By Mike Kinney
The Gyuto Foundation Buddhist Monastery in Richmond hosted a special prayer ceremony Saturday for the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic in India and Nepal. A devastating surge in cases has overwhelmed India’s healthcare system.
About 60 people attended the outdoor service, called Monlam, at the serene monastery grounds at 6401 Bernhard Ave.
Monlam is a Buddhist prayer, which means ‘wish-path’, the Buddhist path of helping others through kind prayers.
“We share the sadness and grief of Indian people who lost their loved ones,” said Venerable Thupten Donyo, the head monk of the Gyuto Foundation Buddhist Monastery. “We prayed for the people who died to have better rebirth.”
The Gyuto Foundation recently launched an online fundraiser that raised over $82,000 toward emergency medical relief efforts in India, including procurement of oxygen tanks and air concentrators. A small amount of donations were made Saturday night to augment the efforts.
