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Funding Graduate Student Monks

We need your support to help two fantastic Buddhist monks attend Naropa University this coming Fall!

I had the pleasure of getting to know Venerable Adesh Barua from Bangladesh and Venerable Tam Tien from Vietnam while we were all attending International Buddhist College together in Thailand. Both individuals stood out to me immediately due to their depth of knowledge about Buddhism and also their capacity to communicate skillfully in English. Over the course of my two years living in the community we developed strong lasting friendships, personally and professionally.

 I was thrilled to learn that both monks had been accepted (along with myself) to attend Naropa University  in Boulder, Colorado! The opportunity to continue to study with these wonderful monks is unique and significant for all of us and our respective communities.

Unfortunately, as dedicated followers of the Buddha’s teachings , neither one has the financial capacity to make such a massive step in their personal and academic journey alone. Thus, we appeal to you, all people this message reaches, to reflect on the opportunity to help these two promising young academics make the leap to America, by giving generously in relation to your ability.



Both monks have received scholarships from Naropa University, yet still the cost of attendance reaches far beyond their limited means. Ven. Adesh was awarded the prestigious Naropa Presidential scholarship  and the Owen Weber Weinstein scholarship. Ven. Tam Tien received the equally competitive Naropa Honor scholarship  and has secured part-time student employment on campus. I am extremely proud of the extensive efforts taken by both monks to secure funding for their studies. Still, the reality is that the scholarships cover roughly only 1/4th-1/3rd of the cost of tuition and an even smaller fraction of the overall cost associated.

 We do not expect to be solely funded by a small number of wealthy philanthropists; rather we hope to spread the cost so widely among our contributors that individuals will not feel the pain of supporting us. All contributions go directly to helping these monks attend Naropa. I [Ben Goldstein ] will be acting as their advocate as they navigate the complex path ahead of them: finding accommodation, transportation, food, visas, and all other associated hurdles.

The benefits of this type and degree of cultural immersion and exchange cannot be overstated. While both Ven. Adesh Barua and Ven. Tam Tien will certainly benefit in ways we can hardly imagine – leaving Southeast Asia for the first time in either’s lives, the community of Boulder will likewise benefit from the inclusion of these two wonderful individuals in the city. The value of the cultural exchange presented by this opportunity is impressive. Yet, without help from you, it will never become a reality.

We have had great success finding places for the two monks to live in Boulder, allowing them to avoid lengthy commuting to campus. Additionally, the goal is to reduce their living expenses to the bare minimum through community support. It is very likely that through skillful means and with the help of the community, the financial commitment will be dramatically reduced. Still, Boulder is an expensive place to live and there is no doubt that unforeseen expenses will arise as they pursue this Master of Arts degree over the next two years.

We three invite all people to follow our collective blog at: treadingthepathblog.wordpress.com, to stay up-to-date with the progress of our studies and to share in the insights we discover along the way.

It is important to emphasize that we are not students lacking trajectory or purpose in our studies. All three of us are serious aspiring scholars in the fields of Religious and Buddhist Studies. Our collective wish is to help all people in the most effective ways we can find. Our studies and meditation practices compliment each other by developing our minds in specific and powerful ways, making us compassionate, ambitious, and driven.


The United States government requires that international students demonstrate the financial ability to pay for at minimum one (1) full year of expenses. The official Naropa account of the estimated cost of attendance with all related expenses included is [we were informed] $44,971 per person per year. This number is clearly artificially inflated and does not account for the significantly reduced rent we expect have for the monks. Still, the situation stands that we must raise the funds to establish financial viability in the US government's eyes to be offered visas. This also insists that time is of the essence in this campaign - We need your support today, right now!

 
Help us make this dream come true for these two spectacular and promising monks! All of the funds raised from this campaign will go directly to supporting Ven. Adesh Barua and Ven. Tam Tien while attending Naropa University. If for any reason Ven. Adesh Barua and Ven. Tam Tien are unable to attend Naropa Univesity, all of the funding raised will be donated to reputable charitable causes in a completely transparent manner. Accurate accounting of all funds raised and expenditures from this fund will be available to any interested parties throughout the entire duration.

 
Let’s show these monks America, together with your support! 

We cannot adequtely express how thankful we are to anyone who supports this worthy cause! We will consistently endevour to be the highest caliber of students and ambassidors of our respective homelands. 

 An essential aspect to our success here will be everyone sharing this campaign across all social media platforms! Lets make this thing go viral! If 50,000 people view this page, it will take only a very small amount of support from individuals to help us rocket past our goal!

Please give generously and share this campaign! Don’t forget to follow the blog to learn more about all religions, philosophies, and mental cultivation

 

Sincerely,

 

Ven. Adesh Barua,

Ven. Tam Tien, &

Ben Goldstein

Organizer and beneficiary

Ben Goldstein
Organizer
Morrison, CO
Ben Goldstein
Beneficiary

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