The Three Jewels of Buddhism are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Each jewel holds an invaluable place on the path. Today we’d like to take a moment to reflect and hold dear one particular segment of our Sangha or community; the Compassion in Action Fellows.
The Compassion in Action Fellowship is a yearlong inner and outer change program that supports college and university student leaders in learning meditation practice, building community, and promoting social change.
The program initially launched a few years ago in the early and tumultuous days of the Covid-19 pandemic. We’d planned on starting the program with an in-person retreat. However, we shifted those plans due to Covid, or as some of our staff refer to it, “The Great Disrupter”. 🙂 Nonetheless, the program launched, and we have been graced with two cohorts of fellows who have emerged as leaders of compassion and activism.
As this year’s cohort has officially come to a close, we’re bittersweet to say the least. To this year’s fellows:
It has been a joy to meet you all and to be a part of your journey. What a gift to witness all that you have accomplished and contributed to your communities. From the very first cohort gathering filled with curiosity and enthusiasm, to the sharing of stories and insights at our retreats, to the myriad conversations, transformations, and relationships nurtured in your Learning Circles, it’s been an inspiring year. We can’t wait to see how your compassionate wisdom continues to transform the many worlds that will be graced by your presence.
To our next cohort of fellows: We can’t wait to meet you! The Fellowship will ground you in a foundation of Tibetan Buddhist meditation through a 21st century lens of social change. Together, we’ll work to create a happy, just, and flourishing world.
We’re incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made since we started this program in 2019, not only in making this practice accessible to all communities, but also in carving out a space for a generation of young leaders. Through our personal-community-world approach, our Compassion in Action fellows have successfully learned invaluable skills and practices, and navigated this challenging time with grace and compassion. Thank you for sharing your year with us.