Make someone Smile

IBS not only organizes food offerings but also helps patients who are from very poor families. This year we already got to support two patients with their medical expenses during their surgery and emergency.

First, Sister Choki is from a rural area of Nepal. She was suffering from a tumor in her uterus. She had to remove the tumor as soon as possible and was asking for help everywhere. Of course, an emergency could occur to anyone anytime and anywhere. She approached IBS and with the help of sister Swan we were able to send her to the hospital immediately and she was admitted. The next day she had a successful surgery and she is doing fine now. Hope she has a speedy recovery and gets back to her life soon.

Second, Tsering Dorjay is a 51-year-old man and a father of three children from a very poor family. He is also from a very remote village of Ladakh called Lungnak Zangskar. He has been consulting doctors at AIIMS Hospital in New Delhi to do the treatment of his stomach cancer for a couple months. He already spent his all of his savings for his treatment. He is desperate for help to continue his treatment. Don't know how long it will take for him to recover from his sickness. With the help of Simon Tam, we were able to support some of these medical and living expenses. I would like to extend gratitude to Simon for his generous support to help him in such a critical situation.

We just want to let friends know, we can help others in many ways. As long as we are willing to help others. There are hundreds of ways to make others’ lives better. Feel free to join us if you are willing to bring a difference in someone's life. Amituofo 🙏

When is your birthday? Sign up now

Dear Dharma Friends,

Education is the main key to helping others but educates someone needs lots of resources and effort. We can help others who are educating the monks, students, and orphanage centers. We can provide basic needs like stationaries, clothes, shoes, and meal to those places where they really need our support. 

 Celebrating birthday is one of an annual event that everyone looking forward to. Many years ago IBS in the USA initiated a Special Birthday Celebration event which going on for 7-8 years now. Last two years 100s of people celebrated their birthdays by either offering meals to monks in monasteries or helping poor children at school, orphanage or street beggars.  Many generous people also donated blankets, shoes, scarf, bennies, socks, and t-shirts on their birthday occasions. We are very happy to be able to assist those who willing to celebrate their birthday in a special way.

Where you can do the meal offerings and good deeds on your Birthday:
1. Meal offering to the noble monks at different monasteries in Nepal, India or Bhutan.
2. Meal offering to orphanage centers in India, Nepal or Sri Lanka.
3. Meal offering at old aged homes in India, Nepal or Sri Lanka.
4. Meal offering to poor children Schools in India, Nepal or Sri Lanka.
5. Meal offering to blind brothers at Blind Center in India.
6. Meal offering to Beggars on the streets in India.
7. Supporting patients medical expenses from poor families.
8. Sponsor a poor kid for his/her education.
9. Sponsor a novice monastic for his/her monastic training.
10. Light offering at a monastery in India, Nepal or Bhutan. 

Everyone wants to plans for their birthday. If you are thinking about celebrating this year birthday with some wholesome deeds. You can sign up now and reserve your date. By that, we can be organized in a better way. 

What you need to do is : 

1. Send your good name. 

2. Let us know where you want to offer meals.

3. Tell us the day you want to offer the meal.

4. Tell us the amount you want to spend on your birthday offering.  

We are more than happy to organized your birthday in a special way. May all beings be free from suffering and causes of sufferings. 

Buddha blesses all. 

Amituofo 

Special Birthday Celebration

2019 first birthday celebration meal offering to the beggars on the street of New Delhi, India. Awesome, cold weather only need is hot food and warm clothes. You see how happy are these beggars. Most of them are not only beggars but also blind. I would like to thanks to Jayden Jen for offering a hot meal to these street friends. Your loving kindness and compassion for these unfortunate people are blessings. Today you make over a hundred people happy with the fresh hot meal. May Buddha bless you and your family. At last, I would like to wish you a very Happy Birthday. Each and every people’s smile are the special gifts for your birthday. Thanks again for your kind contribution. Amituofo

(I LOVE YOU MOM)

I Love You Mom program is one of the new and important programs that we have started last year. I am very happy to let everyone know that teenage moms in Sri Lanka are already receiving your love and care. Last week Liza Yuen and Rame Chiu from Hong Kong especially make a trip to see the Teenage mom and delivered lots of daily use stuff. They also had a meeting with the abbot of Sri Bodhiraja Temple who is currently giving the shelter to these teenage moms. They discussed how we can help these young moms to have a better life and how we can prevent this kind of unfortunate things to happen to other innocents children. I would like to thanks to Rame and Lisa for making this special trip to help them. I also would like to thanks all the supporter from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, China, and the USA. I will post more details information on my next post about this program. With the help of all these generous people, we can lift-up the lives of many unfortunate people like these teenage moms.

There are lots of things to do for others. I hope that those who are interested in helping others with their education, and way of living. Please feel free to contact us. We will be more than happy to let know you know what we can do together.

Again thanks for making this program active and helpful. May Buddha bless all. Amituofo

美國菩薩寺2018年善行回顧，所修的善法報告

美國菩薩寺2018年善行回顧，所修的善法報告

首先祝福各位護法菩薩們新年快樂，萬事如意、平安吉祥、福慧增上， 以下是美國菩薩寺全年的簡單報告：

A. 監獄弘法：

已經踏入第23 年，覆蓋了35所的加州監獄，還有華盛頓州的 7 所監獄和 俄勒岡州的 1 所 監獄。（在這裡再次感謝 妙善林基金會資助我們跨洲的機票，租車和酒店等行程費用，成就推動美國菩薩寺越州給予受刑人結法緣）。從南加州驅車至北加州，每次我們攀山越嶺，長途跋涉，抵受着炎夏寒冬，想到世界各地網絡上的義工們鼓勵和護持，得到他們的應同我們所做的監獄弘法，所有的疲勞便足夠可以抵銷了。更感謝諸佛菩薩保佑圓滿我們的所有行程，平安回家。

(獄中圖書館）

從10年前開始增設監獄圖書館，直到現在有109 個，送進監獄裡的法寶書籍超過20000本，讓受刑人更深入認識佛法。

（建立僧伽、三皈五戒）

到今年僧團增至56 個，已經受了三皈五戒的超過2400 人。美國菩薩寺盡可能地去看望受刑人，也鼓勵他們在每個星期或許每個月定期共修，大家通過自己所看的佛學法本，互相學習，增長智慧，遇到有不明白的，記錄下來，待我們去的時候提出問題，我們的到訪便給他們答案。

B. 護持三寶：

（齋僧、供養僧寶）

護持三寶是佛子所應做之事，護持三寶幫助佛法久住人間，我們人人都要努力護持三寶。美國菩薩寺2018年在拉達克，印度，尼泊爾，不丹等地區分別供養12個道場常住僧寶、供齋、點燈，也特別為一些有需要的信徙做法會，回向功德主們事事順心如意。

感謝美國、加拿大的菩薩們參與尼泊爾的建校，隨分隨力協助尼泊爾沙彌學院。同年也供養一些在較遠離塵囂的山區寺院，小沙彌們讀書，提供給小沙彌們除了學習佛法、寺院儀規外，更給予讀書機會。到目前達至145 名小沙彌，他們位於印度，尼泊爾，不丹等地。

（護持閉關修行僧）

護持在尼泊爾和不丹的僧人閉關，提供一些必需物資，好讓閉關修行僧人安心辦道，我們修行的人都必須要閉關修行，這樣會體會更深的佛法意義，要正法久住人間，也要護持發心要閉關的菩薩大德們，好讓閉關修行者有一天出關，為我們弘掦正法。

（建築如來八塔）

在拉達克山上，籌劃建築「如來八塔」，將在2019年落成，祈願大地祥和，世界和平，風調雨順。讓佛弟子當看到佛塔時，便憶佛、念佛、禮佛。尤見佛現前，禮拜佛塔時，憶念起佛的慈悲，生起努力精進心，發起菩提心，自利利他。

C. 社會公益：

（扶貧濟困）

菩薩寺布施美國無家可歸者散佈8個城市 Seattle, Sacramento, Stockton, San Jose, Fresno, Los Angels, Santa Ana, Orange County and San Diego等. 為信徒們籌辦在海外的「慶生福田」活動，跨越國界在印度，尼泊爾，斯里蘭卡，不丹等等，為老人院，孤兒院，學校，街上窮人，布施飯盒，飲品，為小孩子布施衣服、鞋子和文具用品。

（供書教學）

小孩子是將來的社會棟樑，每個父母都希望兒女上學，但不是每個家庭可以負擔得起，所以我們給予幫助，讓貧窮家庭孩子可以上學，讓他們獲得教育訓練後，將來可以養活自己及家人。2018年我們有供書教學的孩子已經有8 位。希望將來可幫助更多的孩子認識文字，自利利他，成為社會有用的人。

（重建家園）

人生無常、國土危脆、氣候變化、令到天災增多，一些貧窮家庭更難應付被天災摧毁家園，我們為被洪水淹沒了而又無能力重新修築的家庭，重建家園， （2018修建了5間房屋），感謝妙善林基金會的支持，在我們的共同努力之下，改變了幾個家庭重獲溫暖之家，特別這冬天生活在山區之中，是不容緩，現在他們都能暖暖地，深深感受到你們的慈悲與愛。

（善終服務）

在聖地牙哥為的往生者助念和念經超渡，願往生者脫離三惡道，投生三善趣，生於有佛法僧三寶之國。

(我愛你，媽媽)

這個活動也幫助與布施給年少媽媽們，和她們的初生嬰兒用品和奶粉，不幸的遭遇已成過去，由於我們對年輕媽媽和初生嬰兒的關愛，必定可以令她們重獲生命的信心。人間有愛啊！美國菩薩寺一呼百應下，相信可以改變她們的未來。

聯繫我和需要我們去幫助的人是越來越多，需要做的事情便有更多，我個人的時間和能力有限，感謝來自世界各地的發心菩薩們，一直以來都和我共同努力和護持，你們的參與和布施，成就了2018年的所有功德，我祈求佛菩薩祝願你們和所有的法友們，來臨的2019年一切順利！事業更上一層樓！身體健康！福慧增長！

最後也感謝台灣、香港、印尼、馬來西亞、新加坡、中國、加拿大和美國當地各州的網路義工菩薩們，由於您們的發心推動，美國菩薩寺有機會幫助更多的眾生，能夠結緣更廣在更多地方。

美國菩薩寺 願與你們一起走向成佛大道！修一切善法，只為度盡一切眾生！歡迎大家分享到你們的朋友圈，我們共同努力共同參與2019年的善法！

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阿彌陀佛！