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In one sense all work done at The Three Jewels may be considered "outreach" since it is the feeling of dissatisfaction with this material world/realm, created by our egocentric mind, that triggers the desire for a spiritual practice in the first place. The Three Jewels provides needed sustenance for all spiritual seekers by teaching about the causes of dissatisfaction/suffering and the means for ending removing them.
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The Three Jewels provides outreach to the larger Community through its Spiritual Recovery Support Group its support for the "Down on Violence" Project, and through its Community Partnerships initiative. Those who's earthly plight has reached the point of desperation stand to benefit most from outreach which provides more than just a sympathetic ear. It's vital to provide true insight into the real causes of self-destructive and anti-social behaviors, and ways to replace them with the causes for happiness.
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| Spiritual Recovery |
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The Three Jewels offers a support meeting for addiction recovery and for anyone experiencing life crisis issues. The spiritual recovery group is a Twelve Step based meeting for people with any kind of life control issues, including any form of substance dependency.
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The similarities between the "Twelve Steps" and Buddhist refuge are one of the topics discussed at these meetings. In addition to the sharing and qualifying phases, they also include a meditation section. Another unique aspect of these meetings is the strength of commitment.
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| Prison Project |
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The Three Jewels also supports the Down on Violence program with visits every four weeks to the Bedford Hills Women's Correctional Facility in Upstate New York. ACI have developed and taught a course on "Mind, Heart, Wisdom and Practical Philosophy" for the Down on Violence program at Bedford. The program includes workshops and meditations on exchanging the self with others, watching the thoughts and visualization along with poetry writing. We also have regularly scheduled visits to Ossining. We have over 90 prisoners around the country taking correspondence courses on Buddhism and meditation, sponsored in conjunction with the Asian Classics Institute. These courses are given free of charge.
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| Hospice Program |
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With the help of The Three Jewels as their community partner, Tracey Simon, CSW, a social worker with a background in hospice care together with Rona Taylor, an AIDS activist, have developed a hospice program built on the Buddhist principals of love, integrity, equanimity and service.
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The mission of the hospice is to offer hospital and/or home based care provided by specially trained Buddhist volunteers, free of charge. In the spirit of the hospice philosophy, patients will receive caring and compassionate patient-centered care and upon request, spiritual guidance including Buddhist ceremonial procedures at the time of death. Volunteers, and ordained sangha members can pray for the patient at the time of death, and will be available to guide friends and relatives on ways to help the patient at that time and during the 49 days following.
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For more information contact Tracy Simon at ____
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| Community Partnerships |
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Last year, The Three Jewels engaged in a number of new partnerships with other community groups and organizations, including The 4th Street Food Co-op, the Distribution of Opportunity Network (a downtown small business alliance) and World in Balance, (in conjunction with the UN World Summit on sustainable development) and NYU Students for a Free Tibet.
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