorative material. The S.N. Goenka Treasures section includes Our Vipassana Meditation Teacher S.N. Goenka–Commemoration of the first Anniversary of his Passing, a commemorative slideshow Wellspring of Gratitude, and the slideshow Admirable Friendship.
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For many, this is the season of giving and sharing with loved ones. Interest in the Buddha's teachings continues to grow throughout the world. Perhaps the time is ripe for a friend or family member of yours. Browse our online bookstore for gift ideas.
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AmazonSmile App for Android
Should you order gifts via Amazon this holiday season (or if you're an Amazon shopper in general), please support Pariyatti by ordering via AmazonSmile (rather than the regular portal). If you are in the U.S. and you order via AmazonSmile with Pariyatti as your charity of choice, we will receive 0.5% of the purchase price from the eligible products you buy.
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Donations: Either one-time or monthly pledge
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Pariyatti is a charitable, non-profit, educational support system for the Dhamma community. Pariyatti exists because of funds donated by supporters.
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***FACT: Did you know Pariyatti publishes contemporary and classic titles related to the teachings of the Buddha preserved in the Theravāda tradition under the imprint Pariyatti Press (PP)? There are currently 48 PP titles available.
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Daily Word of the Buddha
Mettañca sabbalokasmi,
mānasaṃ bhāvaye aparimāṇaṃ:
Uddhaṃ adho ca tiriyañca,
asambādhaṃ averamasapattaṃ.
With good will for the entire cosmos,
cultivate a limitless heart:
Above, below, & all around,
unobstructed, without hostility or hate.
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