ARROW RIVER FOREST HERMITAGE LEARNING CENTRE

One of the most important functions of a monastery is the preservation and transmission of the teachings. This is done in large part by direct practice. But another important aspect is the availability of the teachings in written form.

The Arrow River Forest Hermitage has acquired, over the years, a large collection of books; several hundred volumes in all, including almost all the canon in English translation. Currently, the collection is not properly stored, either for the convenience of study or for the preservation of the books themselves. The best books, including the scriptures, are shelved in the abbot's cabin, the rest are in an unheated shed, many still in boxes. This is not an acceptable situation going forward.

The board of directors has agreed to a plan to build a proper learning centre and library for the use of residents and guests. The building would be 20 ft x 24 ft and would include proper shelving for the entire collection, a sitting area for personal study and a small office space.

The library building would be a great enhancement to the Hermitage, providing a pleasant and accessible space for quiet study. It is the next step required in our development into a mature centre for the spread and practice of the Buddha's Dhamma. In our own small way, we want to help keep the teachings of the Buddha alive for future generations.

We can build relatively cheaply here, and our current estimate for the cost is $18,000 (Canadian dollars.) This will be a wood-frame structure with wood-heat. We will be doing the labour ourselves.

Currently, we are raising funds for this project. Remembering that there is no gift so meritorious as the gift of Dhamma, you may consider helping with a donation. You can send a cheque made out to "Arrow River Forest Hermitage" (include a note that this is for the Library Fund) and mail it to the treasurer at;

Lori Smetaniuk
272 Townsend Drive SS#2
Breslau ON N0B 1M0
Canada

Or you can pay online through Canada Helps by following the "DONATE" link at the bottom of this page. Thank you so much for considering this project.

To Donate Online; on the CanadaHelps web-site, choose "Library Fund" from the pull down menu

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