Although she’s originally from New Zealand, Celia has lived in Dublin for 14 years. She’s a member of the Dublin Sangha and loves the Dharma classes there.

In spring 2020 Celia travelled to New Zealand on what she thought would be a 2-week trip to see her family. But New Zealand went into lockdown and she found herself stranded on the other side of the world from her life back in Dublin, Ireland.

It was a really tough time for Celia. She needed to find somewhere to live and a new job. As Celia adjusted to the fact that she would need to remain in New Zealand for the next few years, she drew support from attending Sangha nights online with her beloved Dublin sangha. It helped her gain perspective and face the challenges of starting over in New Zealand.

It gave me different ways of dealing with different problems in life. Just being in a better headspace about life. It’s been amazing.  

This was possible because Dublin have been really engaged with teaching the Dharma and keeping their sangha connected online. And FutureDharma supporters have helped them do this. Gifts from FutureDharma supporters bought new tech equipment so that the team in Dublin can teach a class online that feels like you’re right there in the room with them. For Celia, it’s been a lifeline.