New hub for Canberra's burgeoning Buddhist community

The Buddhist Society of the ACT hopes to open the doors of a new 8.5-metre-high ordination hall in Narrabundah before the middle of the year.

The society?s giant Buddha will become the centrepiece of the $414,600 facility, with the hall to be built around the golden statue at the Goyder Street site.

The gold statue currently sits on a brick platform on what was a Buddhist garden outside the existing facility.
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The hall has been designed as an accessible Buddhist community hub for Canberra?s inner south but will draw followers from across the ACT.

Plans for the building have been under way since about 2006 and include a separate toilet block at the rear of the site, 50 parking spaces including two disabled spaces, and a 5000-litre water tank.

Gold-coloured terracotta tiles, a roof ornament, long columns and a covered outdoor area will complete the prominent facility.

A development application for the project has been lodged with the ACT Planning and Land Authority.

The society hoped to see construction work start between late March and early April and expected the shell of the building to be completed within 16 weeks.

Public officer Thane Kyaw-Myint said members and their families had outgrown the current hall, which includes the presiding monk?s residence.

During large open days, which commemorated significant occasions such as the beginning of Buddhist Lent, crowds stretched well outside the door.

?[The current building] is not that large. A lot of people stand outside and listen to the ceremony using a speaker. The monk, for the sake of the community, will have two services, one in the morning and one in the afternoon,? Dr Myint said. ?The registered number of members is about 200 but when you include families the total community is about 600 to 700 strong ... from across Canberra.?

Canberra?s growing Buddhist population made up 2.6per cent of the territory?s religious affiliations in 2011, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics census figures.

The figure is part of a national rise is non-Christian religions since 2001.

The Buddhist Society of the ACT is from the Theyrayeda sect of Buddhism, not the Mahayalia sect. The Theyrayeda sect has different beliefs about enlightenment and draws most followers from Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia rather than China, Tibet and Nepal.

Although a zoning hiccup had delayed work, Dr Kywa-Myint said the development appeared to be back on track in an area home to a number of community facilities including other places of worship.

He said the ordination hall?s uses would include meditation, religious discourse and ceremonial performances, and cater to a growing demand for religious schooling as more and more children of Buddhist families were born in Canberra.

The current site also includes extra portable rooms, kuti, which were donated by members and are used for individual meditation.

Dr Kywa-Myint said the hall would be open throughout the day, as the current facilities are, to enable prayer. They would close at night to prevent vandalism.

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Vesak Celeberated In Brussels With Participation Of International Buddhist Community

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Brussels, Belgium -- Decorated with Buddhist flags, scores of colourful Vesak lanterns, and also other decors presented by several Buddhist countries, gave an ambiance of a temple and serene atmosphere to the Sri Lankan Residence in Brussels, on the evening of Sunday 26th May, when the Embassy of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Mission to the European Union marked the noble Day of Vesak.

The event was graced by the presence of Hon. Deputy Speaker of the Sri Lanka Parliament, Mr. Chandima Weerakkody and the five-member cross-party Parliamentary delegation from Sri Lanka who are on an official visit to the European Parliament.

Ven. Murungasyaye Gnanissara Nayaka Thero of Jethavana Vihara in Paris and Ven. Pra Shdhinanaivides of Wat Thai Dhammarama Temple in Brussels and monks conducted the religious ceremony, including the Buddha Pooja, a Dhamma Sermon, and invoking blessings by chanting Seth Pirith followed by a brief meditation programme.

The second half of the programme began with the lighting of the Vesak lanterns by the participants and inaugurating the illumination. Addressing the gathering that consisted the diplomatic corp, the Sri Lankan community in Belgium and Luxembourg, Ambassador P.M. Amza, recalled the joint efforts of the international Buddhist community, led by Sri Lanka to gain international recognition for the Day of Vesak in 1999. The life of Lord Buddha, was exemplary and his teachings convey a timeless message for every individual to live happily and peacefully, he said.

A brief cultural programme symbolizing the diversity with which the millions of Buddhists around the world commemorate Vesak, brought in a group of Sri Lankans and Mission staff singing devotional songs (Bakthi gee), and the Thai Buddhist Community presenting two traditional dance items honouring the noble triple gem. At the end of the days programme, the gathering also had the opportunity to enjoy a sumptuous Sri Lankan vegetarian meal.

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Lay community, Buddhism, and the role of virtuous monks in Sri Lanka

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Boston, USA -- I threw the pot containing my father’s ash to the sea and watched how it drifted away in the current. I had already made up my mind. He was 81 years old, he did his best to serve the society as a teacher, and he saw the fruits of his dedication to raise us. But something started to kick in from within me. It grew and worsened at the departure terminal of the Katunayake airport. I was dipped in a deep sense of sorrow all along the long flight to Boston.

The first thing I did was to drive to the Boston Buddhist Vihara to see a monk. There was visitors around and it was a good opportunity for me to have a very personal chat with the monk. It just came out of me – “venerable sir, I think it is not worth coming back to this World.
Can you teach me how to start meditation?”. It was some kind of a shame for me to ask that question after being a Buddhist for 38 years. Yet, he kindly and patiently explained me what the four Brahma Viharas are (Metta, Karuna, Muditha, and Upekka) and why they are the bedrock of Buddhist meditation practice.

Then, at some later point, the monk moved back to Sri Lanka. I contacted him during a visit back home and asked if I could come to his temple to spend a weekend to practice meditation. Then, he advised me that he is in charge of several temples in the up-country, and the best place would be the Maliyadeva Len Vihara located on the way to Hunnas Falls hotel from Wattegama.

This Len Vihara that consisted of several rock caves is said to have been built in King Walagamba era, a Golden era for Buddhism in Sri Lanka. He took me to a cave where noble Arahat Maliyadeva had resided. I kept staring at where the noble Arahat Maliyadeva had sat in meditation for quite some time because it gave me so much inner strength. Then, we moved to another quiet place, discussed about some deep aspects of meditation, and sat in meditation for quite some time in that evening. What a blissful experience it was!

The next day, the monk had invited some school children to come to the Len Vihara to have a chat with me, because he thought the students would benefit by talking with me about science and the spiritual life. This encounter and subsequent meetings with other villagers and visits to other more “city temples” convinced me that the monk who was giving me meditation instructions was spending a complex life full of social commitments in Sri Lanka.

At some point, he himself told me that striking a balance between the meditation practice and social commitments is so hard in Sri Lanka. I could clearly see why. People, rather than coming to the temple to practice meditation, expected the monk to come to their places to practice rituals like “pirith chanting”, “bana”, “well wishing a new house or a car”, etc.

Ironically, some held such events as a matter of routine than arising out of spiritual necessity. In one such event, I took the monk in my car. The hosts of this event were very kind, and looked very devoted Buddhists. One of the ladies who hosted the ritual thought I too was from Kandy area, and started a discussion about monks from Down-South living in Kandy area.

She referred to them as monks from Dutugamunu’s area, and she had some resentment towards people from the Dutugamunu’s area due to some reason.  I was shocked to see this bigotry, but didn’t expose the fact that I was from the South (Galle) because I wanted to know more about her views about monks and people from the South. Then I noticed that she referred to monks from her area as “ape-hamuduruwo” (our monk), and other as just “hamuduruwo” (the monk).

Later, I had a casual chat with the venerable monk who gave me the opportunity to spend several days at the Len Vihara, about the social aspect of his life. He kindly told me that it is a huge challenge. He said that people are deeply entangled in “sakkayaditti” (the personality view where people cling onto social identities like race, up-country people, down-country people, etc, that solidifies the illusion that a “self” exists), and “Silabbataparamasa” (blind clinging to rituals), in addition to “vichikichcha” (having less confidence in the path of meditation as a cure for their sufferings). He said, one has to penetrate through all these three fetters out of a total of ten in order to go past the first milestone of the fruits of practicing the Eightfold path – known as Sotapanna (one who has entered the stream of healing).
Then, I asked him if he is doing anything to change the status quo in the society. He said, the best he could do was to renovate places like the Len Vihara so that those interested could spend a weekend meditating like I did. He said the Buddhist way is to prepare the conditions conducive to meditation and invite – “come and experience for yourselves” – than forcing those who do not wish to take that path to start practicing Buddhism.

The community in Boston made some contributions to uplift the Len Vihara, but I felt the massive need in Sri Lanka to renovate thousands of such ancient forest cave monasteries for the benefit of those interested to experience the bliss of meditation from time to time till it becomes an integral part of life.

Back in Colombo, I conveyed this need to a top politician in a political party claiming to be the Guardians of Buddhism (Bodu Bala Sena was not existing at that time), hoping some of their energy to protect Buddhism could be channeled to this cause. The straight answer was – “that type of things are not visible”! This was before the war came to an end, and I too was under some illusion about these parties. But I got a sense of respect for him for being honest with me, and helping to confirm to myself that a lot of people like me were sadly misguided.

Through my own experience, I honestly believe that the best the lay community in Sri Lanka could do to protect Buddhism in Sri Lanka is to support monastic monks to serve the lay community through their noble practice. It is like taking a medical advice from a doctor with a sound training, as opposed to somebody with a mere intellectual understanding of medical theories and a stethoscope round his neck (only the right looks).

By looking at the way politics work in Sri Lanka (confirmed by my above experience), it is unlikely that famous politicians claiming to be the Guardians of Buddhism will put their weight behind an honest attempt to renovate monasteries or to foster monastic practice of monks and lay community.

It is more likely that some groups are mere “Buddhist branches” of a political party lining up votes from different streams in the society. Therefore, this small note is for those interested groups in the lay community to think about volunteering or contributing funds to an organized cause to foster monastic practice in Sri Lanka. 

This should not be done to show off, or to be a challenge to the more political Buddhist movements, but one that engages everybody. Experience with the right practice can change people. In fact it is not advisable to build a personality view around it. Human bodies are driven by their minds, and minds are occupied by conditioned thoughts. When the conditions change, thoughts change, and behavior changes. So, there is no need to hate any “body”. If a honest attempt is launched by those who are frustrated by the present political movements, a lot of people from within Sri Lanka and those living outside Sri Lanka will help in various ways. I would say, this would have ripple effects in the virtuous direction for the betterment of Sri Lanka.

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Dalai Lama raises money for Buddhist Community

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Dharamshala, India -- Figurative artist Lisa Andrews painted two portraits of His Holiness, which were signed by him on a recent visit to the UK; these signed portraits raised £6,200 ($9,544) when they were auctioned by the Buddhist Community Center (BCCUK).

Signed by His Holiness on his recent visit to the EBB stadium in Aldershot, England, the portraits are believed to be two of a very small number that have been signed by him; they are authenticated by the BCCUK.

Lisa Andrews-the artist- says that the portraits are intended to encapsulate the spirit of His Holiness and portray his characteristic sense of humour.

"I love to use oil paint as the fluidity of the paint merges and flows to mirror my energy and emotions. I paint people and in particular their faces, as I find this both the most challenging and enjoyable," said Lisa. "My paintings seek to capture more than just a photographic image of my subject, but also to include the person's energy. I paint to express emotion: the emotion and expression of my subject and my reaction to it."

The paintings were auctioned at a BCCUK charity dinner in Reading, England. The money raised will go towards the renovation of the building that is to become a new Buddhist monastery/Community centre in Aldershot for all Buddhists; it will also be open to the public.

The critically acclaimed artist Lisa Andrews attended the dinner and auction, as did Chime Rinpoche- a Buddhist monk-living in exile who founded the first Tibetan Buddhist centre in England in 1973.

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Buddhist Monk returns to Hopkinsville Community College

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HOPKINSVILLE, KY. (USA) -- For the 4th year, Buddhist Monk Venerable Tsering Phuntsok will visit the campus of Hopkinsville Community College beginning the week of April 1. According to Dr. Ken Casey, Tsering will be reunited with the group of students and faculty who visited with him last summer at his home in Dharamsala, India as part of the Study Abroad group from the college.

Tsering Phuntsok has been a practicing Buddhist Monk since 1987. He has studied in the Nyingmapa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, receiving training in Buddhist scripture and philosophy, meditation, ritual and lama dancing and music. Tsering has received teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. While the Study Abroad group from HCC was in Dharamsala last summer, they were able to participate in the birthday celebration of His Holiness.

Tsering facilitates cultural exchange programs between the Tibetan community and U.S. college students to improve the lives of Tibetan refugees and Indian locals. The soft spoken man with quiet and engaging energy and humor works to explain Buddhist Dharma so as to enable alleviation of suffering and generation of compassion.

On April 3 at noon in the HCC Auditorium, the Religion and Philosophy Club of HCC will present a talk entitled Loving your enemies: Buddhist and Christian Perspectives, featuring Tsering and Dr. Ken Casey, local religion and philosophy professor. Dr. Casey received his Ph.D at Vanderbilt University in Philosophy and his M.Div from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The men will compare and contrast practices within the two belief systems, and address two questions why should we love enemies and how we can love enemies when it seems to be contrary to human psychology. Tsering Phuntsok will use the teaching of Shantideva and the Dalai Lama to give the Buddhist perspective while Dr. Casey will use the teaching of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux to set forth the Christian perspective.

Dr. Pat Lake, interim president of HCC said, HCC welcomes the return of Tsering Phuntsok to campus. We celebrate the diversity of our campus and community by supporting his visit.

While in Kentucky, Tsering Phuntsok will visit with faculty and students at KCTCS institutions in Elizabethtown, Madisonville and Louisville.

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Bogus monks are rightly scorned and loathed by the Hong Kong community

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Hong Kong, China -- It is a familiar story to any resident in Hong Kong – the peculiar sight of a monk wandering around begging for alms, regardless of the time of day.

<< Bogus monks at Lam Kwai Fong

The only problem is that these monks probably changed into their so-called robes a few hours before the arrived in the city; they are mainland beggars and charlatans crossing the border to cheat potential donors of their money. They infest the high streets and harbors of Hong Kong, from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui. Their eyes fake friendliness, but cannot pretend to be filled with love and knowledge of the Dharma.
The cruel irony in the transaction between a victim and a bogus monk is that every rule of Buddhist dana (generosity) is turned on its head: the donor receives no karmic merit because the donor is not actually giving money to an ordained monastic. The entire traditional impetus for generosity is therefore nullified and violated.

Likewise, because the beggar does not belong to a real sangha, was not ordained by any qualified master, and indeed has lied about his loyalty to this 2550 year-old vocation, he will not only squander his donor's cash for non-Buddhist reasons, but suffer post-mortem retribution for such lies. Such natural law, declared the Buddha himself, is the price for deceiving not only laypeople, but the true Buddhist sangha.

Until that day of remorselessly inevitable karmic justice, the Hong Kong community's revulsion and disgust at these men is perfectly understandable. This scorn is shared by almost every sector of society regardless of religious affiliation. To be clear, they deserve to be looked upon with suspicion because they bring disrepute to the name of Chinese Buddhism, not because they are beggars. Indeed, it is a sorry situation that these professional beggars see no way to survive except through deceiving people. For their sake as well as the reputation of Chinese Buddhism, it is important that the local authorities and, ultimately, the Chinese Government, adopt policies that give these men economic opportunity and the chance to be genuinely productive, dignified members of society.

It is another tragic irony that in ancient Buddhism, monks were forbidden by the Buddha to work, in order to force them to interact with secular society by begging for alms and teaching the Dharma in return. The Blessed One thought that this was a fool-proof way to ensure a harmonious, give-and-take relationship within the Fourfold Community of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. What a travesty that these beggars should take up Buddhist robes but not Buddhist principles and - just like the early sangha of the Buddha's days - end up begging.

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Korean Protestant pastor urinates inside Buddhist temple, community apologises

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Seoul, South Korea -- The Korean protestant community sent an official letter of apology to the abbot of Donghwasa temple, Ven. Sungman, on regarding the actions of the Korean Protestant pastor, Seong, who urinated in the dharma hall and vandalized the Buddhist portraits with a permanent marker.

The Korean protestant community officially apologized for their poor actions and promised never to repeat their mistakes.

Donghwasa temple repeatedly ask for an official apology since the tragic occurrence last August, however Pastor Seong nor his church gave any comments and refused to give any sort of apology to the Buddhist community or Donghwasa temple.

The Head of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), Pastor Yong-ju Kim and the Head of the Assemblies of God of Korea, Kil-hak Choi had a meeting with Ven. Sungman at Donghwasa temple and directly apologized for their member, Pastor Seong, for his poor actions.

During this meeting, Choi stated, “We deeply regret the actions caused by our community to the Buddhist community and Donghwasa temple, and we will educate and keep an eye on our community for this sort of action will never happen again

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Local Buddhist community mark four years since the planting of the Bonnyrigg Bodhi Tree

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Fairfield, Australia -- MEMBERS of the local Buddhist community have held a ceremony to mark four years since the planting of the Bonnyrigg Bodhi Tree.

The tree, located in the Bonnyrigg Town Centre Park, represents the Buddhist belief that Buddha found enlightenment under a bodhi tree.

More than 200 Lao Buddhists and members of local interfaith groups took part in the Contemplating Peace Under the Bodhi Tree event late last month.

"Prayers were made by members of the Christian, Muslim and Buddhist faiths, new robes were offered to the Buddhist monks and a parade was held in honour of the tree," a Fairfield Council spokeswoman said.

The council planted the tree in 2008 to coincide with the launch of the Bonnyrigg logo, which features a bodhi leaf alongside a gumleaf.

The Lao Buddhist Society of NSW has taken guardianship of the tree since then.

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An Open Letter from the Buddhist Community on Islamophobia

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San Francisco, CA (USA) -- As disciples of the Buddha who live in the West, we would like to take the holy month of Ramadan as an opportunity to express our growing concern about Islamophobia, both within our governments and within the Buddhist community worldwide.

In North America and Europe, the past decade has seen peaceful Muslim communities targeted by hate crimes, police profiling, and even challenges to their basic human rights of free religion and free assembly. The New York Times reports that the New York City Police Department infiltrated peaceful Muslim groups across the Northeastern United States for indiscriminate surveillance. The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro in Murfreesboro, Tennessee has faced vandalism, arson, and legal challenges opposing their new mosque, while France and Belgium have outlawed wearing niqab in public over concerns about immigration, the status of women, and the diluting of European culture.

In the wider Buddhist community there have been media reports of Buddhist leaders—including monastics - endorsing human rights abuses against Muslim ethnic groups. For example, The Independent reports that Buddhist monastic organizations in Burma are blocking aid shipments to refugee camps for ethnically Rohingya Muslims in the western state of Rakhine. The article also accuses monastic associations of encouraging ethnically Rakhine Buddhists not to associate with Rohingya. Ethnic tensions have resulted in human rights abuses and loss of life on both sides of this conflict.

Meanwhile, Newsweek reports that the Thai government has set up military encampments inside Buddhist temples—even using some of them as torture chambers—in their ongoing fight against a violent Malay Muslim insurgency in the southern states of Patani, Yala, and Narathiwat. More disturbingly, Newsweek reports the Thai government is paying ethnic Thais to resettle in majority-Malay areas in order to dilute the Malay population. Once again, there have been many human rights abuses and much loss of life on both sides of the conflict.

In this time of conflict, we believe that the life and teachings of the Buddha can be a shining example for the world. He taught us to practice mutual respect among all people without prejudice, to work for the mutual benefit of all beings, and to try to solve our problems without resorting to violence. In those rare instances where violence is necessary, he taught us to practice restraint and to protect innocent lives. It is in this spirit that we are writing.

In our own countries, we ask law enforcement agencies to stop targeting Muslim communities with indiscriminate surveillance and profiling. And we call on Americans to see their Muslims neighbors as fellow citizens, bound together with them through the shared values of democracy, equality, and freedom.

In the wider Buddhist community, we ask our fellow Buddhists to refrain from using the Dharma to support nationalism, ethnic conflict, and Islamophobia. We believe that these values are antithetical to the Buddha’s teachings on loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.

The vast majority of Muslims the world over are peaceful, law-abiding people who share much the same dreams, hopes, and aspirations as their non-Muslim neighbors. They are our friends, our relatives, our colleagues, our neighbors, and our fellow citizens. Most importantly, they are our fellow sentient beings, all of whom, the Buddha taught, have loved and cared for us in the past. We stand with them during this holy month of Ramadan and denounce Islamophobia unequivocally.

Signed,

Joshua Eaton, M.Div., Boston, MA, USA

Rev. Danny Fisher, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Rod Meade Sperry, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA
Sharon Salzberg, Barre, MA, USA
Mushim (Patricia) Ikeda, Oakland, CA, USA
Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Carmel, NY, USA
Karma Lekshe Tsomo, San Diego, CA, USA
Charles Prebish, State College, PA, USA
William Aiken, Washington, DC, USA
Diana Winston, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Rev. Maia Zenyu Duerr, Santa Fe, NM, USA
Rev. James Ishmael Ford, Providence, RI, USA
Shastri Ethan Nichtern, New York City, NY, USA
Lodro Rinzler, New York City, NY, USA
Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown, Boulder, CO, USA
Lopon Rita Gross, Eau Claire, WI, USA
Gary Gach, San Francisco, CA, USA
Allan Badiner, Big Sur, CA, USA
Ven. Zenkei Blanche Hartman, San Francisco, CA, USA
Rev. Wakoh Shannon Hickey, Alfred, NY, USA
Koshin Paley Ellison, New York City, NY, USA
Steve Kanji Ruhl, State College, PA, USA
Martin Aylward, Cubjac, Aquitaine, FRANCE
Karma Yonten Gyatso, Richmond Hill, Ontario, CANADA
Rev. Beth Kanji Goldring, Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA
Chap. Mikel Ryuho Monnett, M.A., BCC, Columbus, OH, USA
Acharya Sujatin Johnson, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, ENGLAND
Rev. Josho Pat Phelan, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Tomoe Moriya, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, JAPAN
Rev. Daishin Eric McCabe, Pennsdale, PA, USA
Rev. Patricia Dai-En Bennage, Pennsdale, PA, USA
Kobutsu Malone-osho, Sedgwick, ME, USA
Carole Craven, Mableton, GA, USA
Genko Blackman, Seattle, WA, USA
Arun Gandhi, Rochester, NY, USA
Claire Michalewicz, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA
Martin Whelan, Slingo, County Slingo, IRELAND
Lesley Grant, Fairfax, CA, USA
Susan Wirawan, Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA
Luke McKean, Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA
Miguel Marcos, Madrid, Community of Madrid, SPAIN
Catherine DeLorey, Boston, MA, USA
Stephen Hale, Muir Beach, CA, USA
Rik Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
Kris Freedain, Laguna Niguel, CA, USA
Rev. Michael Tran, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Brant Henne, Swampscott, MA, USA
Craig Thomas, York, PA, USA
Zoey Roy, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA
Angela Gunn, Savannah, GA, USA
Laurie Knowlton, Boothbay, ME, USA
Jessica Bizub, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Robin Reed, San Francisco, CA, USA
Prof. Kristopher Short, Cranston, RI, USA
Vivien Phung, Laguna Niguel, CA, USA
Jean Lamont, State College, PA, USA
Kathleen de Vries, Napa, CA, USA
Peter Muller, New York City, NY, USA
Dee Levy, Swindon, Borough of Swindon, ENGLAND
Sandra Madera, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Chaplain Karen Morris, M.Div., Johnson City, TN, USA
Anda Peterson, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
Matthew Gegenhuber, Hawkins, WI, USA
Dean Hill, Albany, NY, USA
Karla Passalacqua, Atlanta, GA, USA
Ven. Hue Hai, Alhambra, CA, USA
Terry Evans, Bangor, North Wales, WALES
Jim Hasse, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Karma Sonam Lhamo, Penllyn, PA, USA
Geoff Haynes, Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA
Lynnea Bylund, Dana Point, CA, USA
Victor Spence, Edinburgh, SCOTLAND
Upasaka Raymond M. McDonald, La Verne, CA, USA
Imtiaaz Gafoor, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SOUTH AFRICA
Nisar Ahmed, Karachi, Sindh, PAKISTAN
David Cabrera, Hollywood, FL, USA
Rev. Michael W. A. Henderson, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA
Christina Omorochoe, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
Kelly Hills, Ardmore, PA, USA
Thom Stromer, Baltimore, MD, USA
Roger K. James, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, BRAZIL
Stephanie Cianfriglia, Endicott, NY, USA
John Christensen, Chicago, IL, USA
Tanis Moore, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA
Nancy A. Jefferis, Santee, CA, USA
Rev. Michele Kaishin Tae, Boise, ID, USA
David Coleman, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, IRELAND
Rev. Jim Hokyo Dunn, Santa Fe, NM, USA
Penny Nakatsu, San Francisco, CA, USA
Robert McConnachie, Uithoorn, North Holland, THE NETHERLANDS
Shelly Griska, Monroe, GA, USA
Steven Ganci, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
Ettianne Anshin, Sydney, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA
Ericson AF Proper, Naples, FL, USA
Jaime Heiku McLeod, Lewiston, ME, USA
Tiffany Puett, Austin, TX, USA
Connie Nelson Ahlberg, Burnsville, MN, USA
James Cox, Omaha, NE, USA
Tracey McFadden, Elburn, IL, USA
Jim Hsiung, Taipei, Taiwan, REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Aron Weinberg, Austin, TX, USA

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