In June 2008 I spent a week on retreat with The NNBY in the hill station of Dehra Dun, in northern India. I worked on a team of four Trainers; the Indian Order members Kumarjeev and Kamalasri from Nagpur, and Maitiveer Nagarjuna from Delhi, alongside the NNBY Student Leadership Team. We were 35 people on retreat, practicing in an old colonial school building, miraculously transformed for our use by the local Senior Dhammachari Bodhi Sagar and his tireless wife Sumitra. They turned classrooms into dorms, food pantries and shower facilities; hallways into kitchen prep stations and a dining area; and a meeting hall into a shrine room and central study space.

Dehra Dun is green and peaceful, providing a cool break from city heat, and a chance to practice in a lush, serene environment. Our team worked harmoniously, providing opportunities for students to learn meditation, practice English, study the legacy of Dr. Ambedkar, chant, and do pujas. Students established new friendships, shared tasks, played cricket, sang songs, and even danced. Our last night was a diksha, a ceremony where two students became Buddhists, followed by a cultural evening, which included comedy and a kirtan, which is devotional music and poetry. 

The primary goal of The NNBY is to establish a network of Buddhist friendships  across India, and train up the next generation of young Buddhist leaders. I am satisfied that such connections were created on this retreat. Most of the retreatants were first-timers, and as the week came to a close they told me how much they had learned, how their meditation practice had deepened, how they'd made new friendships, and how much more confidence they felt after a week of supported practice. Myself, I leave feeling grateful for my deepening friendships with the team, and feeling inspired by the energy, creativity, and curiosity of all the students.

During the retreat we took two day trips; one to a nearby Tibetan temple, and one to the hill station of Mussorie.

After the retreat I stayed for one night in Dehra Dun, at the house of Senior Dhammachari Bodhisagar and his wife Sumitra. They fed me well, let me get some much-needed rest, and their grandsons kept me company. I was pleased  to have some time to talk with Sumitra, who is an amazing woman. She is in her 60's, busy with her family and household responsibilities, but also active at the Buddhist Center that she and Bodhisagar have created. She teaches regular dharma classes to children there and leads hatha yoga classes three times a week. She is a very generous hostess, and I was lucky to be able to relax in their home for a night before a long day's bus journey.

May this Sangha continue to thrive!