As a sweet coincidence, two members of the team at thebuddhistcentre.com are also part of a new initiative to open a Buddhist Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in the USA. Viriyalila and Candradasa, along with Suzanne Woodland, Danakamala, Suddhayu and Narottama have been looking for a place for their occasional itinerant sangha to settle into -- and they've found a truly beautiful space... The new Martingale building on the east wharf at Portsmouth's historic dock side is a bold new venture in an upmarket part of town: a collection of high-rent offices and restaurants and retail spaces, all with spectacular views of the Piscataqua River -- not the sort of place a fledgling Buddhist sangha would expect to end up! And after a fruitless search for over a year, the team were wondering if their luck would ever turn...

Then an outstanding act of generosity happened. A local property developer -- the man responsible for the Martingale project -- heard about their plight and stepped forward with an offer of space... So finally, the Portsmouth Buddhist Center can be established and help bring the Dharma to the local community right on the New Hampshire seacoast. There is already a well-established Triratna retreat and Dharma Center, Aryaloka, set in idyllic woods in nearby Newmarket, NH -- and this more urban addition to the Triratna community in America is an exciting new prospect for all concerned with Dharma practice on the eastern seaboard.

The Portsmouth Buddhist Center is due to open its doors in September. Viriyalila and Candradasa write: "Classes have been happening intermittently in Portsmouth for over 10 years now, and we've all been involved in them at one time or another. We can't wait to take things to the next level now that we have a new home, especially one as lovely as this. It's great to be opening a bricks-and-mortar center in the same week our virtual home comes online!"