non-profit organization in the State of Michigan.
In
1989, BRM learned from refugees in Thailand that there were virtually
no Buddhist texts printed in Lao. One day, while visiting the library
of World Fellowship of Buddhists in Bangkok, the Kawasakis found an old
copy of The Dhammapada in Lao. The following year, they had collected
enough donations to reprint almost 5000 copies of this book for free
distribution not only to refugee communities and monasteries around the
world, but also inside Laos. This was followed in subsequent years by
reprints of The Dhammapada in Khmer, Mon, and Vietnamese. After sending
several thousand copies into Cambodia in 1992, BRM learned that this
was the first distribution of any Buddhist text in that country after
the Khmer Rouge devastation. The Indochinese camps are long gone, and
BRM activities have broadened, but the Kawasakis are still
concentrating their attention on isolated Buddhist communities,
including refugees, particularly Burmese, following the violent
upheavals in that country since 1988. BRM projects have included
scholarships for monks studying in Burma, India and Sri Lanka; Sangha
hospitals; and Buddhist orphanages and schools in Burma, Bangladesh,
and India. For many years, BRM has supported Buddhist individuals and
groups in prisons in the United States. During their residence in
Michigan, the Kawasakis served as chaplain’s assistants for the local
jail and as Buddhist consultants for the Michigan Department of
Corrections.
In 2005, the Kawasakis moved to Sri Lanka, where they
continue as directors of BRM. Since 2006, they have conducted an annual
intensive English course, mainly for university-student monks, in India
for three years and in Sri Lanka for the past two. One of the most
important characteristics of BRM is that it is very small. Neither the
Kawasakis nor any of the volunteers for the various projects receive
any remuneration, although, because BRM has been granted 50l (c) 3
status by the United States government, donations and volunteer
expenses can be exempted from income for tax purposes.
All of the activities of Buddhist Relief Mission are described with photos on their website,. Also available on the
website are all of BRM unique creations, including an audio CD set,
Pali Chanting–International; a multi-media CD and DVD, Strive On With
Diligence; and the board game, Buddhist Knowledge Quest, which was
featured in Dhamma Musings on August 25, 2009 < http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-dhamma-game.html
.
You can contact Buddhist Relief Mission via the website or at buddhist@brelief.org .
In 2005, the Kawasakis moved to Sri Lanka, where they
continue as directors of BRM. Since 2006, they have conducted an annual
intensive English course, mainly for university-student monks, in India
for three years and in Sri Lanka for the past two. One of the most
important characteristics of BRM is that it is very small. Neither the
Kawasakis nor any of the volunteers for the various projects receive
any remuneration, although, because BRM has been granted 50l (c) 3
status by the United States government, donations and volunteer
expenses can be exempted from income for tax purposes.All of the activities of Buddhist Relief Mission are described with photos on their website,
You can contact Buddhist Relief Mission via the website or at buddhist@brelief.org .
