Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism
"Through the practice of Vajrayana Buddhism, may the radiant flower of
Tibetan Culture be preserved for the benefit of all beings."
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The Marici Fellowship

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The Marici Fellowship

an introduction by His Eminence Avikrita Vajra Sakya Rinpoche

Our late grandfather, His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Dorje Chang, didn’t just teach great compassion; he manifested it in every aspect of His holy life – as a spiritual guide, as a partner, as a parent, a grandparent, and a beloved friend. Inspired by such a dynamic example and with the auspicious dependent connections aligning of keen interest among our Dharma-friends in Seattle, we founded the Marici Fellowship as a platform for “putting the Dharma into action for the benefit of all.”

The way we speak of this great compassion in the Great Vehicle of Buddhism is to arouse the aspiration to optimize this human life we have – body, brain and heart – in order to bring about the welfare of not just our immediate loved ones, community members, compatriots or even just humanity, but all sentient beings. On that basis, it is not enough to simply nurture an internal determination; we have to dream out loud and act on that resolve. This is the twofold way walked by all the Awakened Ones of the past, present and future. Therefore, the aim of the Marici Fellowship is to compliment the well-established spiritual activities of Sakya Monastery and its affiliates with a range of socially engaged programs.

What makes the Marici Fellowship unique from regular charitable endeavors is that we are not simply sacrificing some free time and funds to provide material welfare out of mere sympathy and solidarity; we are putting the Dharma into practice for our own and others’ temporal and spiritual well-being. In other words, our work is not a separate pursuit from the Dharma but an integral part of it.

Our heartfelt hope is that all the aspirations in this booklet and the work of the Marici Fellowship be fulfilled without obstacles.

Text from The Marici Prayer Book, © 2017 Avikrita Vajra Sakya and Gelong Ngawang Khyentse

Events

The Marici Fellowship is helping to shine light on the daily struggles and problems faced in our society today, with the goal of bringing us together, building awareness, dissolving barriers, and finding solutions. To that end, the fellowship sponsors events held at the Sakya Monastery, such as guest speakers and education, along with community outreach events like helping youth, the homeless and much more.

All are welcome to join these free events. Tea and snacks will be provided.

You can find out more about our upcoming events and programs at https://marici-fellowship.org/coming-events. If you are interested in being a guest speaker, requesting a speaking event or sponsoring a speaker, please see our guest speakers page.

Marici Fellowship Mission, Goals and Vision

Mission

Marici means “rays of light” in Sanskrit. Our mission: Shining the light of compassion through kindness.

Goals

  1. To understand that our work is not a separate pursuit from the dharma but an integral part OF the dharma.
  2. To bring together as many avenues as possible for the relief of suffering. Providing education, peer support, ongoing service to those in need and much much more.
  3. To dissolve the barriers of separateness between ourselves, others, and most importantly those we are trying to help most.

Vision

To be a community whose members recognize the interconnectedness of ourselves and other, our environment and discovering the true gift of helping those in need the benefit to them but also the great gift it is for ourselves.

Values

Compassion, Equity, Wisdom, Inclusion, Collaboration

Join the Fellowship

If you are interested in helping our Fellowship practice in the community, please view events on the main Marici Fellowship website at https://marici-fellowship.org/coming-events/. There is also an activity board in the Monastery downstairs across from the coat hangers which has pictures and activities listed. You may also contact the facilitators by emailing marici@sakya.org

We are working on adding many new programs and events to our calendar, including support forums for end-of-life pet care and family support. Please check the Marici Fellowship website often for announcements of new programs, events and offerings.

If you are interested in supporting the activities of the Marici Fellowship but cannot attend one of our events, you are welcome to make a donation. Click here to learn more.

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