Viradhamma writes from San Francisco with news of a new Triratna charity - an American-Indian joint venture to be known as DharmaJiva, which aims to support the Indian Buddhist Revival by raising awareness across America and providing support for social projects and Dharma teaching in India. He says - “The Buddhist Revival in India has brought the Dharma to hundreds of thousands of people, but most people outside India know little about this remarkable movement. However it has the potential to serve as the inspiration for a mass movement for social justice and dynamic spiritual practice.

According to Viradhamma, the group’s Director, “The importance of the Buddhist movement in India should not be underestimated. It has the potential to re-establish the Dharma in the Buddha’s homeland, and it can help reform the oppressive Caste system that causes suffering for millions of people.”

In January 2012 the first DharmaJiva tour in India gave twelve visitors from the US and Canada an opportunity to meet with Indian Buddhists and visit community centers, schools and social projects in central India. The tour, which was led by Manidhamma, also included a pilgrimage to the Buddhist holy sites in northern India. Besides this, DharmaJiva is arranging special tours to India, publishing news and information, raising funds and bringing Indian Buddhists to the United States for speaking tours.

Viradhamma believes that personal contact between Western and Indian Buddhists is important. “Our cultures are very different and we have a lot to learn from each other. Western Buddhists who come to India discover that the Dharma can be a powerful force for social change in addition to being a means of personal development. And Buddhists in India appreciate the support and perspectives of visiting Westerners.”

More information about DharmaJiva can be found at the group’s website at www.DharmaJiva.org, or contact them direct on info@DharmaJiva.org. The next tour to India is planned for February, 2013.