Conscientious Compassion

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, originally from Brooklyn and born as Jeffrey Block, found his calling in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. He moved to Sri Lanka in 1972 to fully immerse himself in monastic life and Buddhist scholarship. There, he focused on translating Pali texts, the original scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. His translations serve a clear purpose: to make these ancient teachings understandable and relevant for people today.

In 2008, he founded Buddhist Global Relief (BGR), turning his attention to pressing global issues like hunger and malnutrition. The Buddha himself said, 'There is no illness like hunger,' emphasizing the deep spiritual value of providing for those in need. Bhikkhu Bodhi took this teaching to heart. BGR doesn't just feed people; it works to address the root causes of hunger, including social injustice and economic inequality.

More recently, Bhikkhu Bodhi joined the Global Compassion Coalition, expanding his efforts to a broader interfaith setting. He is also a spiritual ambassador for Our Voices, a climate action group that involves multiple faith traditions. His work is a reminder that the core Buddhist values of compassion and interconnectedness aren't confined to a single faith or community. Rather, these values are universal, urging us all to take action in the face of suffering and ecological imbalance.