Greenstone

Object location: Living room

This piece of river-worn New Zealand greenstone (Māori: pounamu) was a gift from a visiting New Zealander. Sangharakshita seemed to appreciate its very tactile qualities and in his later years he was often seen with it in his hand. On occasion he used it as a ‘healing stone’, applying it to parts of his body to relieve intermittent aches and pains.

New Zealand is a part of the world where FWBO (Triratna) centres were set up relatively early in the life of the Order, notably in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. Sangharakshita toured New Zealand extensively in 1975, 1979 and 1997. Details of the 1979 and 1997 tours are documented in The Complete Works of Sangharakshita, vol. 24).