Dharma gifts now available
We now have a small, hand-picked selection of dharma items available for sale, as another way to raise money for the Good Fortune Trust. Tshering and I visited a number of Tibetan traders and manufacturers in Delhi, looking for items we thought you'd like.
Most of what we purchased was handmade by Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal and purchased either from them or from small family-run businesses. By buying any of these items, you become part of a chain of benefit that runs from the artisans who made it, the small businesspeople who sold it to us, on to the monks and nuns who will benefit from the funds we raise.
Of special interest to our many supporters who are Buddhist are some lovely, high-quality malas. We have a handful of crystal malas and some sandalwood malas available, as shown to the left. From top to bottom, these are
- carnelian ($32)
- sunstone ($32)
- amethyst ($42)
- tiger's eye ($45)
- sandalwood (6mm beads $32; 7mm beads as shown $38) and
- rose quartz ($32)
The tiger's eye malas (at the top of the photo to the left) are my particular favourite. The sunstone (middle) is a curious thing; when the light hits it, it sparkles wildly. The amethyst (bottom) mala is quite dainty; the beads are slightly smaller than the others at 6mm, making for a smaller mala that is lighter to carry.
The sandalwood malas (photo below), although less flashy, are something special. It's prized of course for its delicate and distinctive scent.The price of sandalwood has soared in recent years (sadly it's in short supply because of unsustainable harvesting in India) and it's more and more difficult to get good quality. These are superb; no faking or trickery here. Their perfume has wafted through my room these past months as they have sat on my shelf.
Geshe Tashi Tsering was kind enough to bless these malas.
We have assorted mala bags, at once beautiful and practical. These range in price from $5.50 to $9.50 and come in a variety of sizes, fabrics and styles: drawstrings, zippers, delicate gauze, traditional silk etc. If you're interested in one to go with your new mala, email me and I'll send you photos etc.
We also have a few other goodies to tempt you to send us money!
- best quality handmade Zongchoe Tibetan incense (30 cm long) This is what Geshe-la uses at home (need I say more?). $11
- brocade book bags in assorted colours and patterns, in two sizes. These are good quality silk and nicely made. ($12.50 and $16.50)
- 1 gram boxes of very fine saffron, traditionally used for perfuming and colouring the water used in offering bowls. This is excellent quality, as well as much cheaper than at the supermarket. (Yes of course you can use it for cooking, if you'd like!) $9
- a few large khatags, the white scarves traditionally offered to guests as they arrive and depart. These are not silk but well made (and easy to wash, not being silk ...) $18
We'll post these items anywhere in the world or you can pick them up from us. Postage is a flat $2.50 in Australia and at cost to the rest of the world. 
