We are incredible humbled to share that last week, on the auspicious occasion of Chötrul Düchen, 84000 received its largest ever recurring donation to be offered on an annual basis. The most touching aspects of this pledge, however, are the stories behind it that originate from the remote Himalayan nation of Bhutan. Last week's donation was almost a year in the making, and was made all the more meaningful for the immense effort and dedication involved in bringing it to fruition.
Tshe Lung Nye, Bhutan | Pema Abrahams[/caption]During 84000's tenth anniversary celebrations over the auspicious month of Saga Dawa 2020, our Bhutan team members (volunteers designated by 84000 to help represent 84000 in their countries of residence) announced their aspiration to make an annually recurring offering with the explicit wish to trigger our Matching Funds Program*, and to double the contribution received by us.
Over the past year, in what seems like a nationwide effort, nearly 3,000 Bhutanese devotees of the Buddhadharma banded together to collectively spread word about 84000's vision and its work. Offerings were made from all twenty districts in Bhutan, from people of all ages, and from all walks of life, "with the conspicuous presence of farmers."A letter from organizer Neten Zangmo begins with:On this auspicious day, on behalf of the Bhutanese devotees, I express our heartfelt gratitude for your tireless and selfless dedication to the preservation and promotion of Buddhadharma, and the precious opportunity that you give us to play a humble part in it. We truly rejoice in it. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, as they say!
The donations ranged from Nu.50/ (approx. USD 00.70) to Nu.100,000 (approx. USD 1,370) to total Nu. 6,000,000 (approx. USD 82,260) and this incredible drive required the efforts of fifteen volunteer coordinators who took it upon themselves to disseminate information, mobilize the general public, and keep complex records of accounts in an economy that still is largely cash-run.Another excerpt from the heartfelt letter reads:
Driven by the collective aspiration for the great translation work to be successfully completed within the next 10-15 years, during our life time itself, we collectively pledge to make an offering of Nu.6 million annually to 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, under its matching fund scheme. “May we in all our lifetimes carry the load of Buddhadharma. And if we cannot do that, fearing the decline of Buddhadharma may we at least have the concern."
It is almost unprecedented for us at 84000 to receive such a significant sum from a group that numbers so many individuals. We have always believed that a drop in the ocean is no less important than a wave, and similar in many ways to a Malaysian effort in 2016 this collective donation goes to show how much impact can be made when we all come together.We thank each and every individual in this group--to borrow from Ms. Zangmo's letter--from the bottom of our hearts!For those interested in learning more about this pledge in Bhutan, please contact: bhutan@84000.co*At the end of 2017, three philanthropic families pledged to fund our Matching Funds Program. Still active, this program continues to ensure that if any one of you who commit to giving a monthly, quarterly, or annual donation to 84000, will see your gift amount equally matched, dollar-for-dollar. The key word for triggering our Matching Funds Program is "recurring" so, for every, say $100 monthly donation you pledge, we receive $200: It literally doubles your impact.