annual report nti

8/9/2019 Annual Report NTI

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Annual Report 2012-2013 Nagaloka Nagaloka


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Content :

A. Report on Buddhist Education and TrainingEleventh Annual r esidenti al training course on “Buddhism and Social Action”

NTI started Buddhist College aff i l iated to University of Nagpur

NTI Students pursuing Chinese Language Course

NTI Alumni visited South Korea on cultural exchange program

B. Second Pr abuddha Bharat Conference

C. Development of NagalokaOpening of Golden L ight F oundation

D. Conference on: Transcending Negative Emotions: To Create Happiness andnd th

Well-Being in our Lives. Kuala Lumpur. 2 – 4 November 2012

thE. The Indian Studies Centre of Chulalongkorn University on 9 November .

thF. Celebrating Ashok Vijaya Dashmi 24 October 2012

G. Alumni developments - Tamil Nadu - Kerala - Gujarat - Andhra Pradesh - Or issa

H. Retreats and events all over India

I. Visits from Abroad


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A. Report on Buddhist Educationand Training

Eleventh Annual residential training

cour se on “Buddhism and Social Action”

Buddhist revival movement is becoming stronger andspreading all over India. Nagarjuna Training Institute(NTI) is conducting a residential course in “Buddhismand Social Action” since 2002. Nagarjuna Training

Institute provided training to 754 trainees (241 femaleand 513 male) from 24 states in India till 2013. Theyare from about 40 different communities amongstscheduled castes and Tribes. The eleventh residentialcourse was inaugurated on 1 July 2012. BhimraoTupe (noted developmental practitioner) inauguratedthe eleventh residential training course. Over 200 people attended the inaugural program.

The course was completed on 5 March 2013. Seventyseven students were admitted and finally 47 students(30 male and 17 female) completed the coursesuccessfully. Dhammachari Lokamitra, Vajrapushpa(UK), and Shantipala (UK) attended the ceremony inwhich certificates were given to the students whocompleted the annual training program.

This training program is the heart of NagarjunaTraining Institute (NTI). The alumni of NTI areworking all over India to spread the teachings of theBuddha. They have also started Dhamma and socialactivities in 24 states of India.


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NTI star ted Buddhist Collegeaffiliated to University of Nagpur

NTI Students pursuingChinese Language Cour se

Five alumni (3 female and 2men) of NTI have passed thecertificate course in Chinesefrom Mahatma Gandhi HindiVishvavidylala Wardha. Theaim of the program is to developChinese language competency ofthe alumni so that they interactwith Buddhists from Chinesespeaking background. This willincrease more communicationand understanding betweenIndian Buddhists and Chinesespeaking Buddhist world.

The NTI received its affiliation toUniversity of Nagpur in July 2012.It now offers a degree course inBuddhism, Dr. Ambedkar Studies

and Pali. Dr. Ambedkar convertedto Buddhism in Nagpur in 1956.That conversion is quicklychanging the social face of India,and is one of the most significantfactors in the development ofdemocracy in India. But despite itssignificance, studies on Dr.Ambedkar and Buddhism remainwoefully neglected throughoutmost of India. There 11 students (5men and 6 female) pursuing theirgraduation in Buddhist Studies,Pali Literature, and AmbedkarThoughts.


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NTI Alumni visited South Korea oncultur al exchange program

Four alumni and one staff of NTI visited South Koreaduring 15-25 November 2012.

B. Second Prabuddha Bhar atConference

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted to reconstructsociety and create conditions for the development ofa true democracy. The foundations of democracy areliberty, equality and fraternity, which to him were primarily ethical attitudes: in order to be effective in

the political sphere, they had to be cultivated and practiced in the individual and social spheres.

A two day Prabuddha Bharat Conference on thetheme of “The Social Relevance of Buddhism” was

thheld in Nagaloka, Nagpur on 25 and 26th October2012. This is the second Prabuddha Bharat(Awakened India) Conference held at Nagaloka.

Buddhism is growing all over India with awakeningof India's citizens to the life and vision of Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar.

This conference was a sequel to the first conferenceof Prabuddha Bharat Network held in the year 2011.This conference was attended by over 400 fromTamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala,

Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana,Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Pondichery, Maharashtra,Madhya Pradesh, and was very successful.


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C. Development of NagalokaOpening of Golden Light Foundation

Dhammachari Tejadarshan has just returned from Cambridge in UK, where he was working with WindhorseTrading for 15 years. He is developing the Golden Light Foundation, a charitable company, which is registeredin 2012 and inaugurated on 24 October 2012 to make Nagaloka self sustainable institute.

D.Conference on: Transcending Negative Emotions: To Creatend thHappiness and Well-Being in our Lives. Kuala Lumpur. 2 – 4 November

2012

Lokamitra was invited to make a presentation at this conference, which he did on: A New Life through theDhamma for India' s Most Oppr essed, using his experience in TBMSG (TBM) and especially Nagaloka. The paper was very well received and Lokamitra met a number of old friends he had not met for many years.


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E. The Indian Studies Centre ofth

Chulalongkorn University on 9 November .

Lokamitra went on to Bangkok to give a lecture onDr. Ambedkar, Buddhism and Social Changeunder the auspices of the Indian Studies Centre,Chulalongkorn University. As is so often the case,Lokamitra discovered that his audience had almost noknowledge of the enormous social disadvantages,discrimination and even violence faced by those whoused to be called Untouchables in the Hindu Caste

system, nor the extent, the fact that they make up onesixth of the Indian population, over 200,000,000. Andlikewise most are ignorant of Dr. Ambedkar (despitethe central role he played in recent Indian history)and the significance of his conversion to Buddhism.

F. Celebrating Ashok Vijayath

Dashmi 24 October 2012:

Christopher Benninger, the Architect of Nagaloka,was honoured with a special award for hiscontribution to development of Nagaloka. The annualcelebration brought people all around Nagaloka ingreat numbers.


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G. Alumni developments

NTI alumni are working in 24 states of India. In majorstates, they have developed networks of activists andhave started substantial Dhamma and social work.

Following is the indicative report of what is happeningin some important states.

Tamil Nadu

The Tsunami hostel started by NTI alumni students in

2005 is now having a permanent building. The ownerof the hostel buildings gave them an ultimatum, butthey managed through help from many friends to purchase the building and now have the security thatthat has brought with it.

Kerala Kerala remained a strong centre of Buddhistactivities run by the alumni of NTI. They also published Babasaheb Ambedkar's book “The Buddhaand the Future of His Religion” in local MalayalamLanguage and widely circulated.They conducted retreat along with training in English

Language in October 2012.

Gujarat

A one Day workshop with NTI Students wasconducted for two districts Rajkot and Junagadh.The workshop was held at Dhoraji a local town in

Gujarat.


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Andhra Pradesh

The alumni of NTI from Andhra Pradesh foundedLOKAKALYAN TRUST in 2007, in Nizamabad

District, Andhr apr adesh. They provide the Studyclasses for the children who were unable to goschool. Till 2013, 80 children have benefitted by theintervention of this tr ust.

Orissa

The alumni network of Or issa organised a statelevel 'Conference on Youth Education and IndianSocial System' in Bolangir, Or issa. This conferenceinvolved over 200 youths from Or issa.

H. Retreats and events all over India

NTI alumni with the help of staff in NTI led retreats all over India. In Orissa, mainlyBolangir, Loisinga, and Lathore were main places for activities. Vivekratna conductedDhamma tours to Gulberga, Bangalore, Kolar, Tumkur, Mysore, and Chamrajnagar inKarnataka in May 2012. Lokamitra conducted a retreat and talk tour in Tamil Nadu during

10-17 October 2012. Lokamitra led a retreat in Kerala during 28 March-1 April 2013. Theretreats are important for local people as for many of them it is the first exposure to the basicteachings of the Buddha. They clarify to the participants the importance of Buddhist practicesin transforming their lives and the people around them.


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Ill i li f N l k l i i i


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Illustrative list of Nagaloka annual activities

Dates Event/place Details

6 April 2012 Full moon day Pragyara tna gave talk on

Buddha

14 April 2012 Birth anniversary of Dr. Babasa hebAmbedkar

Nagamitra garlanded the Statueof Dr. Ambedkar and Nagadeep

led puja on this occasion.Shilvardhan gave a talk

20 April 2012 Lathore, Orissa Dhammsen, Maitreyaratna,Abhaya & Biranchi (alumni)organized and Vivekratna gave

a series of Dhamma talks

22 April 2012 Bolangir, Orissa Ratnakar, Balgopal, Sanket,Pushparaj(alumni)

21 - 22 April 2012 Retreat at Loisinga, Orissa Vivekratna led the retreat and

delivered a talk on PrabuddhaBharat

26 April- 6 May 2012 Retreat at Kondhanpur for Alumni Lokamit ra led the retreat26 April 2012 Two days retreat at Agra Padmavir conducted the retreat

30 April 2012 Two days retreat at Kannoj Padmavir conducted the retreat6 May 2012 Buddha Pournima (Full moon day) Maitreyanat h gave talk on

Buddha and his teaching for thedevelopment of people.

1-3 May 2012 Lucknow Padmavir’s visit7-17 May 2012 Dhamma tour to Gulberga, Banglore,

Kolar, Tumkur, Mysore andChamrajnagar in Karnatak a state

Vivekratna gave Dhamma talks

Vijay & Narsihmamurty organized three

days retreat at Kolar and 9 alumni & 70 participants have taken part in this

retreat.

Vivekratna gave Dhamma talk

on Prabuddha Bharat andinspired them for doing social

wok. Padmavir and Bodhirajsupported him in this tour &retreat.

26- 29 May 2012 Jaisridhar , Divya, Nancy & otheralumni organized a retreat at Chennai

Vivekratna and Nagamitra ledthe retreat.

4 June 2012 Full moon day program Pragyara tna gave a talk onBuddha.

29-30 June 2012 Vivekratna, Nagmitra, Padmavir andShilvardhan conducted interviews forXI Batch at Nagloka, Nagpur.

15 June 2012 Dhamma tour to Alwar, Rajasthan and a

talk on Dr. Ambedkar’s Dhammakrantiin Ambedkar Hostel, Alwar

Padmavir

18 June 2012 Discussion with alumni fromModinagar, UP

Padmavir

3 July 2012 Vivekratna delivered a talk on DhammaFull moon day program

1 July 2012 XI Batch inaugurated Bhimrao Tupe andMaitreyanat h were mainspeakers

2 July 2012 Lectures on Bio-grap y of Lord Buddhaand Introduction of Tripitaka

Padmavir

16 -24 July 2012 Meditation Retreat for NTI trainees in

Nagaloka

Chandrabodhi

10 July 2012 NTI approached Govt. of Maharashtra

to run Centre for B uddhist Studies, Pali& Ambedkar Thoughts and on non-

grant basis we got recognit ion letter

from Govt.2 August 2012 Celebration of Full moon day program

on Nagamitra gave a talk onDhamma

31 August 2012 Celebration of Full moon day program Nagamitra gave a talk on

Dhamma

29

September 2012 Celebration of Full moon day program Nagamitra gave a talk onSangha

December 2012 Arun & Rejimon conducted workshop

on English teaching

Kerala

29 December 2013-1

January 2013

Meditation retreat in Tamil Nadu Led by Lokamitra in Tamil

Nadu

27-31 March 2013 Meditation retreat in Kerala Led by Lokamitra at GreenIsland, Ernakulum, Kerala


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Funding needs

A. Ten month residential tr aining programme in Buddhist pr act ice and social act ion for 100 studen ts fr om a ll over IndiaThe support we require here is for the food for 100 students. Everyday US$120 (NT$ 3,300) is needed. Some donate this in the name ofa relative or temple.

B. 10 bare foot Dharma workers for one year support plus travelling:US$ 1,350 each (NT$40,000 each) Total US$ 13,500 (NT 400,000)

C. 5 Retreats and alumni conference: US$ 7,000 (NT 210,000)

D. Establishment of Community centres in slums and villages for theex-students to do their social and Buddhist work from – US$ 7,000(NT$ 200,000)

India: Nagar juna Train ing Inst ituteA/C No. – 20108156866Swift Code: MAHBINBBANGPBank of Maharashtra.

Munje Chowk, Sitabuldi, Nagpur – 440 012, India.

Taiwan:A/C No. 117 20 122647Bank : Hua-Nan Commercial Bank, Nan-Mem BranchBeneficiar y: (Chou Chung Ming)

United Kingdom:The Karuna Trust72, Holloway Road, London, N7 8JG, UK Tel: 44(0)2077003434email: [email protected]

(Please state that the funds ar e for NTI)

United States:San Fr ancisco Buddhist Center 37 Bar tlett StreetSan Fr ancisco, CA 94110(510) 526-5906(make checks payable to: Fr iends of the

Western Buddhist Order – Bay Area)

www.nagaloka.org

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