“Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds.”
— Guatama Buddha
Painting of the historical Buddha, by Siddhartha School student Stanzin Norbu, class 10. Known as Guatama, the historical Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha in Lubmbini, Nepal, circa 563 BCE.
Dear Friend,
Our prayers go out to Nepal this evening, after the terrible news of the catastrophic earthquake that hit the country as well as parts on Northern India, such as Bihar and West Bengal. And while Ladakh was spared any damage, the Siddhartha School children, teachers, and staff join us in sending out their heartfelt prayers to the victims and their families.
In the coming hours the Ladakh Buddhist Association’s youth wing will be holding a candlelight vigil in memory of the victims and with prayers for the survivors at Chowkhang Vihara in Leh.
As the news of the devastation sinks in, the Ladakh community will likely begin to organize a relief effort to help those affected. Any news on the Siddhartha School community’s participation in this relief effort will certainly be shared here.
For our friends outside of India who would like to help, Oxfam is on the ground and organizing a relief effort. They are collecting secure, online donations here. You can also support UNICEF, which is on the ground working to provide critical emergency aid to children and families by texting “Nepal” to 864233 to donate $10.
With gratitude,
Laura Kozaitis
Executive Director
Siddhartha School Project
