Support to fulfill my aspirations to be a monk
Donation protected
Hi, My name is Robert. Here is a picture of me and the monastics of Deer Park Monastery. I recently spent eight weeks there and want to return to continue my studies and deepen my practice.
When I first came to Temple Buddhist Center, I was searching for something that was missing in my life. As my practice has developed I’ve discovered that I have this deep drive to cover my suffering up. This comes from multiple generations of traumatic experiences for my family. We never learn to stop and to come back to ourselves. For so long the trauma from my childhood has gripped onto me and caused so much suffering for myself and those around me. While at Deer Park I spent eight weeks learning how to stop and to begin the healing process. I really enjoyed learning and practicing Buddhist psychology and the sutra on the full awareness of breathing(Anapanasati Sutra) I feel like what I learned and practiced in two month benefited me more than my 5 years in the practice. It’s always been my deepest desire to stop this cycle and learn to stop and heal, so I can help others do the same. As time goes on, and with much grace, patience, generosity, and the teachings, I am slowly able to bring understanding and compassion to the conditioned patterns that have caused so much suffering to me and to others around me.
I come to the sangha to ask for your generosity to help raise funds so that I may return to Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California in time for the Rain’s retreat. From that point, I wish to become an Aspirant. An Aspirant is someone that is aspiring to be a monk. If you’d like to read more about the process I’m taking to become a monastic please read more on the Plum Village website. https://deerparkmonastery.org/become-a-monastic/
I was at Deer Park for eight weeks recovering from a friend's attempted suicide and almost two years of working 70-hour work weeks to pay off my debts. This time spent at Deer Park, touched me deeply, during my stay we had a ceremony celebrating the 100th day of thay’s (Thich Nhat Hahn) passing. We spread his remaining ashes, I even got to place some of his ashes in one of my favorite spots on the mountain. His energy and effect in the sangha watered my aspirations deeply and I have sold my car and furniture items in order to facilitate my calling to become a monastic.
All the money raised will be used directly for my student loans. My local Temple even found an Anonymous donor to match every dollar raised.
Eventually, I hope to be able to return to the area and be of service to my community as a monastic and to help all beings in all places. Thank you again for considering helping me on this journey.
In deep Gratitude, Rob
When I first came to Temple Buddhist Center, I was searching for something that was missing in my life. As my practice has developed I’ve discovered that I have this deep drive to cover my suffering up. This comes from multiple generations of traumatic experiences for my family. We never learn to stop and to come back to ourselves. For so long the trauma from my childhood has gripped onto me and caused so much suffering for myself and those around me. While at Deer Park I spent eight weeks learning how to stop and to begin the healing process. I really enjoyed learning and practicing Buddhist psychology and the sutra on the full awareness of breathing(Anapanasati Sutra) I feel like what I learned and practiced in two month benefited me more than my 5 years in the practice. It’s always been my deepest desire to stop this cycle and learn to stop and heal, so I can help others do the same. As time goes on, and with much grace, patience, generosity, and the teachings, I am slowly able to bring understanding and compassion to the conditioned patterns that have caused so much suffering to me and to others around me.
I come to the sangha to ask for your generosity to help raise funds so that I may return to Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California in time for the Rain’s retreat. From that point, I wish to become an Aspirant. An Aspirant is someone that is aspiring to be a monk. If you’d like to read more about the process I’m taking to become a monastic please read more on the Plum Village website. https://deerparkmonastery.org/become-a-monastic/
I was at Deer Park for eight weeks recovering from a friend's attempted suicide and almost two years of working 70-hour work weeks to pay off my debts. This time spent at Deer Park, touched me deeply, during my stay we had a ceremony celebrating the 100th day of thay’s (Thich Nhat Hahn) passing. We spread his remaining ashes, I even got to place some of his ashes in one of my favorite spots on the mountain. His energy and effect in the sangha watered my aspirations deeply and I have sold my car and furniture items in order to facilitate my calling to become a monastic.
All the money raised will be used directly for my student loans. My local Temple even found an Anonymous donor to match every dollar raised.
Eventually, I hope to be able to return to the area and be of service to my community as a monastic and to help all beings in all places. Thank you again for considering helping me on this journey.
In deep Gratitude, Rob
Co-organizers (2)
Robert Haggard
Organizer
Olathe, KS
Victor Dougherty
Co-organizer